BMW paint hardness

**ecool** · 07-10-2011, 05:50 AM

Is BMW paint typically hard or soft? I used Prima Swirl on a Uber Orange pad on my red 92' 325i and removed a lot of oxidation and ligiht scratches and the car looks great. I then moved onto my silver 2000 528i and used the same product and it didn't seen to get the scratches out when under lights.

**Munich77** · 07-10-2011, 02:34 PM

I think it depends on the paint color. The blacks are notoriously easy to marr.

**panthercz** · 07-10-2011, 02:43 PM

'Jet Black' = very soft.
All other colors = very hard.

**Jhaight11** · 07-10-2011, 02:45 PM

chances are the 92 was SS (single stage) which is easier to correct IMO.

**kronos** · 07-10-2011, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by panthercz

'Jet Black' = very soft.
All other colors = very hard.

My car's color is in the "all other colors" category.

**gatoman39** · 07-10-2011, 02:52 PM

I think paint color has something to do with it as well. But overall, my impression is that newer BMW's have very hard paint. Also, it depends on how much swirls and micromarring you have. No two cars are ever the same, which is why taping off a 2'X2' test section is recommended.
I just did a Alpine White 2011 535i a few months ago:
I had a lot of swirls in the paint. I used Meguiars Microfiber correction compound, a 5 inch cutting disc and a Porter cable 7424.
-Polishing with a Lake Country White foam pad and Mezerna Super Nano Finish.
-Wax, I appplied Menzerna Power Lock with a gold foam pad. one thin layer, wipe off, then repeat

**CrownKote** · 07-10-2011, 04:08 PM

The BMW silvers tend to be fairly hard... I would recomend using 105 on an orang or mf cut then move to 205 with white or mf finish... If you want to use Prima go for the Cut with MF cut and then The Swirl with MF finishing

**mylkman** · 10-13-2016, 07:41 PM

Originally Posted by CrownKote

The BMW silvers tend to be fairly hard... I would recomend using 105 on an orang or mf cut then move to 205 with white or mf finish... If you want to use Prima go for the Cut with MF cut and then The Swirl with MF finishing

What would you recommend if doing a one step compounding/ polishing?

**LSNAutoDetailing** · 10-13-2016, 08:26 PM

Originally Posted by ecool

Is BMW paint typically hard or soft? I used Prima Swirl on a Uber Orange pad on my red 92' 325i and removed a lot of oxidation and ligiht scratches and the car looks great. I then moved onto my silver 2000 528i and used the same product and it didn't seen to get the scratches out when under lights.

Mike from Mike@DedicatedPerfection will probably chime in on this.

I'm just throwing this out there as a question, is it possible your 92 325i was single stage paint? I ask because you mention oxidization, and that you corrected it. According to Mike Phillips in a Clear-Coat failure thread, he states, that oxidation on bc/cc paints occur through the entire matrix or thickness of the paint. in other words, if a new(er) bc/cc vehicle exhibits oxidation, it's probably the beginning stages of cc failure. Again just thinking aloud.

One way to test the 92 is take a white applicator with some compound in an inconspicuous spot and buff. If the applicator comes back with color, it's SS.

Lots of variables, probably too many to know between your 1992 and 2000 BMW's on how a product and pad will work with paint. Paints and technology have changed a lot over the last 25 years, and will continue to change with water-based VOC compliant paint.

The best thing I always do is treat every car without a preconceived notion (hard to do on new GM's!), but... Always do a test spot and dial in your product.

You'd be surprised at how one vehicle may react to one combo vs. another.