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Thread: Polishing cosmos black 95 2dr

  1. #1
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    Polishing cosmos black 95 2dr

    I can get what is called a polishing for 5 bills from somebody through the local auto repair shop that is good. Has anybody used this service before and do you really get a long lasting effect for your money. I imagine a rough looking E36 with pretty decent paint could be shined up pretty well with the materials and techniques that $500 will buy you, assume I get a fair shake, and I think I will. I would like to think before I invest in this that the effects could still be noticed after a full year. I may sound a little naive but most folks are pretty decent here. Your feedback if you wish. Thank you.

  2. #2
    MauiM3Mania's Avatar
    MauiM3Mania is offline Observer/Master Skeptic Moderator
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    Define 'rough looking'. Good photos might help, but it really should be looked at in person.

    Around here, a quality detailer get $500 for a one step polish and wax or coating. If paint is 'rough', a more agressive approach and additional steps are called for.

    With the car in front of them, you should be asking the shop that will be doing the work.
    04M3 TiAg 69k slick-top 3 pedal
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  3. #3
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    Auto body shops are RARELY paint correction specialists. Seek a professional who will give you a realistic approach to take with your particular car.

    How will it look in a year... How much of a car care doofus are you? If you don’t have basic car care methods now, you better after the paint correction is done. www.detailingworld.co.uk is a fantastic resource for learning proper car care if you don’t already know (I’m assuming you don’t since you asked this question).

  4. #4
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    in 12 months you wont be able to tell you car ever had a 500 dollar detail. there are new ceramic coats which cost about $1500 but ive tried them on daily drivers and i wasnt impressed.

    a good detail once every few years makes sense but really its go get rid of the spider webbing etc.

  5. #5
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    All they'll do for the $500 is give it a good wash, hit it with some all purpose polishing compound and a polisher, and then wax it. You can do all that yourself pretty easily for a lot less, even if you have to buy a random orbit polisher and other materials.

    Actual paint correction and repair is an entirely different field. Polishing alone isn't going to fix any scratches or dings which go deeper than the very surface of the clearcoat. Anything deeper requires sanding, and possibly touch-up paint and/or clearcoat (followed by more sanding and polishing).
    Last edited by TostitoBandito; 08-13-2018 at 07:41 PM.
    1999 M3/2/5 - Titanium Silver - Track/Weekend Toy


  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by kevinheap View Post
    I imagine a rough looking E36 with pretty decent paint could be shined up pretty well with the materials and techniques that $500 will buy you
    For $500, you can get yourself a good kit and detail it yourself.

    Take a look at AutoGeek and buy a kit that includes a Porter Cable 7424XP DA, some pads, and Wolfgang polish and glaze. Watch some Junkman2000 videos on Youtube or any of the many videos at AutoGeek and polish your paint. With the PC7424 and Wolfgang polishes, you wont hurt anything. That's what I did a few years ago with my 99 Cosmos Black M3. It looks so much better, but you can only go so far with nearly 20 year old paint and clear coat. It won't take away deep scratches, chips, and so on. Also, every time the paint (actually clear coat) is polished, you reduce its thickness which can eventually lead to clear coat failure.

    I went as far as sanding my hood because it had some really bad etching from bird poop and some ugly orange peal that was driving me nuts. Sanded with 1000, 2000, 3000, then polished with my PC. Looks great except for deep chips that are below the CC. Only repaint will fix that.

    If you don't want to do it yourself, consider joining the FB Group called Detailing for Dummies. You can get lots of help there and/or ask there for a detailer in your area. I would suggest a good detailer before a body shop. Their approaches to paint correction is different.

    Good luck.

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