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Conditioned the leather. I normally use Connolly Hide Food on my 911, but I've had a bottle of Lexol Leather Conditioner sitting on the shelf, un-opened for 10+ years and figured I'd give it a try. Works nice, but doesn't have the distinctive smell of the Connolly that I like so much.

Looks great though.





Hard to believe that's a 27 year old car with 172K miles on it.

Excellent job on the upgrades. I especially like the usb ports!

I do love the UPS man.



All that's missing are the front camber kits, which are due in about a week.

Have you considered the Continental ExtremeContact DW for tires? They have great wet/dry traction as experienced by friends and colleagues. Personally I haven't used them on my own vehicles but I have driven a modified 135i in the wet that had the Continentals on it and was thoroughly impressed.

I've had great luck with Michelin PS2s in the wet but have never been satisfied with their dry performance.

Keep the updates coming!

Headlights milky?



A little isopropyl alcohol and a swab on the inside glass makes a huge difference. Can't help with the pitting though.

Wish I would have taken more before pics.

After:

So I also had some Lexol that I decided to apply to my seats. It didn't quite come out better....the seat looks more faded in the high traffic areas and it didn't get more supple at all. Did you apply per the instructions or did you have a different means of applying?

Ooo, Cibies!

mooseheadm5 wrote:Ooo, Cibies!

They seem to work quite well!

Just to show how CDO I am, there are few things in this world that bug me more than grimy, dirty door jambs. As is typical, I forgot to take before pictures.

The weekend's goal is to make these go away.









I'm pretty excited to do this. I really do enjoy polishing and waxing cars.

cek wrote:I'm pretty excited to do this. I really do enjoy polishing and waxing cars.

By machine, I assume? Nothing like getting to know a car and the body lines up close and personal, rubbing on the paint. I like it too but lots of work, especially the masking and post polish cleanup which takes more time than anything else. Don't want polish on your black plastic trim! So much easier when you are dealing with a repainted car and don't have all the trim in the way. Those jobs go much quicker!

While your car and mine are pretty damn nice paint-wise, it is always lots of fun to reveal a nice finish afterwards when the starting point is bad. Mine looks about like yours and needs to be gone over but I'll probably just leave things alone for another year or two. It is nice to not have to be super careful while washing a flawless finish! But the factory paint doesn't seem to scratch easily unlike some of the newer cars today. I've done a modern black car or two and sometimes you can literally wipe a dry, clean microfiber across the paint and induce marring.

I used to do my 535is by hand. Took about 8-10 hours and had to be done every couple of months. Not much fun. It was always pretty rewarding though.

I find it amazing I had that kind of time back then.

wkohler wrote:I used to do my 535is by hand. Took about 8-10 hours and had to be done every couple of months. Not much fun. It was always pretty rewarding though.

I find it amazing I had that kind of time back then.

Yup, that sounds familiar! In high school and college I used to do my '86 535i all the time. I started doing machine polishing around 2007 or so. As much you think things would be quicker, seems like I still spend just as much time. But the results are much better. I could never detail cars as a professional, in terms of earning an income, since I'm too slow and methodical. Probably be why I'd suck as a mechanic, too

Justin_FL wrote:

cek wrote:I'm pretty excited to do this. I really do enjoy polishing and waxing cars.

By machine, I assume? Nothing like getting to know a car and the body lines up close and personal, rubbing on the paint. I like it too but lots of work, especially the masking and post polish cleanup which takes more time than anything else. Don't want polish on your black plastic trim! So much easier when you are dealing with a repainted car and don't have all the trim in the way. Those jobs go much quicker!

While your car and mine are pretty damn nice paint-wise, it is always lots of fun to reveal a nice finish afterwards when the starting point is bad. Mine looks about like yours and needs to be gone over but I'll probably just leave things alone for another year or two. It is nice to not have to be super careful while washing a flawless finish! But the factory paint doesn't seem to scratch easily unlike some of the newer cars today. I've done a modern black car or two and sometimes you can literally wipe a dry, clean microfiber across the paint and induce marring.

Yes, by machine. I have a Flex 3401 and a small pneumatic guy for tight areas. I have a collection of Menzerna polishes that I prefer.

I started with a deep wash with about 2x the soap I normally use (P21S Body Wash), and I'll use P21S Total Wash (which is orange based and more aggressive) on the rocker panels and places where there's grime. As you can see from that previous post, I also went into the door jambs etc...

I'm going to remove my taillights (gonna shadowline) and hood emblem (I have a replacement) and then mask all the rubber and plastic. I'm about to start this.

Next I'll use a clay bar with Griot's speed shine as lubricant. This ensures any grit embedded in the paint is cleaned up, as you don't want that for the subsequent steps.

Then I'll use P21S Paintwork Cleanser, applied like I was waxing, to really open up the paint. This will let me see, intimately, the condition of each part of the car so I know what sort of polish to use and how aggressive I want to be.

After I'm done polishing (which will be done in at least two stages) I'll wax with my favorite wax, One Grand Blitz Wax. It's an old skool carnuba wax that doesn't last as long as some of the modern stuff, but I love the shine, and I love applying it (with my fingers).

wkohler wrote:I used to do my 535is by hand. Took about 8-10 hours and had to be done every couple of months. Not much fun. It was always pretty rewarding though.

I find it amazing I had that kind of time back then.

I do mine by hand. I find it theraputic. Same reason I went to cooking school. It does take time though.

Beautiful work on your car CEK. Been following the progress

cek wrote:

Justin_FL wrote:

cek wrote:I'm pretty excited to do this. I really do enjoy polishing and waxing cars.

By machine, I assume? Nothing like getting to know a car and the body lines up close and personal, rubbing on the paint. I like it too but lots of work, especially the masking and post polish cleanup which takes more time than anything else. Don't want polish on your black plastic trim! So much easier when you are dealing with a repainted car and don't have all the trim in the way. Those jobs go much quicker!

While your car and mine are pretty damn nice paint-wise, it is always lots of fun to reveal a nice finish afterwards when the starting point is bad. Mine looks about like yours and needs to be gone over but I'll probably just leave things alone for another year or two. It is nice to not have to be super careful while washing a flawless finish! But the factory paint doesn't seem to scratch easily unlike some of the newer cars today. I've done a modern black car or two and sometimes you can literally wipe a dry, clean microfiber across the paint and induce marring.

Yes, by machine. I have a Flex 3401 and a small pneumatic guy for tight areas. I have a collection of Menzerna polishes that I prefer.

I started with a deep wash with about 2x the soap I normally use (P21S Body Wash), and I'll use P21S Total Wash (which is orange based and more aggressive) on the rocker panels and places where there's grime. As you can see from that previous post, I also went into the door jambs etc...

I'm going to remove my taillights (gonna shadowline) and hood emblem (I have a replacement) and then mask all the rubber and plastic. I'm about to start this.

Next I'll use a clay bar with Griot's speed shine as lubricant. This ensures any grit embedded in the paint is cleaned up, as you don't want that for the subsequent steps.

Then I'll use P21S Paintwork Cleanser, applied like I was waxing, to really open up the paint. This will let me see, intimately, the condition of each part of the car so I know what sort of polish to use and how aggressive I want to be.

After I'm done polishing (which will be done in at least two stages) I'll wax with my favorite wax, One Grand Blitz Wax. It's an old skool carnuba wax that doesn't last as long as some of the modern stuff, but I love the shine, and I love applying it (with my fingers).

The P21S and One Grand Blitz are my regime as well. I love this combination; works the best on single stages.
I used to machine polish my Schwartz '88 until the paint got too thin. I then switched up to hand applied Klasse All In One which made the black paint really pop.
Keep up the good work.

The XC3401 is a nice machine, gosh, guess it has almost been 5 years since I bought mine. Never been disappointed with it. If you ever need a rotary, the PE14-2-150 is super and I highly recommend it. With shoulder issues from a car wreck many years ago, the heavier rotaries can be a literal pain so the Flex unit is really appreciated after a day of polishing but doesn't skimp on power like Flex's earlier lightweight unit. Handles gel-coat on boats or RVs without overheat issues. Plus it is rather quiet, so I don't feel the need to use hearing protection. But the XC3401 should really get you through most projects. If it weren't for having to tackle gel-coat and do color sanding and polishing of repainted cars here and there, I wouldn't need it.

Hmm, German products for a German car! Me too, although not on purpose! Can't help it when they are some of the best. Sounds like you have a good process. Menzerna line is definitely my go to for polishes. Tried the other big names and just wasn't as happy, although there are some standouts that I keep on the shelf. No two paint systems respond the same so a variety of products is nice to have available.

Fun stuff. I need to get the garage air-conditioned so it isn't as miserable to do these things during the summer down here

I rationalize this by telling myself this is part of detailing the car...

While visiting @Spence yesterday I got a replacement plastic nut that the toolkit knob screws into off his parts car. Last week when I opened my trunk I found my toolkit hanging open because the nut had broken.

In addition the foam for the toolkit is disgusting and falling apart.

So, one thing led to another. I figured, while I've got the trunk open, I might as well clean that old foam off...







I need to find replacement foam. Where do people source foam for these from? I figure the chances of finding it NIB is nil.

The car is fully prepped now for detailing. I had hoped to be further along but had a lot going on yesterday.

I removed the easily removable plastic bits and the rear spoiler (man it was disgusting under that thing) and masked:

For those who've never done clay bar, here's how it's done.

1) Get a good lube. I use Griot's Speedshine. I've also used Maguires Final Inspection. Both work great. Spray each area (e.g. 2'x2') liberally.

2) I find no difference between various clay products. They all work equally well. The key is to keep them lubed and constantly knead them to expose fresh surfaces. Anytime you do a 2x2' square look at what you've done and use your finger nails to pinch off and toss any specs of shit. Remember the clay is picking up stuff embedded in the paint...over time the clay will be 'full' and should replaced or it will act like sand paper...

3) Cover each area in straight lines, never use circular motions. I usually go over each area at least 3-4 times. Use a fair amount of force (if it sticks, use more lube). Check the surface of the clay frequently. If it's picking up lots of stuff, pick specs off and knead it more often.

4) Wipe dry with a soft 100% cotton towel. BE VERY CAREFUL WHAT TOWELS YOU USE ON YOUR CAR. Even towels marked 100% cotton can have polyester stitching on the hems and tags are evil. Bad towels can RUIN your soft German paint! I avoid microfiber products for detailing, unless I'm really trying to remove something (like that foam gunk from the toolkit).

best thread ever.

alpinamotorsport wrote:best thread ever.

Thanks!

Check out the companion thread on the M30B35 project here:

http://www.mye28.com/viewtopic.php?t=116484

Progess on the detail has been slow. I ended up using a bunch of the weekend getting the M30B35 and family stuff.

But I now have the horizontal surfaces done. Hood, roof, trunk.

I ended up going with two passes with polish. First I used something with a moderate amount of cut (Menzerna Intensive Polish) and a fairly aggressive set of pads. There were quite a few water spots and deeper scratches (if you can call them that). Then I used Menzerna Micro Polish PO 85RD with a mild pad.

I used P21S Paintwork Cleanser followed by One Grand Blitz Wax. Except the front of the hood where there's quite a bit of very small pock marks and where the paint is thinner than the rest of the car, the finish looks basically new. Really pops.



I'm going to start on the sides tonight after I get the first coat of primer on my tail lights that I am shadowling. Here they are masked with a light scuff.



I'm using SEM Flexible Primer Surfacer (39133) followed by SEM Euro Trim Black (39003).



For the door/window trim I'm trying to get a pre-done set of shadowline trim from alpinass.

Driver's side done. Pure sex.