Detail

[Ranger_Vet68]

Question. Good idea to have the car "Waxed and Buff" every Six months??

Thank You.

[whatcubed]

Sure, if you like it to be shiny. A lot of the basis of this discussion will depend on the condition of your car's paint and what you want to achieve.

If the car's never had a good detail, you may want to start out with a claybar, then compound, then wax, then sealant. If your car's immaculate you can just maintain it with regular washes and something like spray wax or quick detailer.

Also depending on your environment and whether you garage the car or not, wax may or may not last 6 months.

[Ranger_Vet68]

The car is VERY Clean. I just don't park it in a garage, thus is why I was thinking every six months...Or every 3 months.

[pungo]

Buffing/paint correction takes away clear coat, depending on how aggressive the buffing is, the clear coat could eventually be burned through. I good synthetic sealant will help protect the paint. Some of the ceramic coatings add allot of protection. Visit some of the detailing forums to find out what products work well. http://www.autogeekonline.net/

[Ranger_Vet68]

Great..Thank You.

[Jimswift]

If you want to only wax every 6 months, use a synthetic sealant with some durability. FK1000P is a solid choice and quite cheap. Great for wheels or exhaust tips too due to the high melting point.

http://www.autogeek.net/finish-kare-1000p-wax.html

[Ranger_Vet68]

It's kinda funny. Almost everyone that has helped me on this site owns a Z4 M Class. You guys are always respectful even though the question my come across to you as a "No Brainier". The only individuals that started knocking heads with me were the owners of the 2.5i, 3.0i and the 3.0is. It was my ignorance when I bought my Z4 that I did not do a little more homework to see if it cam in a M class. I was buying a totally different car, until I got it test checked, and the mechanic told me it would be an additional 4k to get said car back up to par when the guys selling me the car first told me..."Hey, here's the test check we did with the car and all is good". Test check?? It combined just looking at fluid levels, thus is why I took it to a impartial mechanic that told me the truth. That's when the Z4 fell into my lap. Great miles, engine, body...everything checked out 100%. Next time if I stick with a Z4..(Most likely will be going back to a MBZ '07 SL-55 AMG (The Supercharger) I would pick up the M class. As a matter of fact, I'm looking for one now. Anyway, I thank ALL you Guys/Gals, (Yes I believe that Gals drive the M class) that have truly helped me out with each question I have had.....

[KevinM]

Good advice above. I use the Zaino system (http://www.zainostore.com) but that is mainly because when I started using it 10 years ago there were very few synthetic sealants on the market...now there are many choices.

Anyway, since you are staring from scratch (as least as far as you know):
1. Assess paint defects in including swirls
2. Clay the car
3. Use a polish commiserate with the needs (e.g., level of defects) and color of paint (e.g., dark colors show swirls more than light colors)
4. Top with a high quality synthetic sealant

After that you can maintain the finish with periodic (3 - 6 months) application of the sealant with more major details every 1-2 years depending on local conditions, whether the car is always garaged, etc.

Have fun!

[Ranger_Vet68]

I went through that "Major" tune-up detail three months ago. The color is a dark gray. No swirls, no defects, paint is fantastic. (Whom ever owned this car before me must have always parked in a garage. I don't have a garage, thus I want to keep this car up and clean as much as I can. The rag top has a sealant so when water gets on it now it just beads off. And when it gets washed, it's always hand washed. That's one of the BIG lessons I learned in here. NEVER take it to a Car Wash. So the keep up is very important to me.

[KevinM]

Originally Posted by Ranger_Vet68

I went through that "Major" tune-up detail three months ago. The color is a dark gray. No swirls, no defects, paint is fantastic. (Whom ever owned this car before me must have always parked in a garage. I don't have a garage, thus I want to keep this car up and clean as much as I can. The rag top has a sealant so when water gets on it now it just beads off. And when it gets washed, it's always hand washed. That's one of the BIG lessons I learned in here. NEVER take it to a Car Wash. So the keep up is very important to me.

Cool. Consider a car cover. Other than that, if the paint is perfect, just put a good sealant on it on a regular basis (in addition to not taking it to a car wash!).

[whatcubed]

Originally Posted by KevinM

Cool. Consider a car cover. Other than that, if the paint is perfect, just put a good sealant on it on a regular basis (in addition to not taking it to a car wash!).

What he said. It sounds like you've stayed on top of things, so a good sealant should do the trick. Also as KevinM said, a car cover or windshield screen for when it's parked over an extended period of time.

And for the next car, get an M! Don't go to the dark side (AMG) LOL

[Twixboy]

Since your car's sitting outside it will be hard to keep it clean all the time, but it's important to polish/seal/wax since that is what keeps the paint in good condition. A complete interior/exterior detail costs around $300, so I only do it once a year since I have 3 cars to maintain. Spending $1500/year (1 detail plus monthly washes) to keep my cars clean is already too much money if you ask me. It's worthwhile to learn how to do a basic detail if you have the time.

Klasse (a German company) makes a great All-In-One product that polishes and seals in 1 step, then all you need to do is apply wax afterwards. Twice a year is optimal, but one can only do so much right? Once a year is still much better than nothing so don't get too caught up in analyzing the situation too much. People make careers out of detailing cars, so there's obviously a lot to learn. Just get down the basics and you're already 80% there. Last thing you want to do is over-analyze and then give up because you are on information-overload. Autogeek.net is a great place to buy and learn about detailing products. I also have good experience with detailedimage.com
Good luck!

[Ranger_Vet68]

Again, thank you ALL for your knowledge and suggestions. But I got to tell you Cubed, I'm a AMG guy through and through. Don't get me wrong. The M class BMW is a GREAT car, and if I continue with a BMW, that is the class I'll pick. Which car would still be up in the air for me. But I will go off the range here to say that I would LOVE to have the 2011 Porsche GTX GT3-RS. Not to be "Looked" at while I'm driving it. But just to DRIVE that car would be great. But in Los Angeles, where do you really drive any type of top end car....lol