M4 Polish Job Complete

"TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising)" (tulsamtnbiker) 10/06/2014 at 09:58 • Filed to: m3, m4, bmw, weekendproject

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Polished with Menzerna SF4000, wipe down with Menzerna Top Inspection, and finished with Blackfire Wet Diamond.

Sweet Trav > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 10/06/2014 at 10:02

1

When I hear M4 polish job I think this

macanamera > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 10/06/2014 at 10:05

1

it looks incredible but why would you polish a brand-new car??

Nibby > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 10/06/2014 at 10:06

0

Can I... dra-, er, take it for a spin?

Looks perfect.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Sweet Trav 10/06/2014 at 10:06

3

definitely read that as Polish, not polish...haha. thought it was gonna ba an M4 wrapped with this

Alex B > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 10/06/2014 at 10:08

0

Very nice.

ly2v8-Brian > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 10/06/2014 at 10:17

0

Nice color choice.

Rico > macanamera 10/06/2014 at 10:19

4

Even if it's brand new it's likely been completed for months sitting in storage, shipped a number of times to get it into his hands so I can understand the paint has likely collected dust and imperfections during this time.

Rico > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 10/06/2014 at 10:20

0

Great results! Did you use a polisher or by hand?

macanamera > Rico 10/06/2014 at 10:21

1

How would any of that stuff affect the clear coat? Dust? You don't polish for dust.

Mattbob > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 10/06/2014 at 10:26

2

that looks amazing. I keep laughing at the name Blackfire wet diamond though. It's so over the top. Like some kind of secret mission/romance novel.

Rico > macanamera 10/06/2014 at 10:32

3

Who knows, I've seen brand new cars on the lot with hazing and small swirls. Here's a prime example of a 2015 STI being detailed shortly after purchase:

Left is before. Link: http://www.detailersdomain.net/2014/04/27/14-…

macanamera > Rico 10/06/2014 at 10:46

2

Well, first of all, that's just sad. Second, I'm not trying to sound uppity, but that isn't a Subaru, it's a brand new M4, made by BMW, and is one of their most special models, and he is one of the first in the country to have one. The paint should be absolutely flawless from the factory. It's an exclusive, 70,000 dollar car from an elite automaker.

Rico > macanamera 10/06/2014 at 11:05

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You are absolutely right, I'm sure the M4 wasn't in anywhere near the shape the STI was in but I'm sure there is a big difference in the way the paint looks after the Mezerna. Most cars that are prepped before delivery don't really use the best products nor are they very meticulous.

I'm sure the car looked amazing off the line 6 months ago in Germany but sitting in a warehouse, shipping container, dealer lot, and having been driven since purchase there are bound to be some small imperfections or rather room for improvement.

NotUnlessRoundIsFunny > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 10/06/2014 at 11:10

1

Just saw my first M4 on the road. Gorgeous. And I am no BMW fanboy!

quarterlifecrisis > macanamera 10/06/2014 at 11:25

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There are guys that make killings detailing brand new high end cars. I've seen before and afters on new Rolls-Royces that would be almost offensive and then pornographic. I don't know how a car that costs that much can be delivered with that much swirl and grime, but, it happens.

FrankAtlanta > macanamera 10/06/2014 at 12:38

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You'd be surprised: 1) cars come from factories with some level of swirling/buffing marks (and that's on expensive cars, as well) and 2) dealer cosmetic prep is oftentimes done by folks that just don't do a good job.

For my last new car, I asked the dealer to do NO cosmetic prep and it was still an absolute mess. And this was not an cheap car.

Not saying it's right - but that's the reality.

Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) > macanamera 10/06/2014 at 13:19

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Unfortunately many cars do not make it to the owner in the same condition the car left the factory in.

Many high performance car owners I've seen have gotten their new cars detailed immediately after purchase.

TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) > macanamera 10/06/2014 at 13:35

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I would like to believe that as well. But sadly this isn't the case. For being their flagship car, I was disappointed to find two defects in the color coat. Swirl-wise, I lucked out without major swirling, but while it was sitting at port it certainly got hit with it's share of bird droppings.

I clayed to remove as much surface contamination, and then polished to level the bird etchings.

TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) > Rico 10/06/2014 at 13:36

1

I used a Porter Cable 7424XP with Lake Country Pads.

Rico > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 10/06/2014 at 13:42

0

Have you had previous experience using a polisher? I want to get one but they kind of scare me because I feel like it's super easy to cause damage to either the clear coat or paint if you aren't experienced.

TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) > Rico 10/06/2014 at 13:47

1

The Porter Cable is an excellent starting point. This particular one is a "Dual Action" orbital so it makes it difficult to mare or burn the paint. Stay away from rotary polishers until you consider yourself advanced.

The toughest part is understanding the different pad / polish combinations and how to get the results your looking for.

In example for the M car: I used SF4000 polish with a Lake Country Black finishing pad. It was able to take out most of the microswirls and give a nice mirror finish. However there were some etchings that my chosen combo wasn't aggressive enough for. So while it reduced the etchings, they weren't completed resolved. Next time I polish the car (probably in 8-12 months) I'll use a slightly more aggressive combination to remove the remaining imperfections.

macanamera > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 10/06/2014 at 13:59

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Gotcha.

Rico > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 10/06/2014 at 14:11

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Thanks for the information! Next time you're doing more aggressive pads or more aggressive polish? The amount of options with this stuff is daunting, I don't think I'd ever know what the best combo could be for every situation.

Just4GP > macanamera 10/06/2014 at 15:38

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A lot of cars don't have an "ideal" paint job right out of the factory. I've seen instances here in So Cal where people pay upwards of 5K to have their brand new car "paint corrected". You'd be surprised at how much better a new car can look with a generous dose of TLC. The best example I saw was a new Tesla Model S 85

TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) > Rico 10/07/2014 at 10:39

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Likely a combination of both.

FrankAtlanta > FrankAtlanta 10/07/2014 at 13:13

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By the way - great looking M4 and great job with the polish!

turbomouse > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 10/07/2014 at 13:56

1

Good job, man. SO is a great color.

Enjoy the car!

Urambo Tauro > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s 08/26/2015 at 18:28

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That’s what I read, too. Italian Job, meet Polish job.