Seeking advice for correcting/polishing Estoril Blue BMW

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Dirty Jacket

New member
Hello all,

I purchased a 2014 335i in Estoril Blue last week. The interior is 10/10, literally like new. The exterior is quite obvious that it spent it`s nights outdoors and was taken through the auto wash monsters. Tons of swirls and 2 or 3 decent scratches.

How does this sound (using a porter cable):

1) Menzerna MCP2500 Medium Cut Polish 2500 (orange pad)
2) Menzerna SF3500 Super Finish 3500 (white pad)
3) Menzerna Professional Micro Polish 3800 (black pad)
4) Collinite Marque D`Elegance Carnauba Paste Wax #915 (red pad)

Is the 3500 and 3800 redundant? Would the 2500+3500 be sufficient to tackle the majority of my issues?

Thanks in advance!
 
Dirty Jacket said:
Hello all,

I purchased a 2014 335i in Estoril Blue last week. The interior is 10/10, literally like new. The exterior is quite obvious that it spent it`s nights outdoors and was taken through the auto wash monsters. Tons of swirls and 2 or 3 decent scratches.

How does this sound (using a porter cable):

1) Menzerna MCP2500 Medium Cut Polish 2500 (orange pad)
2) Menzerna SF3500 Super Finish 3500 (white pad)
3) Menzerna Professional Micro Polish 3800 (black pad)
4) Collinite Marque D`Elegance Carnauba Paste Wax #915 (red pad)

Is the 3500 and 3800 redundant? Would the 2500+3500 be sufficient to tackle the majority of my issues?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Too many steps for me, I`m thinking a 1 step Sonax Cut and Finish or EX 04-06 topped with your LSP of choice. The real answer, if this is the route you want to go would be to perform a "Test Spot".
 
I agree with the guys above about the 2 step polish max. Lastly since it`s a pre owned. See if you can get meter before you go to town. I am not 200 percent sure I know the blue you reference but the interlagos blue on many M cars shows swirls if you look at it. Get some good wipe off towels.

And since you are going through all the perfecting steps I would add a chemical Decon like iron x and a physical Decon step clay bar step after the wash and you will mostly likely have to wash again before the correction. Now if that sounds good, I would coat the car and lock in all that hard work. Just my 2 cents.
 
If you`ve already got Menznera products on hand, MC2500 may be the only thing you need.

Estoril Blue is relatively hard, which makes it easy to finish down without marring. MC2500 + Orange Light Cutting pad can do some pretty excellent swirl removal.

Here is MC2500 + Orange Light Cutting pad on an Alpine White 335i for reference... old video, but it gives you a good idea of what you can do with the combo.


As others have mentioned, you will ultimately determine the best process with a series of test spots. You shouldn`t need more than 2 steps to achieve the results you are looking for.
 
What size pads are you using? You mentioned "tons of swirls" and the fact that it`s been sitting outside day/night, I`d go with something more than a medium cut. Usually you`d want to start with the least aggressive process first but by your description of the car it sounds like it needs more than medium cut.
 
I`ve got a 2010 Montego Blue 335i. Like someone mentioned, hard paint. Assuming you washing and claying first. Using Meg`s 105 and Griot`s microfiber cut pads gives a nice finish with my Boss G15. Polished with M205 with B&S blue polishing pads (I think) really make it pop. Finish it all off with Collinite 845 using a Red Griots wax pad and the Porter Cable. After winter I`ll correct needed spots with M101 (new to the arsenal), polish the whole car with 205 and more Collinite on top.
 
Dirty Jacket said:
Hello all,

I purchased a 2014 335i in Estoril Blue last week. The interior is 10/10, literally like new. The exterior is quite obvious that it spent it`s nights outdoors and was taken through the auto wash monsters. Tons of swirls and 2 or 3 decent scratches.

How does this sound (using a porter cable):

1) Menzerna MCP2500 Medium Cut Polish 2500 (orange pad)
2) Menzerna SF3500 Super Finish 3500 (white pad)
3) Menzerna Professional Micro Polish 3800 (black pad)
4) Collinite Marque D`Elegance Carnauba Paste Wax #915 (red pad)

Is the 3500 and 3800 redundant? Would the 2500+3500 be sufficient to tackle the majority of my issues?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

Good taste in products! Starting with 2500 + orange is a good start to "see if it works". If it solves your swirls, use that. It`s a great polish.
I`d go to 3500 or 3800 with the white pad, or even green. I have found that black (or red) pads with super-fine polish on hard paint is a waste of time.
Collinite 915 is a GREAT choice for blue.
 
jatleson said:
I`ve got a 2010 Montego Blue 335i. Like someone mentioned, hard paint. Assuming you washing and claying first. Using Meg`s 105 and Griot`s microfiber cut pads gives a nice finish with my Boss G15. Polished with M205 with B&S blue polishing pads (I think) really make it pop. Finish it all off with Collinite 845 using a Red Griots wax pad and the Porter Cable. After winter I`ll correct needed spots with M101 (new to the arsenal), polish the whole car with 205 and more Collinite on top.
Click to expand...

M205 on blue b&s pads is excellent!
 
The PC is my weapon of choice.

I prefer more lucid, smat abrasive polishes, and more open cell pads.

I try and start with Ultimate Compound, or M100 on a green Hex Logic / Buff and Shine "polishing" pads. If that isn`t removing the damage, I switch to a Buff and Shine microfiber. After that, I`ll short cycle Ultimate Polish, or M205 on a blue Hex Logic / Buff and Shine polishing/finishing pad. Sealant goes on with a red B&S pad.

When I use Menzerna, I prefer Lake Country Hydrotech pads. 2500 on the Tangerine Hydrotech was a very impressive combination, and might not require an extra polishing step. I never used the 3800, but the 3500 (sf4000) always left an incredible gloss.
 
Depending on the test spot you may want to go the Menz 400/Menz 3500 route for a two step. BMW paint is hard. I had to go this way on my 2011 335d. I had some scratches that the previous owner left me that required the 400. Menz 3800 is a third step for me to try to get the last bit of shine out of a paint. Most people can`t discern 3500 from 3800.
 
On my 09 Audi I did a correction and coating this spring. With my color the defects were hard to find but a a couple LED lights I had I could find them. Under most lighting you would say the paint was almost perfect but it wasn`t I ended up using Menz 400 and micro cut pad and finished with 4000 (3500) on a white pad except on the right front fender which I tried 3800 but could see no difference. Here is a crop of that area to show that there was no visible difference between the two. I will also show a before and after of part of my hood also.

Fendoor.jpg


D1.jpg


D2_1.jpg


One reason for pictures is that the camera sees defects much better than my eyes.

All the pictures were taken just after polishing with no LSP.
 
I appreciate all of the feedback. Consensus is that I am over-complicating this as I tend to do (I go all-in whatever I do, miss the forest for the trees at times).
Taking the feedback from here and doing more research, for a beginner like myself who is frankly doing this because I think it will be fun and rewarding, and in the long run will save me money, how does this approach sound:

1- Meg`s Ultimate Compound (G17216)
2- Meg`s M205
3- Wolfgang Sealant (WG-5500)

OR is there truly a noticeable benefit in the Menzerna products on the BMW paint?

Using 5.5" Lake Country foam pads
(I am going to skip the wax for now as I can`t understand how a layer of wax on top of the Sealant provides much more but I will play with that over time)
 
Is the WG sealant as durable as Collinite or is it one of the many sealants that does *not* last/protect as well? Sealants aren`t always "better" than waxes. Just wondered, never used the stuff.

Dirty Jacket- Welcome to Autopia!

I`d figure out whether you prefer abrasives that DO or DON`T diminish (I prefer the latter).

And yeah, two-step correction oughta work fine.
 
Accumulator said:
Is the WG sealant as durable as Collinite or is it one of the many sealants that does *not* last/protect as well? Sealants aren`t always "better" than waxes. Just wondered, never used the stuff.

Dirty Jacket- Welcome to Autopia!

I`d figure out whether you prefer abrasives that DO or DON`T diminish (I prefer the latter).

And yeah, two-step correction oughta work fine.
Click to expand...

I don`t quite understand what the diminishing vs not diminishing means, although I understand that the Megs is a nondiminishing. Can`t say that was a factor for this noob tho
 
Dirty Jacket said:
I don`t quite understand what the diminishing vs not diminishing means, although I understand that the Megs is a nondiminishing. Can`t say that was a factor for this noob tho
Click to expand...
Since I make such a big deal out of it, maybe I ought try explaining why I think it matters.

With a diminishing abrasive product, it starts out aggressive and breaks down to less-aggressive. Even when it`s something really mild. So if what you want is to finish that pass with the "less-aggressive" you gotta work it long enough for it to break down to that point. Often/usually not an issue.

Sometimes it`s even good- when you`re using a really harsh compound, one that`ll scour up the finish, it`s nice to be able to just keep working it and end up with a mild, broken-down version that clears up a lot of that scouring, leaving just a little micromarring.

Some other times, OTOH, it`s not so good- when you just want to do a *little bit* of polishing, why start out with something harsher than you need and spend all that time/effort *and clearcoat* working it until it breaks down to what you really need?

With a NON-diminishing product, there`s no "breaking down". It`s more consistent from start to finish; the level of cut basically stays the same, it just dries out sooner or later (IMO you`d better buff it off before that happens).

Once again, that can be good or not-so-good.

Good- You get exactly what you`re expecting from start to finish. If you only want a little work to get done, you just work it for a short time and then buff it off. If you want more work to get done you just work it longer (I still wouldn`t let it dry out). No wasted time/effort/clear waiting to get to the point you really want.

Not-so good- With aggressive stuff it`s still harsh when you buff it off, that`s why it`s *SO* easy to get serious micromarring when you buff off the residue from a nondiminishing compound like M105. And the residue on your pad and buff-off towel is always just as harsh as the stuff that`s still in the bottle. You don`t have much control over how it cuts because it`s always the same, only variable you`re controlling is how long it does its thing.

I myself like the nondiminishing because I feel I have better control over what it`s gonna do.

Oh, and just FWIW...I do "buff until it dries out and turns to powder" with a handful of *VERY* mild Finishing Polishes, at least when I`m doing the (sorta goofy) Uber-Autopian burnishing/jeweling thing. Stuff like 1Z High Gloss can be really good that way, but that`s not very IRL if ya ask me.

Hope that made sense...anything I can clarify? Heh heh, it might`ve already been more than you really wanted to know :o
 
Okay so I put it to work this weekend. I learned a lot as I went along and ultimately realized that I was ill prepared for many of the (correctable) defects in my clear coat. The most `aggressive` pads I had were LC orange pads, and my most aggressive polish was Meg`s Ultimate Compound. There were numerous defects that this didn`t touch. Ultimately I wanted to err on the side of caution since I`ve never machine polished before.
Now I know.
Once the weather warms up I`ll give it in another go.
Thanks everyone for your help.
 
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