Autogeek.net Car Care Products
** 10% off @ Autogeek.net - PinnacleWax.com & Wolfgangcarcare.com - Coupon Code = clubmember
Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 49

Thread: 08 BMW M6 by TSC17. Very long thread!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Columbus, OH
    Posts
    161
    My Cars
    2007 Acura TL Type S

    08 BMW M6 by TSC17. Very long thread!

    2008 BMW M6

    I’ve always loved the BMW M cars, and it was a pleasure to work on this beautiful M6 in Black Sapphire Metallic. This is an amazing machine at all levels…what’s not to like about a 500HP V10 motor coupled to an automated clutch and 7 speed sequentially shifted manual gearbox. It is capable of 0-60 runs in just 4.6 seconds with a 12.8 second quarter mile. Pretty impressive for a 4-passenger grand touring coupe! The finishing touches of the car are also at another level…

    The owner of this car contacted me about several of his vehicles (more on that later), but the M6 was to come first. When I went to his house for the initial inspection, I found it to be in pretty good condition, albeit very dirty coming out of a bad winter. This is his wife’s daily driver, and she likes detailing her own cars, but their schedules have just been too hectic this spring. I ended up hanging out at his place for a while talking about cars, business, and a little bit of everything. I really enjoy getting to know my customers!

    On the last detail thread I made, I ended up shortening up the write up with less photos compared to what I normally do. A lot of people told me they prefer the more informative, educational, and (occasionally) entertaining threads when I write a novel, so I stepped it back up on this one. It’s an extremely cool car that is deserving of such efforts.

    And as always, the photos are straight out of my camera with no post processing other than to resize and add a border.

    The car was dropped off on Friday evening and picked up Sunday afternoon, so I’ll break it up over the 3 days so you can get a better understanding of the workflow.

    Day 1:

    The first day was dedicated to the interior. The floor area on the driver’s side was in need of help, and the leather had already shown some serious signs of wear and dye transfer. Before I get started I always ask the customer what their biggest areas of concern are, and by simply asking, I found out that the leather was perhaps the most important area for her.

    Here you can see that even after less than 7,000 miles, the leather needed quite a bit of work!




    Winters can be harsh! This is why we use all-season floor mats up north.


    The first step was to thoroughly vacuum the interior and trunk areas. Once the carpets were clean, I could concentrate on all of the hard interior surfaces. I mixed up a bucket of Woolite and water, and set it aside while I worked on debris removal from all of the cracks and other hiding places.


    After that was done, I thoroughly wiped everything down with the Woolite and water mixture and then moved on to the pedals and foot rest. I agitated the heavy areas with a stiff brush first, and then cleaned them with Chemical Guys Grime Reaper (5:1 ratio).

    Before:


    After:


    For the console, gauges, and other hard surfaces I used Megs Quick Interior Detailer.



    Now it’s time for the leather! My go-to product for leather cleaning, conditioning, and restoration is Leatherique, and this job was no exception. Usually it’s a two-step process (Rejuvenator Oil and Prestine Clean), but the Prestine Clean by itself is a tremendous one-step product for cleaning and conditioning. I wanted to first test the leather with Prestine Clean to see how well it would clean up and decide weather or not I needed to use both products. It did a fantastic job of cleaning the leather on my test section, so I could save some time by doing just the single step. I’ve been chatting with George from Leatherique quite a bit the past month or so, and after every conversation I walk away with a much better understanding of leather, proper leather care, and places to use it. The guy is a walking encyclopedia for leather…very sharp individual!

    First I’ll thoroughly spray down the leather with Prestine Clean, and then firmly massage it into the surface with my hands making sure that it gets into the seems and stitching areas as well. I’ll apply it to all of the surfaces, and then work my way back around for removal so it has a few minutes to sit on the surface (usually 10-15).



    Here you can get an idea of how much product is used, and you can actually see the dirt and grime being lifted from the leather surface.



    If the dirt buildup is a little more severe, I’ll also use a leather brush to agitate the grime and help break it up.

    Once it’s ready to be removed, I’ll get a bucket of clean water and a microfiber towel and wipe all of the Prestine Clean off of the leather to reveal a clean, soft surface.

    After: Big difference!





    I also used the Prestine Clean on the leather insets on the doors, on the console, and the leather shifter/brake boots as well.





    I didn’t purposely set out to make this a Leatherique love-fest, it just ended up that way because I used it in so many areas (I also treated the all-season floor mats with it…but who’s counting).

    A few after shots of the interior: (Note: I also treated the carpet with 303 Fabric Protectant)




    You’ve got to love the details of the M cars’ blue and red stitching on the steering wheels.


    I treated the black plastic trim in the trunk area with Chemical Guys VRP, and then tidied up the owner’s belongings:


    OK, the interior’s done after about 2 hours, so I figured that I would snap a couple of before shots prior to closing shop for the night.

    The engine compartment was dirty, but nothing too bad:


    The exhaust tips were going to need a bit of work:


    A little known fact about the M6…it also does well offroad! Maybe I was stretching that one a bit, but it sure looked like she’d been out muddin’ it! I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I probably have a bit of clay work to do tomorrow morning.


    I closed up for the night, and emailed some before and after leather photos to the owners to show them how well it cleaned up. Needless to say, they were pumped!!

    Day 2:

    I got up at 4am, had some coffee, checked emails, replied to a few forum threads, and got out to the garage to get started because I knew I had a long day ahead of me. Here’s the clock (yes, this is AM) showing my startup time.


    You know the old saying: “Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise”? Although it sounds good, I personally think it’s a load of crap! First of all, my health would have felt MUCH better had I slept in, and it definitely doesn’t to anything to improve my wealth…otherwise this would be MY car and somebody else would be working on it. As for the wise-part…errr, I can’t think of anything smart to say about that…

    Since the car was so dirty, I spent a lot of time and effort on the washing and decontamination process to both ensure that I get the surface completely clean and prepped for polishing, and to make sure I don’t add my own scratches and swirls from the heavy dirt and deposits.

    The M6 had brand new HRE wheels and Pirelli P-Zero tires installed the day before, so I knew they didn’t require heavy cleaning. I simply washed them with my Lake Country grout sponge (these things are awesome!), and then used my Mini E-Z Detail brush to clean the calipers.




    After the wheels were complete, I moved on to the rest of the car.

    First I started off by treating the lower areas with Optimum Power Clean to break down the heavier deposits.


    Then I mixed up some Megs APC in the foam gun to pre-soak the dirt to loosen it up. I let it dwell for a few minutes, and then rinsed it off with a sharp stream of water.


    After that I loaded the foam gun with Chemical Guys Citrus Wash & Clear at paint prep ratio (2oz/gal), soaked the vehicle with foam, and then washed it with the same product/ratio using two buckets and a sheepskin mitt.


    Don’t forget to clean in here!


    For the engine compartment, I sprayed it down with P21S Total Auto Wash, let it dwell, and then agitated it with various brushes and sponges:


    Once everything was done, I pulled the car in the garage for clay-a-palooza! Even after multi-stage washing, the surface felt like sandpaper. I later found out that there had been a lot of construction and/or demolition going on where the car spends its days, and it had left something that was concrete-like all over it.

    I used an entire bar of Chemical Guys clay in the process because the surface was so bad. For a clay lube I used the new Dodo Juice Born Slippy product. It’s a tremendous clay lube that provides a super slick surface without leaving behind a slippery residue when you’re done.

    The washing and claying alone took 3 hours!
    Last edited by TSC17; 05-31-2009 at 09:01 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost


    Perfecting Auto Finishes in Columbus, Ohio!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Columbus, OH
    Posts
    161
    My Cars
    2007 Acura TL Type S
    At this time the sunshine had come out so I could snap a few photos showing the condition of the paint when it was clean.







    It had its fair share of light to moderate swirls and deeper scratches on the high solid content (hard) BMW clear coat.

    First up I measured the paint thickness with my DeFelsko DFT gauge, and was surprised to find how inconsistent the readings were on the car (it’s never had body work or repainting done). The hood alone ranged from a low of 102 as shown, up to about 135 microns. Armed with the knowledge of it having “thin” spots, I decided that the hammer approach of a heavy compound wouldn’t be used other than to spot treat more severe defects.



    After a few tests, I found that Meznerna Super Intensive Polish with an orange light cutting pad on the Makita rotary was the way to go. Some areas required a few passes to get the correction I wanted, but with finessing it a bit I was able to correct it and leave it with a nice finish. Later I found that I could go directly to Menzerna PO85RD finishing polish with a blue finessing pad for the final burnishing stage.

    Now I’ve had a lot of people tell me lately that they would like to come over and work with me, or “shadow” me if you will. Every time I hear that I take it as a tremendous compliment and thank those accordingly.

    I’d like to have everybody over, but quite frankly my garage isn’t big enough to fit all of you, and I doubt that I have enough food either!

    Since I’ve had so many requests, I figured that I would do the next best thing and give you all the opportunity to look over my shoulder while I work:


    How was that? If you didn’t see enough, I’ve got some more opportunities for you later in the thread.

    Alright enough goofing off…I’m going to move a bit quicker through the process now.

    Here are a few before and after photos during the SIP polishing stage:


    After:


    Before:


    After:


    Before:


    After:


    Before:


    After:


    After about 5 hour’s worth of medium-cut polishing with the SIP, I moved on to the final polishing stage with PO85RD. I spent about 3 on the final stage, and it left the finish with a brilliant shine, high reflectivity, and a beautiful gloss.

    It was late in the day, so I figured I would do an inspection in the sun, and snap a few shots of the progress. I haven’t done any finishing details at this point (final wipedowns, wheels/wells, sealant, glass, etc) and the car still has polishing dust everywhere.

    Swirls permanently removed, and no holograms!












    This is still before final cleaning:




    OK, I’m tired now…time to go in and email a few more sneak-peek photos to the owner, get a shower, and relax.



    Day 3:

    Almost done now! I’ve got 3 or 4 more hours of finishing touches, and the car will be ready to go.

    There’s nothing good on the radio Sunday mornings, so I need to grab a few CD’s…something that will get the blood flowing. I’m thinking about some ‘80’s Metal…The Cult Electric, and Metallica Black Album are just what I need. If you don’t do a little head banging while listening to these, then you need to check your pulse!

    First I started off with cleaning the polishing dust out of every nook and cranny…door jambs, trunk lid, hood, and of course the fuel fill area. I use ONR in a spray bottle with a MF towel to accomplish this.

    Before:


    After:


    I dressed/protected the engine compartment surfaces with 303 Aerospace protectant, and then Chemical Guys Fade 2 Black on the hoses and hard to reach areas (you don’t need to puddle it like I did…I was just trying to time the shot properly, and after a few shots I ended up with Lake Erie!)


    The HRE’s got polished with Klasse All-In-One, and then the tires were dressed with Optimum Opti-Bond tire gel, and the wheel wells were dressed with Chemical Guys Fade 2 Black.


    After:


    The exhaust tips were first cleaned with Chemical Guys Grime Reaper and 0000 steel wool (worked very well), and then polished with Optimum Metal Polish.


    As usual when I’m looking for great looks and good durability, I went with Optimum Opti-Seal and Optimum Spray Wax. Dodo Supernatural would have really kicked it up a notch for looks, but the she needed something that would last for several months.


    I don’t know how it is on your end, but this thread is taking a LONG time! I’m getting to (a lot of) after shots, so you’ll have plenty of eye candy instead of all of that boring writing (kind of like any issue of Playboy, right?).

    I’ll mix up the inside and outside shots. And yes, I DID get a bit carried away with the photos thank you very much…

    OEM carbon fiber roof to reduce weight and lower the center of gravity:


    Last edited by TSC17; 05-31-2009 at 09:03 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost


    Perfecting Auto Finishes in Columbus, Ohio!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Columbus, OH
    Posts
    161
    My Cars
    2007 Acura TL Type S
    295/30x20 Pirellis. Nice!


    Gratuitous logo shot…
















    It was about 1pm when I took these shots, so the sun was directly overhead making some of these a bit harsh…but they still turned out pretty good. (And yes, I know that I need to seal my driveway!).










    As a former military member myself, I appreciate and support the owner’s efforts to promote such a great cause!!












    Gloss!!






    I couldn’t decide between these two photos, so I just put ‘em both:








    Those aren’t smudges on the grill trim…just funky reflections.




    Last edited by TSC17; 05-31-2009 at 09:05 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost


    Perfecting Auto Finishes in Columbus, Ohio!

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Columbus, OH
    Posts
    161
    My Cars
    2007 Acura TL Type S




    And finally…


    Whew!

    Total time = 16 hours!

    Oh…I forgot to show you what he pulled up in to drop-off and pick-up the M6. I’ll be working on this one in the near future as well:

    Highly modified Lamborghini Murcielago!




    Here’s a video that he just did last weekend after he got his straight pipes installed. At full throttle and max RPM it’s putting out 138 db. I heard the car coming from a long way, and all I can say is that a V12 with straight pipes sounds like something straight out of hell (but in a good way). The mic on his camera distorted a bit because it was so loud, but you can still get a good feel for it.

    [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEIxylMmp5Y[/ame]

    As always, thank you for investing so much time to review my work.


    Perfecting Auto Finishes in Columbus, Ohio!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    NJ
    Posts
    27
    My Cars
    97 740iL
    OMG!!! that was amazing i truly love the car and the work you put into that

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Lebanon, TN
    Posts
    391
    My Cars
    1996 BMW 328is
    Wow nice job. You brought that leather right back to life.
    That lambo sounds so sick.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    ny
    Posts
    577
    My Cars
    323is, hopefully NOT
    i commend you on your work, solider!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Novi, MI USA
    Posts
    1,804
    My Cars
    E90 330i
    Gawd damn!


    Jeder lobt was Nürburgring-erprobt

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    Holly Springs, NC
    Posts
    1,771
    My Cars
    2009 335 M-sport 6m/t
    beautiful

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
    Location
    Charleston, SC
    Posts
    2,839
    My Cars
    B5.5 Passat Wagon
    That must be nice...M6 as your winter car.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Grand Rapids, MI
    Posts
    114
    My Cars
    05 325xi
    Amazing job!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    29
    My Cars
    1997 volvo 854
    you do some of the most amazing work i have ever seen .. its beautiful

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Atlanta, GA
    Posts
    301
    My Cars
    2011 335is, 2012 535i GT
    Simply brilliant work Todd!!

    I am working on a "plain jane" 650 in Sapphire Black today. It has the Cream Beige Dakota Leather. So using PC is working out very nice for me as well. Thanks for the reminder on how well PC works on its own.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    Lone Star State
    Posts
    4,417
    My Cars
    2003 BMW 540i M-Tech
    I'm going to go on the record as saying that you are one of THE BIGGEST contributors to this forum. Your posts rock.. they are always informative, great details (especially in the writing), and great pictures.

    I, for one, am thankful you're here. Thanks for taking the time to feed the natives.... we appreciate it.

    Awesome job on the detail.... I have nothing to add. Oh, except for a comment on the color - it's one of the best. But then again, I'm biased.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    West Chester, PA
    Posts
    407
    My Cars
    06 S4, 11 M3 ZCP. 16 A3
    Quote Originally Posted by BlackSapphire View Post
    I'm going to go on the record as saying that you are one of THE BIGGEST contributors to this forum. Your posts rock.. they are always informative, great details (especially in the writing), and great pictures.

    I, for one, am thankful you're here. Thanks for taking the time to feed the natives.... we appreciate it.

    Awesome job on the detail.... I have nothing to add. Oh, except for a comment on the color - it's one of the best. But then again, I'm biased.
    I agree with BlackSapphire here! You really go through and show the work that "we" detailers endure and add a humorous touch to it as well! I wish I could devote the same energy to my threads as I do my details, but I feel that people just scroll through the pics and move on, unlike myself. Keep up the already awesome work, while you're not exactly close, it's nice to see other professionals near!

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    NY
    Posts
    707
    My Cars
    1985 BMW 528e
    very cool on both accounts. nice work, keep it up!

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Columbus, OH
    Posts
    161
    My Cars
    2007 Acura TL Type S
    There are an awful lot of great compliments being thrown out here, and I sincerely appreciate each and every one of them!

    gmblack3 (Bryan), thanks buddy! Have fun with the 6, and let us know how it goes. Yes, Leatherique rocks!

    BlackSapphire...Hmm, I wonder why you liked the color so much? Seriously though, thanks for the comments on the work and on the write up. It's a tremendous amount of work, but I try to keep the readers engaged and make it as informative as possible. It's a delicate balance to give enough information for those not as familiar with detailing, but then not to bore those with experience.

    Thank you again!


    Perfecting Auto Finishes in Columbus, Ohio!

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    chicago, il, USA
    Posts
    265
    My Cars
    2004 330i
    Wow...just wow. I had a goofy grin+open jaw [in awe] as i scrolled down looking at those photos. SIMPLY AMAZING detail. Also, many thanks for taking the time for the detailed play-by-play writeup. You brought that car back to better than brand new condition.

    May I ask how much you charge for that uber detail?

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Location
    Watertown, CT
    Posts
    427
    My Cars
    2011Lotus Evora S
    After seeing the Lambo ,that explained why the BMW looked like crap when you got it. That's his beater car. Pretty sad isn't it!!
    2004 Graduate Skip Barber 3 day Race School Competition Certified
    2016 Range Rover Sport HSE Montalcino Red, Ivory
    2012 Mazda MX-5 Miata GTPRHT True Red
    2011 X5 Xdrive35d Vermillion Red, Cinnamon Leather, Bamboo trim, Freight train
    2011 Lotus EvoraS Persian Blue, Black Suedetex Leather
    2008 Isuzu Ascender Lux Flint grey, Grey Leather


  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Thousand Oaks, CA
    Posts
    70
    My Cars
    95 M3, 99 Trooper
    so,,,how do you keep the drool off it?

    I am having trouble figuring out which I am more envious of -- your ability to achieve such a great shine, or having an M6 (and how could it not be a daily driver?) Oh, wait. It's the M6.

    Seriously, ditto on a great job and great pictures and writeup! These things inspire me to take the extra time and care on my own car.

    I am imagining the owner's awe when they come to pick it up !

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Columbus, OH
    Posts
    161
    My Cars
    2007 Acura TL Type S
    Thank you guys so much for the kind words on my work, photos, and write up! I put a tremendous amount of effort into all of the above, and it pleases me to hear that it's appreciated.

    The owners were absolutely pumped when they came to pick it up, and they kept thanking me and telling me how incredible the car looked. For me...that makes it all worthwhile right there!

    Oh, and my rates are $50/hr...


    Perfecting Auto Finishes in Columbus, Ohio!

  22. #22
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Plainsboro, NJ
    Posts
    1,648
    My Cars
    2015 328xi, 1997 M3
    What does the guy do for a living to have such nice toys?

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Jan 2005
    Location
    Oklahoma City
    Posts
    3,895
    My Cars
    s52 e30, e36Ms, e46M
    as always your threads just blow me away. You make it look so damn easy! Your clientele list is very impressive as well, sick lambo.
    Check out my details and paint corrections!

    www.theautospallc.com

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    VA.
    Posts
    52
    My Cars
    1995 325is
    OMG, that lambo is freaking sweet,and nice job on the ///M6

  25. #25
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    MD
    Posts
    709
    My Cars
    Subaru
    Thats incredible, both the M6 and Lambo. Nice Work.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •