[E93Seattle (Racerbruce)]

using a chemical guys yellow pad and meguiars m105 ultra-cut compound, i can still see faint imperfections, probably from acid rain?

i spent 2+ hrs just on the trunk lid and it is clearly 95% better, but imperfections persist.

it's a 2013 335is e93 retractable/hardtop @ 35.5k miles in a61 crimson red. i purchased her in dec 2022.

i believe the car was cosmetically neglected on the exterior. the interior is mostly pristine.

the car was first sold in may 2013 at bmw honolulu; perhaps the island's vog (volcanic fog) and eruptions and airborne particulate may have altered the finish (we lived and worked on maui for 4 yrs) and this condition is detrimental to paint finishes.

any thoughts on next steps - thanking you.

[originalgoods13]

Nice car.

It is hard to see the imperfections from this distance. Could you take a closer picture with good light in the background?

95% is perfect and if it is not a show car and a daily driver, I would leave it as is, do not make the paintwork thinner by experimenting and achieving 100%

I had good results 10 years ago with M100 on an orange foam pad.

My go-to is now Menzerna FG400 or Ultra Compound on a Yellow or Purple foam pad.

[335i54n]

i would paint depth it but probably leave it after a finishing polish and ceramic coat.

[tcphoto]

You own a beautiful car. I too have gotten into detailing my own car and am determined to get it back into shape. The PO drove a lot of highway miles and the hood and roof are proof, there are swirls and lines on both. I don't have a measurement on the paint depth and am about to consult a pro to determine the next step. I've used Menzerna 400 and Meguiars 105 compounds with different pads but have had minimal change. Has anyone tried Chemical Guys v32? Once I've found acceptable results, I'll ceramic coat it and be satisfied. Good luck with your project.

[E93Seattle (Racerbruce)]

UPDATE

the meguiars m105 and yellow pad (most aggressive) removed ALL of the massive water spots, acid rain, etc.

it removed some of the clear coat scratches.

for the scratches that could not be removed, i used 3m 3000 grit wet paper and then meguiars m105 and meguiars ultimate wax....looks like as-new paint.

[spazzz]

Did you go straight to Ultimate wax after 105 and aggressive pad?
That sounds like it would have had a haze leftover from the aggressive compounding.

What brand aggressive yellow pad did you use on those nasty looking etch spots?

[E93Seattle (Racerbruce)]

Originally Posted by spazzz

Did you go straight to Ultimate wax after 105 and aggressive pad?
That sounds like it would have had a haze leftover from the aggressive compounding.

What brand aggressive yellow pad did you use on those nasty looking etch spots?

i used meguiars ultimate compound after the m105 and then the wax; it came out really nice.

i used a chemical guys yellow cutting 5 in velcro backed-type pad.

i used their white pad for the ultimate compound.

and used their black pad for the wax.

[BSM n54iS]

Following up 105 with the m205 would be recommended

[E93Seattle (Racerbruce)]

Originally Posted by BSM n54iS

Following up 105 with the m205 would be recommended

you are correct.
b/c this was my first deep dive into paint correction, i went 105 aggressive to remove a terrible water spot condition; once winter arrives and she is parked indoors quite a bit, i will pursue 205.

the correction-to-date is incredible and night and day compared to the horrid condition it was in.

purchased her in dec 2022.