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You need a hot air gun and need to really warm it up and take your time ...its a slow tedious process .The problem comes if a panel has been repainted then there is a good chance it may pull off if it hasn't adhered well to the primer
Has anyone tried taking their matte paint (without PPF or ceramic coating) through a touchless car wash using only the basic wash without any specified waxes?
I know there have been quotes about waxes in the shampoos or the water jet being too abrasive but have yet to find any evidence online other than hear-say.
2020 Huracan EVO AWD - 2022 GLE 63 S Coupe - 2023 C63 S Coupe -
Originally Posted by MAC63S
Has anyone tried taking their matte paint (without PPF or ceramic coating) through a touchless car wash using only the basic wash without any specified waxes?
I know there have been quotes about waxes in the shampoos or the water jet being too abrasive but have yet to find any evidence online other than hear-say.
Thanks!
I have my Green Hell Magno GTR and have been doing this for over a year and no problems. I PPF'd the whole car except for the rear hatch and bumper. I did this because I wanted to see the color difference between covered and none covered panels. There was none to speak of. So I never went back to have the rear bumper and hatch done. At this point if I had a a car where there was no PPF I would do it. I think there is a lot of myth and old wives tales behind some of this. Have had zero problems with magno paint and love it. You'll hear things like the pH of the soap is wrong and will hurt your paint. My opinion is a lot of this is manufactured marketing to sell different and more expensive products.
I have my Green Hell Magno GTR and have been doing this for over a year and no problems. I PPF'd the whole car except for the rear hatch and bumper. I did this because I wanted to see the color difference between covered and none covered panels. There was none to speak of. So I never went back to have the rear bumper and hatch done. At this point if I had a a car where there was no PPF I would do it. I think there is a lot of myth and old wives tales behind some of this. Have had zero problems with magno paint and love it. You'll hear things like the pH of the soap is wrong and will hurt your paint. My opinion is a lot of this is manufactured marketing to sell different and more expensive products.
The manufactured marketing statement is so so true. I don’t own a car with matte paint, but have always found the products pushed onto unwitting consumers by Dr. Beasley’s and the likes to be on the gross side. Soap is soap but not theirs - their matte soap is magic and very expensive. I can’t imagine that matte paint is as complicated as time travel and a faster internet, but a lot of folks make it out to be. I have a feeling you could use most regular, commonly available car products and would be just fine.
I bought a kit from Mercedes containing 4 products specifically for matte paint, washed it yesterday and the shampoo was great.
The part number is A 000 986 16 00
• Matte Finish Quick Care 250 ml • Matte Finish Long Term Sealing 250 ml • Matte Finish Shampoo 250 ml • Matte Finish Intensive Cleaner 250ml
A bit cheaper than other options (paid around 70 USD) and from the right manufacturer
I'm even more north in the coldest capital city of Canada. The C63-S is almost completely undrivable in winters here. Would never drive this car in snow or salty roads regardless of the paint finish. As a spring to fall car, maintenance should be as breezy as sunny Florida.
Off topic but disagree. I drive my 507hp C63 year-round in Toronto. Just get good snow tires (Pirelli Soto Zero III on 18” rims) and drive properly and it’s a great snow car.
To summarize:
the big problem with Magno paint is repairing damage. As was posted above, by the guy that works at a MB body shop - you basically have to repaint the entire side of the car to repair a scratch. It’s just not worth it, IMO.
Yes, day to day caring for it is not a big deal, although it’s more work than a gloss paint finish.
BTW, you don’t get swirl marks in a gloss finish if you take some basic steps when washing and drying.
And PPF, at least on the front, is a MUST, regardless of paint. I really wish someone had told me how important it is when I got my C63. After 4 years and ~40k miles, the front end looks like someone sand blasted it.
The point I got from the post is not really the warranty on the PPF, but how the magno paint would react to 10yo PPF being removed. Can't imagine it would retain the finish correctly...? maybe i'm wrong, but it was one of my concerns.
has anyone ever removed PPF after 8-10 years on magno paint? any issues?
What makes you think it’s harder to remove PPF from matte vs glossy paint? Only the clear coat is different. If anything, it will be harder to remove PPF cleanly from GLOSSY paint, since any imperfections/scratches/etc are more easily seen on the gloss paint.
There are no issues with removing XPEL or 3M film. Just take it to a pro to have it removed.
What makes you think it’s harder to remove PPF from matte vs glossy paint? Only the clear coat is different. If anything, it will be harder to remove PPF cleanly from GLOSSY paint, since any imperfections/scratches/etc are more easily seen on the gloss paint.
There are no issues with removing XPEL or 3M film. Just take it to a pro to have it removed.
you literally just bumped a thread that you were the last participant in 3 months later?
What makes you think it’s harder to remove PPF from matte vs glossy paint? Only the clear coat is different. If anything, it will be harder to remove PPF cleanly from GLOSSY paint, since any imperfections/scratches/etc are more easily seen on the gloss paint.
There are no issues with removing XPEL or 3M film. Just take it to a pro to have it removed.
Maybe I misspoke or was misunderstood...I'm not saying it would be harder to remove so much as I don't think it would look good after removing from magno finish versus a gloss finish; only because gloss finishes are much harder and more durable (at least, according to the industry) than matte finishes. Hence the additional concerns/challenges with maintaining matte vs gloss finishes...
Obviously, I don't know for sure since I've not gone through this process, so I'm logically deducing...
Also, I don't know if I agree the imperfections would be seen more easily on gloss paint since you can just buff these things out again?
There is no durability difference between Magno and glossy. Only the clear coat is different. Many say Magno is more durable than glossy, probably because abrasions don't show up as readily, since the surface is not glossy.
BMW's Frozen paints were very soft and not durable -- unfortunately they fuelled the public misconception about all matte paints. Mercedes' Magno paints never suffered from the issues that plagued BMW's. Recall that Mercedes entered the market later; only after the paints were improved.
There is no durability difference between Magno and glossy. Only the clear coat is different. Many say Magno is more durable than glossy, probably because abrasions don't show up as readily, since the surface is not glossy.
BMW's Frozen paints were very soft and not durable -- unfortunately they fuelled the public misconception about all matte paints. Mercedes' Magno paints never suffered from the issues that plagued BMW's. Recall that Mercedes entered the market later; only after the paints were improved.
Not that I would disagree with you outright, especially since my Magno Cashmere White color does appear very durable after almost 2 months of weekly car washes, but the crux of the debates in this thread center around *fixing* magno paint issues--which most people say you can't--and instead have to repaint an entire panel. Logic tells me that old PPF that has been "baked" into magno paint, once removed, may entail a similar situation in that the finish may not look right/may have a sheen to it/etc that may require repainting the panel again.
All of this is hearsay until someone who has encountered the situation can confirm...in any case, I didn't get PPF, only ceramic coat, and my paint looks incredible today. Hopefully, it will keep up
PPF is just a sticker, and if you use XPEL or 3M, or another reputable vendor, I would trust the vendor when they say it doesn't damage paint.
If anything the matte paint will hide imperfections better than gloss, since it doesn't reflect as much light - think of a black car vs a white car and how easy it is to see imperfections on the black.
Ceramic coat is great but it doesn't protect the paint from impacts. I ceramic coated my C63 and it got riddled with stone chips very quickly. To be clear, it wasn't that the paint was chipped in large areas - it was many tiny hits which made the gloss paint feel like sandpaper when you ran your hand over it. You should really do PPF on the front - it will save you the cost of a repaint in a few years -- and repainting matte paint is not easy.
PPF is just a sticker, and if you use XPEL or 3M, or another reputable vendor, I would trust the vendor when they say it doesn't damage paint.
If anything the matte paint will hide imperfections better than gloss, since it doesn't reflect as much light - think of a black car vs a white car and how easy it is to see imperfections on the black.
Ceramic coat is great but it doesn't protect the paint from impacts. I ceramic coated my C63 and it got riddled with stone chips very quickly. To be clear, it wasn't that the paint was chipped in large areas - it was many tiny hits which made the gloss paint feel like sandpaper when you ran your hand over it. You should really do PPF on the front - it will save you the cost of a repaint in a few years -- and repainting matte paint is not easy.
Well...I'd still like to hear someone's experience pulling PPF off matte paint one day, just to confirm...
Anyway, for me, it doesn't matter much since after 3 years I'll be moving on to something else...
I can tell you 100% that removing PPF from Magno is a MUCH longer and harder process that a gloss finish. We started the PPF on the carbon fiber roof of my GTR, and the shop that does all my work prefers to hand cut certain things, as the templates typically don’t cover 100% of the surface. A small section of the PPF stuck to the roof, right beside the CF. When he pulled it off (only on for maybe 15 minutes while he cut the roof edges) it discolored the paint. Heat and matte cleaner were able to fix it, but it’s definitely not a good feeling. Talking to one of my other car guys (the one who does all my builds), I found out that you have to steam the PPF off of the matte/Magno finishes due to the acidic chemicals and other stuff (I’m not a chemical engineer, so I don’t remember all the cool words) in the adhesive. Is this different than gloss? 100%. We have pulled the PPF off the fender flares of my Demon multiple times...just grab the corner and pull. Comes right off with no issues. I only say this to make sure that people know what to ask when they go talk to someone about installing or removing PPF on an expensive car with a beautiful paint job!
My 2019 C63-S Graphite Grey Magno had a buff mark on the right fender on delivery day. Dealership scheduled paint repair at their most trusted body shop.
Factory Matte Clear Coat used by MB wasn't available to Canada. They ordered a very similar US brand and worked with customer support to blend the formula. A few formulas were tested on 'Test Cards', held up next to the vehicle, and adjusted until the desired match was achieved.
Once painted onto the fender, it was a perfect match to the door and hood. No need to repaint entire side. Only techniques and education, which will only improve from here on out as Matte paints are still fairly young.
2019 Toyota 4Runner (TRD Pro), 2015 Jeep Wrangler (Sahara Edition)
Hello all - I am getting a very similar spec to the one posted-above with the Graphite Gray Magno paint, and have been wondering the same thing. We are doing ED, so won't be picking it up until next April, but want to make sure we prepare for the car appropriately. Here is what I am seeing so far from this thread and others on the forum:
1. Don't take to it through an automatic car wash due to the type of shampoos and wax they use.
2. At least PPF the front end, engine cover, and mirrors
3. Only use washing products that are specifically created for matte paints. I assume this means manual washing and wiping down is the best method to keep the paint's integrity?
I live in SLC, Utah. We gets lots of snow, so this prolly won't be driven too much in the Winter. Does anyone have any advice for what to look for when searching for a shop to apply the PPF? I have never done this before, so am not sure if there are any specifics one should require when choosing the place to do it?
You need a hot air gun and need to really warm it up and take your time ...its a slow tedious process .The problem comes if a panel has been repainted then there is a good chance it may pull off if it hasn't adhered well to the primer
My PPF shop is among the best and they said there is No Issue removing XPEL from Magno paint. They actually removed a few panels already, in order to redo them.
The issue without PPF is stone chips and scratches. If these don’t bother you or you don’t mind paying double the normal cost (or more) to repaint... then ...
04-19-2019, 11:23 PM
