Should I even try to fix these? w/Pics

[texas328ci]

OK, so I feel that posting the worst cosmetic defects on my bright red 2000 328ci on here makes me feel pretty vulnerable . It's kind of like that recurring dream when you were a kid...where you find yourself at school naked!:scared Ok, maybe not that bad, but you get the idea. Anyhow, I figure this is what the forum is for...right? So here goes:



I was wondering if any of you detailing enthusiasts might be able to assist a newbie and make some recommendations on the few paint defects I'm posting in this thread?:bow I've labled each for easy reference in responses. Here's what I'm wondering... Can I even fix these myself?:nixweiss (The first two specifically. I know I can fix the 3rd but would still like some recommendations.) I am getting ready to add to my detailing product collection a PC, Pads, polishes, etc. What do y'all think is my best bet given the following defects?



I present to you the biggest doozie on my bimmer. We'll call it Defect A: the previous owner of this beautiful car let something (I'm assuming bird bomb) eat right through the clearcoat and paint. It looks like something was done to try and cover it up, but it just looks awful. Can I even do anything about this, or do I need to have a professional either touch it up or repaint the entire hood?

 

[texas328ci]

Defect B: Door Ding :

Ok, I'm sure most of you have dealt with this problem. This is a crescent moon shaped door ding consisting of multiple chips or scratches. It was really tough to get the pic to come out given the size limitations, and the limitations of my digicam The area I'm referring to can be seen in the dark (black) reflection in the picture. It seemed that this color contrast showed the ding the best. How do I go about tackling this one, as it looks like the scratches are all the way through the paint and possibly primer. What products would help hide it if I can't fix it completely?

 

[texas328ci]

Defect C: Swirls



And lastly. I know I can repair these, but figured I'd show them here anyway to get some product recommendations. I took this pic directly into the sun to make them very apparent (most "normal" people probably wouldn't even notice them, but I hate 'em!):angry



Here is what I planned on trying (sorry if I spelled some of these incorrectly, I couldn't find the Acronym glossary with the new site format:doh :

Dawn Wash

Sonus Clay

Menzerna IP

Menzerna FP

Sonus Paintwork Cleanser

Klasse AIO

Klasse SG

(haven't decided on a topper for all this, any recommendations are welcome!:bow)



And the swirls...

 

[dcswd]

Defect A: You might be able to remove or lessen those white lines around it. Try it out with a polish that your getting. You wont be able to do anything with the recessed part without paint. If you are feeling ambitious, you could apply touch up paint, sand and buff it out. Definitely do reading on that before starting though. There is a really good article on that on the better car care web site. Other than that, just start with reducing the white outline.



Defect B: Just try polishing it as you do the entire car and see what happens. You will probably be able to reduce it a little bit, but not all the way.



Defect C: Not the worst ive seen... unless your paint is really hard it should turn out really nice!



Your process:



You can skip the dawn wash to start. All of your other steps will do much more than what the dawn wash could do for you.

The Menenza(sp?) steps are good. You could skip the Sonus Paintwork Cleanser after them. Klasse AIO will do essentially the same thing.



As for a topper... I would suggest a nice paste wax... Maybe S100 for a starter... but if you see reccomendations on other waxes for red.. go with that instead. I've read good reviews for souveran on red, but it is quite expensive S100 is nice though

 

[texas328ci]

Defect A: You might be able to remove or lessen those white lines around it. Try it out with a polish that your getting. You wont be able to do anything with the recessed part without paint. If you are feeling ambitious, you could apply touch up paint, sand and buff it out. Definitely do reading on that before starting though. There is a really good article on that on the better car care web site. Other than that, just start with reducing the white outline.

Thanks Dcswd. I've actually done quite a bit of reading on touch-up paint and the process for filling in chips/scratches, etc. Honestly, I don't think I'm ready for that...yet!

You can skip the dawn wash to start. All of your other steps will do much more than what the dawn wash could do for you.

Really? I figured since I had to wash it anyway before proceeding with the clay, etc. that it would be best to strip all the wax residues off with an intense dish soap. My reasoning was that wax buildup could potentially make claying and polishing tougher and less effective.:nixweiss

As for a topper... I would suggest a nice paste wax... Maybe S100 for a starter... but if you see reccomendations on other waxes for red.. go with that instead. I've read good reviews for souveran on red, but it is quite expensive S100 is nice though

Right on. The topper is something I can definitely play with and try different things. I guess the most important thing is getting the foundation as perfect as possible:xyxthumbs .

 

[dcswd]

The whole Dawn wash thing has been a huge debate for a long time. Some people favoring it, some opposing it. If you use it a few times, nothing bad is really going to happen, but I my self would still avoid it. I would think that it would help to dry out the door seals a bit faster for one. But you make the final decision.



I havent done much testing on this myself, but claying is supposed to remove some of the wax that's on the surface. If you really wanted to, you could use AIO or a paint cleaner/cleanser by hand, then clay (or the other way around) and then go to the main polishes. Once again, it all depends on your final decision. I would just clay then polish, but Autopia is all about going the extra mile isnt it? Lol, you be the judge.



hope this helps a bit

 

[lpquick]

I've read a post here earlier about combining the washing and claying into the same step. I tried it and it worked great, saved me at least 20min. or more. I don't clay every inch of the car. just the area's needing the extra attention. You can get a feel for it after washing a few and running your hand in the soup over your finish feeling for grit. I can even see the way water leaves an area which tells me it needs some extra attention.

I agree with every bodies recommendation so far, great advise as usual, this is why this site rocks. :xyxthumbs



Unfortunately defect B since it's down to bare metal, needs to be touched up first, before anything you do with the tools you’re talking about will make any difference.



Defect A, depending on the depth of the paint remaining can be made to look less noticeable but not perfect, especially with a pc.



defect C, can be completely removed just don't expect instant results, it might take more than two or three applications with the right polish and pad combo to do it, just be patient and don't give up. I have no experience with the polishes you’re using but from reading the forum it seems they can do what you need here.



I use what works for me, which is EINSZETT UP and UPP followed by Klasse AIO & SG.

Good luck, keep us posted on your progress, we all like to see the finished product after all your hard work!

 

[Accumulator]

Yeah, clay while washing if you can keep the car wet to avoid waterspotting. FWIW I clay the entire vehicle.



Defects A & B will require spot-repair by a *very good* paint guy. If it were mine, I'd get that done first and let the paint cure before doing anything involving wax/sealants.



I'd use the 1Z polishes on C and see how you like it topped with wax. You can always try the K twins later after you get the defects resolved.



But again, I'd get A & B fixed now rather than later and then go for it. Putting the repairs off will only cause problems, as to fix them the paint guy will be stripping off your wax anyhow and the whole bodyshop experience will probably result in some (hopefully minor) cosmetic damage (such as swirls) to the car. Sad but true, at least in most cases. If you get the paitwork done now, you'll still be able to wax in time for winter (if that's a concern for you). You could put it off until spring, but again, the shop will mess up your paint at least a little and you'll be redoing all the polishing.

 

[Chopper]

I have a client that has a 'Defect A' on a black finish, and I tell you. I had a time trying to figure out how to cure it, which I figured out wasn't going to happen. Paint repair is the only thing that will help. I know it sucks to see a spot like that on such a beautiful color.

 

[rcurley55]

I used menzerna's polishes on my Imola Red M3 and it turned out great. The siwrls were proabably worse then what you had there.



I did use DACP first on a yellow pad though....

 

[Anthony O.]

Hello,



Defect "A" can be spot repaired, although it will not look 100% perfect.



Defect "B", I will go out on a limb and say it is the aftermath or the result of a drive-by "egging". I could be wrong but it sure looks like it. If so these are difficult to correct, short of a re-paint.



Defect "C", no problem. Those are not so much "swirls" as they are "halo scratches" which are caused by wear and tear of the surface from daily driving and washing habits, although perhaps not the best washing habits. A pass with the rotary, the right pad/polish and BINGO, all gone!



Hope that helps,

Anthony