[svt1998gt]

hey guys, i did some research and found alot of products that will detail jet black bmw but havent been able to come to a conclusion.

i have the griot garage da polisher and bought all cutting and polishing pads including the black microfiber for deep defects.

i need some help on which rubbing compounds and polishes and wax to consider.

the car is a 2008, and it has oxidation on the top. and swirl marks all over.

i plan on using chemical guys clean slate, and hit it with griots clay and lubricant. i am a little lost beyond that.

i can post picture of the paint if it helps

[N54_e90]

Black pads are usually for the 2nd or final polish. Go with an orange pad for the first stage for medium to heavy cutting action.

For the 1st stage polish you can go with Meguiars 105 then finish with Meguiars 205. You can also look into Menzerna 400 and 3800 to finish. Be sure to spray the car with a metal/tar remover then clay bar after before polishing. Make sure to remove all oils after cutting and finish with a sealant with or long lasting wax. Hope that helps..

[Bobh59]

Originally Posted by svt1998gt

hey guys, i did some research and found alot of products that will detail jet black bmw but havent been able to come to a conclusion.

i have the griot garage da polisher and bought all cutting and polishing pads including the black microfiber for deep defects.

i need some help on which rubbing compounds and polishes and wax to consider.

the car is a 2008, and it has oxidation on the top. and swirl marks all over.

i plan on using chemical guys clean slate, and hit it with griots clay and lubricant. i am a little lost beyond that.

i can post picture of the paint if it helps

Detailing is a hobby of mine and I've had the opportunity to do a Jet Black BMW so I'd thought I'd share my experience.

First, you'll want to add a fallout remover to the wash/decon phase. The clay will "slice" the top off but won't dissolve it like a fallout remover will. Griot's is excellent as are many others.

When it comes to polishes/compounds Carpro Essence Extreme Gloss Enhancer will be your best friend, and might be all you need. If the oxidation and other trouble spots you mentioned end up requiring more I doubt you'll need anything more aggressive than something like Griot's Fast Correcting Cream on their orange BOSS pad because Jet Black is a very soft paint/clear, unlike other BMW colors.

I'd start out doing test spots using the BOSS yellow pad and Essence, and move up to the orange pad if necessary. If this doesn't work on the trouble spots, I'd start with FCC on the yellow pad and move to the orange pad if necessary. Then go back to Essence on the yellow pad to finish.

Essence is an absolutely awesome product that cuts, fills and preps the surface for a coating/lsp. It can be a bit of an acquired taste though so here are a couple of tips. Use medium pressure on the first pass, then lighten up after that. Usually 2-3 passes is all you need. I've also found it to be finicky on what type of microfiber towel you use to remove it. If it likes the towel it's a breeze to remove, so if you experience any issues just try a different type of towel.

I use a G15 so I can't advise you on speed settings, but I rarely go above 4 on the G15.

Couple last tips. Work clean and switch pads often. I think I used 12 pads on the Jet Black 335i I did where 6-8 is the norm. And if you experience any micro marring trying to finish it down, switch to a black finishing pad instead of a cutting pad. The car I did was more sensitive to the pad than the polish.

You didn't mention anything about an LSP, but since you're going to be spending a fair amount of time getting the paint right I would recommend a ceramic coating because Jet Black (like most dark colors) looks absolutely amazing after it's coated. The best one in terms of ease of use that I've tried, and what I have on my 335xi, is Blackfire Pro Ceramic coating. It flashes quickly, comes off easy and you can apply a second coat immediately.

Besides the additional gloss and durability, once coated all you'll have to do is use a product like Wolfgang Uber SI02 Coating Wash or Chemical Guys Hydrosuds to wash it - no waxes, sealants or toppers required for the life of the coating. And if you ever need to "touch up" a spot you can use Essence Plus which is designed to polish a coating.

Hope this helps.

[FlyingBuckeye3]

Originally Posted by crazythedon

Black pads are usually for the 2nd or final polish. Go with an orange pad for the first stage for medium to heavy cutting action.

For the 1st stage polish you can go with Meguiars 105 then finish with Meguiars 205. You can also look into Menzerna 400 and 3800 to finish. Be sure to spray the car with a metal/tar remover then clay bar after before polishing. Make sure to remove all oils after cutting and finish with a sealant with or long lasting wax. Hope that helps..

I’ve also had good success with M105/205. I used the Chemical Guys pads in combination with the above, car looked fantastic. My car wasn’t black, more of a deep maroon but still showed imperfections pretty easily. I started with 105 on a yellow pad, moved to a green pad for the 205, finished with NXT as a sealant and Gold Class paste lastly.

[Bobh59]

Originally Posted by FlyingBuckeye3

I’ve also had good success with M105/205. I used the Chemical Guys pads in combination with the above, car looked fantastic. My car wasn’t black, more of a deep maroon but still showed imperfections pretty easily. I started with 105 on a yellow pad, moved to a green pad for the 205, finished with NXT as a sealant and Gold Class paste lastly.

Jet Black is completely different from other BMW paints, and the absolutely last thing I would do is what you're advising. But I can only speak from experience.....

[FlyingBuckeye3]

Originally Posted by Bobh59

Jet Black is completely different from other BMW paints, and the absolutely last thing I would do is what you're advising. But I can only speak from experience.....

Well, just because your experience is different doesn’t mean it’s right, might be why you’re only a hobbyist too. I specifically said I didn’t work on Jet Black paint. Instead of being rude and saying it’s “the absolutely last thing you would do”, why not offer some feedback? I would hope that the last thing you would do would actually be just letting the car sit with no correction/protection.