My Detailing Adventures

[Arzaam]

hi guys, want to create this thread in which i can share some of my details and products that i used. i am just a amateur at home, do give comments and what you thin and any suggestions or questions. i had just bought this 2002 mercedes c class in blue, don't know the real colour name(if someone knows please tell) and naturally wanted to detail and protect my car.

for now showing just a teaser shot, will share the procedure and products that i used and some general before and after pics a bit later on.

DSC02326 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

DSC02306 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

 

[mark.s]

Looks like you have a mirror on your car.... very nice job..

 

[V6Matty]

looks a cracking job that, well done on your purchase too. look forward to hearing more about what you have used

 

[television]

You cannot get that shine on a silver car

 

[turbopete]

is the car a daily driver? i can never understand people going to all the aggro of doing this to a car when, next time you go out, you could (or with my luck WOULD) end up with a scratch, a dent or similar.

dont get me wrong, it looks amazing BUT the average person working full time, family etc, (speaking from personal situation here) would have neither the time OR the inclination to go to this extreme!

 

[Arzaam]

is the car a daily driver? i can never understand people going to all the aggro of doing this to a car when, next time you go out, you could (or with my luck WOULD) end up with a scratch, a dent or similar.

dont get me wrong, it looks amazing BUT the average person working full time, family etc, (speaking from personal situation here) would have neither the time OR the inclination to go to this extreme!

the car is far from a daily driver more like once a week one, is the traffic or parking really bad there too that you can get a scratch? i mostly thought it was here only, any way even if it was a daily driver the thing about detailing is its as much about protection of the paint as making it shine, plus few techniques and products make it easier to maintain day in and day out which i use on other cars which are daily driven, however you are right after spending like 18 hours on this total i wound be very disappointed either if i god forbid got a scratch or something

 

[Arzaam]

So here are the full pics

the process i used took me around 4 days at a leisurely pace, or around 18 hours in total

i first washed the car with Meguiars NXT shampoo
then clayed with Meguiars Clay kit, (i used Turtle ICE shampoo as clay lube as had run out of the lube with the kit)
then washed again this time with Meguiars Gold Class conditioning shampoo
then polished with Meguiars M07 mirror glaze using DA polisher

then surface prep was done with Autofinesse Tough Prep polish with DA polisher

then came Autofinesse Power Seal Sealant with DA polisher
then Autofinesse tough coat spray sealant by hands
after the sealants gave curing time and then applied DODO hard wax
then came a coat of DODO purple haze soft wax
finally a spiritz of Pinnacle Detailing Spary

everyday before starting i used turtle rinse free wash for cleaning light dust of the car before starting, DA polisher used was Porter cable and foam pads were used

in the pics the waxes haven't bloomed as they require 8 hours of time to fully give that depth , and a final going over with detailing brush was remaining to ensure no wax was remaining for the panels, ill upload those pics later too
but first

Before the depth was lacking and shine was pretty ordinary

10624767_603980466379086_3021922157722694352_n by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

009 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

001 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

AFTER

DSC02273 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

DSC02299 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

DSC02290 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

DSC02282 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

DSC02279 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

DSC02276 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

DSC02330 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr




the combination of the sealants would give great protecting lasting for a year and would show great water beading and water sheating also making the car easier to clean
the combo of the waxes gives really good depth to this dark colour making it look almost black at night.

comments/ suggestions welcome

 

[Arzaam]

A different view, i forgot to mention windows were protected with Chemical Guys Jet Seal Sealant also used on aircrafts, now water beads on glass as well and rolls up on highway requiring wipers to not be used as much, so looks + protection

1519332_604009006376232_8773304688264223659_o by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

10454503_604009476376185_5548277339486108927_o by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

10476127_604009369709529_8580326594017593886_o by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

10633395_604009206376212_7482732694022724402_o by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

10655449_604009079709558_7699416569786037960_o by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

10708567_604008533042946_1310964649910049079_o by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

1074914_604008809709585_2482332244787429446_o by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

 

[Arzaam]

some night time pics after waxes had bloomed,

DSC02342 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

DSC02319 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

DSC02303 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

DSC02242 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

DSC02171 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

 

[WDB124066]

What colour is that Arzaam, 189...??

Looks mighty fine!

 

[Arzaam]

What colour is that Arzaam, 189...??

Looks mighty fine!

Thanks!

its 189U, it says on vin decoder website Green Black Metallic, though in person it looks blue with a sight green tinge in daylight and black at night, and its original paint!

btw there are some stone chips on the front any idea how to fix them? touchup paint? does it blend in fine or will it stand out form the rest of finish if it is touched up

 

[television]

Stone chips are best done by first dewaxing the chip, spray some paint into the cap and use a toothpick to drop some paint into the hole. Leave for a few hours and do the same again as paint shrinks as it dries. when the paint is up to or near the right height leave it for one day and rub a 1500 grade paper using a small block to be sure its all below the surface.

2 ways to finish it,

1, drop the last coat in, wait 20 seconds and smudge the paint with you finger.this will bring out the metallic effect, and leave for a day.

The idea behind this is if you just drop the paint in the hole, the solvents float to the top and look much too dark.

2, get a packet of O rings that are used to repair papers in a binder where the holes have torn. stick one over the hole and mask the rest, you could now use the spray aerosol to fill the hole, it may need up to 5 applications waiting 1 hour between coats.

Leave to dry for one day, the flat with 1500 paper, it is as soft as butter and soon flats down.

Leave now for one week and you can polish the whole thing.

I never apply the top clear coat as it will make the repair too dark. you can never make it perfect as it will look OK from one direction and just see it from another, but saying that it will be near on undetectable.

 

[WDB124066]

Anybody know what the U signifies, if anything it looks like it has more metallic flakes in it than my 189...??

 

[television]

My silver ends in a U I think the picture was taken in the optimum light conditions

 

[whitenemesis]

Anybody know what the U signifies, if anything it looks like it has more metallic flakes in it than my 189...??

The suffix U denotes a paint code. There are other SA code definitions for the same code without the U

 

[Arzaam]

Anybody know what the U signifies, if anything it looks like it has more metallic flakes in it than my 189...??

i think its more to do with th process i used, the flakes became most evident after i clayed and used a glaze, the clay removed the bonded contaminate and brought out the original colour of the paint and the glaze really nourished it,

try the same and i am sure it would just be a good and i do have a high intensity detailing lamp which i use at night as i mostly detail in night but in the above pictures theres one where there are a large no of flakes visible in plain daylight as well

 

[Arzaam]

i also had used Meguiars Ultimate Compound on few isolated areas which had ab it of light scratches or swirls, i applied it by hand after claying but before surface prep

Before
IMG_1995 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

After 90% marks gone
IMG_1999 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

IMG_2001 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr




i was surprised generally how good the paint quality of Mercedes is, i have few other japnese cars and have detailed other german marque as well but the paint of Mercedes is quite hard and resistant to swirls almost like its ceramic coated and the paint thickness especially around the panel gaps in my car given its age was really good and clear coat was good the way through the edges

 

[television]

All the 203 cars were finished in a ceramic paint as of 2003, this is why the stone chip show so much as it splinters.

 

[Arzaam]

i also had used Meguiars Ultimate Compound on few isolated areas which had ab it of light scratches or swirls, i applied it by hand after claying but before surface prep

Before
IMG_1995 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

After 90% marks gone
IMG_1999 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

IMG_2001 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr




i was surprised generally how good the paint quality of Mercedes is, i have few other japnese cars and have detailed other german marque as well but the paint of Mercedes is quite hard and resistant to swirls almost like its ceramic coated and the paint thickness especially around the panel gaps in my car given its age was really good and clear coat was good the way through the edges

i missed a before pic in this post

IMG_1996 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

after

IMG_2001 by Arzaam Bhatti, on Flickr

 

[turbopete]

i thought the colour was familiar. same colour as my car. in fact other than the wheels, (and the lack of rust compared to mine) it looks near identical!

im never sure why the U designation on paint codes. im almost sure if the code is looked up online its 189U for my car, but on the data card in the service book, im sure its just 189

and yes, parking here is terrible too! as are the road surfaces