REVscene Automotive Forum - Wes_R + e92 M3 (61 pics)

Hi guys and gals,

First off I just wanna say hi for my first post and thread. My name is Wes and I am from Toronto but was born in Burnaby and recently just felt like hanging out with some West coast guys on the net(I've been lurking for a little bit). I have been detailing since I was 19 and just fell in love with it, but not the back ache though just the shine. Here is a pic of me at 19 with the first Ferrari I got to detail, a Ferrari 348ts with the 355 back lights retro fitted in.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...les1/photo.jpg

Anyway todays detail write up is on a roughly 2 month old e92 M3 which was lightly swirled, but with the the color being Jerez Black, in the sun the swirls stuck out like a sore thumb.

This detail was supposed to happen at a later date but with the owner about to lower it I was a bit scared that she might not be able to make it up the hill on my driveway. Luckily I had an earlier opening and I was able to work on the car the day before it got lowered.

Anyway on to the write up, hope you enjoy the show.

So here she is.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...1/bensm3/1.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...ensm3/12-1.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...1/bensm3/2.jpg

Started with my usual routine beginning at the wheels.

Soaked the rims and tires in P21s Wheel Cleaner Gel version. This stuff is great because it is non-acidic making it safe for ceramic brakes, polished or anodized rims, etc.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...1/bensm3/3.jpg

After going around the car I came back to my first rim and started working the inner rim with my EZ-Brush.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...1/bensm3/4.jpg

Dirt agitated.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...1/bensm3/6.jpg

Cleaned the face and inbetween with a microfibre mitt.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...1/bensm3/5.jpg

And all clean.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...1/bensm3/7.jpg

I also cleaned the fairly new Akrapovic Exhaust.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...1/bensm3/8.jpg

Still a little wet but looking very sexy none the less.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/91.jpg

Finally with all of that out of the way I began to rinse down the car.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/92.jpg

I noticed some beading and with this being a fairly new car I suspected that the dealer had put their "protection" on it wither it be a sealant or wax. In general though most dealer's products contain silicones which when it comes to polishing if not stripped off can be a huge hindrance to the correction of the paint because when you begin to polish rather than correct and cut into the paint it creates a sort of hydroplaning effect.

So out came the Prep Wash cut 50/50 with water which is a silicone remover.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/11.jpg

So with the Prep Wash dwelling on the paint. I began to wash the car using the 2 bucket method(left soapy water/right clean water for rinsing my mitt every panel), Chemical Guys Citrus Wash and Gloss, and a Natural Sea Sponge.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/10.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/12.jpg

Dried off the car with my trusty waffle weave towels(these things are great because of the absorbency which is much better then regular leather or synthetic chamios).
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/13.jpg

And then pulled it into my garage to start the claying with yellow Riccardo Clay.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/16.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/17.jpg

A little bit dirty for a 2 month old car. http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/18.jpg

After claying I took some measurements of the whole car with my paint depth gauge in microns and found everything to be pretty healthy with no signs of repaint.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/19.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/20.jpg

So now the fun begins. With the way the swirls were looking I was not expecting to do anything more then a 1 stage polish.

Tools and product for the day were my Flex 3401, Lake Country Green Pads, and Menzerna Power Finish.

Here are the before and after results.

Before
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/21.jpg

After
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/22.jpg

Before
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/23.jpg

After(forgive me, until looking at the picture afterwards I realize I didn't wipe off all of the polishing residue which you can see close to the bottom right corner)
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/24.jpg

Driver's side done and looking very glossy already with no wax. Also I forgot to mention that I masked off trim with blue painters tape and was doing this as I went along.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/25.jpg

Before
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/26.jpg

After
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/27.jpg

Before
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/28.jpg

After
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/29.jpg

With the polishing finished I unmasked the car.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/30.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/31.jpg

Cleaned off the polishing oils using IPA Alcohol cut 50/50 with water and a plush microfibre.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/32.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/33.jpg

Checked over my work with my 3M Sun Gun which is 99.3% similar to the sun.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/34.jpg

Jerez Black looking like how it's suppose to look... perfect.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/35.jpg

Protected the finish with Swissvax Concorso wax.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/36.jpg

While the wax was curing I dressed the tires with Blackfire Long Lasting Tyre Gel and cleaned the windows with my Glass master Pro and the new Stoners Invisible Glass with rain repellant.

And now the eye candy.

Clean Akrapovic Exhaust.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/37.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/38.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/39.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/40.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/41.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/42.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/43.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/44.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/45.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/46.jpg

Reflection shot on the carbonfibre roof.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/47.jpg

Closer shot of the weave.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/48.jpg

Carbonfibre side grills
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/49.jpg

lol, I'm trying to be artsy fartsy with this shot.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/50.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/52.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/51.jpg

lol pt.2, there is no purpose to this shot I'm just trying to be artsy fartsy again. Ruji eat your heart out Wes_R is coming.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/53.jpg

Carbonfibre front grill and didn't take pics of it but carbonfibre emblems also.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/54.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/55.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/56.jpg

Another shot of the hood which I thought looked really cool.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n...bensm3/561.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/57.jpg

And another shot of the roof which I also thought looked really cool.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/58.jpg

And to complete the the full 360 walk around, the last pic.
http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/n.../bensm3/61.jpg

Thank you guys and gals for reading I hope you enjoyed it and all comments good, bad, and ugly are welcome.

:) Cheers,
Wes