Looking for advice on Black Sapphire Metallic BMW

**DTruck** · 03-21-2018, 09:25 AM

I'd love to clean up my mess of an M5. I've tried M105/205 by hand, but that didn't seem to do much. I'm going to try DA with terry cloth
However, once I get these terrible swirls out, I'm looking to get the metallic to pop.
What I'm thinking is Poorboys Black hole, then Midnight Sun over it. Any suggestions?

Looking for advice on Black Sapphire Metallic BMW-20180306_155004-jpg

**mbkite** · 03-21-2018, 09:31 AM

I would try m205 on a finishing pad black if not enough try polishing pad white but be shure to clay first
Last resort 105

**Desertnate** · 03-21-2018, 09:32 AM

My first suggestion is to get the DA and do a proper machine polish. There are quite a few posts here from people who've worked on that color of BMW and will provide guidance on what products work and what don't. Also, read up on Mike Phillips articles on Machine Polishing and the great one he did on how to make metallic paint pop. The key is getting the surface corrected and clear as possible.

I love Black Hole for what it is, but using it will actually mute the metalic properties of the paint since it is a dark glaze designed to hide defects on dark colored cars. When I applied it with a DA on my black pearl VW, it muted the pearl/metallic effect quite a bit.

Bottom line: Polish out the paint to get rid of the defects and then hit it with the Midnight Sun. It should look amazing.

**Maestro Sam** · 03-21-2018, 09:53 AM

Well if you initially thought that swirls or scratches will be removed by hand, that I guess it is time to see a professional or take a long lesson on how to use a DA. You do not learn how to use a machine or perform paint correction overnight. Been doing it for 13+ years and still feel like I need to learn more.

**DTruck** · 03-21-2018, 10:14 AM

Thanks guys. I tried a rotary with compound, and it just hologrammed the hell out of it. Mainly because I probably just suck.
I'm going to keep at it, as I would like to learn, and it will be gratifying if I get it right.
When you say a proper machine polish, which product are you referring to?
And I didn't know Black Hole also muted the metallic - I just thought the Natty's Black Wax did. I'll skip that.
Should I consider something under the Midnight Sun to help the metallic and depth, or just put that on if I get the paint corrected?

**jkrig** · 03-21-2018, 10:31 AM

Fellow BMW owner here (E90 335i) and unfortunately you will not be able to put much of a dent into that defect removal by hand, the clear on BMW Metallic finishes is definitely on the hard end of the spectrum. Even if it were a softer BMW color like say Jet Black you could make some progress but you could be make chasing your tail due to uneven pressure, bad technique etc.... seems as though you were willing to take the time/dedication to attempt this by hand so like others have already said give an inexpensive DA a try you have a good enough compound/polish combo to get the job done....With a pc7424 or equivalent machine you could probably get away with doing a one step correction using 105 and something like an LC Orange foam polishing pad

**Desertnate** · 03-21-2018, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by DTruck

Thanks guys. I tried a rotary with compound, and it just hologrammed the hell out of it. Mainly because I probably just suck.
I'm going to keep at it, as I would like to learn, and it will be gratifying if I get it right.
When you say a proper machine polish, which product are you referring to?
And I didn't know Black Hole also muted the metallic - I just thought the Natty's Black Wax did. I'll skip that.
Should I consider something under the Midnight Sun to help the metallic and depth, or just put that on if I get the paint corrected?

My reference to a proper machine polish was to use a DA vs polishing the car by hand like you mentioned in the original post.

I have no experience with a rotary, but the resident expert/host of this forum, frequently talks about not using a rotary polisher due to the holograms they cause in the paint or using a rotary to remove the worst correction and then going back with a DA to remove holograms and do the final polish. Rotary polishers and DA polishers are very different tools. If you've used a rotary, I bet you could teach yourself how to use a DA and probably get holgram free results. I taught myself how to use a DA by only watching the Autogeek videos and using the most risk free combination of pads and polishes. Never touched a rotary, since frankly they scare me, and I've never really had a need to do the heavy work where rotary polishers excell.

The best way to add depth to the paint is to finish out the surface as perfect as possible. Take a look at the link below.

Making the Metallic Flake Pop! - Popping versus Muting

**DTruck** · 03-21-2018, 04:16 PM

I didn't realize the BMW BSM paint was so hard. I tried the DA with Terry cloth and M105, and it looks a ton better, but still a lot of spider webs and RIDS.
I also don't think I was using the product correctly - I think I worked too much area.
Can someone explain how long your supposed to work this stuff? Let's say hypothetically I worked a 2'x2' area - Should I just use a thin amount, and work til it dries, then wipe, and check? And by checking, should it be relatively perfect, as in no swirls or RIDS? I'm not really understanding when to start the M205. Does the terry cloth actually have any cutting power?
Then I heard some people mix the M205 and M105 together on the same pad. I haven't tried that yet, nor do I understand if that's even a good idea.

I'd like to do an AIO after I get this corrected - I'm thinking Klasse or HDSpeed. Then a nice top coat - I'm thinking Megs Black Wax or Midnight Sun.

**custmsprty** · 03-21-2018, 04:55 PM

Polish Angel Carnuba Flocken Centurion after you've the corrected paint and maintain it with PA Black Wulfenite. It's an eye popping combination and makes metallic black paint look amazing.