jet black s55 amg hard clear

[sacdetailing]

I think its an 03, scheduled for paint correction. I heard the clear coat is really hard but i haven't done one yet, give me some tips and what kind of combos i should use, thank you very much everybody! Do you think its possible to do a 2 step? it had seen probably 1000 tunnel car washes in its life and dealers buffing trails on some areas.

 

[Envious Eric]

no on the two step....



check this out...a cls55 I did a while back

http://www.autopia.org/forum/pro-de...1-envious-detailing-mercedes-black-cls55.html something like 17 hours later, and lots of 105 used! tunnel wash for a few years!!!

 

[Alexshimshimhae]

Pfw and 105?

 

[JohnKleven]

Check the paint code, if it's 040 it will polish out like butter, if it's C040, then it has ceramiclear, and will take a little more work, but a two step should suffice. I would use SIP, and Super Finish.







John

 

[Alexshimshimhae]

the menzerna line AFAIK was designed for ceramiclears(nano) gluck...can't wait to read your write up sir

 

[sacdetailing]

the menzerna line AFAIK was designed for ceramiclears(nano) gluck...can't wait to read your write up sir

thanks! i will post it

Check the paint code, if it's 040 it will polish out like butter, if it's C040, then it has ceramiclear, and will take a little more work, but a two step should suffice. I would use SIP, and Super Finish.John

thanks John

am going to check it right now





everybody thanks for help!

 

[Scottwax]

Check the paint code, if it's 040 it will polish out like butter, if it's C040, then it has ceramiclear, and will take a little more work, but a two step should suffice. I would use SIP, and Super Finish.







John

Exactly! While ceramiclear is pretty hard, it is utterly goof proof and very consistent across the color spectrum. Meguiars #105/205 also work very well on C paint coded Mercedes. Haven't had a chance to try the new Optimum spray polishes on one yet though.

 

[sacdetailing]

huuuhhh, its only a 040! am not that scared anymore lol

 

[Apollo_Auto]

Well if you do run by a CC one of these days, don't be afraid to lay into it like it owes you money and won't pay up. This is while polishing I mean. Especially on Merc, BMW and Audi CC... PITA!!! Almost every car I polish has CC...

 

[sacdetailing]

Guys, the story is very sad, the clear is super hard, right now me and my friend (also a weekend worrier-very good detailer lol like me) is helping me with it, purple wool pad and power gloss, then super intensive on orange pad, then 85rd on black pad. working mad slow but high speed. so not happy lol

 

[gigondaz]

My detailing shop does lots of Mercs for a local Merc dealership.

Yes, Menzerna is great for ceramic clears (especially PPG ceramiclear).

If the swirls are not deep, but there's loads of fine ones, and you're under extreme time pressure, this approach below is great with ceramiclears:



1. Rotary with Megs 2-sided 4ply wool + Menzerna PO85RD (yes! the finishing polish!). Speed 3.

2. Wipe with damp cloth, and then dry mfiber.

3. Rotary with Megs Yellow Pad + PO85RD Speed 1-2

4. LSP.



Yes, it's a quick job and not perfect. But car will look relatively swirl free and very black and glossy to many owners.

Of course, for a proper job where comfortable time is available, you might need to a suitable compound.

Only the uppermost part of the clearcoat is very hard.

Once you cut too much, the underlying layer is no longer that hard.

 

[Alexshimshimhae]

I worked on my friends S550 and now that I think about it, I don't recall if it was ceramiclear, but I did have to reduce my working area for compound to give me some extra work time.. (operation car spa I think the thread was) hope it helps

 

[Accumulator]

gigondaz- Don't take this as an :argue I'm just curious...if you're gonna two-step hard clear, why not do that first step using a product that has more corrective ability? Seems like you'd get more leveling for the same amount of time/effort :think: Say...something like 1z Pasta Intensiv that really cuts but finishes down nicely.

 

[gigondaz]

gigondaz- Don't take this as an :argue I'm just curious...if you're gonna two-step hard clear, why not do that first step using a product that has more corrective ability? Seems like you'd get more leveling for the same amount of time/effort :think: Say...something like 1z Pasta Intensiv that really cuts but finishes down nicely.

No worries, my friend! LOL.

no one knows everything about detailing. I'm always learning new stuff everyday. LOL.



You have a good point.

But those new Mercs that I do only have very faint holos and some very light swirls.

So, the PO85RD is sufficient, without stepping to more aggresive stuff such as 106 or Intensive Polish.

There are tons of alternative ways, but I happen to like the look of PO85RD on black, esp black ceramics.



On these cars, the above combo was one of my favs, but now, I also use Megs 205.



For Megs 205, I do one panel with rotary+yellow pad. Leave it alone without buffing.

Add a bit more 205 and use the Flex VRG to work it in and refine the finish. Then, I'll buff that panel...only once. Very nice results.

 

[Accumulator]

gigondaz- Glad you didn't take it the wrong way, and yeah...



-no point using more potent products than necessary

-we all have products we prefer for one reason or another



Lucky you, having those cars not too marred up! I always expect you pros to be dealing with real horror shows.



Oh, and I have mixed feelings about M205; it doesn't always finish out *quite* as nice as I'd like (when I'm being goofy-particular) and man-oh-man is it a chore to get all the M205's oils off/out of certain paints!

 

[gigondaz]

.... I have mixed feelings about M205; it doesn't always finish out *quite* as nice as I'd like (when I'm being goofy-particular) and man-oh-man is it a chore to get all the M205's oils off/out of certain paints!

IMO, Megs 205 certainly hides many types of imperfections.

Full strength alcohol +M6000 + MPC have proven this to me many times.

205 also does not have the cutting power to remove the more serious swirls from ceramics, and merely makes them not so obvious cosmetically.



I find 205 a funny animal.

I thought its usage was quite straightforward, but until today, I'm still surprised by more usage methods, and testing them endlessly with other brands of products.

 

[Alexshimshimhae]

well i hope for and look forward to your write ups

 

[Accumulator]

IMO, Megs 205 certainly hides many types of imperfections.

Full strength alcohol +M6000 + MPC have proven this to me many times...

Noting that I'm not *always* opposed to some concealing....yeah, I'm using TOL's PrepWash as IPA/ect. don't work well for me on this one either.

205 also does not have the cutting power to remove the more serious swirls from ceramics, and merely makes them not so obvious cosmetically.

Right...even on hard conventional clear I'd reserve M205 for finish refinement *after* something else has done the correction. I know others here use M205 for correction, but it just doesn't do it for me.

I find 205 a funny animal.

Yeah, and in many cases I prefer something more straightforward like 1Z High Gloss or a finishing product from Menzerna.

I thought its usage was quite straightforward, but until today, I'm still surprised by more usage methods, and testing them endlessly with other brands of products.

Some people use it in a more straightforward manner than other people, and, well...whatever works for somebody is OK by me. But I for one am not into endless [anything related to detailing], I just want to get the job done so I can get on with my life