There's some good info exchange here, thanks to everybody contributing! I'm polishing up my E55 at the moment to make it look like $1^6 so it stands out from all the other E55s for sale. I'm going to try Rejex this time instead of wax, anybody have experience with it?

 

So after some more research and a couple quick messages to a buddy(Rick Nelson) It seems like the wax just wont work as long... Which Im ok with. I daily drive the car and Optimum really seems like the right answer for Boston climate. I really only care about the car looking dripping wet during the summer(which is 2.5 months in Boston) and then I need it to stand up to the crap weather which is just around the corner, lol I don't like waxing when its 40 or below, lol

I am still going to go as planned, I am going to hit a few spots with 3000 grit sand paper tomorrow, polish whats left, and apply my opticoat. Then in a week or two, will apply some more layers to hopefully get some more depth to the paint

 

how are you guys washing engine bays? I do mine by hand, water in a spray bottle, All in one cleaner in another spray bottle... anyone take a power washer to it?

 

I'm sure some have power washed their bay but with my experience it's not the best way to go about it. You get water in a lot of places it shouldn't be and cause some serious problems. That being said, if it's hot outside you can do this, just be sure to let the car sit for a day or 2 before trying to start it so all the water can dry.

 

55---- Will see here in another post , maybe have a better pic to send, those are with a iPhone.

Coatings --- I have NOT tried any of the Optimum coatings. People who have are really partial to them and love them. I have used the other top tier coatings on the market and am very pleased with them.

Highly suggest a Glass Coating for the Rims (and Chrome exhaust tips, and Wood interior CC), both inside and out. You will only use soap and water from here on to clean them, and they collect 1/2 the amount of dust and dirt.

1. 22ple (detailers Image) and they have them for the Wheels, and Paint.
2. Modesta - Primer p01A and the BC-05 which you see on most of the exotics

I have the primer left over so I do use that under the 22ple while I still have some left. They are based out of the same resins so they work well together. Thicker coat. I think the 22ple did just as good for results as the Modesta at 1 4th the cost.

Topping can be done with either a sealant (not needed) or a carnuba type of wax for the extra pop. Sealants last 4-5 months, Carnuba waxes 3-4 weeks pending hot weather. Carnuba actually will slide around on the surface if wiped hard on a hot day. (Pinnacle Sovereign,

Detailers Image has the 22ple and if you search their site, Esoteric has developed a topper Liquid Carnuba that chemically works with the 22ple and its what is on the Black e63. Love it, but wouldn't pay the 135 again. (Polish Angel makes it) I would suggest getting the Polish Angel Glass Coating and one of their Carunuba Toppers. I bet they make both 22ple products and Esoteric just re-labels them. Not sure but I bet. I am really happy with the results and money wise its perfect.

Engine Cleaning---- I use a Boars Hair brush with a bucket of soap and warm water under the hood and all over the engine. I do the hood last. If needed a APC diluted down to 3/10 works nice. If you have a lot of dirt and grime you can spray the APC directly and let sit, then work with the brush. I only use a water hose under running water pressure (no connector, just the hose). Then I blow dry (master Blaster) they bay and crank the engine for 5 min or so. Just to burn off any down in the bay. Works perfect. I ONLY coat the plastic parts with Opti-Seal, spray some and wipe others. Wont collect dust, keeps the plastic Black, and doesn't wear out. Lasts 9 months or so. All black plastic trim gets it also. (wheel well plastic)

 

Gonna Post a Few sets of Different Cars and show some 50/50 shots and other parts of the process. All of these cars took between 30 and 50 hours pending inside work and how bad the initial condition of the paint was. I take my time and make them perfect, thats what people pay for. When you can take a trashed NSX and make it better than when it was new, a customer is thrilled. Here are the shots of the NSX, next post will be my Maserati and then some different ones of the two Mercs. Any questions please ask, be happy to help and tell you what was used to achieve these results.

 

Here are the pics of the Maserati

 

Awesome work, details please!

 

Wow! Both look amazing! After seeing the before and after I now realize my car really needs this done. It looks close to your Maserati and is black as well.

I really didn't want to spend 400 for a DA but I think I'm just going to bite the bullet and get the rupes. I know if I didn't get it I would eventually have to buy one so. I'm looking ant getting the 21ES with the mezerna kit from autogeek(http://http://www.autogeek.net/rupes-menzerna-kit.html) with a pinnacle clay bar kit to start off with. As much as I'd love to do a carnauba I think a sealer would be best with the heat here in AZ, then maybe some carnauba on top of the sealer. Any recommendations for a sealer and anything else I may be missing to help start me out and bring my baby back to black??

 

Check out poorboys Black Hole

http://www.autogeek.net/poorboys-bla...how-glaze.html

 

Enigma94 I pm'd you with info---take a look I will help you achieve what you want out of your black one. Takes time though.

Fasn8 PM me and let me know what you want to achieve and I will be happy to give some suggestions so you can research and choose from.

Now I might have another Black one to do myself. I just looked at this one today and I think I might pull the trigger and purchase it this week. Wanted a few days to mull it over. Coupe or Conv??? Just not sure I want this and a E63 at the same time. Hate to give up the 63 too. Funny thing is the DB9 was actually smoother driving and no where near as rough. Power was not on demand as quickly either. You can drive the DB really lazy and have no clue of the power it has, unless your deep into the power band. Not sure if its a very low end torque that whooshes you along at low rpms so it seems like way more of a cruiser than the E63. I know that is what its supposed to be. 12 cylinders might just be that diff too. Overall its 80 less hp so that might just be it. Anyway here is a pic, no heavy scratches just swirled to death and the norm holograms from a dealers Rotary high speed buffer.

 

Hmm I never received a PM.. Send it again please! I'd love any help from somebody who's obviously as experienced as you. Like I said before, it's pretty overwhelming when you have no experience considering the kind of damage that can happen if not done correctly.

That db9 looks great!! It's hard to beat the looks of the AM but I sure do love the low end TQ of the e63 so it's be a hard choice for me if you had to choose just 1.

 

email is Velocitybts@yahoo.com I did pm you again

When people take pics in a lighted Fluorescent shop, or in the shade like that, as long as there is a shine to the finish you can usually think its perfect. Paul Dalton, who owns Miracle Detail in the UK and has many videos, does this, but......... his are done in a manner where you would see the flaws, micro marring, and swirls if there were any. Most people don't show that. Hide all flaws.

The Natural sun, or halogen lamps, or 55w LED floods directly on the paint will show everything. In my pics you can see how it does on the 50/50 shots and the others. Almost always I have some sort of spot where there is a point of light. Obviously not the large angle shots, and not the street ones either. Those are for show, and give the overall impression. The op, and someone else wanted more differently so I gave them the bulk. The AM is swirled to death, has only 1/2 the gloss level possible. So shade was the best spot and coolest (it was hot) to take them. The shade is hiding a ton.

 

Love all the back and forth in this thread. I wet sanded some panels Friday night, polished them back... Every time I wet sand, I kick myself in the ***... So much work, but when it was done... I had glass left. Opticoat is now on...

 

OP,
Please take some pics Cool ones Fluorescent lighting if poss, but definitely some daylight wider shots. Would love to see it. We can keep this post going about detailing or paint correction, cause I know there is a hunger for it in the forum. Most people cannot get this done, or at least get it done correct. Helping them or guiding them would help them greatly.

I will make my pics smaller from now on. Sorry if its taking time to load for some of you. Thanks for understanding, it took me a bit to figure it out.

 

This was just before my final stage of polish and before opticoat

 

Used 0000 steel wool with p21s polishing soap

 

And this is after the wet sanding... Like you said, it's easy to get ahead of yourself... Which I did with my trunk, BUT I had all night to work on it so I just kept polishing round after round after round. I knew what the result was on the other side but because I wet sand so infrequently, I always get nervous doing it

 

Wow! Just F'ing amazing work! I have a black e55 wagon that needs this type of work....but I just know the basics. Pure respect for your mad skills!

 

great shot from our local cars and coffee this weekend