2014 Black Mercedes-Benz E350 detailed by Mike Phillips

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

2014 Black Mercedes-Benz E350 detailed by Mike Phillips



This is a brand new Mercedes-Benz E350 with 200 mile on it. Paint felt contaminated using the baggie test and it had areas of light scratches, random directions plus a few RIDS or Random Isolated Deeper Scratches on the hood and trunk lid.

Process

• Wiped clean using Detailer Waterless Auto Wash.
• Machine Decontaminated with Nanoskin Autoscrub Pad (Blue Fine) and Detailer's Universal Clay Lubricant - Both paint and windows.
• Machine polished using Rupes Duetto with combination of Rupes Compounds & Polishes.
• Removed RIDS using Rupes Mini with Rupes Zephir Gloss Compound and 4" Blue Foam Cutting Pad.
• Hand applied Black Label Surface Cleansing Lotion.
• Hand applied Black Label Diamond Paint Coating.
• Tuff Shine on the tires.

Product Dots on Paint
In this shot you can white dots on the hood. AFTER I machine polished the hood using the Rupes green polishing pad with the Rupes Quarz Gloss Medium Cut Polish, this removed all the shallow scratches and revealed all the deeper scratches.

I placed a "drop" of the Zephir Gloss Coarse Compound on each of the deeper scratches and then removed them using the Rupes Mini and the 4" Blue foam cutting pad. By switching to the smaller polisher and pad I was able to reduce the size of my machine polishing footprint on the paint.

After Shots

On Autogeek.net

Black Label Diamond Paint Coating

Black Label Surface Cleansing Polish

Rupes Duetto

Rupes Mini

Rupes Zephir Gloss Coarse Gel Compound 500 ml.

Rupes Quarz Gloss Medium Gel Compound 500 ml.

Rupes Keramik Gloss Fine Gel Polish 500 ml.

Rupes Diamond Ultra Fine Gel Polish 500 ml.

RUPES Color Matched 7" Foam Buffing Pads

All RUPES Polishers, Pads and Polishes

Cyclo Nanoskin Autoscrub Pads - Fine Grade

Detailer's Waterless Auto Wash

Detailer's Universal Clay Lube

 

[Mike@DedicatedPerfection]

Beautiful work on the Mercedes Mike!

 

[Just02896]

Nice Job! It almost looks like you know what your doing! Lol!
Can't wait to get my mini! Any news from Rupes on when they might ship?

 

[TundraPower]

That looks superb Mike. I looooove my Rupes Mini and Duetto.

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

For what it's worth....

I found this paint hard to polish. The paint itself is very hard and it didn't polish to a clear high gloss without a little focused technique.

On the hood I put it through all four Rupes polishes and pads just to ensure a clear clear coat as black shows everything.


Compared to the PPG Ceramiclear paint on the 2012 E350

Black Label Diamond Paint Coating on a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350


2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 with PPG Ceramiclear Paint

And the 2014 E350 I buffed out recently, this non-metallic black Mercedes-Benz was on the difficult side.


How long to wait before waxing a brand new car?

2014 Mercedes-Benz E350 with PPG Ceramiclear Paint

Not near as difficult or hard however as the paint on this 2014 Q5 I buffed out last week.

For anyone reading this into the future, if you buy an Audi, perhaps consider a white or silver metallic finish especially if you're the kind of person where "seeing" swirls and scratches bothers you. If it doesn't bother you then go for whatever color you like.


If you're going to purchase a Mercedes-Benz I strongly encourage you to get a model with the PPG Ceramiclear paint system. Not only does this paint polish easy but it resists swirls and scratches better than any other paint I've ever worked on.

Compared to other paints it's a joy to own and by the word own I mean a joy to wash, dry, wipe-clean and polish because the paint is so good.


If you or any of your customers, family of friends own a car with a PPG Ceramiclear finish be sure to read this article before you buff on the paint or you let ANYONE touch the car.


Ceramiclear Paints - Be Careful

 

[Bigbull2984]

Looks amazing Mike, top notch work as always.

 

[Radarryan]

Great job, Mike! You turn that black car into something that we love here in Texas: OIL! nothing like turning a black car into an endless pool. Now, I need to find those pictures of that black single–stage paint that looks like truly an infinity pool of black, thick oil. I think it was on an old truck. Nothing like single-stage black to really make your jaw drop...

Thanks for sharing and happy detailing!

 

[Jaretr1]

:joking:Mike you should not put a car with wet paint outside!

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

Great job, Mike! You turn that black car into something that we love here in Texas: OIL! nothing like turning a black car into an endless pool.

Thank you. According to my Jawbone Up24 I logged,

20,977 Step
11.56 Miles

The graph pretty much shows the majority of my activity from a starting time of 8:30am to a finish time of 3:30pm, which is the start and finish time for this project.

Now, I need to find those pictures of that black single–stage paint that looks like truly an infinity pool of black, thick oil.

I think it was on an old truck. Nothing like single-stage black to really make your jaw drop...

Thanks for sharing and happy detailing!

If it was a truck I buffed out, I'm guessing you mean this one...

"Black is not a color, it's a full time job"


This is single stage urethane....

 

[Shortspark]

What am I missing Mike? In this thread you are advising future Merc owners to but the Ceramiclear paint. But in the article you referenced, you said it is a detailer's nightmare to work with so I am a bit confused. I have an ML350 in Diamond White, which is a great white and looks fantastic. It is a $1500 option so it should be good! It is a hard paint but the code does not really tell me if it is the ceramiclear or not (I assume it is not). I am wondering why you feel it is so good now when previously you said, "It could be that when it comes to cars with Ceramiclear paint jobs... you might want to as I say...Let some other guy have the blessing..."?

 

[Mike PhillipsMike Phillips is verified member.]

What am I missing Mike? In this thread you are advising future Merc owners to but the Ceramiclear paint. But in the article you referenced, you said it is a detailer's nightmare to work with so I am a bit confused.

In the context of the article, what I meant was if you are asked to buff out a car with a PPG Ceramiclear finish that already has problems.

I shared Sean Kelly's experience and used his experience to try to forward others to be on the look out for signs of problems and if you start seeing read flag warnings then at the end of the article I wrote,

Note the parts in red text....

Choose wisely
Knowing all of the above I would suggest that any time you are asked to work on a car with a Ceramiclear finish to first find out the history of the paint, that is... has it been cut with a compound by someone else that has worked on the car previously.

If you find out others have compounded the Ceramiclear paint then choose wisely whether or not you put yourself at risk doing any type of compounding or polishing work to the paint.

Regardless of whether or not the car has ever been compounded or polished, follow this advice,

"Use the least aggressive product to get the job done"



There's a famous line from a Kenny Rogers song called The Gambler that goes like this,

You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
​

It could be that when it comes to cars with Ceramiclear paint jobs... you might want to as I say...

Let some other guy have the blessing...

Personally, I love buffing out virgin PPG Ceramiclear paint systems.

I have an ML350 in Diamond White, which is a great white and looks fantastic. It is a $1500 option so it should be good! It is a hard paint but the code does not really tell me if it is the Ceramiclear or not (I assume it is not).

Check the paint code, it should start with the letter "C".

I am wondering why you feel it is so good now when previously you said, "It could be that when it comes to cars with Ceramiclear paint jobs... you might want to as I say...Let some other guy have the blessing..."?

Read what I wrote above and take a moment to re-read the first post in my article and keep everything in context.

I buffed out a Ceramiclear finish on a brand new Mercedes-Benz in 2006, I believe. I was for my buddy Afshin in SoCal.

What I found interesting is a year later he showed me his car and it still look flawless. I can probably find the pictures.

 

[firecorgi]

Makes me want to go buy a black truck. LOL!

Great as usual sir.

 

[Mike lambert]

Do not fret, you will get the hang of this one day! LOL!
Any reason for choosing the rupes system,since you have a large assortment of products to use?

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

Nice job on everything, bud!!! I had a Duetto and 75E on order, but I cancelled. I'm going balls out 3401 since I already have it. Forced rotation, forced rotation, forced rotation!! I just bought the whole line of 6.5" and 4" CCS pads to use with the 3401. After seeing this, it makes me kinda regret cancelling. Oh well, it's all about the 3401 for now.

 

[Shortspark]

Okay Mike, thanks! Now I understand what you are saying.

 

[FLAVIOBR]

Hello Mike, perfect job, nice car!

I have two questions if you can answer I will be happy!

I have Rupes LHR 15Es, there are many differences to Duetto?

Speed to work the Rupes polishes?

thank you

 

[Guessless]

Thank you. According to my Jawbone Up24 I logged,

20,977 Step
11.56 Miles

The graph pretty much shows the majority of my activity from a starting time of 8:30am to a finish time of 3:30pm, which is the start and finish time for this project.

Mike,

Nice car Nice job,

What really got me interested though is that over 21,000 steps/11.56 miles you burned 1680 calories, and while resting you burned 1670!
Bad teaching for Lazy people like myself.rops:
Enjoy your articles and learn a lot from them, Many Thanks.
Have a happy New year

 

[john b]

Nice job on everything, bud!!! I had a Duetto and 75E on order, but I cancelled. I'm going balls out 3401 since I already have it. Forced rotation, forced rotation, forced rotation!! I just bought the whole line of 6.5" and 4" CCS pads to use with the 3401. After seeing this, it makes me kinda regret cancelling. Oh well, it's all about the 3401 for now.

say it aint so mark

 

[WRAPT C5Z06]

say it aint so mark

:laughing:

I've been using the 3401 more often and I like it. Especially, because I found a great lambswool pad that cuts like crazy!!

 

[Justin M.]

Looks fantastic as usual. Pretty wild that you had to use all 4 Rupes pads/polishes to get the hood where you wanted it.