Intro - I've Been Busy Coating - DP and PBL - Pics...

[Elex]

First, I've pretty much been a lurker on the forum, spending endless hours reading. I've recently become immersed in cars again, starting to collect some older cars. I've always been a car "neat freak" and co-workers are always amazed at how clean my cars are, no matter where I have worked nor what car I've had at the time. I used to detail, scratch that, wax and clean cars back in the late 80's when I was going through school. It was a side business that was hard to turn off after getting my CPA license and devoting my career to the challenging, frustrating and sometimes rewarding world of taxes.

Cars have always been my escape to some degree, and I've recently really upped my game with all of the help and advice I've found on here. I feel like I've met some new "friends" even though we've never actually interacted on here. So what I've been doing the last few months is trying to help others get excited about taking care of their vehicles and trying to share what I have learned the past few years on here (I was basically waxing with Zymol up until about 2 years ago!!!)

Anyway, enough about me - here are some of the friend's vehicles....

[Elex]

My Coworker’s 2007 BMW 328i – DP Paint Coating
Marshall has had this 3 Series for about 4 years now, it was an off lease car that the former owner’s used the hood as a “package tray” as he describes. I wish I would have gotten a picture, but there was really a “tic tac toe” looking grid of scratches on the hood near the emblem (left side). We didn’t get them out entirely, as they were fairly deep, but we significantly lessened the “noticeability” of them.

Our process on this car was basically -
-wash with Dawn to try and strip all the previous waxes (very little), bugs, grime etc etc.
-clay bar with a fine grade Nanoskin sponge,
-polish with Wolfgang Total Swirl Remover with a white Lake LCC pad (2 passes on hood which was the worst in terms of swirl marks). We used the 6” Griot’s polisher I’ve had for a year or so and the brand new Flex polisher I just bought (not to knock the Griot’s, but I’m in love with the Flex, it is so much more “refined”)
-applied the DP Paint Coating Prep Polish with a Green LCC pad with the DA’s
-applied the DP Paint Coating on the paint and wheels
-applied Ultima Trim and Tire to the tires
-applied RainX to glass (trying to use this up to start using longer lasting coatings – I’m too cheap to throw this out!)

Here are some of the before pics

[Elex]

The After Pics with DP Paint Coating....

[Elex]

Pinnacle Black Surface Coating - My friend Brian's brand new 2014 GMC Sierra

Since this was only a few months old - this is what we did -

-wash with Dawn
-clay bar with a fine grade Nanoskin sponge,
-applied the DP Paint Coating Prep Polish with a Green LCC pad with a DA’s
-applied the Pinnacle Black Label Surface Coating on the paint, wheels and glass
-applied Ultima Trim and Tire to the tires (we didn't do the black trim as we wanted to wait until the coating cured, he applied this the next day.


Here are the after pics - sorry no pics in sunlight - it was raining the day we did this....

[Elex]

My sister’s “new to her” 2011 Mercedes R350 -

And the problem child – my sisters recently purchased 2011 Mercedes R350. This one could be the poster child for the DISM (Dealer Installed Swirl Mark Option). There used to be a saying about the cars in the 70’s about never missing a gas station (meaning poor fuel economy for you youngsters). Well, I don’t think this car has ever missed a “soft cloth” car wash. If the former Congressman that owned it took it to the dealer for washes, I think he got his money back for the cost of the car through the “free” car washes. I could go on and on…..

I spent a whole weekend working on this car, and I mean whole weekend, like from 8:30 am to 9:00 pm on Saturday and then from say 10:00 am to 6:00 pm on Sunday. Some of you may dispute the part day on Sunday, but let me tell you it felt like a long stressful day.

Here’s what I did –

-wash with Dawn to try and strip all the previous waxes (very little), bugs, grime etc etc.
-applied IronX to wheels to help with the brake dust (wow – this left them really smooth before clay barring!) First time I had used the IronX.
-clay bar with a fine grade Nanoskin sponge, then I realized that there was still lot of bumps in the plastic bag after going over it with the Nanoskin, so I started back over with Griot’s clay and ultimately came to the conclusion that it wasn’t that the Nanoskin was lightweight, it was just a heavy amount of something on the paint – so basically 2 times over with the Nanoskin (car was mainly kept in Naples, Florida – so if anyone has some comments about what this was and why, please elaborate)
-Did the test spot of polishes – probably spent an hour just trying to sort through this. Started with M205 as my Wolfgang TSW was running short. I thought this would be “soft” black paint like my former 2011 BMW X3’s Jet Black – WRONG!!! Ultimately I ended up the M105/ M205 combo with the Orange LCC pad for the M105 and white LCC pad for the M205 in 2 passes. Very frustrating - as with this new of paint, I expected to get the normal 85% - 95% paint correction that I’ve found with other vehicles – instead I would say that I got about low 70%s. I should have had enough Wolfgang Uber on hand and started with that.
-applied the DP Paint Coating Prep Polish with a Green LCC pad with the DA
-applied the Pinnacle Surface Coating on the paint, glass and wheels using the foam finger pad
-applied Ultima Trim and Tire to the tires
-steam cleaned the interior carpet
-cleaned leather and interior with Leatherique Pristine Clean

Here are some of the “before” pics -

[Elex]

And here are some of the pics during the polishing - after I had figured out my test spot and had completed the drivers side of the hood, but before starting on the passenger side....

[Elex]

And here are the after pics, not perfect, but much better. This polish and coating was supposed to be her 40th Birthday present.... do you think I can skip a Christmas present this year????

[RottenII]

Cars look great. I'm interested in seeing how the DP coating holds up. I recently started using their wheel coat on my chrome wheels but the jury is still out there.

[Sicoupe]

Outstanding job on those rides sir

[Elex]

Cars look great. I'm interested in seeing how the DP coating holds up. I recently started using their wheel coat on my chrome wheels but the jury is still out there.

Thank you. I've coated 6 vehicles now, the first was my new '15 BMW X3 in the first weekend of May this year. I'm trying to pick different cars, with different people with different cleaning routines to test the durability as well. I think i may wash the X3 today an post pics, beading is still going strong, as it should be. It's almost stressful waiting to see how the coating plays out - I don't want to wish my life away though!!!