Spring Reset

[fizzleation]

Hello Everyone!

I'm researching how to prep my Silver BMW 340i DD for spring. It's gone through a couple harsh upper-midwest winters, and while it has no obvious damage, it's never seen a polisher and there's some very minor micro-scratches appearing. It's always been sealed with Menzerna Power Lock, washed 2-bucket or foam cannon, and waxed with pinnacle souveran, D156, and other premium products. It was also clayed last spring.

What should I be doing to bring this car back to like-new condition? Here was my first guess after creeping the forum:

Sonax Full Effect Rims
CG Clean Slate Wash (to remove powerlock)
Iron-X Snow Soap w/ Clay Wash Mitt
BLACKFIRE Gloss Enhancing Polish w/ white polishing pad
BLACKFIRE Wet-Ice Over Fire Combo

Am I being too gentle on the polish? I'm just erring on the side of less abrasive, as I've never used a dual action (thinking of purchasing Griots Garage 6 Inch Random Orbital Polisher) but have watched several of Mike's how-tos.

Thanks for your wisdom!

[Loser]

You got the right idea, but CG Clean Slate isn't necessary. The polishing step will remove any remaining LSP.

[Eric@CherryOnTop]

I think your plan makes perfect sense. Since the car is silver it tends to hide a lot of things in the flake. After you decontaminate it with iron-x and then clay, you really need something to remove any embedded grime and road film, and the gloss enhancing polish will do just that while leaving the paint perfectly ready for the sealant.

If you use the gloss enhancing polish and don't like the results, you can always try something with a light abrasive to see how that works. I would try something like HD Polish first since it's super easy to work with and doesn't dust up.

Welcome to AGO, how about some pic of your car?


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[Paul A.]

I like your plan, too. I also agree that unless you already have the Clean Slate, I wouldn't bother ordering it as I think it's unnecessary. As long as you're going to clay, iron x and polish the paint there shouldn't be any of that old PowerLock left afterwards and a lesser strength soap is fine. I would stick to getting some wash soap that you will then use for your frequent washes in the warmer months.

You mention this BMW paint has never been machine polished but mention using a white pad with the polish...are you doing this by hand for now and ordering the machine for later or are you planning a machine and pad order as well?

[fizzleation]

Thanks for the advice and welcomes, I'm glad I'm on the right path and don't need to bother with the clean slate!

I am planning to purchase my first polisher for this job. I'm not a pro, so I'm not sure something like the FLEX line is appropriate for my needs. The Griots Garage 6 Inch Random Orbital Polisher seems to have decent reviews. Any advice? What should I be looking at?

p.s. I tried posting a photo, but everything I have is too big. I'll size one down and post shortly.

[Paul A.]

Ahhhh, ok, that sounds like a better plan. doing the BF polish by hand would've been a chore and a half. A machine makes it sooooo much easier and you get much better results.

The Griots DA is a solid machine and a great choice. I have often said that if my old Porter Cable ever dies it will be replaced with the Griots unit!

As far as pads, I am solely using the Lake Country Thin Pros on my DA. Awesome pads and engineered more for the DA by being lighter, thinner and just plain more efficient. The best advice I can give you is to NOT be afraid of that machine. Rotaries can get you in trouble fast without much experience but that Griots DA is almost foolproof. Remember I said that after you try it and see how easy it is and how much better your products work! Hopefully you'll say the same thing I did after trying my first DA machine... "what the heck was i afraid of? This is awesome!!!"

Best of luck and get back on here after you try out whatever you choose.

[fizzleation]

THANK YOU! I needed that pep talk--still a little afraid I'll mess something up, but that helped!

I'll get back on here to let you all know how it went in late-March/early-April (fingers crossed for an early thaw). Thank you so much, this is a really incredible community.

[fizzleation]

Sorry to revive this old thread, but I'm swimming in choices when it comes to polish. Is a finishing polish enough? What's "best" to use? I hear good things about the various house brands, HD Polish+, etc.

I'd love to hear your opinions on the latest and greatest when it comes to polishes that address very minor wear and tear while prepping the paint for sealant/wax.