[MSCD]

Originally Posted by SHEEDI

Zach, what is the best pad+polish combo to do 1 step paint correction German cars?

Seems like Zach isn't around based on last month / 6 weeks... your car looks great, I see it in the E90 thread. I'm looking in the PA area for classes to up my game! Nervous with the waxing!

[SHEEDI]

Originally Posted by MSCD

Seems like Zach isn't around based on last month / 6 weeks... your car looks great, I see it in the E90 thread. I'm looking in the PA area for classes to up my game! Nervous with the waxing!

Thanks....yes, I have finished my car with paint correction and coatings, this was just a random question for Zach for my knowledge

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by SHEEDI

Zach, what is the best pad+polish combo to do 1 step paint correction German cars?

In my opinion, there is no correct answer to this question.

Depending on the paint color, perceived hardness, amount of damage, etc. your product, pad, and technique may change significantly.

Generally, a light to medium polish paired with a polishing pad or light cutting pad is a good place to start. This will usually produce great results on a variety of paint types, however there are some instances (as you will see below) where you may be able to get away with using heavy compounds and cutting pads for a one-step correction. I discuss some of this in the following article...

Paint Correction: Pairing Products and Pads by Zach McGovern

Every paint correction process begins with a series of test spots to determine the best method to produce the results we are after. The goal of a one-step correction should be to remove as many defects as possible without introducing micro marring in the finish... basically you have to be as aggressive as possible to correct imperfections, but not so aggressive that you compromise the clarity of the finish. Once you push beyond this threshold and get aggressive enough to mar the surface, you must then follow up with another polishing step which is therefore no long considered a "one-step" job. Make sense?

Here are several examples of one-step correction jobs I have done on German Cars. As you can see, a variety of products and pads can be used successfully (many of which are not shown in these pictures).

1) Mercedes E550 - Fast Correcting Cream and a Microfiber Cutting Pad







2) VW EOS - HD Adapt and Orange Light Cutting Pad






3) BMW 335i Convertible - Griot's Garage Correcting Cream and Light Cutting Pads








4) Audi Q5 - HD Adapt and Light Cutting Pads







5) BMW X5 - Meguiar's M205 and Polishing Pads







6) BMW 335i - Menzerna MC2500 and Light Cutting Pads





Hope that helps!

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Zach McGovern
Pro Detailer
DI Ask-A-Pro Blog Author

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by MSCD

Seems like Zach isn't around based on last month / 6 weeks... your car looks great, I see it in the E90 thread. I'm looking in the PA area for classes to up my game! Nervous with the waxing!

I check the forum several times a week to see if there is anything I can help with Sometimes I refrain from answering until I have enough time to sit down and put together a thorough response. Providing links to articles, products, and adding photos to my responses takes considerable time, so I always make sure I am not in a position where I have to rush through an answer. I like to think a thorough response with links and photos is most beneficial to everyone.

PM's are always answered as promptly as possible as well.

Let me know if you have any questions! Always happy to help

Zach McGovern
Pro Detailer
DI Ask-A-Pro Blog Author

[MSCD]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

I check the forum several times a week to see if there is anything I can help with Sometimes I refrain from answering until I have enough time to sit down and put together a thorough response. Providing links to articles, products, and adding photos to my responses takes considerable time, so I always make sure I am not in a position where I have to rush through an answer. I like to think a thorough response with links and photos is most beneficial to everyone.

PM's are always answered as promptly as possible as well.

Let me know if you have any questions! Always happy to help

Zach McGovern
Pro Detailer
DI Ask-A-Pro Blog Author

Good news - I was concerned that I hadn't seen you reply recently! Thanks.

[vincedea]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Generally for rock chips I recommend visiting a body shop, they don't charge too much and they can do it right. Doing it yourself is possible but it's challenging to clean the surface, sand, paint, repeat as needed, clear coat afterward, polishing, etc.

For the interior we recommend 303 Spot Cleaner for the carpets, console, dashboard, doors, etc. For leather the Leatherique Prestine Clean is outstanding. The Stoner Invisible Glass is a great tint safe formula. If you need recommendations for any other areas don't hesitate to email us for the fastest response. Let me know if you have any questions and I'll be happy to help.

Greg @ DI

awesome thanks. I have a bunch of costco microfiber cloths. will those be ok to use with the glass cleaner to wipe on and off? and also with the interior leather?

What is also the best way to do a quick cleaning of the exterior? Something that will allow me to clean up bird poop?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by vincedea

awesome thanks. I have a bunch of costco microfiber cloths. will those be ok to use with the glass cleaner to wipe on and off? and also with the interior leather?

What is also the best way to do a quick cleaning of the exterior? Something that will allow me to clean up bird poop?

I haven't actually used those costco yellow towels, but I would think there is no issues with using them on the interior plastic, vinyl, rubber, and leather surfaces.. For glass cleaning, I prefer the Griot's Garage PFM Glass Towels.

As far as quick exterior cleaning, I am a big fan of waterless and rinseless washes.

Product Review & How-To Guide: Wolfgang Uber Rinseless Wash by Joe Metlow


Zach McGovern
Pro Detailer
DI Ask-A-Pro Blog Author

[tylerboland01]

Originally Posted by vincedea

awesome thanks. I have a bunch of costco microfiber cloths. will those be ok to use with the glass cleaner to wipe on and off? and also with the interior leather?

What is also the best way to do a quick cleaning of the exterior? Something that will allow me to clean up bird poop?

Whatever you do don't wipe bird poop off the paint. On top of being acidic, it's also pretty abrasive. I usually douse it with QD, let it sit for a minute then hit it with a low pressure hose, rinse and repeat until all the solids are gone. Spray with QD again and dab dry with it a microfiber towel.

[jeantarrou]

Hello, I've got a question regarding my interior after performing a full Leatherique treatment.

I followed the process as you described it in on your website, car baked in the hot summer heat for 24 hours, everything cleaned up nicely, but the cleaning revealed some cover-ups on the driver's seat and driver's side door. I'm assuming the wear marks on the seat and arm rest are pretty typical, but is there anything I can do to repair it? How about the stains on the seat?

I bought the car this past spring from a BMW dealership, whatever leather paint/tint/dye they used was an awesome match, neither my wife nor I noticed anything, but it sure came off easy with the Leatherique treatment!

IMGP2334 by , on Flickr

IMGP2332 by , on Flickr

IMGP2331 by , on Flickr

[Detailed Image]

The wear shown in your first and last images will need to be re-dyed. I am surprised it was removed with the leatherique products, however the process of repairing those small areas is quite simple. You can find plenty of information on leather repair kits online. Unfortunately we do not carry the products needed to dye your leather.

As far as the spots in the 2nd photo. Those appear to be something that would be removed during cleaning, not that would appear post-cleaning. Are you certain something was not accidentally spilled on the leather post-cleaning? Have you tried cleaning those areas again?

Zach McGovern
DI AAP Blog Author

[jeantarrou]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

The wear shown in your first and last images will need to be re-dyed. I am surprised it was removed with the leatherique products, however the process of repairing those small areas is quite simple. You can find plenty of information on leather repair kits online. Unfortunately we do not carry the products needed to dye your leather.

As far as the spots in the 2nd photo. Those appear to be something that would be removed during cleaning, not that would appear post-cleaning. Are you certain something was not accidentally spilled on the leather post-cleaning? Have you tried cleaning those areas again?

Zach McGovern
DI AAP Blog Author

Thanks for the quick reply Zach. So I'll look into getting a dye for those worn areas, and as for those spots, they absolutely appeared as I was using the Pristine Clean, a bit of scrubbing and there they were. I'm guessing the simple remedy would be dying over them?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by jeantarrou

Thanks for the quick reply Zach. So I'll look into getting a dye for those worn areas, and as for those spots, they absolutely appeared as I was using the Pristine Clean, a bit of scrubbing and there they were. I'm guessing the simple remedy would be dying over them?

That may be the ultimate solution, however I would first spend a little more time trying to clean them with another type of cleaner (like an all purpose cleaner) to see if they might be removable. It is difficult to tell in the photo if they are actually damaged leather, or simply something on the leather.

[SHEEDI]

Zach,

what is the best Anitfog product on the market?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by SHEEDI

Zach,

what is the best Anitfog product on the market?

I have only tried the CarPro product, and it worked OK... I can't give you any real feedback on anything else on the market. Sorry.

-Zach

[SHEEDI]

Hello Zach, I hope all is well..

what is different between Meguiar's Ultra Polishing Wax D166 and Carpro Essence?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by SHEEDI

Hello Zach, I hope all is well..

what is different between Meguiar's Ultra Polishing Wax D166 and Carpro Essence?

I have not used Meguiar's D166, however based on the description, D166 what I would call a "traditional all-in-one". It is a polish/sealant hybrid that allows you to remove some defects while leaving protection all in one step (hence the term "all in one").


CarPro Essence might fall in to the "all-in-one" category as it does remove defects and technically could be left as a stand alone form of protection, but the majority seem to use it as a primer polish in preparation for a ceramic nano coating.

Hope that helps. Let me know if you have any questions!

Zach McGovern
DI Ask-A-Pro Blog Author

[MSCD]

Zach - what snow brush would you recommend? 3rd time this week...

[SHEEDI]

i put gloves on and wrap my hand and arm with plush microfiber towel and clean fresh snow

[MSCD]

Originally Posted by SHEEDI

i put gloves on and wrap my hand and arm with plush microfiber towel and clean fresh snow

Safe! Smart move. Thanks

[SHEEDI]

Originally Posted by MSCD

Safe! Smart move. Thanks

and to clean ice off windshield and windows, I use credit card or this razor

https://www.autogeek.net/sr-5-gp.html

[MSCD]

Originally Posted by SHEEDI

and to clean ice off windshield and windows, I use credit card or this razor

https://www.autogeek.net/sr-5-gp.html

Me like! Thanks - definitely investing in this... could have done with it when de badging my F31!

[Detailed Image]

I'd take his word for it over mine... I don't deal with snow much at all

-Zach McGovern