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Detailing....a Z4
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12-05-2008 5:12pm#1I did a BMW Z4 (AC Schnitzer kit & wheels) on Saturday and took a bit of time to photo-document the different steps, I thought you all may be interested to see it after the comments on Cyrus' thread last week.
First things first, the concept of detailing has been big in the USA for a couple of decades. Most of the 'popular' brands everyone uses today originate from America. Now that it has caught on in the UK over the last 2 years or so, there are a couple of companies starting to join in and make wax, polish and so on.
Detailing, in its simplest form, involves removing paint defects (such as swilrs, light scratches, bird poo etchings, tree sap stains etc) using different polishes, polishers and techniques. It's often confused with a good valet, but they are in truth, worlds apart.
Before starting the Z4, it only had a small bit of road grime & dirt on the paintwork. It is a very well looked after machine. Here are some before pictures.
Step One: The wheels & Arches...
To clean the wheels i used a non-acidic wheel cleaner. This generaly gets the face of the wheel nice and clean, but it wouldn't be a detail if the backs of the wheel were not given a good clean too. To do this, there and array of wheel brushes are available. My favourite is the 'EZ Detail' brush. Unlike many other wheel brushes - it lasts.
The arches are commonly left untouched by valets & in general by people washing their car. They obviously collect alot of muck/dirt so take away from the look of a nicely washed/waxed car. I use all purpuse cleaner mixed 8:1 with water for arches. I have it mixed in a Hoselock 5L sprayer. Its a case of spraying around the arches, leave it for a minute or two and rinse off with the power hose. If the arches are badly soiled, the APC may need to be agitated with a brush.
Here are a couple of pics of the wheels / arches after cleaning. It takes about 15mins a wheel/arch.
Step Two: Washing the body....
This is where alot of people faulter with their cars. Using a sponge & chamois can destroy the paintwork on a car. The idea behind the method i use is that you touch the car as little as possible, and when you do touch it - there is little or no dirt/grit on the car. The reason being, the more you touch the car, the more chance of inflicting swirls/scratches on the paint work.
I firstly rinsed the car down, remembering not to point the power hose directly at the car (doing so can drive the grit into the paint). I then attached a foam lance onto the washer and used a mixture of TFR & Poorboys World Super Slick Suds to cover the car in a layer of thick foam. The idea behind this step is that as the foam runs (slowly) down the car, it will catch the dirt/grit, suspended it in the foam mixture and take it off the car.
I left the foam for about 5 or 6 minutes to dwell on the car.
I then rinsed off the remainder of the foam, again, without pointing the hose directly at the car.
With the pre-wash out of the way, it was on to the actual wash stage. I carried out the wash using the 'Two Bucket Method' to again, minimise the risk of inflicting swirls on the paintwork. Bucket 1 had just water, Bucket 2 had water mixed with Super Slick Suds. I used a lambswool washing mitt to clean the car. The two bucket method is fairly simple to follow - you dip the clean mitt in Bucket 2 to get some suds, clean one panel - then rinse the mitt in Bucket 1. This deposits the dirt/grit in Bucket 1. You then repeat that process while washing the entire car. This means that all the dirt & grit coming off the car is left in Bucket 1, while Bucket 2 is fresh and clean.
Step Three: Pre-Polishing....
Once the car had been washed, i took it inside for pre-polishing prep. Good preperation makes polishing alot easier, faster and also yeilds better results. To begin the prep work, its out with the clay bar. I used Poorboys World Polyclay lubricated by Spray & Wipe. Clay was originally made for bodyshops to remove overspray on panels/windows, but has been adopted by detailing enthusiasts for decontaminating paintwork and removing bonded on dirt/grime that doesnt come off when washing.
Claying does pose a risk to your paintwork if not used properly. It can cause whats called 'micro-marring' on the paint work. The trick is to keep the clay lubricated with the spray. Use gentle pressure with your first two fingers. Concentrate on small sections at a time (6" x 6"). When you can feel no resistence on the clay then that bit is done. Kneed the clay periodically to prevent any picked up grit being rubbed in to the car.
I dried the car with a waffle weave microfiber towel as i was claying. Once the car felt smooth and the claying was completed, i went on to measure the depth of the paint. This is extremly important. I measure the paint to make sure that there is enough paint/clearcoat on the car to safely remove the paint defects and still be left with some paint afterwards. This device measures from the steel to the top. There was plenty to play with.
Then, the final bit of prep for polishing - taping up the car. I tape up the car to protect the rubber seals and any plastic that may not agree with the buffer.
Step Four: Polishing....
This is the bit that most people are interested in. Removing paint defects requires the right machine, the right choice of pad, the right choice of polish and arguably most importantly, the right technique. The ability to decide what polish/pad combo with work comes with experience of using all of them. Every polish has an off day, alot of them rely on humidity, some on the type of paint itself and others just dont seem to want to play ball sometimes. For this correction I used a Meguairs Light-Cut pad and 3M Fine Cut Compound. This is a fairly aggressive combination. BMW have notouriously hard paint, so it requires a tough pad and a fairly aggressive compound.
After having completed the correction, I had to go around the car again with a 3M Finishing Pad & Poorboys World SSR1. The aggressive cutting combo used to remove the paint defects leave behind their own 'mess' and generaly deaden the gloss on the paint. The finishing pad/polish will clean up the mess and add some shine & gloss to the finish. Here are some pictures of the correction....
It was difficult to capture the paint defects on this colour. I tried my best...
Bootlid before...
After...
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Drivers door before...
Drivers door after...
After completing the passenger side, things were looking good...
Drivers wing before....
After...
Drivers 1/4 before....
After....
Step Five: The finishing touches...
I started to run out of time at this point, so not many pictures.
First I applied a layer of Poorboys Wheel Sealant to the huuuge rims. This stops any tar/brake dust build up on the wheel. The next few washes will only required a spray of the hose to clean the wheels.
I thing 'sealed' the paintwork. This step is vital after polishing. I used Poorboys EX-P which is a pure sealant. It replenishes the lost oils and protects against any further oxidation/UV rays and so on. I also find it adds that extra 'wetness' to the shine too.
I left the sealant to cure while i cleaned the soft-top with Auto Glym's Fabric Hood Kit. The procedure for this is to use the provided silicon sponge with the cleaner to remove any stains/marks, then rinse it off and spray on the protector. This took a good 45mins to complete, but was worth it. In the after pictures you can still see the protector on the roof. Instructions say let to dry on the car.
I then buffed off the sealant (by hand) and applied Poorboys Nattys Wax. Linear motion to apply and removal with a clean, fresh microfiber. This wax punches above its weight for sure. Ease of use and excellent results is the best way to describe it.
The door shuts/engine/boot etc were all cleaned and waxed also.
Here are pictures of the finished article....
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