Update: I'm done!! || So I have spent the last few days working on my car's paint.

[iamwiz82]

An example of what I am working with

WTF, this car is brand new. It spent it's days on the dealer's showroom until I picked it up. Apparently they used sandpaper to dust .

My progress so far.. as you can see, I am getting somewhere (that's a reflection on the corrected side). 6 hours and I have gotten the hood, front bumper, and 70% of the side done.

I am not 100% happy with the job so far. I still have some light scratches in a few spots. They are almost unnoticeable until I get the halogen in the right spot, but I know they are there.

EDIT: She's pretty much done!

A shot off the driver's side

The steps I took:

[*]Wash with dawn
[*]Wash with ONR
[*]Claybar
[*]Wash with ONR
[*]Menzerna Super Intensive Polish applied with UDM
[*]Wash with ONR (the SIP dust scratched the hell out of the paint if I left it there more than a few minutes and then dusted it off)
[*]Isopropyl alcohol wash down to remove any leftover polish
[*]Zaino Z5
[*]Zaino Z6 washdown
[*]Zaino Z5
[*]Zaino Z6 washdown
[*]Zaino Z2
[*]Zaino Z6 washdown
[*]Zaino Z2
[*]Zaino Z6 washdown
[*]Meguiars Gold Class wax applied with UDM (just to protect it until Spring)

Overall I have about 40 hours of work into it. Ack! It kept me busy for the past month, though.

The rest of the album

 

[ponyo]

yikes. Yeah, that looks pretty bad. One of the reason why I won't get black or dark colors like it. At least that's fixable unlike orange peel on GM cars.

 

[zerocool84]

Welcome to the world of Dark Cars.I really do hate them. If I would have known back then what I would have known now, I would have spent the extra money on a different color.

 

[amdhunter]

Didn't you just get that car not too long ago? How did the finish get so bad so quickly?

 

[Cobalt]

M Coupe? Nice car, progress looks good.

 

[imported_Truenofan]

they probably polished it every single day adding wax or something. to make it look good for the floor. probably gotta do the same as what they did to make it look that good.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: Truenofan
they probably polished it every single day adding wax or something. to make it look good for the floor. probably gotta do the same as what they did to make it look that good.

Umm, you didn't get it...she received it looking like that.

 

[mwmorph]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: Truenofan
they probably polished it every single day adding wax or something. to make it look good for the floor. probably gotta do the same as what they did to make it look that good.

Umm, you didn't get it...she received it looking like that.

"it's a man, baby!"

Really, Iamwiz is married to Lolawiz.

As for that, I would have brought it back to the dealership and told them to fix it, not m problem they screwed everything to hell.

Who knows ho much of the clearcoat is gone? Paint life is going to be shortened by far from polishing so much off. That would be unacceptable on a Kia Rio or Chevy Aveo, much less a Z4M god knows how expensive convertible.

Make them pay for their mistake, I would demand at least a full detail followed by a visit to the body shop to fix it up. If they refuse, threaten to bring it up to BMW of America headquarters. Dealerships are accountable for costumer satisfaction and low customer satisfaction will revoke their franchise rights to sell a car.

 

[iamwiz82]

Didn't you just get that car not too long ago? How did the finish get so bad so quickly?

My assumption was that it was polished everyday, like Truenofan mentioned. Too bad they were using dirty rags or not wiping down the dust first. The finish did not look this bad until I washed the whole car down with dawn to strip off the waxes and polishes applied, so they were using a lot of fillers.

M Coupe? Nice car, progress looks good.

Roadster. I gotta have my convertible.

As for that, I would have brought it back to the dealership and told them to fix it, not m problem they screwed everything to hell.

Who knows ho much of the clearcoat is gone? Paint life is going to be shortened by far from polishing so much off. That would be unacceptable on a Kia Rio or Chevy Aveo, much less a Z4M god knows how expensive convertible.

Make them pay for their mistake, I would demand at least a full detail followed by a visit to the body shop to fix it up. If they refuse, threaten to bring it up to BMW of America headquarters. Dealerships are accountable for costumer satisfaction and low customer satisfaction will revoke their franchise rights to sell a car.

I'll never keep this car long enough to worry about the clearcoat. Plus, I enjoy doing this work. It's a sense of satisfaction that I can restore it. Also, it's cold and snowy, so it's not being driven right now anyways.

 

[franksta]

Porter-Cable 7424?

I've got the 7424 to use on my truck. I painted it with the $50 roll-on method and have been using it when the weather is good. What compound and pads have you been using?

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: franksta
Porter-Cable 7424?

I've got the 7424 to use on my truck. I painted it with the $50 roll-on method and have been using it when the weather is good. What compound and pads have you been using?

I have an Ultimate Detailing Machine. I have been using Menzerna Super Intensive Polish with Lake Country orange pads so far. A few times I had to get out a yellow pad for some deep scratches.

 

[amdfansftw]

they damaged that paint all to hell when they waxed it. didn't give the paint time to cure. good work in getting it back though.

 

[ayabe]

The problem is the idiots they have at the dealerships washing and "detailing" the cars. My car was lucky enough to include dealer installed swirl marks as well as scuffs in the door handles because some redneck idiot kept opening the door with his UF replica national title ring on.

 

[Squisher]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Plus, I enjoy doing this work. It's a sense of satisfaction that I can restore it. Also, it's cold and snowy, so it's not being driven right now anyways.

I'm glad you do. I don't. I'm always so scared that I'm going to go too far or that I'm going to scratch the top coat unnecessarily that I find myself buffing it out and then finding scratches I didn't remove, so I start from scratch all over again. I find it very frustrating.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Yeah, that's the trouble with dark cars, swirl marks are common, don't ever take that car through an automatic car wash.

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: Squisher

Originally posted by: iamwiz82
Plus, I enjoy doing this work. It's a sense of satisfaction that I can restore it. Also, it's cold and snowy, so it's not being driven right now anyways.

I'm glad you do. I don't. I'm always so scared that I'm going to go too far or that I'm going to scratch the top coat unnecessarily that I find myself buffing it out and then finding scratches I didn't remove, so I start from scratch all over again. I find it very frustrating.

That's what I keep doing :laugh: If the sun would ever come out here I will pull out the car and look. The halogen lamps show everything. I'd say I'm about 90% happy with the removal so far.

Yeah, that's the trouble with dark cars, swirl marks are common, don't ever take that car through an automatic car wash.

I am fairly certain that looking at it scratches the paint.

 

[Kelvrick]

Good work. Looks much better.

I just don't have the time to keep up with my car anymore and with the frequent trips up the mountain, I'm starting to like the snow look. Its almost two-tone. White on top, grey on bottom.

 

[w00t]

looks like what ever they buffed it with was scratching the paint in the process

 

[fbrdphreak]

Man, that looks worse than my friend's black 06 Accord. She bought it mid-last year as a dealer leftover, obviously sat there a while. Tons of swirls and some scratches. The biggest problem though was the water spots or whatever you want to call it - it must have sat outdoors, because the hood, roof and trunk are covered these permanent water mark looking things. I put over a dozen hours easily in it with a UDM (similar to PC 7424), working from a rubbing compound out to fine polish. It is shiny and reflective as hell when clean & waxed now, with very very few swirls, but if you get close to the hood/roof/trunk, those marks are still there in all their glory. I doubt even a rotary would touch it - it is probably etched into the clearcoat too.

Good luck, I agree it is enjoyable.

 

[imported_Truenofan]

Originally posted by: jagec
Umm, you didn't get it...she received it looking like that.

WTF, this car is brand new. It spent it's days on the dealer's showroom until I picked it up. Apparently they used sandpaper to dust

on the dealers showroom. meaning in a high visibility area. meaning they had to make it look good at least 2x a day. polishing it every day. and every time someone touched it, shortly thereafter they dusted it off again. takes a toll on the paint.

 

[iamwiz82]

She's pretty much done!

A shot off the driver's side

The steps I took:

[*]Wash with dawn
[*]Wash with ONR
[*]Claybar
[*]Wash with ONR
[*]Menzerna Super Intensive Polish applied with UDM
[*]Wash with ONR (the SIP dust scratched the hell out of the paint if I left it there more than a few minutes and then dusted it off)
[*]Isopropyl alcohol wash down to remove any leftover polish
[*]Zaino Z5
[*]Zaino Z6 washdown
[*]Zaino Z5
[*]Zaino Z6 washdown
[*]Zaino Z2
[*]Zaino Z6 washdown
[*]Zaino Z2
[*]Zaino Z6 washdown
[*]Meguiars Gold Class wax applied with UDM (just to protect it until Spring)

Overall I have about 40 hours of work into it. Ack! It kept me busy for the past month, though.

The rest of the album

 

[ElFenix]

i don't think i have that much patience.


now you have to detail the engine bay.

 

[ponyo]

Wow. That looks really nice!

How about coming down and doing my car? It hasn't had a wash in about 6 months.

 

[BarneyFife]

Didn't you lease it?

 

[ponyo]

Originally posted by: BarneyFife
Didn't you lease it?

What does lease have to do with anything? You're not allowed to wash and detail your car if you lease it?