Life with Mercedes Matte Paint
01-29-2015, 01:13 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2012 Mercedes CL550, 2004 Mercedes CLK500, 2010 Audi S5, 2005 BMW X5, 2009 BMW X6, 1968 Pontiac GTO
Life with Mercedes Matte Paint
Hi everyone,
After long thought and as much online research as possible I finally pulled the plug and purchased a matte paint Benz. So far I am impressed. I will say there was a lack of information on long term use matte vehicles online. To that extent I am going to do my best to post what life is like with a matte vehicle as a daily driver through all 4 seasons.
Historically I have always took great care of my vehicle paint, I would say I am well versed in standard finish car care. The idea of learning how to look after matte paint is somewhat exciting to me.
Anyway...onward we go.
The vehicle purchased is a CL550 with cashmere white matte paint. The vehicle is perfect with no blemishes anywhere. This is a great start as I will be able to see how it stands up to mother nature.
The environment. I live in Alberta, Canada. With a strong 4 season climate I am currently enjoying roads with snow, sand and salt. If there is anywhere on earth that can test the durability of the matte paint finish....this is it.
Day One with Matte Paint.
After some research I ended up ordering the Dr. Beasley Matte paint products. In addition to the waterless car wash, I purchased the normal matte car wash, matte paint cleanser and the most important....the matte paint sealant. The reason I chose Dr. Beasely was the ease of use in both application and removal of products. Given any intense scrubbing or rubbing of matte paint finishes may cause shiny spots in the paint, ease of removal was an important feature to me in my search.
The CL550 purchased is as good as new. No paint issues at all. That being said the first thing on my agenda was to use the matte paint cleanser to ensure the vehicle was fully clean and free of any watermarks etc. Given the car was clean to start with, here are the steps I followed.
Paint Cleanser:
This product went on good. A light mist over a section (one panel at a time) did the trick. 1-2 minute wait time then removed the mist with a microfibre cloth. Importance was given to use a light touch and let the cloth do the work. Using two or three cloths for removal seemed to result in the best surface free of any streaks. I used this product on the entire car, including inside the doors, hood and truck where there was paint. Surprisingly, I almost used and entire bkttle of the cleanser.
Paint Sealant:
The paint sealant was incredibly easing to apply and remove. I filled a pressurized spray bottle with water and sprayed one panel down at a time. Once the panel was soaked with water, I used the foam application pad with the Dr. Beasely paint sealant on it. Once I covered the panel with the foam applicator, a few microfibre cloths were used to lightly remove the water/sealant. Easy.
I am incredibly pleased with how the paint looks sitting in my garage. The only thing to do now is drive it and see how it holds up!
I hope this thread will become helpful to anyone looking to buy a matte finish vehicle. Look forward to updating along the way and provide some insight on owning a matte finish vehicle as a daily driver.
After long thought and as much online research as possible I finally pulled the plug and purchased a matte paint Benz. So far I am impressed. I will say there was a lack of information on long term use matte vehicles online. To that extent I am going to do my best to post what life is like with a matte vehicle as a daily driver through all 4 seasons.
Historically I have always took great care of my vehicle paint, I would say I am well versed in standard finish car care. The idea of learning how to look after matte paint is somewhat exciting to me.
Anyway...onward we go.
The vehicle purchased is a CL550 with cashmere white matte paint. The vehicle is perfect with no blemishes anywhere. This is a great start as I will be able to see how it stands up to mother nature.
The environment. I live in Alberta, Canada. With a strong 4 season climate I am currently enjoying roads with snow, sand and salt. If there is anywhere on earth that can test the durability of the matte paint finish....this is it.
Day One with Matte Paint.
After some research I ended up ordering the Dr. Beasley Matte paint products. In addition to the waterless car wash, I purchased the normal matte car wash, matte paint cleanser and the most important....the matte paint sealant. The reason I chose Dr. Beasely was the ease of use in both application and removal of products. Given any intense scrubbing or rubbing of matte paint finishes may cause shiny spots in the paint, ease of removal was an important feature to me in my search.
The CL550 purchased is as good as new. No paint issues at all. That being said the first thing on my agenda was to use the matte paint cleanser to ensure the vehicle was fully clean and free of any watermarks etc. Given the car was clean to start with, here are the steps I followed.
Paint Cleanser:
This product went on good. A light mist over a section (one panel at a time) did the trick. 1-2 minute wait time then removed the mist with a microfibre cloth. Importance was given to use a light touch and let the cloth do the work. Using two or three cloths for removal seemed to result in the best surface free of any streaks. I used this product on the entire car, including inside the doors, hood and truck where there was paint. Surprisingly, I almost used and entire bkttle of the cleanser.
Paint Sealant:
The paint sealant was incredibly easing to apply and remove. I filled a pressurized spray bottle with water and sprayed one panel down at a time. Once the panel was soaked with water, I used the foam application pad with the Dr. Beasely paint sealant on it. Once I covered the panel with the foam applicator, a few microfibre cloths were used to lightly remove the water/sealant. Easy.
I am incredibly pleased with how the paint looks sitting in my garage. The only thing to do now is drive it and see how it holds up!
I hope this thread will become helpful to anyone looking to buy a matte finish vehicle. Look forward to updating along the way and provide some insight on owning a matte finish vehicle as a daily driver.
01-30-2015, 11:12 PM
#2
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2012 Mercedes CL550, 2004 Mercedes CLK500, 2010 Audi S5, 2005 BMW X5, 2009 BMW X6, 1968 Pontiac GTO
Quick update:
After the first day drive and a little road grim I decided to try out the waterless car wash by Dr Beasley.
The consistency of the waterless car detailer is almost creamy in texture. I sprayed it lightly on half the hood but found I couldnt fully get it off with a microfibre cloth.
In the end, I ended up using a spray bottle and water to get the light dirt off. Using several microfibre cloths to gently wipe the dirt off proven to leave the best streak free finish.
Day 3 of owning a Mercedes Magno Matte Paint car and I am still 100% satisfied with the purchase.
After the first day drive and a little road grim I decided to try out the waterless car wash by Dr Beasley.
The consistency of the waterless car detailer is almost creamy in texture. I sprayed it lightly on half the hood but found I couldnt fully get it off with a microfibre cloth.
In the end, I ended up using a spray bottle and water to get the light dirt off. Using several microfibre cloths to gently wipe the dirt off proven to leave the best streak free finish.
Day 3 of owning a Mercedes Magno Matte Paint car and I am still 100% satisfied with the purchase.
02-22-2015, 11:12 PM
#4
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2012 Mercedes CL550, 2004 Mercedes CLK500, 2010 Audi S5, 2005 BMW X5, 2009 BMW X6, 1968 Pontiac GTO
Hey Rjroter22,
Having not owned the car too long, I'll provide my experience and some comments to date.
The quick answer to you is that the car care is the same as a normal clear coat car, except with a matte finish you need to a.) Use matte specific car care products, and ; b.) Dont rub the paint finish too hard or it will become shiny.
Here is the long answer....
Living in Alberta, Canada the car sees dirt, salt, sand and general road grime As seen by the attached pics. This is a daily occurance this time of year as the snow melts. I like to drive my cars, even if the weather is not ideal....so a little extra cleaning isnt the end of the world to me.
As mentioned above, when I bought the car I used Dr. Beasley paint cleanser which works really well to get anything lifted from the paint that shouldnt be there. From there I used their paint sealant.
For general washing, I wash the car (almost) daily. Do I need to wash it daily? Probably not, but given the daily use and resulting dirt...its probably a good idea. I take it to the wand wash, where I spray it down with water only. Once home it takes approximately 5 mins to wipe it down with micro fibre cloths (2-3 do the trick).
I have left the car dirty for a few days in a row over the past month, there were no huge issues so far in doing so.
Some observations;
1) For the last few days, I noticed the simple water rinse down was not fully removing some of the heavier dirt marks. It almost looked like some of the heavier dirt had stained the paint. I took my own bucket and Dr Beasly car wash to the wand wash, using a micro fibre wash cloth I gave the car its first hand wash. I have to say it is noticable the difference a hand wash makes to how white the paint looks. The hand wash removed the "stains" mentioned above. It looks back to new.
2) When the car is "slightly" dirty/dusty, a spray bottle full of water and a micro fibre cloth works the best for light cleaning. I dont find the waterless car wash works well from Dr Beasley...it almost leaves streaks. Unless I am using it wrong, who knows.
3.) If you enjoy keeping a clean vehicle, the paint finish will be up your alley. (Or if you live in a warm climate where the vehicle doesnt get dirty often). If you dont normally keep a clean car, I cant comment on how the paint will stand up.
4.) Any heavy mud marks need to be removed with the correct product. Water wont remove marks on the paint. Using the paint cleanser (or similar product) will help lift the mark off Without rubbing the paint. For me, I get the heavier dirt marks on the areas behind the wheels. Example would be road tar or something similar that a wand wash wont remove. A spray with a matte paint cleanser to the affected area fixes it right up. Let the cleanser sit on the spot for a few seconds and one gentle wipe with a cloth does the trick.
5.) With the matte finish, no matter how hard I try I can not spot any scratches or swirl marks. That is by far the best paint care benefit of these finishes versus normal clear coat paints that need yo be waxed/power polished.
The above being said, you may very well be able to use certain automatic car washes....for me I am paranoid about shinning up the finish.
That is about it. I dont mean to make it sound like a lot of work, just wanted to give you as much info as possible.
Overall, still happy with the purchase.
As mentioned in a another post, so far the only annoying thing about owning a matte finish car is how many people walk by and touch it. Lol.
Would I buy another matte finish mercedes? So far having owned one for 1 month.....yes.
I hope that helps out! Best of luck in your car search, hopefully the cashmere white one you are looking at works out for you.
I'll keep updating as I experience new things with the paint!
Having not owned the car too long, I'll provide my experience and some comments to date.
The quick answer to you is that the car care is the same as a normal clear coat car, except with a matte finish you need to a.) Use matte specific car care products, and ; b.) Dont rub the paint finish too hard or it will become shiny.
Here is the long answer....
Living in Alberta, Canada the car sees dirt, salt, sand and general road grime As seen by the attached pics. This is a daily occurance this time of year as the snow melts. I like to drive my cars, even if the weather is not ideal....so a little extra cleaning isnt the end of the world to me.
As mentioned above, when I bought the car I used Dr. Beasley paint cleanser which works really well to get anything lifted from the paint that shouldnt be there. From there I used their paint sealant.
For general washing, I wash the car (almost) daily. Do I need to wash it daily? Probably not, but given the daily use and resulting dirt...its probably a good idea. I take it to the wand wash, where I spray it down with water only. Once home it takes approximately 5 mins to wipe it down with micro fibre cloths (2-3 do the trick).
I have left the car dirty for a few days in a row over the past month, there were no huge issues so far in doing so.
Some observations;
1) For the last few days, I noticed the simple water rinse down was not fully removing some of the heavier dirt marks. It almost looked like some of the heavier dirt had stained the paint. I took my own bucket and Dr Beasly car wash to the wand wash, using a micro fibre wash cloth I gave the car its first hand wash. I have to say it is noticable the difference a hand wash makes to how white the paint looks. The hand wash removed the "stains" mentioned above. It looks back to new.
2) When the car is "slightly" dirty/dusty, a spray bottle full of water and a micro fibre cloth works the best for light cleaning. I dont find the waterless car wash works well from Dr Beasley...it almost leaves streaks. Unless I am using it wrong, who knows.
3.) If you enjoy keeping a clean vehicle, the paint finish will be up your alley. (Or if you live in a warm climate where the vehicle doesnt get dirty often). If you dont normally keep a clean car, I cant comment on how the paint will stand up.
4.) Any heavy mud marks need to be removed with the correct product. Water wont remove marks on the paint. Using the paint cleanser (or similar product) will help lift the mark off Without rubbing the paint. For me, I get the heavier dirt marks on the areas behind the wheels. Example would be road tar or something similar that a wand wash wont remove. A spray with a matte paint cleanser to the affected area fixes it right up. Let the cleanser sit on the spot for a few seconds and one gentle wipe with a cloth does the trick.
5.) With the matte finish, no matter how hard I try I can not spot any scratches or swirl marks. That is by far the best paint care benefit of these finishes versus normal clear coat paints that need yo be waxed/power polished.
The above being said, you may very well be able to use certain automatic car washes....for me I am paranoid about shinning up the finish.
That is about it. I dont mean to make it sound like a lot of work, just wanted to give you as much info as possible.
Overall, still happy with the purchase.
As mentioned in a another post, so far the only annoying thing about owning a matte finish car is how many people walk by and touch it. Lol.
Would I buy another matte finish mercedes? So far having owned one for 1 month.....yes.
I hope that helps out! Best of luck in your car search, hopefully the cashmere white one you are looking at works out for you.
I'll keep updating as I experience new things with the paint!
03-22-2015, 03:03 PM
#5
Junior Member
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2013 Bentley Continental GTC
Thanks for all your insight about maintaining a matte finish. I just took delivery yesterday of a 2015 CLS63 AMG in Magno Alanite Grey matte and I was going to order the line of Dr. Beasley's products but decided to wait to see what others on this forum had to say. Now I'm convinced it's the right choice.
I've used waterless cleaners for regular paint which go on watery, not thick like you described. I wonder if those are useful on matte paint? I've got to read the label of the one I already own.
I've used waterless cleaners for regular paint which go on watery, not thick like you described. I wonder if those are useful on matte paint? I've got to read the label of the one I already own.
03-22-2015, 08:25 PM
#6
Newbie
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi, I also just recently took delivery of a CL63 in Matte Magno Alanite Grey. I ended up purchasing a sample size (still cost $30.00) for some of the SwissVax Matte Finish Detailing Spray. I couldn't decide between the Dr. Beasley and the SwissVax so I decided to try the more expensive first. I've been very pleased with the everyday wipe downs I've done so far. Nice even finish with no blotchy or glossy spots. I'll try the Dr. Beasley detailing spray next so I can compare. I did find that quite a few detailers in the Orange County area weren't up to speed on Matte Paint care.
03-23-2015, 11:55 PM
#7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2012 Mercedes CL550, 2004 Mercedes CLK500, 2010 Audi S5, 2005 BMW X5, 2009 BMW X6, 1968 Pontiac GTO
Good to hear about the experience with SwissVax, I'll have to give it a try.
Trending Topics
01-28-2017, 05:15 PM
#9
Newbie
Join Date: Jan 2017
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
2011 c300 and 2014 cls550
I just bought 2014 cls 550 with the white Matt finish. It's in very good condition, but it's has a light scratch on the drivers side door. Any luck with touch up paint?. I've seen a few,but would like to know if anyone has use some.
02-08-2018, 06:31 PM
#10
Junior Member
Has anyone had to touch up this unique color? I'm just guessing I gotta keep applying the layers until she covers up...never had it take this many coats before...very odd
