Multiple Questions to Help Me PROPERLY Finish a BLACK BMW Detail

[CASH XRS]

You need to do a AIO though, right? All the time you save by getting a DA, you'll get more cars done. Time is money the DA will pay for itself fast.

That's a good point. I could use it to at leas t apply wax to all the cars I am doing at the very least.

CASH XRS,

The rims are most likely clear coated so you could clay them to remove the small black dots, use a very light polish to remove the brake dust or a citrus based cleaner which i would wipe on wipe off & not leave to sit. (Keep in mind ... BMW have what is called DATA dot. they spray small dots into the clear all over the car .... in the door jambs, engine bay, sometimes they end up on the rims.) Basically they can be used to track the car in the event of it being stolen ... its unlikely that what your describing is this but just so you don't pull your hair out



The paint is a bother.
+1 for waiting for the PC
I've buffed out more black BMW's than i've probably had hot dinners.
The first important thing to establish is what kind of black it is?
There is Sapphire Black - a somewhat more forgiving paint
and then there's Jet Black - this paint is VERY soft. In which case you will most certainly require a DA Polisher. This is the kind of paint you want to have an air line near by to make sure the dust particles don't settle on the clear before you polish.
Even after you've laid your polish down you will want to blow it off before the final wiping. Its that sensitive
Mikes rule of 'working clean' could never be more important. Clean cloths, clean pads, clean underwear.

It was common for the BMW's to come in from the boats covered in salt spray from their journey over.
We perfected an art at wet sanding & buffing them out, the really bad ones required a respray.
If it is Sapphire black the clear is fairly resilient and can be worked a fair bit with out risk of burning the clear.

Best of Luck ...
Just be careful ... you'll do great

Paul, I am not sure what color it is exactly. And in regards to claying and polishing the wheels, I have swirlX and Meguiar's white clay. Would this be good to use? Any recommendations on a good cleaner specifically?

I will be talking to my cousin on Wednesday who wholesales chemicals, maybe I'll talk to him about needing a good wheel cleaner concentrate and just not dilute it as much for the tougher jobs?

[Pitch Black]

Paul seems to know his stuff. Good information. Is the Sapphire Black a black with metal flake? I see a lot of BMWs that aren't exactly cared for. I have problems determining if the paint is hard or soft.

[Paul Lonergan]

Here is a couple of links to help determine the paint type.
This one will help you find the location of the code
BMW Paint Code Locations | Touch Up Paint | AutomotiveTouchup | 888-710-5192
And here is the paint colour
Select the year of your Bmw

Pitch Black was correct in mentioning that the Metallic flake indicates a Sapphire Black finish. This would be good news.

Think of it like this ...
There are 4 variations of aggression you can use when detailing paint
1. 'The product/polish'
2. 'The type of application ' used to apply/remove the product. i.e DA, Rotory, Hand, Cyclo .... the list goes on.
3. The type of pad/cloth used to apply/remove the product
4. 'The action' you use (The human element)

If you're ever unsure you always look at this list and work your way from the least aggressive to the most aggressive. Start in a small inconspicuous area and see.
For e.g - you have swirlx, and you are applying it by hand. By using different types of pad and rubbing action you can control the result.

The more machines,pads and products you get, the more choices you have on levels of aggression AND the more experience you gain.


I haven't used swirlx before but after reading the description on the Meguiars website i imagine it to be like #9 in aggression. In this case i cant see a problem using this on those rims.
Again start with a light rubbing motion and get a feel for it.
I would probably stay away from clay just for now if they are particularly dirty, as it will just be a waste of a clay bar .

As for knowing if a paint is hard or soft ... the only way to really know is by getting hands on and discovering for yourself.

That's a good point. I could use it to at leas t apply wax to all the cars I am doing at the very least.



Paul, I am not sure what color it is exactly. And in regards to claying and polishing the wheels, I have swirlX and Meguiar's white clay. Would this be good to use? Any recommendations on a good cleaner specifically?

I will be talking to my cousin on Wednesday who wholesales chemicals, maybe I'll talk to him about needing a good wheel cleaner concentrate and just not dilute it as much for the tougher jobs?

Paul seems to know his stuff. Good information. Is the Sapphire Black a black with metal flake? I see a lot of BMWs that aren't exactly cared for. I have problems determining if the paint is hard or soft.

[CASH XRS]

I gotcha. Thanks for the advice! I may just clay the car and seal it with a wax for now. Wait until the end of the month when I will hopefully get a DA polisher. Looks like I may try the SwirlX on the wheels. Any suggestions on what I should use to apply the cleaners and/or SwirlX? Like I said before, I have the Mother's wheel brush, but it would only do so much. I guess just look for a more aggressive brush?

[Mike Phillips]

Might give this a read through too...

Lessons I learned from a Black 2009 BMW 550i

[CASH XRS]

Might give this a read through too...

Lessons I learned from a Black 2009 BMW 550i

That's a good write up. Thanks Mike, pretty funny as well lol. I am just hoping I can talk over the condition of the paint with my boss and hopefully convince him to let me work on it. We shall see.

Btw, there's also a hunk of some sort of junk on the trunk (no pun intended haha). It looks like a small pile of dried up tree sap or mold. I have no clue. Hoping to post pictures of it later tonight.