This is my sapphire black 2004 530d. It had a full detail last summer, and now after plenty of highway driving this fall and the early winter I wanted to give her a nice light polish and new sealant layers to hit the winter 2010!
Now when it's been a cold weather a bit longer it's also much easier to keep the car clean. The weather hasn't got any warmer than -12°C in a month or so. In average it's been -20°C, and the tops around -30°C. When everything is frozen everywhere, there's not much dirt around to get the car soiled
.
Along the detail I did also some other little stuff that needed to be done. Like changing the interior dome lights and putting some 3M abrasive protection tape on skirts etc.
But here's the process of the detail:
DAY 1
1) Prewash
- Korrek Lensitil BR Solvent Wash Spray
- Bilt-Hamber Autofoam
2) Handwash
- Bilt-Hamber Autofoam
- Two bucket method + Meguiar's sheepskin mitt + mf mitt
3) Claying
- Zaino Z-18 clay
- Turtle Wax Big Orange car shampoo + water as a lubricant
---> Unnecessary phase as there was nothing on panels
4) Polish
- One step polish with Lake Country CCA black pad + Menzerna PO85RD Final Finish
- Flex XC 3401 VRG
---> The combination worked extremely well on very light marring
DAY 2
5) Wash
- Bilt-Hamber Autofoam
- Two bucket method + Meguiar's sheepskin mitt + mf mitt
6) Waxing or "sealing"
- Carlack68 NSC
- FK1000P
---> I'll put the second layer of FK1000P on next wash.
I also cleaned the interior, but sorry I don't have any pics of that. I don't have much "during" pics either, only before/after, sorry about that too.
-------------------------------------------------
DAY 1:
Even if the washing hall looks a bit anemic, it's great that my job can offer these conditions to wash cars and do repairs even at winter time!
After the wash and clay:
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A very light marring could be seen under the halogens. I hadn't noticed anything in a daylight or in a street lighting. I guess these marks have originated in drying during time:
This rub has developed on multiple accidental hits into a plastic trash bin in my carage
:
Tape, anyone?
After polishing, no LSP!
I always check the result with a LED torch too. It's a beast to reveal all the defects!
It was dark already, so I headed back home and to SAUNA of course:driver:.
The end of DAY 1
-------------------------------------------------
Now when it's been a cold weather a bit longer it's also much easier to keep the car clean. The weather hasn't got any warmer than -12°C in a month or so. In average it's been -20°C, and the tops around -30°C. When everything is frozen everywhere, there's not much dirt around to get the car soiled

Along the detail I did also some other little stuff that needed to be done. Like changing the interior dome lights and putting some 3M abrasive protection tape on skirts etc.
But here's the process of the detail:
DAY 1
1) Prewash
- Korrek Lensitil BR Solvent Wash Spray
- Bilt-Hamber Autofoam
2) Handwash
- Bilt-Hamber Autofoam
- Two bucket method + Meguiar's sheepskin mitt + mf mitt
3) Claying
- Zaino Z-18 clay
- Turtle Wax Big Orange car shampoo + water as a lubricant
---> Unnecessary phase as there was nothing on panels
4) Polish
- One step polish with Lake Country CCA black pad + Menzerna PO85RD Final Finish
- Flex XC 3401 VRG
---> The combination worked extremely well on very light marring
DAY 2
5) Wash
- Bilt-Hamber Autofoam
- Two bucket method + Meguiar's sheepskin mitt + mf mitt
6) Waxing or "sealing"
- Carlack68 NSC
- FK1000P
---> I'll put the second layer of FK1000P on next wash.
I also cleaned the interior, but sorry I don't have any pics of that. I don't have much "during" pics either, only before/after, sorry about that too.
-------------------------------------------------
DAY 1:
Even if the washing hall looks a bit anemic, it's great that my job can offer these conditions to wash cars and do repairs even at winter time!

After the wash and clay:



-------------------------------------------------
A very light marring could be seen under the halogens. I hadn't noticed anything in a daylight or in a street lighting. I guess these marks have originated in drying during time:



This rub has developed on multiple accidental hits into a plastic trash bin in my carage


Tape, anyone?

After polishing, no LSP!










I always check the result with a LED torch too. It's a beast to reveal all the defects!


It was dark already, so I headed back home and to SAUNA of course:driver:.





The end of DAY 1
-------------------------------------------------