The M5 - Before and After Detailing

[E28M5 SubDriver]

Finally got the water spots out...

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/sh ... ?t=1032041

[Dana R]

That is an amazing transformation. Was wet sanding needed?

[Justin_FL]

Looks good. Certainly a big improvement! What was that, salt or sprinkler spray all over the car?

BTW, you can repaint the old taillight black trim and have it match the new one. Very easy. Also, it looks like they forget to put dressing on the front grilles. There is really nothing worse than faded black trim against shiny black paint!

But yours are so faded that it will likely be a never ending process of spritzing the stuff with dressing, so I'd probably recommended painting them or replacement. There are also some black dye products that you can use (only last 3-6 months), but the grilles are a PITA due to all the multi-faceted surfaces. As far as painting, many folks have had good luck with the SEM line of products.

[derrith]

Looks good. Certainly a big improvement! What was that, salt or sprinkler spray all over the car?

BTW, you can repaint the old taillight black trim and have it match the new one. Very easy. Also, it looks like they forget to put dressing on the front grilles. There is really nothing worse than faded black trim against shiny black paint!

But yours are so faded that it will likely be a never ending process of spritzing the stuff with dressing, so I'd probably recommended painting them or replacement. There are also some black dye products that you can use (only last 3-6 months), but the grilles are a PITA due to all the multi-faceted surfaces. As far as painting, many folks have had good luck with the SEM line of products.

Beautiful car!

I repainted my grills with Rustoleum Satin Black. It's got a wee bit of shine and looks great. Took a while to get every little nook and cranny though.

[Philo]

That's simply AMAZING ! lots of work though.

Now that you have a good base surface a bi-weeky car wash yields great results. Another thing I do is use glazing compound with a buffer ever 6 months or so. It really pulls out the rich black shine. That wet look.

Question.. what did you use on the aluminum in the engine compartment ?

Change the coolant tank to a new white plastic one and it will complete the pristine appearance on the engine detail.

Great job !

[skylere28]

That's simply AMAZING ! lots of work though.
...
Question.. what did you use on the aluminum in the engine compartment ?

(x2?)

also i didnt see anyone state this but what did use cause my exterior could really use some refreshing?

[wkohler]

Overall, the car looks great, but the ghetto-shine in the engine compartment doesn't do it for me. If that's your thing, then great.

[E28M5 SubDriver]

The guy used Meguiars Hyper Dressing in the engine compartment (it's water rather than silicon based). It's actually not as shiny in person (guess the camera flash brings it out).

I have a set of euro headlights and grilles coming, so that should resolve the dead plastic issue up front. As for the rear taillight, I definitely don't want to drop $276 on a new assembly from Maximilian...guess I'll look into repainting.

The water spots - yeah that was from my irrigation system before I cleared out my garage and could park inside...

[Chrishamman]

Beautiful job, but the questions is still, did you wet sand? And if so, what grits?

[E28M5 SubDriver]

Beautiful job, but the questions is still, did you wet sand? And if so, what grits?

Nope, no wet sanding was required. I'll have to ask him what polishing compounds he used on the 'ole random orbital to cut the water spots and get out the swirl marks.

[johnnye23]

Came out very nice . Is yours the only M5 on the island ?

[E28M5 SubDriver]

Came out very nice . Is yours the only M5 on the island ?

There are two others out here - although neither of them are members of the CCA that I know of. One has 36K miles according to my mechanic.

[Brad D.]

Awesome transformation. You have a beautiful car!

[M5ZEALOT]

All you need now is a nice new white coolant bottle! About $25.00 from the stealer. You better get one before they run out!
PS, Still waiting for pics of your car at Sunset Beach!

[E28M5 SubDriver]

I wish the stealer charged that little out here...Maximilian is looking to get $62 for a new one, while my dealer wants $100. Consider it HI mark-up...Craziness. Of course, they have a new E60 M5 sitting on the showroom floor at $107K (including $10K "market adjustment").

[Cashantony]

Hi E28M5 SubDriver, you did a great job in your garage, please tell us what methods you used to remove these stains. I have worked in the car detailing business for a long time, and I know how difficult it is sometimes to remove a bunch of these stains, especially if you delay it and postpone cleaning for several months.

[vinceg101]

Hi E28M5 SubDriver, you did a great job in your garage, please tell us what methods you used to remove these stains. I have worked in the car detailing business for a long time, and I know how difficult it is sometimes to remove a bunch of these stains, especially if you delay it and postpone cleaning for several months.

You do realize this thread is 13years old, right?
Or are you just trolling for your business?