LawrenceSA
New member
I last detailed this car in Jan http://www.autopia.org/forums/click...titanium-silver-bmw-x3-detailed-lawrence.html and it had subsequently returned to the panel beaters after some drunk driver crashed into it
I needed to clean up the typical mess most body shops tend to leave behind (sanding marks, buffer trails, swirls, fillers, wax in cracks etc
) from the right hand side of the car, and then give the rest of it a really light polish to ensure everything looked the same.
I detailed the car shortly after the owner had taken a trip to the see the snow in KZN in the beginning of August, and so things were dirty :lol:
The first order of business was to get the engine bay looking a bit better. Here are some pictures of what it looked like before.
Equipment - Karcher K7, Mothers Fenderwell Brush, Daytona Large + Small, Autofinesse Hogs Hair Brushes, MF towels, Electric Blower
Clean - Carchem Citrus APC @ 1:5 though a foaming spray nozzle left to dwell, agitated, pressure rinsed, blown dry
Dress - Autofinesse Dressel applied and left to dwell overnight, final wipe down the following day
And after
Fender wells
Equipment - Karcher K7, Daytona Large + Small
Clean - Pressure rinsed, Carchem Citrus APC @ 1:5 though a foaming spray nozzle left to dwell, agitated, pressure rinsed
Dress - Autofinesse Dressel
Tyres
Equipment - Karcher K7, Mothers Tire Brush, Foam Tire Applicator, MF towel
Clean - Pressure rinsed, Carchem Citrus APC @ 1:5 though a foaming spray nozzle left to dwell, agitated, pressure rinsed
Dress - 2 Coats of Carchem Tyre and Trim Gel, 12 hours apart
After cleaning but before dressing
After dressing
Wheels
Equipment - Karcher K7, Wheel Woolies, Autofinesse Hogs Hair Brushes, Lambswool Wash mitt, MF towels, Q-tips, Electric Blower
Clean - Pressure rinsed, Valet Pro Billberry @ 1:6 though a foaming spray nozzle left to dwell, agitated, pressure rinsed
Tar Removal - Valet Pro Citrus Tar and Glue Remover
Iron Removal - Carchem Revolt applied liberally, allowed to dwell, agitated, pressure rinsed
Protection - Pressure rinse, spray Gyeon Wetcoat, pressure rinse, blow dry
Wash
Equipment - Lambswool Wash Mitts, Karcher K7, Foam cannon, 2 Buckets each with grit guards, WW Drying Towels, Electric Blower
Condition on arrival
Foam - pressure rinse, Valet Pro ANSF via foam cannon, left to dwell, pressure rinsed
TFR - Valet Pro Citrus Prewash @ 1:8 via a pump sprayer, left to dwell pressure rinsed
Wash - Carchem Luxury Shampoo, pressure rinse
Dry - Flood rinse, ONR
Decontamination
Equipment - MF towels, wash mitt, Karcher K7
Tar Removal - Valet Pro Citrus Tar and Glue Remover
Iron Removal - Carchem Revolt applied liberally, allowed to dwell, agitated, pressure rinsed
Remaining contaminants - Shield Heavy Duty Clay
Paint
Equipment - Flex 3401, LC BP system, 5" / 6.5" Orange/White/Black Hybrid Pads, CEM-DT156 PTG, Tape, MF towels
Correction - Menzerna SF4000, Menzerna PF2300, Menzerna FG400
Protection - Collinite 915
Exhaust Tips
Equipment - MF Towels, dedicated Daytona Jnr wheel brush, Mothers Powerball mini, Drill
Clean - Carchem Citrus APC @1:5, left to dwell, agitated, rinsed
Polish - Meguiars NXT All Metal Polish
Before
After (excuse the dust
)
Exterior plastics
Equipment - Foam applicators, MF towels, Q-tips
Clean - Shield Heavy Duty Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner
Protect - Carchem Tire and Trim Dressing
Door and window rubbers
Equipment - Foam applicators, MF towels, Q-tips
Clean - Shield Heavy Duty Vinyl and rubber cleaner
Protect - Optimum Optiseal
Before
After
Glass
Clean - Autoglym Fast Glass, MF towels
Badges & Emblems
Equipment - Q-tips, MF towels
Clean/polish/protect - Autofinesse Tripple
Interior Plastics
Equipment- Foam applicators, MF towels, Q-tips, Various brushes
Clean - Carchem APC @ 1:20
Protect - Optimum Optiseal
Interior Carpets
Equipment- Brushes, Flex VL35C Vacuum, MF towels,
Clean - Mothers Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner,
Leather Surfaces
Equipment- Foam applicators, Flex VL35C Vacuum, MF towels, Brushes
Clean - Carchem APC @ 1:20, various brushes, MF towels
Protect - Collinite 855

I needed to clean up the typical mess most body shops tend to leave behind (sanding marks, buffer trails, swirls, fillers, wax in cracks etc

I detailed the car shortly after the owner had taken a trip to the see the snow in KZN in the beginning of August, and so things were dirty :lol:
The first order of business was to get the engine bay looking a bit better. Here are some pictures of what it looked like before.







Equipment - Karcher K7, Mothers Fenderwell Brush, Daytona Large + Small, Autofinesse Hogs Hair Brushes, MF towels, Electric Blower
Clean - Carchem Citrus APC @ 1:5 though a foaming spray nozzle left to dwell, agitated, pressure rinsed, blown dry
Dress - Autofinesse Dressel applied and left to dwell overnight, final wipe down the following day
And after




Fender wells
Equipment - Karcher K7, Daytona Large + Small
Clean - Pressure rinsed, Carchem Citrus APC @ 1:5 though a foaming spray nozzle left to dwell, agitated, pressure rinsed
Dress - Autofinesse Dressel

Tyres
Equipment - Karcher K7, Mothers Tire Brush, Foam Tire Applicator, MF towel
Clean - Pressure rinsed, Carchem Citrus APC @ 1:5 though a foaming spray nozzle left to dwell, agitated, pressure rinsed
Dress - 2 Coats of Carchem Tyre and Trim Gel, 12 hours apart
After cleaning but before dressing

After dressing

Wheels
Equipment - Karcher K7, Wheel Woolies, Autofinesse Hogs Hair Brushes, Lambswool Wash mitt, MF towels, Q-tips, Electric Blower
Clean - Pressure rinsed, Valet Pro Billberry @ 1:6 though a foaming spray nozzle left to dwell, agitated, pressure rinsed
Tar Removal - Valet Pro Citrus Tar and Glue Remover
Iron Removal - Carchem Revolt applied liberally, allowed to dwell, agitated, pressure rinsed
Protection - Pressure rinse, spray Gyeon Wetcoat, pressure rinse, blow dry





Wash
Equipment - Lambswool Wash Mitts, Karcher K7, Foam cannon, 2 Buckets each with grit guards, WW Drying Towels, Electric Blower
Condition on arrival









Foam - pressure rinse, Valet Pro ANSF via foam cannon, left to dwell, pressure rinsed


TFR - Valet Pro Citrus Prewash @ 1:8 via a pump sprayer, left to dwell pressure rinsed
Wash - Carchem Luxury Shampoo, pressure rinse
Dry - Flood rinse, ONR
Decontamination
Equipment - MF towels, wash mitt, Karcher K7
Tar Removal - Valet Pro Citrus Tar and Glue Remover
Iron Removal - Carchem Revolt applied liberally, allowed to dwell, agitated, pressure rinsed
Remaining contaminants - Shield Heavy Duty Clay
Paint
Equipment - Flex 3401, LC BP system, 5" / 6.5" Orange/White/Black Hybrid Pads, CEM-DT156 PTG, Tape, MF towels
Correction - Menzerna SF4000, Menzerna PF2300, Menzerna FG400
Protection - Collinite 915
Exhaust Tips
Equipment - MF Towels, dedicated Daytona Jnr wheel brush, Mothers Powerball mini, Drill
Clean - Carchem Citrus APC @1:5, left to dwell, agitated, rinsed
Polish - Meguiars NXT All Metal Polish
Before

After (excuse the dust


Exterior plastics
Equipment - Foam applicators, MF towels, Q-tips
Clean - Shield Heavy Duty Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner
Protect - Carchem Tire and Trim Dressing

Door and window rubbers
Equipment - Foam applicators, MF towels, Q-tips
Clean - Shield Heavy Duty Vinyl and rubber cleaner
Protect - Optimum Optiseal
Before

After

Glass
Clean - Autoglym Fast Glass, MF towels
Badges & Emblems
Equipment - Q-tips, MF towels
Clean/polish/protect - Autofinesse Tripple
Interior Plastics
Equipment- Foam applicators, MF towels, Q-tips, Various brushes
Clean - Carchem APC @ 1:20
Protect - Optimum Optiseal
Interior Carpets
Equipment- Brushes, Flex VL35C Vacuum, MF towels,
Clean - Mothers Carpet and Upholstery Cleaner,
Leather Surfaces
Equipment- Foam applicators, Flex VL35C Vacuum, MF towels, Brushes
Clean - Carchem APC @ 1:20, various brushes, MF towels
Protect - Collinite 855