[Christian87n]

Howdy all,

I just purchased a 2012 335is, Black Sapphire Metallic, black Dakota leather interior with some Alcantara on the steering wheel and e-brake handle. The paint is in really good condition as is the condition of the 313 wheels. I'm trying to build a washing/maintenance and detail kit. I'm not sure that I want to tackle a polish or correction yet (I haven't done one in a while), but suggestions are welcomed. I noticed a thread for a Jet Black, but wondered if other supplies are recommended instead for the metallic paint. I also didn't want to jack the thread. If it helps, I live in the south.


I already know about the 2 or 3 bucket method, the grit guards, and the sheepskin mitt, but what soaps and other items are highly recommended? I think I want to start with the essentials first, and then slowly build the kit as time progresses. I have access to a covered car care port at my apartment that has a shop vac and a hose.

Your recommendations are appreciated!

[Detailed Image]

I've modified the paint correction materials to some of my personal favorite products for BMW Sapphire Metallic Black paint.


Wheels and Tires
Sonax Full Effect Wheel Cleaner - Great for heavy brake dust buildup!
EZ Detail Brush - a great tool to clean the barrels of your wheels! Pickup the large and mini brushes!
Wheel Woolies Kit - A great tool for cleaning wheel barrels, and other hard to reach places!
Tuf Shine Tire Cleaner & Tuf Shine Tire Brush
Opti-Bond Tire Gel - Water Based, so it helps nourish your rubber!

Washing:
2 Buckets & 2 Grit Guard (Package) - Essential equipment for safe washing!
Optimum Car Wash - A great maintenance shampoo.
Sheepskin Wash Mitt
Optimum No Rinse (ONR) - Rinseless Washing is a great way to quickly and safely clean your vehicle!

Bug & Tar:
Stoner Tarminator - This tar remover will quickly and easily remove tar buildup

Drying:
Microfiber Waffle Weave Towel
Metro Master Blaster - The safest way to dry your car is to not touch it at all!
Master Blaster Sidekick - This small blower moves an amazing amount of air and is perfect for making sure you don't have any water left in cracks and crevices!

Decontamination:
CarPro Iron X
DI Fine Grade Clay
NanoSkin Glide (clay lubricant)


Polish:
Meg's D300 Cutting Compound (works best paired with microfiber cutting pad)
Meg's M205 Finishing Polish


Sealant:
Menzerna Power Lock Synthetic Polymer Sealant
Blackfire Wet Diamond All Finish Paint Protection


Wax:
Chemical Guys Pete's '53 Black Pearl Signature Paste Wax
Pinnacle Souveran Paste Wax - a truly premium show car wax that

Semi-Permanent Protective Coatings
22ple VX3 Signature Coating - A silica based coating that will provide great protection and maximum gloss! Very easy to apply.
CarPro CQuartz - another silica based coating option from CarPro.

Buffers:
Griot's Garage 3rd Gen DA Polisher - Affordable, Effective, Reliable, and most of all SAFE FOR EVERYONE TO USE! This product is backed by a lifetime manufacturer warranty.

Backing Plates:
5" Backing Plate
3" Backing Plate

Buffing Pads:
Meguiar's MicroFiber Cutting Discs - Great for removing heavier defects or for working with harder paint
Lake Country 5.5” and 3” Foam Pads (I typically recommend Orange Light Cutting Pads, White Polishing Pads, Black Finishing Pads, and Blue Fine Finishing Pads)

Glass:
Stoner's Invisible Glass

Metal
CG Metal Wax Polish and Protection

Microfiber
Quality microfiber is one of the best investments you can make. You must make sure that only the best products are touching the surface of your car so that you are not scratching or damaging the surface.
Black & Yellow Towel - Perfect for removing polishes, sealants, waxes, etc. Plush on one side and shorter nap on the other. My go to towel for most of the work I do!
Double Thick Edgeless Towel - Perfect for quick detailers, rinseless washing, and other tasks where plush towels are needed.
Black All Purpose Towel - A must have towel! The black color helps to hide any stains that may occur during use. I use these towels exclusively on wheels, exhaust tips, engine bays, and other dirtier areas.
Micro-Restore Microfiber Detergent - Works great to clean your microfiber and help them maintain that "like new" softness.



You may also find these write ups helpful:

BMW M6 Gran Coupe - Sapphire Black - Paint Correction & 22ple Coating Application
Black Sapphire Metallic X5 - Corrected & Coated


Let me know if you have any other questions

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
www.AttentiontoDetailingPeoria.com

[Christian87n]

Thanks!!

[EB89]

Nice list, ill have to invest in some of these products.

[335D Alpha Pappa]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

I've modified the paint correction materials to some of my personal favorite products for BMW Sapphire Metallic Black paint.

Blah
Blah
Blah

Let me know if you have any other questions

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
www.AttentiontoDetailingPeoria.com

Does this work for Jet Black as well?

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by 335D Alpha Pappa

Does this work for Jet Black as well?

Sure does!

Jet black paint can be more difficult to finish down with perfect clarity compared to sapphire metallic black, but all of the products mentioned here are more than capable of producing good results.

In some instances, a finer polish like Menzerna SF4500

Let me know if you've got any other questions!

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
www.AttentiontoDetailingPeoria.com

[335D Alpha Pappa]

Zack,

You mention Sealant, Wax and Coating above. Do you apply all three or a combo? I want to put a coating on after detailing.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by 335D Alpha Pappa

Zack,

You mention Sealant, Wax and Coating above. Do you apply all three or a combo? I want to put a coating on after detailing.

Here is something I have written previously regarding the different types of paint protection....

Originally Posted by Zach McGovern

Protecting Your Vehicle

Regardless of what vehicle you drive, it is incredibly important to maintain a healthy layer of protection on your paint. Most all modern vehicles are clear coated. This clear coat does NOT mean your car is protected. The clear coat protects the base coat and provides a glossier finish, however once the clear coat is damaged beyond a certain point, the only way to repair the damaged areas is to repaint them completely. It is much easier and cheaper to properly protect your clear coat than it is to have to deal with repairs and repainting.

There are 3 basic categories of paint protection on the market these days: waxes, sealants, and coatings. I will go into some detail on these below, but I encourage you to please ask me if you have any further questions. All of these products serve the same general purpose - protect your paint - however they are all unique in their properties.

Each product creates a sacrificial barrier on top of your paint to help protect it. This barrier layer means that harmful contaminates such as bug splatter must first eat through the layer of protection before it can start to damage your paint.



Waxes - These are products typically based on natural ingredients such as carnauba wax. Wax provides a very thin, short lived barrier on the surface. A true natural wax will provide protection for an average of 6-8 weeks, and should be applied very regularly to maintain adequate protection. Duration varies greatly depending on your environment, and if you are someone who does not enjoy regularly detailing their vehicle, I would suggest using another type of paint protection.

Examples: Menzerna Color Lock, Chemical Guys Pete's 53, Pinnacle Souveran


Sealants - These products are an evolution of the natural wax. A polymer sealant is a liquid product that is based on synthetic polymers rather than natural waxes. These products work just the same as waxes do in that they provide a thin barrier on top of your paint, however a polymer sealant is considerably more durable with most of them lasting between 4-6 months instead of weeks. Most of these products are very easy to apply either by hand or machine, and are recommended for added durability compared to waxes. Some people claim a wax provides a "warmer glow", so if you wish, you can top a sealant with a wax.


Examples: Blackfire Wet Diamond, Menzerna Power Lock


Coatings - Ceramic Paint Coatings are the latest evolution in paint protection. These coatings provide a layer of protection that is hundreds of times thicker than the average layer of wax. This barrier is also incredibly chemical resistant, and harder than most clear coats when fully cured. These products last for years, not weeks or months, when properly applied and maintained. There is no doubt that a paint coating provides the absolute best protection. There are some downfalls to a coating, too... they are rather expensive, they require a tremendous amount of prep work, and they are not as easy to apply as traditional waxes or sealants. For this reason, it is often recommended to consult a professional detailer to have a paint coating installed unless you're well versed in the cleaning, decontamination, and paint correction processes required before installing a paint coating.

The Benefits of a Paint Coating by Zach McGovern

Examples: CQuartz Finest (professional installation only), Opti Coat (professional installation only), 22ple VX3, CQuartz, Optimum Gloss Coat

So, if you are going to be applying a coating, you would not need to use a wax or a sealant.


Let me know if you've got any other questions!

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
www.AttentiontoDetailingPeoria.com

[SLOWER]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

I've modified the paint correction materials to some of my personal favorite products for BMW Sapphire Metallic Black paint.

Polish:
Meg's D300 Cutting Compound (works best paired with microfiber cutting pad)
Meg's M205 Finishing Polish

Can you please elaborate why D300 instead of M105? I need to buy new supplies and wondering if I should get the D300.

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by SLOWER

Can you please elaborate why D300 instead of M105? I need to buy new supplies and wondering if I should get the D300.

Personal preference really. There are many, many, many nice cutting compounds out there.

M105 is a great cutting compound when you understand how to use it. The product has a shorter working cycle, and when overworked will lead to excessive dusting and potentially very stubborn residue that requires a lot of effort to be removed. These are common complaints among users, so in an effort to make my suggestions as user friendly as I can, I tend to steer away from M105 as I have found many other products provide a better user experience and equally impressive results.

Meguiar's D300 was formulated specifically for use with Microfiber cutting pads. It has a longer working time and is a breeze to wipe away. Dusting is minimal when used with a clean pad, and the results are fantastic. Another one of my favorite compounds is Griot's Garage Fast Correcting Creme.

Hope that helps

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
www.AttentiontoDetailingPeoria.com

[RMNB]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

Personal preference really. There are many, many, many nice cutting compounds out there.

M105 is a great cutting compound when you understand how to use it. The product has a shorter working cycle, and when overworked will lead to excessive dusting and potentially very stubborn residue that requires a lot of effort to be removed. These are common complaints among users, so in an effort to make my suggestions as user friendly as I can, I tend to steer away from M105 as I have found many other products provide a better user experience and equally impressive results.

Meguiar's D300 was formulated specifically for use with Microfiber cutting pads. It has a longer working time and is a breeze to wipe away. Dusting is minimal when used with a clean pad, and the results are fantastic. Another one of my favorite compounds is Griot's Garage Fast Correcting Creme.

Hope that helps

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
www.AttentiontoDetailingPeoria.com

This thread was exactly what I needed. Having just picked up an E92 335xi in BLack Sapphire I see quite a few scratches/chips that I need to work on so I ordered a kit from you guys a little while ago. (meguirs correction starter kit-includes Porter Cable 7424 buffer). Not ever using a buffer before, what tips would you give a newb? I do see where tried a touch up spot on the hood which needs polishing plus another rock chip. Not sure if I should do a DrColorChip method of just buff away at it. Plus several other "spider-web" scratches as well. How and where should I start??

[Detailed Image]

Originally Posted by 550i Beast

Not ever using a buffer before, what tips would you give a newb? ... How and where should I start??

There are tons of great youtube videos out there on how to use a DA polisher... I would search for some videos by Mike Phillips of Autogeek, and you can also check out Junkman's videos (or PM him here as he seems to be an active member).

Some key things to remember... technique is extremely important. The most common mistake amateur detailers make when using a DA machine for the first time is moving too quickly. Use slow arm speed... allow the pad and product to work against the paint. If you move too quickly, you will not maximize your defect removal.

Let me know if you've got any specific questions! Practice makes perfect... you'll learn a ton once you get working.

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
www.AttentiontoDetailingPeoria.com

[RMNB]

Originally Posted by Detailed Image

There are tons of great youtube videos out there on how to use a DA polisher... I would search for some videos by Mike Phillips of Autogeek, and you can also check out Junkman's videos (or PM him here as he seems to be an active member).

Some key things to remember... technique is extremely important. The most common mistake amateur detailers make when using a DA machine for the first time is moving too quickly. Use slow arm speed... allow the pad and product to work against the paint. If you move too quickly, you will not maximize your defect removal.

Let me know if you've got any specific questions! Practice makes perfect... you'll learn a ton once you get working.

Zach McGovern
Detailed Image Ask-A-Pro Blog Author
www.AttentiontoDetailingPeoria.com

Thanks! I will keep you posted once I get into it. Sure I'll be PM-ing you on a SOS.

[Detailed Image]

Bump for recent question about paint correction/detailing BSM paint

[Dylan484]

Sub'd