4 day/$500 detail, have some questions.

I

imported_Greg1

New member
Hey guys, I just talked to one of my BMW friends and he wants me to detail his widebody M3 and essentially make it look perfect. He is letting me have it for 4 days and is paying up to $500, depending on how happy he is. I have never done anything this intense before, but I think I am up for the challenge. These are probably going to be my steps for the paint:

1. Wash- Eiman Fabrik Powerwash + 2x

2. Clay bar- Pinnacle Poly Clay w/ Clay Lubricant

3. Polish- Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion

4. Scratch Removal- Eagle One Scratch Remover/Touch up paint

5. Remove swirl marks- 3M SMR for dark cars

6. Klasse AIO

7. Klasse Sealant Glaze

8. Wax- Pinnacle Souveran (Paste)

9. Liquid Wax- Pinnacle Souveran (liquid)



My question is, given this is a friend, how can I make it absolutely perfect and am I missing any steps on the paint? My next question is what should I use on his carbon fiber inside the engine bay and in the interior?

Does anyone have advice on doing this big of a job and are there certain areas that would really make it stand out. Thanks a bunch guys/gals.
 
The Liquid Souveran will remove the paste Souveran it has more solvents in it. If you're going to use the liquid use it first then the paste. Also make sure you let the coats ample time to cure. Wait I just read the rest of your post if your're going to be using Klasse than elimanate the liquid Souveran. Use the AIO then several coats of SG topped with a few coats of Souveran paste , again make sure you allow the coats to dry or you'll have a mess.
 
I would change the order of 3, 4 & 5 to:

3. Scratch removal

4. Swirl mark removal

5. Polish



I’ve found that a qood QD like Meg’s Final Inspection or Poorboy’s Spray & Wipe works good to clean and shine carbon fiber parts.



Don’t forget to clean the wheel wells, clean the wheels and tires and use a good tire dressing to make the wheels stand out. Clean shiny wheels make a clean shine car come together.
 
detailbarn said:
The Liquid Souveran will remove the paste Souveran it has more solvents in it. If you're going to use the liquid use it first then the paste. Also make sure you let the coats ample time to cure. Wait I just read the rest of your post if your're going to be using Klasse than elimanate the liquid Souveran. Use the AIO then several coats of SG topped with a few coats of Souveran paste , again make sure you allow the coats to dry or you'll have a mess.
Click to expand...



Thanks for the tip on the liquid souveran. I kind of wondered about that because it seemed like it might dissolve some of the products applied beforehand. I just remember reading the tip on CMA, but hadn't tried it yet. So one coat of AIO and then 2-3 coats of SG?

Would Crystal Mist be acceptable for the carbon fiber?

The reason I had polish before scratch removal is to do touch up paint, you need to have it polished before touching up. Thanks for the advice though. Keep it coming!
 
I see no need to wash it twice since you will be scratch removing, swirl removing, then polishing. You might want to use a PC if you have one. You might be able to rent something from Home Depot if they have it or you can just do it by hand if you are feeling energetic.;)



I would treat the carbon fiber like any other painted bits and wax them after treating them with Klasse. Just go with the paste wax and be sure to use some tire dressing in the fenderwells. Take your time with it and "break" the job up into sections instead of trying to do the whole car at one time.



But most importantly, be sure to do a high speed road test to ensure the products settle properly on the cars surfaces. This is an extremely important step with high performance vehicles.:D
 
Have you considered the use of Plexus on the carbon fiber?



What are you planning on using to clean the tires? Dress the tires? Clean and dress the wheelwells?



How about a glass polish and then cleaner?



A protectant for the dash/doorpanels, etc?



Leather cleaner/conditioner?



Just curious.....
 
Just a couple thoughts on your process...



1. Wash- Eiman Fabrik Powerwash + 2x

2. Clay bar- Pinnacle Poly Clay w/ Clay Lubricant

3. Polish- Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion

4. Scratch Removal- Eagle One Scratch Remover/Touch up paint

5. Remove swirl marks- 3M SMR for dark cars

6. Klasse AIO

7. Klasse Sealant Glaze

8. Wax- Pinnacle Souveran (Paste)

9. Liquid Wax- Pinnacle Souveran (liquid)





1. Why wash twice?



2. Good choice. Poly Clay is pretty good stuff. Keep an eye on it though. It has been known to saturate if you use too much lube. If it starts to get too mushy then get rid of it and break out another bar.



3. hmmmm.... about your polishing process... PPCL is mainly a paint cleaner. You could probably skip that step since you are planning on going over it again with a scratch remover and SMR. You should go from the most abrasive product down to the least abrasive. I don't know how that lines up on your products, but PPCL has to be close to the bottom.



6. I'd skip the AIO. You are using enough cleaning/swirl removing products as it is. AIO would definatly be overkill.



The only other thing that I'd suggest is to put the paste Souveran over the liquid souveran. I've found that it looks better that way.



I can't tell you what to use on the carbon fiber. I've never worked on it so I don't know what works and what doesn't. When in doubt just use soap and water. :)



This job should only take you around least 6 hours if you are using a machine. I figure you'll spend 15 or 20 minutes washing it twice, 30 - 45 minutes claying (unless you are really experienced at it), at least 2 hours for swirl removal based on the products you are planning on using, the SG part will take at least an hour because you have to let it stand for about 45 minutes and probably an hour or so to wax it. Dressing the tires and trim, doing the engine and doing the interior will probably take another 1 - 2 hours. That is definatly a full day of work. If you are doing these steps by hand then it will definatly take you longer. Probably twice as long. You might want to think about enlisting some help to do the interior for you while you work on the outside.



As far as other tips I can offer, I'd just say take your time and pay attention to detail. This job is going to take a long time so you might as well slow down and do it right. If you are going to have this car for 4 days then you can definatly take the time to do it right. You'll have to wait for 24 hours before you top the SG anyway because it needs to cure.



Make sure you clean your towels if you are going to use the same ones to buff off the polishes that you are going to use for the waxes. Keep the pad on your polisher clean, of course. I don't know if you are using a PC or something on this project, but they do tend to 'fill up' when you do this much polishing. Just keep them clean and you should be fine. :xyxthumbs



Definately let us know what we can help on. If there is specific damage you need to repair or anything like that, then post some more details and maybe we can come up with something. Good luck! I love projects like this. Make sure you take before and after pictures. :xyxthumbs
 
Ok to answer some questions, yes I will be using my trusty PC.

As for polishing the glass, I've never done this before. I usually just use Eiman Fabrik Clear Vision with my Viper Glass cleaning MF. I use Pinnacle leather cleaner and conditioner, but he has Sparco EVO's w/ 5 pt harnesses and removed backseat, so no mass quantities of leather to condition. Protectant for the dash/doorpanels I am going to use Pinnacle Vinyl and Rubber protectant.

Wheels are another question. The wheels are Magnesium and so are his pedals. I was going to use Eiman Fabrik Hi-Intensity for the wheels, then do a coat of AIO and SG on them. As for tire dressing, I have EF Black Opal and Meguiars Endurance, what would you all recommend? What do you all recommend for dressing the wheel wells?

Also, I was going to again use Hi-Intensity for the engine and then what dressing should I use?

I would take the wheels off, but honestly I don't feel comfortable using a jackstand on a $10,000 carbon fiber widebody kit.

Last question for this post, typically, I let the SG sit for 1 hr in the shade before removing, do I need to let it cure longer? I was a little confused by your post Jngrbrdman. Thank you so much guys, your advice is much appreciated.
 
Not sure what a 'jackstand' is but unless it is a workshop type stand and not the small jack with the spare tyre you should not be using it at all.



Workshop stands are not expensive and are the best way to lift and hold a car (and keep you safe).



Looking forward to the before and after pictures :xyxthumbs



Steven
 
Greg said:


Last question for this post, typically, I let the SG sit for 1 hr in the shade before removing, do I need to let it cure longer? I was a little confused by your post Jngrbrdman. Thank you so much guys, your advice is much appreciated.
Click to expand...



I've always let SG sit for 45 minutes to an hour before buffing off. Since it doesn't take long to apply it, I just figured 15 or 20 mintues to apply and then 45 minutes to wait before you buff it off equals about an hour.



Oh, one other thing... this "depending on how happy he is" payment offer is kind of odd. I'd make sure you get a set price from him. Its really going to suck if you do your best and he says something about how its not what he expected and then only slides you 200 bucks or something. Make sure you get a total price out of him. When it is something like $500 then either he needs to have a really trustworthy handshake or you better have a signature on something.
 
Jngrbrdman said:
I've always let SG sit for 45 minutes to an hour before buffing off. Since it doesn't take long to apply it, I just figured 15 or 20 mintues to apply and then 45 minutes to wait before you buff it off equals about an hour.



Oh, one other thing... this "depending on how happy he is" payment offer is kind of odd. I'd make sure you get a set price from him. Its really going to suck if you do your best and he says something about how its not what he expected and then only slides you 200 bucks or something. Make sure you get a total price out of him. When it is something like $500 then either he needs to have a really trustworthy handshake or you better have a signature on something.
Click to expand...



Just be sure to add that he's welcome to give you as big a tip as he wants when he sees it!
 
Lowejackson said:
Not sure what a 'jackstand' is?
Click to expand...





n_81004.jpg
 
Honestly, he's good for the money and I trust him and when we talked about it, we agreed to between $400-500. We've done deals with each other on BMW parts and he's never screwed me. Money is not the issue for him, it's truly the quality of work. Also, it's not totally the money for which I am doing this. This car is a bonafide show car and if he is happy, then hopefully I will be able to accompany him to shows and let others see my work and drum up some business.
 
Greg said:
Hey guys, I just talked to one of my BMW friends and he wants me to detail his widebody M3 and essentially make it look perfect. He is letting me have it for 4 days and is paying up to $500, depending on how happy he is. I have never done anything this intense before, but I think I am up for the challenge. These are probably going to be my steps for the paint:

1. Wash- Eiman Fabrik Powerwash + 2x

2. Clay bar- Pinnacle Poly Clay w/ Clay Lubricant

3. Polish- Pinnacle Paintwork Cleansing Lotion

4. Scratch Removal- Eagle One Scratch Remover/Touch up paint

5. Remove swirl marks- 3M SMR for dark cars

6. Klasse AIO

7. Klasse Sealant Glaze

8. Wax- Pinnacle Souveran (Paste)

9. Liquid Wax- Pinnacle Souveran (liquid)
Click to expand...





Ok, let me add in my $.02 also..





First of, i dont see how you would need 4 days to complete all this. If you take an entire day, starting at 8 or 9 in the morning, you should be done by around 5 or 6, taking small breaks in between. I have a mobile detailing business, and everything you are doing is included in what i call the "Platinum Package" which is basically the most comprehensive package we offer.





Here is how I would do it:



1- Wash with dawn to remove any old wax/sealant etc.

2- Clay the entire car

3- Wash again with non-carnuba based soap to remove clay particles

4- Scratch removal(I recommend Meguiars Scratch-X)

5- Swirl removal (SMR, FI-II, etc.)

6- Wash again with non carnuba based soap to remove any fillers left behind by the swirl remover

7- Klasse SG or any other sealant equivalent

8- Top with carnuba wax.

9- Follow up with trim dressing, tire dressing, glass cleaner, etc





If you need any advice on procedure or products, dont hesitate to PM me.



Have fun!
 
Four days to do a detail! You'll be able to get that car in awesome condition.



I would spend the whole first day on the exterior of the car so you can put some layers of wax on it over the next few days.



Since you are saying it a show car, then you might want to run under the car and scrub it down when you begin the detail work before your initial washes.



Also, make sure you spend a lot of time in the engine comparment. Get some polish and hand polish all the metal under there. Pull whatever out that can make cleaning easier (battery, battery tray, radiator cowl, etc.) It should be perfectly clean. Heck, I could spend a whole day on an engine compartment.
 
I think you've got a good idea of what to do from the reaction here. What I can offer is a little perspective. I used to help a guy who owned a '67 Ferrari 275GTB/4 and showed it at local and regional Ferrari concours events. It would take us two weeks typically to prep the car. Instead of using all those products you listed, some with dubious ability for your particular needs, I'd suggest focusing on a few top performing products and use them to their absolute max. For example, I would spend hours and hours glazing the Ferrari's paint. Just filling and polishing. We didn't use 752 different products, just one glaze, one wax, and a mild paint polish. The car you are working on is not that different from the Ferrari I used to work on. Get the most out of each product you use instead of trying to set a record for most products used in a detail.



I like Nagchampa's suggestion that you break down the job into small sections and tasks. Its much easier mentally to do the job if you can focus on one small thing at a time. Seriously consider developing a checklist of major tasks broken down into small actions. This will keep you moving forward, prevent time wasting activity, and prevent you from getting side tracked or overly focused on one task.



Hopefully you have enough tools, products, and energy to do this job. Its a biggie but certainly doable. Good luck and let us know how it goes. Maybe even create a "detailing diary" of this job with notes and pics along the way. That would be pretty cool to see - more of a story that just "look what I did".
 
A well respected detailer here charges $450 for a 3 day pre-show job.



Bretfraz - Did u do the 275 at Cavallino a few weeks ago? If, so I have some pix of the car I could send you...



Here's Eddy the detailer at the show:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top