Paint Correction on a New Silverstone Metallic M4 ZCP

[radiofrequency]

My intention is to update/edit this thread as I make progress toward full paint correction tomorrow, and, as a disclaimer, I am an amateur detailer. I will also detail the process of wheel correction and coating using Gyeon Prep (http://gyeonquartz.com/product/prep/) and Kamikaze Stance Rim Coat (https://www.kamikaze-collection.com/products) I took delivery of my new 2018 M4 ZCP on Friday, September 1st, 2017. I drove the vehicle home, about 30 miles and parked it in my garage. Today, Saturday, September 2nd, I washed the vehicle using a Foam Cannon with Chemical Guys Honeydew Snow Foam. I used P21S Gel for the 666 Wheels, and let me say upfront, I've cleaned a lot of wheels, and the 666 is probably the biggest PITA to clean (I use only Wheel Woolies as my tool of choice for wheel cleaning). I pulled my car back into the garage and performed a decontamination using Iron Cut. The images below show the extent of iron contamination on a brand new vehicle - pretty bad! Tomorrow, Sunday, I will clay the entire vehicle prior to using Rupes Yellow Pads (http://www.esotericcarcare.com/rupes...polishing-pad/) and Sonax Perfect Finish (http://www.sonaxusa.com/tag/perfect-finish) to perform a one step paint correction. Polishes, pads and polishing machines have improved so much over the past 5 or so years, resulting in the ability to perform paint correction in one step using a DA Polisher. This process used to take three steps for me to accomplish what I can, today, in one step. Disclaimer: I am polishing a new vehicle here, if this was an older vehicle with, perhaps, more significant paint correction required, I would probably do it differently. It's my first time with Sonax Perfect Finish, if it doesn't provide the desired result in one step, I'll be the first to let you know!

Image Index: (Sorry guys you will have to count, as I couldn't figure out how to populate my images to match my edits)

Images 1,2 & 3: Decontamination.
Images 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9: Clay Results and Flex 3401 with Sonax Claydisc.
Images 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 & 18: Post Polish - These images do not do any justice to the result, the paint, post polish, is like a mirror.

Edit: September 2nd: I did not feel like using Clay today, so I used the Sonax Clay Disc on the Flex 3401 with Griot's Quick Detail Spray as a lubricant. The images that follow are those where the area has been clayed and subsequently wiped down with a microfiber towel. The result from this step made a pretty big difference.

My polishing experience was great, I can't say enough good things about the Yellow Rupes Pad. As a first time user of this particular pad, I did not know what to expect. I had purchased two of these pads, and I am glad I did, here's why, as you polish the pad becomes contaminated with polish material and a little of the clear coat from the vehicle. So I switched pads midway during the polish as I felt the initial pad beginning to drag a little. The Sonax Perfect Finish was very simple to work with - I have worked with a great deal of Compounding/Cutting Polishes in the past, you should see my detail closet! The reasons I went for the Sonax Perfect Finish were fourfold; no splatter, no dust, one step and exceptional results. (Did I mention one step???) I used very little of the Sonax Perfect Finish (I used it as instructed by the head honcho at Esoteric Detailing - three dots of polish in the pad for each area to be polished - for me this was approximately 18 x 18 inches). Directly after each 18 x 18 area was polished, I wiped down with a clean microfiber towel - I went through 3 12 x 12 towels during this stage. Directly after the polishing process was completed, I rolled the vehicle out of my garage and used 1 Einzatt Gloss Shampoo in my Foam Cannon to wash the vehicle and to get rid of any polish residue I may have missed. The post polishing images show the vehicle after I drying was completed. PS: Cleaning the 666 Wheels is a PITA, drying them is an even bigger PITA, so I hauled out my Master Blaster (possibly the greatest invention after penicillin and the random orbiter polisher). The Master Blaster made quick work of the wheels and I simply wiped down the face of the wheel with a microfiber towel.

Unintended consequences of my detailing experience, my Therapist charges $350 an hour, spending several hours performing this task today - priceless for my mental health! I really did not like the appearance of the M4 when it was launched, however, the look grew on me after several years. When you undertake a detail of this nature you get to appreciate the shape of the car, more importantly, each panel, and how they all work together. In the short time I've had the car, I am glad that I picked this color - Mineral Gray was my first choice, but I've had 3 Mineral Gray BMW's in the last 5 or so years, and I am thrilled with the look of the Silverstone Metallic.

Lastly, these images do not do any justice to the result, the paint, post-polish, is like a mirror!

[gori]

looks like quite a bit!

I'll be following your thread and others as I just picked for a 2016 F80 ZCP. Washed it for the first time and when I got to the 666, I was like WTF....this is going to be painful for many years to come and that I need to put some coating on them! to at lease make it easier to clean.

if you don't mind posting what products you are using and thoughts on results would be great. I definitely need to decontaminate mine then clay it and do some level of correction and polishing then a sealent.

[XsltAnalyst]

Congrats on the new car, and yes, SS is a timeless classic M color.
Your pics a bit small, perhaps they're getting resized a too much. YOu can have them up to 1900x1334 pixels for jpg

[radiofrequency]

XsltAnalyst, I have resized some images after I waxed the car this morning.

[peterc05]

Wow great job. Paint looks awesome.

[radiofrequency]

Thanks much peterc05! If you are at all interested in Detailing, I will be posting in the next few days, the correction I performed on my 666M Wheels in a separate thread. I used the Kamikaze Stance Rim Coat and the results were pretty damn good, even if I say so myself! First time I have personally done a correction of this nature and used a coating. Prior to this I had my Detailer apply coatings as I thought it was too complicated, but it really isn't at all. A big plus is that the gentleman who developed the Kamikaze range is from Japan, where, coincidentally, all coatings were originally developed.

[Eric S]

all coatings are not made in japan. Only the good ones! Lol

The harder to apply, Pro only, coatings are more difficult to use and are better all around (durability, protection, gloss, etc)