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The M5 - Before and After Detailing

Posted: Jun 29, 2008 3:22 AM
by E28M5 SubDriver

Posted: Jun 29, 2008 7:13 AM
by Dana R
That is an amazing transformation. Was wet sanding needed?

Posted: Jun 29, 2008 7:18 AM
by 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.

Posted: Jun 29, 2008 11:50 AM
by derrith
Justin_FL wrote: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.

Posted: Jun 29, 2008 12:29 PM
by 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 !

Posted: Jun 29, 2008 3:46 PM
by skylere28
Philo wrote: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?

Posted: Jun 29, 2008 3:56 PM
by 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.

Posted: Jun 29, 2008 10:02 PM
by 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...

Posted: Jun 30, 2008 11:40 AM
by Chrishamman
Beautiful job, but the questions is still, did you wet sand? And if so, what grits?

Posted: Jun 30, 2008 8:00 PM
by E28M5 SubDriver
Chrishamman wrote: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.

Posted: Jun 30, 2008 8:19 PM
by johnnye23
Came out very nice :alright: . Is yours the only M5 on the island ?

Posted: Jun 30, 2008 11:36 PM
by E28M5 SubDriver
johnnye23 wrote:Came out very nice :alright: . 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.

Posted: Jul 01, 2008 12:34 AM
by Brad D.
Awesome transformation. You have a beautiful car!

Posted: Jul 03, 2008 2:39 AM
by 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! :lol:
Image

Posted: Jul 04, 2008 4:35 AM
by 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").

Re:

Posted: Jul 30, 2021 4:43 AM
by 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.

Re: Re:

Posted: Jul 30, 2021 12:15 PM
by vinceg101
Cashantony wrote: Jul 30, 2021 4:43 AM 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?