BMW paint questions

[BookemDano]

Hi. I'm buying a 2016 BMW X3. Shortly after delivery, my plan is to go through my detailing regime and finish with a good LSP. This includes polishing with Menzerna 4000 or higher. But I'm not sure how easy it is to scratch the paint.

How hard is BMW paint? Soft? Hard? Very hard?

Thanks,

Dan.

[rms64]

My '07 335i paint (Monaco Blue) seems on the soft side - and loves Menzerna products.

FG400 + the 4000 you're planning on are a killer combination.

Good luck!

[BookemDano]

My '07 335i paint (Monaco Blue) seems on the soft side - and loves Menzerna products.

FG400 + the 4000 you're planning on are a killer combination.

Good luck!

RMS,

Thanks for the feedback. My cache of Menzerna includes several grades from FG 400 through 4500. Love their polishes. (Below is a pic of polishes and polishers.)

For first cleaning the surface, I'm thinking of Dawn wash, then CarPro trix, then NanoSkin or light duty clay. For initial polish, maybe starting with IP2000 and go lower only if necessary. Then either 4000 or 4500 for the final gloss. For the wheels, initial polish might be 2000 by hand and no higher.

Do you think a NanoSkin (not clay) would harm the paint? I have one, but never used it.

The color will be Space Gray, so I'm not sure what to use for LSP. Maybe just try CarPro Hydro2.

Thanks,

Dan.

[rms64]

You've got a good supply of products there.

If you have areas that you feel need compounding (least aggressive first!) then I'd go for the FG400 initially. It's really good stuff and finishes down very nicely. 4000 is just icing on the cake.

No worries on the Nanoskin, since you'll be polishing anyway. Just use plenty of lube and you'll be fine.

As for LSP...wide open. Collinite 845 is durable and looks great. Just put some on mine last weekend:




On the other hand, here's a shot with Fusion - which is pretty awesome stuff.



Hydro2 is good stuff too! As Mike P. says, find something you like and use it often!

[Elex]

I've had 2 BMW's now, a 2011 X3 and a 2015 X3 that I have had 13 months now. The '11 had Jet Black non-metallic paint and the '15 has black sapphire metallic (bsm as people call it on here).

I find the paint overall to be very soft, and also on the thinner side as well. As I recall, when I got the 15, the ptg gave me readings of about 90-120..... compared to 25 to 50 microns more on most Toyota and GM vehicles I have worked with.

For those reasons, I agree that it is extra important to start with the least aggressive polish. On the 11, I did one correction on it about half way through the lease and felt I got really good results with just a white LCC pad and Megs M205. The 11 was in the dealership many times for warranty work (I would say on average every month during the first year) and went through the dealership car washes frequently which I attributed the majority of the swirls to.

For the 15, I wanted to coat it right away and the dealership did a wash on it and nothing more (I purchased the 15 instead of leasing it and I plan on keeping it awhile). I brought it home and a few days later, hand washed it as I normally do, and used the nanoskin fine sponge on it. I went over it with a light green LCC pad and the DP paint coatimg prep. I felt that after that the paint was to the degree that i was ok with and I coated it with the DP coating to try and get good protection on it asap. It was also the first coating I applied.

I tend to look at the paint in the sun frequently, and I will say that it is not swirled out like the paint on the 11 was after 1 year. It has a few light and fine swirls, but for a daily driver, I'm pleased. Maybe it is the coating, maybe it is the fact that it hasnt been through the dealership swirlomatic at all. I certainly haven't changed my wash method (I know I should be doing a 2 bucket method, but I dont, I just try to be careful when washing with plenty of rinsing first, working top to bottom, plenty of well lubricated soap etc.

I'll see how the coating is this fall and may recoat before winter sets in. May try the blackfire coating this time around (have since switched to the PBL coating since on other vehicles)

Hope this information helps!

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Hi Dan, congrats on the new X3! Nice SAV for sure. Which model?

First thing would be to instruct the dealer not to wash or prep the vehicle for delivery. If you can, take the vehicle home covered in plastic. When you get home you can carefully strip the plastic from the paint.

Personally I would two step the paint and then coat it. First step would be identifying if there are any areas that may need some compounding and mark them by placing a small piece of tape near them. For any affected areas spot repair them with FG400. After the spot repairs are completed then you can start on your first step of polishing.

Here my first step would be with SF4000 on a white Hybrid pad driven by the Flex 3401. This will provide more than enough oomph to take care of anything present in the surface such as towel marks etc. This step will also finish out incredibly nice. Here you can stop if you have light colored paint or if looks proper for you. Personally I would equip the 3401 with a black h
Hybrid pad and squeeze out a bit more gloss with SF4500 and then coat it with the new BlackFire Paint Coating.
BLACKFIRE Crystal Coat Paint Coating Kit

Below is a review of this product and can say that it is very user friendly. In the video I demonstrate the entire process from start to finish.
Product Review: BlackFire Crystal Coat Paint Coating

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

RMS,

Thanks for the feedback. My cache of Menzerna includes several grades from FG 400 through 4500. Love their polishes. (Below is a pic of polishes and polishers.)

For first cleaning the surface, I'm thinking of Dawn wash, then CarPro trix, then NanoSkin or light duty clay. For initial polish, maybe starting with IP2000 and go lower only if necessary. Then either 4000 or 4500 for the final gloss. For the wheels, initial polish might be 2000 by hand and no higher.

Do you think a NanoSkin (not clay) would harm the paint? I have one, but never used it.

The color will be Space Gray, so I'm not sure what to use for LSP. Maybe just try CarPro Hydro2.

Thanks,

Dan.

Dan, a dawn wash is not needed to strip the paint. Do your normal wash with a shampoo light on gloss and wax products built in. Your next step would be to utilize CarPro Trix to decontaminate the paint. A light duty clay is all that's needed whether its a traditional clay bar or clay alternative.

Your next step would be the polishing process and then coating the paint.

[d33p]

On a brand new car you may not need all that. Tell em you want to remove all the vinyl wrap yourself. Id be surprised if you needed more than sf4500.

Also hardness really depends on the color.

[tdekany]

Most important step is to prevent the dealer from touching the paint. No exterior prep of any kind. Put it in writing.

BMW paint is hard, this color is great. I'd put on a coating instead of a sealant/wax.

[BookemDano]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for the great suggestions.

I'm getting ready to order the X3 having defined all the options and packages, but the biggest obstacle is the seat. At 5'5" with a very bad back and a metal knee brace on my right knee, a good seat that fits right is a key criteria for me. The seats in the vast majority of cars are uncomfortable for me.

I slightly prefer the xLine version over the M Sport version except for the seat. The xLine standard seat is decent but it does not have as much thigh support and bolstering as the sport seat in the M Sport. BUT, after driving an M Sport last weekend, I found the some issues with the sport seat too. The extended thigh support hits my knee brace wrong. So I need more time in both versions to see which seat is more comfortable. Tough decision that's slowing me down.

Which brings me to the color... With the xLine's extra chrome, the Glacier Silver looks better to my eyes. OTOH, the Space Gray looks better on the M Sport.

Switching to detailing...

I agree 100% about not letting the dealer touch the paint. And thanks for the tip about not letting the dealer remove the vinyl wrap.

With all of my cars over the last 14 years, my standing rule to the dealer has been "Don't Wash!". To minimize paint damage I use a foam canon + two grit guarded rinse buckets. Washing is done with a merino wool CarPro mitt. Drying starts with a Master Blaster and finishes with dabbing away remaining water with a WW towel. Waterless wash is done with high quality, fluffy PakShak towels. Yes, I'm pretty anal retentive!

I've been a fan of TRIX and IronX for a while. I have a good supply of IronX, but I'm out of TRIX. In my last order I messed up. I was in a hurry and ordered TarX instead of TRIX. Is it reasonable to use both TarX + IronX? Or better to just order a supply of TRIX?

And then we have the LSP... I started using sealants a long time ago and was a big Zaino fan. Then I moved on to the newer stuff, including 4* and Hydro2. But now there are easy to apply coatings of which I have zero experience.

Coatings seem to be the hot ticket now. How does PBL compare with Blackfire Paint Coating? Any other coatings to consider? Stick with sealants?

Again, thanks for the great feedback,

Dan.