JetBlack_TT
New member
- May 2, 2011
- 3
- 0
Hello everyone, first time poster, long time lurker. After doing hours and hours of research and reading (thank you all for the mass public knowledge!) I bit the bullet and purchased a Foamaster, Meguiare's #62 wash/conditioner (love this stuff), Porter Cable, XMT Intermediate swirl removal kit, XMT speed clay and lube, Series II wax, misc. CSC pads, MF towels, etc., etc.
I have a new (to me) Jet Black BMW 535i that must not have been stored in a garage by the previous owner. For a car that's barely a year old, it has serious etching, several deep scratches in the hood and trunk, swirls galore, and overall looked very dull. It took me three whole days working 8+hrs a day detailing the car before I got the exterior to a respectable level. Looking back I wish I would have gone with the XMT #4 actual compound as apposed to the gentler #3 intermediate.
In the end I feel very comfortable with the process and learned a lot on the fly and can now probably take a full day off the total job. Attached are a few pictures of the process from start to finish. The initial pictures hide a lot of the defects that were very obvious in person. First picture is a thorough wash ready for claying. Then a few pics during and after claying, and the final pics aren't that great as they were taken indoors since it was dark outside by the time I finished.
Next up will be my wifes F150 that is in need of some serious TLC. XMT #4 and yellow pad are already on order and I will be sure to have better before/after pictures of that job.
Anyway, long intro and I'm proud to finally officially be a member here at Autogeeks!:dblthumb2:
After wash:
Swirls and etching, although hard to tell in photos:
No more swirls, still minimal etching that needs full on compound:
Bad swirls:
Bad swirls gone, can still see deep scratch that is much better but needs wet sanding:
This alone made a HUGE difference! Well worth the time to clay entire car and windows:
After glaze but before wax:
Blurry but you can still see the nice reflection even before wax:
I have a new (to me) Jet Black BMW 535i that must not have been stored in a garage by the previous owner. For a car that's barely a year old, it has serious etching, several deep scratches in the hood and trunk, swirls galore, and overall looked very dull. It took me three whole days working 8+hrs a day detailing the car before I got the exterior to a respectable level. Looking back I wish I would have gone with the XMT #4 actual compound as apposed to the gentler #3 intermediate.
In the end I feel very comfortable with the process and learned a lot on the fly and can now probably take a full day off the total job. Attached are a few pictures of the process from start to finish. The initial pictures hide a lot of the defects that were very obvious in person. First picture is a thorough wash ready for claying. Then a few pics during and after claying, and the final pics aren't that great as they were taken indoors since it was dark outside by the time I finished.
Next up will be my wifes F150 that is in need of some serious TLC. XMT #4 and yellow pad are already on order and I will be sure to have better before/after pictures of that job.
Anyway, long intro and I'm proud to finally officially be a member here at Autogeeks!:dblthumb2:
After wash:
Swirls and etching, although hard to tell in photos:
No more swirls, still minimal etching that needs full on compound:
Bad swirls:
Bad swirls gone, can still see deep scratch that is much better but needs wet sanding:
This alone made a HUGE difference! Well worth the time to clay entire car and windows:
After glaze but before wax:
Blurry but you can still see the nice reflection even before wax:
