1st Detail: 2001 BMW M3

[Sa//|XP]

My brother and I have been reading a lot on this and other websites and decided to give some of the products and techniques a try on the 2001 M3 I just picked up. Paint was in fair condition but had some pretty heavy switl marks mostly on the hood and the trunk areas.

Here is what we tried (keep in mind that this was our first attempt at doing this type of work)...

Products used:
Meguiars Clay Bar
Optimum Compound (Speedy Foam Yellow pad)
Poorboy's SSR1 (Speedy Foam Black pad)
Meguiars Carnuba Liquid Wax (By hand)

We started with a quick claybar on the hood section. We used retail store grade Meguiars clay bar system. It comes with a bottle of their quick detailer for a lubricant. The paint must have been fairly clean as the clay came up pretty clean. And here is what we came up with:

http://images21.fotki.com/v577/photos/7/730934/4681775/LeftSide1-vi.jpg

We started with the OC with the yellow cutting pad using my cheap (I love it! - $20 and works great!) Ryobi DA polisher. We made one pass on a 3'x3' area for about 5 minutes. Removed the OC with a microfiber and it looked better but not perfect. Frankly, I was a little suprised that the OC with the yellow pad wasn't agressive enough to cut out all the swirls in one pass. We hit the same area one more time with the same technique and the swirls we in my estimation 80% removed.

Is there something more agressive with a heavier abrassive then the OC with a yellow pad? Is this typical results?

We finished the hood off with Poorboy's SSR1 with a black finishing pad. Helped more but still yet the swirls were not 100% gone. Here's our finished results:

http://images21.fotki.com/v577/photos/7/730934/4681775/LeftSide2-vi.jpg

The sun was setting quick so we couldn't get as good shots after finishing the hood. I don't know if you can tell or not from the second picture, but there were still some very minor swirl marks.

We may just repeat the process one more time and just plan on having to do a second pass with the OC and a yellow pad. I just figured the OC was more agressive of an abrassive.

http://images21.fotki.com/v577/photos/7/730934/4681775/IMG_8875-vi.jpg

http://images21.fotki.com/v631/photos/7/730934/4681775/IMG_8867-vi.jpg

http://images21.fotki.com/v631/photos/7/730934/4681775/IMG_8888-vi.jpg

This is what the yellow pad looked like after we finished the hood. Looks like the definitely was removing something off of the surface!

http://images22.fotki.com/v520/photos/7/730934/4681775/IMG_8866-vi.jpg

I welcome your comments/suggestions.

[Nuke33]

Looks great you should try a sealent on the paint Like EX-p

[sparkie]

Looks like a new hood! Great work!:applause:

[Nica]

http://images21.fotki.com/v577/photos/7/730934/4681775/LeftSide1-vi.jpg


:eek: :eek: Dude that's terrible..amazing how bad paint can get huh



http://images21.fotki.com/v631/photos/7/730934/4681775/IMG_8867-vi.jpg


Nice :applause: much better. I don't know but this looks good to me, I know what you mean about those smal swirls left because I'm having the same issues and I'm using XMT line up. But are you sure your not getting any marring from the yellow pad? I get really fine scratches when using XMT #3 and yellow pad, I have to use a less abrasive pad with XMT #1 or XMT #2.



http://images22.fotki.com/v520/photos/7/730934/4681775/IMG_8866-vi.jpg


This makes me wonder if the clay bar was doing anything, every time I clay it always comes out dirty no matter how clean I have the car. I'll give you an example, I have a brand new SUV that I only drive on weekends and sit's inside a garage hardly ever exposed to any elements. I clayed it when I first got it and the clay bar came out dirty, 2 month's went by and I clayed it again and he clay bar was dirty again. That's just my experiance with claying though.

In my opinion you made a difference to the paint, big difference if you ask me :applause: well done:applause:

[Sa//|XP]

So you think that it may be possible that my cheap retail store bought clay isn't cutting it? Like I mentioned in my post, I didn't get a lot... actually very little debris on the clay. Is it possible that the clay just left all that junk on there and the yellow pad was soaking it up? Is there a decent clay that I can purchase at a retail store rather than having to wait a week from a mail order shop?

[Nica]

Well I've only used the Pinnacle Ultra Poly-Clay bar but I have purchased the Mequiars Quik Clay bar and I found that the Mequiars bar which, was a white color bar (not sure if that's the one you got) was less abrasive...let me explain. I would spray the Quick Detailer that came with the clay bar and when I would rub the clay bar I hardly felt it grab. I then applied the Pinnacle Ultra Poly-Clay bar and it grabbed and grabbed and had to pass it over the same area a few times...that's why I say less abrasive.

As far as I know, there are two kinds of clay bars. The Ultra Poly-Clay bar is meant to be used as many times as you please but there is another type that you can only use it about once or twice a year. This is because they are so abrasive it's not recomended to use that frequent. Sorry can’t remember the name or color of the clay bar.

I found a Mothers clay bar that was color yellow and I’ve been meaning to purchase it and try it because I’m thinking it maybe as good as the Pinnacle Ultra Poly-Clay but I don’t know how often I may be able to use it…can’t remember the name though.

If I recall correctly (I’m sure other members will correct me if I’m wrong) but there are only two manufactures that produce the Clay bars, or was it one???..mmm..can’t remember…well what I’m trying to get at is that if you go to the store there are tons of clay bars but they all come from the same factory….funny huh.

[Sa//|XP]

Looks great you should try a sealent on the paint Like EX-p
Good idea. I just ordered some, along with some Natty's Blue wax. I'm going to keep at it with the OC and yellow pad and then post pictures of it after I seal it up with EXP.

[orngez]

the megs smooth surface clay is crap....i happened to get lucky and picked up and "open box" clay kit that was missing the free microfiber towel that normally comes with it at pep boys for 2.99 so i decided what the hell i will try it out. doesn't "grab" anything and i have an older bar of yellow clay from zaino and that stuff grabbed a bunch even after using the megs clay....i would try switching polishers....the ryobi's tend to bog down during use....it was the first polisher i had and the porter cable quickly replaced it...the head of the ryobi does not oscillate enough during use to generate the speed and movement needed to polish paint as well as a pc

[Sa//|XP]

Yeah, there's no doubt that a 7424 is in my future, but I gotta say I'm fairly impressed with the Ryobi (so far). It applied quite a lot of pressure during the OC/yellow pad and the motor didn't seem to drop much further than moderate pressure. The oscillating motion did seem like it could have been more dramatic, though.
I do need to pick up a more aggressive clay bar, though.

[justin_murphy]

WOW! That is great results from a Ryobi! Does yours have a velcro backing plate? In other words, take some pics of the pad and polisher being set up! LOL!

Bro, it looks good. Nice write up as well!

[Sa//|XP]

WOW! That is great results from a Ryobi! Does yours have a velcro backing plate? In other words, take some pics of the pad and polisher being set up! LOL!

Bro, it looks good. Nice write up as well!
Thanks for the encouragement! The Ryobi didn't come with a velcro backing plate, but I bought this kit and swapped one in...
http://images21.fotki.com/v516/photos/7/730934/4681775/IMG_8894-vi.jpg

[P1et]

Great results from the Ryobi, that surprises me frankly! Just imagine what results you'll have when you picked up the PC 7424!

Any full shots of the car?

[justin_murphy]

Thanks for the encouragement! The Ryobi didn't come with a velcro backing plate, but I bought this kit and swapped one in...
http://images21.fotki.com/v516/photos/7/730934/4681775/IMG_8894-vi.jpg

This my friend, is awesome! Thanks! I bet you just sold 15 for Ryobi!

[Sa//|XP]

Sweet! Giving back to the community already! I've learned SO much from this site.

P1et, I haven't done the whole car yet, so we can call this my full 'before' pic...

http://images21.fotki.com/v517/photos/7/730934/4677407/IMG_8799-vi.jpg

The sun had just set, so you're not gonna see any of the swirl marks that are obvious in pic1 up top.

[67Customs]

VERY NICE first detail. Great work.:applause: