[witeagle]

On my 08' 335, the paint all over the entire car is smooth as glass, on my dad's 08' 528i the hood and trunk feel a bit 'rough' compared to the sides and roof which are smooth as glass. The paint is still shiny as the rest of the car though.

It's the first time i've gotten my hands on the car to detail it for him and was suprisded to feel the paint slightly rough, even after putting on two applications of Meguires Ultimate Liquid wax.

Any suggestions on how to bring the paint back to that smooth as glass feel?

Thanks,

Justin

[apc3libras]

Originally Posted by witeagle

On my 08' 335, the paint all over the entire car is smooth as glass, on my dad's 08' 528i the hood and trunk feel a bit 'rough' compared to the sides and roof which are smooth as glass. The paint is still shiny as the rest of the car though.

It's the first time i've gotten my hands on the car to detail it for him and was suprisded to feel the paint slightly rough, even after putting on two applications of Meguires Ultimate Liquid wax.

Any suggestions on how to bring the paint back to that smooth as glass feel?

Thanks,

Justin

It sounds like you need to clay bar. I think Meguiars makes a good kit that comes with the clay and detailing spray and a sample of their new wax. That combo should help a lot.

[Bobble]

Clay it first, then correct then lsp. The roughness is all the embedded crap on the paint.

[Envious Eric]

Originally Posted by Bobble

Clay it first, then correct then lsp. The roughness is all the embedded crap on the paint.

[witeagle]

lsp?

[max]

Originally Posted by witeagle

lsp?

Last Step Protection

[Bobble]

Originally Posted by witeagle

lsp?

Last Step Protection IE your Wax, sealant or coating of choice.

[ChuckBMW3]

Visit Detailedimage.com, where you can not only read a plethora of detailing literature, but also purchase an excellent selection of products.

[Focus]

Originally Posted by ChuckBMW3

Visit Detailedimage.com, where you can not only read a plethora of detailing literature, but also purchase an excellent selection of products.

+1 plus your in jersey so they ship quick, it's like 1 day shipping for us

[tibra1]

Clay> polish> wax..all part of a standard detail..~$150

Or you can try urself if u r comfortable with it

[Envious Eric]

Originally Posted by tibra1

Clay> polish> wax..all part of a standard detail..~$150

Or you can try urself if u r comfortable with it

$250+ here! but thats not using an AIO

[witeagle]

Originally Posted by tibra1

Clay> polish> wax..all part of a standard detail..~$150

Or you can try urself if u r comfortable with it

Thanks - I think the clay is the ticket prior to polish/wax. I am fine with the other aspects of detailing the car, just never dealt with the rough paint feel before on any of my cars.

I am still trying to get used to some of the acyronyms everyone uses

I do agree with Eric that it's 250+ for a clay/polish/wax detail job. In NJ, polish/wax is usaully about 150 and for a really good detail it's over 200. Add the wax and it's easily another 50 to 100 bucks!

[e92LuNaTiC]

Using the clay bar works wonders on your paint! It'll be smooth as hell and the color seems to pop some more as well Once your done claying and proceed to complete the rest of the procedures you'll have a moment and Pops will be like Daaaamn! Enjoy bro!

[tibra1]

Originally Posted by witeagle

Thanks - I think the clay is the ticket prior to polish/wax. I am fine with the other aspects of detailing the car, just never dealt with the rough paint feel before on any of my cars.

I am still trying to get used to some of the acyronyms everyone uses

I do agree with Eric that it's 250+ for a clay/polish/wax detail job. In NJ, polish/wax is usaully about 150 and for a really good detail it's over 200. Add the wax and it's easily another 50 to 100 bucks!

I actually mis spoke..im in NY its $150 for clay and polish..I do my own hand wax after that..keep in mind anytime you clay u should also polish for best result.

[witeagle]

Originally Posted by tibra1

I actually mis spoke..im in NY its $150 for clay and polish..I do my own hand wax after that..keep in mind anytime you clay u should also polish for best result.

that does make sense since they are not putting on the final coat. $150 is still good for clay/polish since that is a few hours worth of work. Labor rates do differ in different areas!

[335xi_zer0]

don't forget to wash the car before anything to strip the previous coats of wax on the car. you want to start from scratch when it comes to clay bar. if not, the clay bar won't dig as much as it should.

but basically +1 to everyone who's already posted :P

wish you were in VA, i'm trying to start a small detailing business and am charging dirt cheap... so to speak. at least to get it running.

[UncleWede]

You may THINK your 335 is glass smooth, but I bet if you LIGHTLY ran your hand over it while the hand is inside a sandwich bag that you would have a differnet opinion.

That's the litmus test I use for whether I need to do any more clay work on a surface.

ONLY DO THIS ON A CLEAN CAR, or you will be polishing some more as well.

[Bobble]

If you are goign to clay an polich stripping is not necessary as any llsp will come off in that process.

$150 for as clay and polish has got to be a single pass polish, if a two stage polish that's a great price.

[thetedderbear]

If you want it to feel great:
Wash, strip all old wax. It's easier to do it by washing than to clay it off. Dry everything.
Get a clay kit, follow instructions. Take your time. After this, the car will feel smooth.
Polish. You can do 1 step or multiple, depending on how bad the swirls are. By now the car should feel amazing, your fingers should slide across the surface.
Seal. This is good for protecting the car, and now it should feel even nicer, extra smooth.
At this point decide if you're a detail nut and if you are, add another coat of sealant, then a coat of wax. Your car should feel almost slippery in a good way, and look like a show car.
If you need more details about how to do all this, tips, tricks, etc, ask me, or there's plenty of answers on here, and plenty of helpful pros who make a living doing this kind of stuff.

[madeinhongkong]

wash it, clay it with clay magic blue bar (if you use mothers, you will need to wash again, big PITA!) rinse car, polish, and wax.

Don't be shy, clay the windows also it'll be a huge difference use the dirty clay to clay the wheels also and lower bumpers, fog lights, etc.

[witeagle]

I havn't gotten a chance to Clay my dad's 528i but am now going to clay my car based on Wede's post above.

on DI, there are two brands of clay. Any big difference between the two?

Also, I was thinking of going with UltraFine. Any reason to bump up to fine or medium?

[dday]

Originally Posted by witeagle

I havn't gotten a chance to Clay my dad's 528i but am now going to clay my car based on Wede's post above.

on DI, there are two brands of clay. Any big difference between the two?

Also, I was thinking of going with UltraFine. Any reason to bump up to fine or medium?

ultrafine should work great, the different grades are how aggressive they are in pulling gunk out of your paint. The more aggressive the more likely they are to mar your paint though, so unless you're trying to remove something nasty you don't want to go more aggressive than needed.

Brands of clay are pretty much meaningless in the US since it's all made by clay magic (that's a whole other story Google it if you care at all)