2006 Mercedes Benz SL500
This week’s featured detail is a highly refined SL500 roadster in Aegean Blue Metallic with 302HP and 339ft/lb of torque. It is also kitted with the AMG Sport Package…not to be confused however with the full-blown AMG SL55. These are stunning vehicles to say the least, and when you slip into the driver’s seat everything just feels “rightâ€�.
The owner of the car contacted me and said that it spends plenty of time in the garage (only 7K miles), and needed a thorough clean up. Once I inspected the car I noticed that there were no swirls, but it had its fair share of scratches and a serious amount of water spots on the horizontal surfaces. The exterior was quite dirty with a heavy buildup of brake dust on the wheels.
Since this car wasn’t going to provide the dramatic before and after paint correction shots that everybody loves to see, I figured that I would concentrate on documenting many of the small areas that are quite often overlooked, and try to make it a little educational for those wanting to learn more about caring for their own cars.
And as per usual I got a little carried away with the photos…sorry!
First up was the interior.
The cockpit was in fairly good condition and relatively clean. My game plan here was to give the dark interior a thorough cleaning and then add a layer of protection to the surfaces. Once the carpets and floor mats were vacuumed I mixed a bucket of Woolite and water, and proceeded to clean all surfaces with a MF towel. Since it is a convertible with dark interior, experience tells me that you will remove a lot of dirt and contaminants even though it looks clean. I was correct…
After cleaning all surfaces, I moved onto all the cracks and crevices to remove any debris.
For the console, controls, navigation display, and gauges I prefer to use Megs Quick Interior Detailer and a plush MF towel. It does a great job and leaves a nice finish. Note the button on top of the shift knob is the engine start/stop button (cool feature).
For the vents, I use S100 detailing swabs and first spray them with Megs Quick Interior Detailer.
The left side of the driver’s seat is almost always the dirtiest, and even with only 7K miles on it this one was no exception. It had a bit of dirt and dye transfer from denim on it that needed to be cleaned up.
For this I used Megs APC+ at 10:1, and gently agitated it with a Swissvax leather brush.
After cleaning, I topped it (and the rest of the leather in the interior) with Optimum Protectant Plus. This UV protectant is not shiny or greasy…it leaves the finish looking new, not “dressedâ€�.
This week’s featured detail is a highly refined SL500 roadster in Aegean Blue Metallic with 302HP and 339ft/lb of torque. It is also kitted with the AMG Sport Package…not to be confused however with the full-blown AMG SL55. These are stunning vehicles to say the least, and when you slip into the driver’s seat everything just feels “rightâ€�.
The owner of the car contacted me and said that it spends plenty of time in the garage (only 7K miles), and needed a thorough clean up. Once I inspected the car I noticed that there were no swirls, but it had its fair share of scratches and a serious amount of water spots on the horizontal surfaces. The exterior was quite dirty with a heavy buildup of brake dust on the wheels.
Since this car wasn’t going to provide the dramatic before and after paint correction shots that everybody loves to see, I figured that I would concentrate on documenting many of the small areas that are quite often overlooked, and try to make it a little educational for those wanting to learn more about caring for their own cars.
And as per usual I got a little carried away with the photos…sorry!
First up was the interior.
The cockpit was in fairly good condition and relatively clean. My game plan here was to give the dark interior a thorough cleaning and then add a layer of protection to the surfaces. Once the carpets and floor mats were vacuumed I mixed a bucket of Woolite and water, and proceeded to clean all surfaces with a MF towel. Since it is a convertible with dark interior, experience tells me that you will remove a lot of dirt and contaminants even though it looks clean. I was correct…
After cleaning all surfaces, I moved onto all the cracks and crevices to remove any debris.
For the console, controls, navigation display, and gauges I prefer to use Megs Quick Interior Detailer and a plush MF towel. It does a great job and leaves a nice finish. Note the button on top of the shift knob is the engine start/stop button (cool feature).
For the vents, I use S100 detailing swabs and first spray them with Megs Quick Interior Detailer.
The left side of the driver’s seat is almost always the dirtiest, and even with only 7K miles on it this one was no exception. It had a bit of dirt and dye transfer from denim on it that needed to be cleaned up.
For this I used Megs APC+ at 10:1, and gently agitated it with a Swissvax leather brush.
After cleaning, I topped it (and the rest of the leather in the interior) with Optimum Protectant Plus. This UV protectant is not shiny or greasy…it leaves the finish looking new, not “dressedâ€�.
