Black 95 BMW- what to do?

W

whodat

New member
Hi all,

Just found this board and I'm glad I did!

I've got a 1995 bmw 325i that's black. The front end (hood and fenders) was recently repainted and looks pretty good. The rest of the car, however is covered in swirls.

I was cruising one of the BMW boards and found a pretty good process for detailing, and thought I'd run it by you all before I do it.

I'd appreciate any comments.

1 - Wash with Dawn and dry
2 - Blackfire Poly-Clay
3 - 3M Perfect it swirl mark remover
4 - Meguiars Show car glaze #7
5 - Meguiars #26 wax

I already bought all this stuff.

I was hoping that this process would remove the swirls and bring some of the paint back to life (the plastic rear bumper is pretty faded).

I have a rotary buffer, but don't know what pads to get for it. (not sure if I should use this or some MF towels)

Thanks for your help,
Steve
 
Buffer

Step away from the buffer, slowly.

Unless you're very experienced using a rotary, then you could really do some damage.

You steps look good. Go for it by hand or random orbital and make sure your applicators are super clean.

Black is a challenge.
 
Sorry - orbital, not rotary

Sorry guys... I meant I have an orbital buffer.

Do I need special pads for application of the different stuff?

Also, do I need a cleaner in there?
 
The 3M SMR is practically useless in a car as the one you describe. You should at least try Megs DACP w/ a cutting pad, work it well and see how much it cleans. If most swirls are gone, then next it with a polishing foam and that 3M SMR.

I've recently done a 96 black 328i and in several areas I had to use a rotary with a cutting compound to remove surface problems.

Take a look at this thread http://detailcity.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1015
 
Thanks for the info JGV. That car looks a lot like mine!!

So your steps would be:
1) clay
2) Megs DACP
3) polishing foam???
4) 3M swirl mark remover
5) glaze
6) wax

A couple more questions:
1) I took a look at Megs DACP and it says it is made for professionals. If I'm careful with the Orbital, I'm assuming that I won't cause any major damage to the paint with this product. Is that a safe assumption?

2) What will the polishing foam do?

3) why is the 3M SMR still needed?

4) will Glaze and wax always be the last two steps (assuming I'm not using a sealant)?

Thanks for your help guys... I'm finding that this is more an art than a science!
 
whodat said:
Thanks for the info JGV. That car looks a lot like mine!!

So your steps would be:
1) clay
2) Megs DACP
3) polishing foam???
4) 3M swirl mark remover
5) glaze
6) wax

A couple more questions:
1) I took a look at Megs DACP and it says it is made for professionals. If I'm careful with the Orbital, I'm assuming that I won't cause any major damage to the paint with this product. Is that a safe assumption?

With the PC, it's a very safe easy to use product


2) What will the polishing foam do?

Like in PC pads, Cutting Foam Pad, Polishing Foam Pad,...

3) why is the 3M SMR still needed?

Cause you need something smoother after the DACP, to clean it's marks

4) will Glaze and wax always be the last two steps (assuming I'm not using a sealant)?

Yeaahp!

Thanks for your help guys... I'm finding that this is more an art than a science!
Click to expand...
 
Ahh... now it's all making sense!!

I need to get two different pads for my orbital buffer... A cutting pad for the DACP and a Polishing one for the 3M SMR.

would you suggest applying/removing the Glaze and wax with a finishing pad as well?

Hope I can find em!

Thanks a ton,
Steve
 
I saw those pads... look great, but I have a cheapo orbital buffer. Kinda like this one, but it only cost $30.00 USD.

http://www.premiumautocare.com/orpo.html

I'm assuming that the only type of applicators are terry cloth.

Would it make sense to apply the DACP with the orbital, the Swirl remover by hand and then wax with the orbital again?

Man... the questions never stop!!!!
 
Forget about using DACP with a cheap orbital, it must be properly break in. Either you buy a DA PC or you can start thinking about other possibilities, like having someone do it for you?
 
Bummer... I really wanted to do this myself (especially since I've already purchased the products.)

Would using my hands for the DACP, SMR, Glaze and Wax do any good?
 
If you have strong arms, it's perfect! Be sure to use a cotton terry cloth to work the DACP, and work it well, or it'll haze the surface. Work a small section at a time. About the rest, no problem by hand.
 
I am not a profesional detailer, but I have been doing it for awhile and feel I have enough experience to give you some advice. It sounds like maybe you should shy away from the professional line of products and use the megauiars consumer 3 step system. It includes a cleaner, polish, and then a wax. It is not as tricky to apply and it can all be done by hand easily. I used it for the longest time when I first started, and it does provide good results.
 
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