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11 comments on Ask-A-Pro: Detailing Package Recommendations for BMW M3

  1. Raj says:

    Hi Todd,

    I was looking for a similar package for a Blue Honda Civic SI. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated?

    Thanks,
    -Raj

    • Raj,

      You could go with a real similar package, but with a few modifications since Honda / Acura utilizes much softer paint.

      You’ll want a good selection of pads to play with (orange, white, black, and blue) depending on your needs. I’d recommend PO203S as your medium cut polish with either an orange or white pad, and then finish it off with PO85RD on a black or blue pad. With the soft paint that you have, PO85RD will really help bring out the maximum amount of gloss.

      Thanks,
      Todd

  2. Kirilas says:

    I want to ask same recomendations for 1996 Boston green BMW M3. As i know these older M3 has harder clear coat then newer ceramics clear coat. Would be polishes the same or i need something else? I have tryed 3m fast cut plus on 3m green pad, followed by menzerna po85re5 (is it really better than po85rd?) on 3m blue pad, results are not bad but still not what i looking for. Realy looking forward fo you advice. Thanks.

    • I would recommend the exact same combination as the red M3. If you have deeper imperfections that the SIP won’t cut, then try stepping up to either Menzerna Power Gloss or Meguiars M105 for the compounding stage. If you compound, then you may want to follow it up with PO203S and either an orange or white pad. This will give you a great finish, but if you wanted to refine it a little more you could then hit it with PO85RD and a black or blue pad.

      Thanks,
      Todd

  3. David C says:

    Todd! I’ll be polishing my 2005 Imola Red 330ci this weekend with Meg’s 105 and 205 polishes. They worked WONDERS on my 96 Milano Red Civic using the Cyan/105 then White/205 LC pad/polish combinations. For the BMW, I’m planning on Orange/105 then white/205 combinations per some of your previous articles. I think I have ‘medium’ level swirls to remove (btw, how can I tell??)

    Does this combination sound promising? I also have a black LC pad available in my arsenal, all powered by the PC7424xp.

    Thanks!
    David

    • David,

      Your M105 / M205 combo for your 330ci sounds good. You may want to try a few different combinations to see what works best with the pads. Always try your least aggressive combo first and work from there (another reason to have plenty of pads available).

      As for being able to tell the severity of swirls, it really just comes with experience. You’ll eventually get the ability to quickly look at a car and tell how severe they are (light, medium, heavy). The only catch to this are deeper scratches that hide under the swirls. Sometimes you can’t see these until you’ve removed the swirls.

      Thanks,
      Todd

  4. Justin says:

    I am extremely happy with the results of Menzerna M203 on BMW paints (Maserati and Porsche also) using either a Porter Cable orbital or a Makita rotary.

    On more damaged surfaces, I’ll start with Menzerna SIP or Meguiars M105.

    Those tools havent left let me down yet.

  5. jonathan says:

    how about for a 2005 330 in jet black? would you say the same package or would your recommendation on the sealant choice change for a jet black car? thanks

    • Jonathan,

      Jet Black is one of the more challenging paints to deal with! Although I’ve seen some different levels of softness, most of them are extremely soft. So soft in fact that just wiping a microfiber towel on it can mar the finish. You may still need something more aggressive if you have heavy defects (like PO203S or SIP), but you’ll definitely want to finish down as fine as possible. I would recommend a final finishing with something like Menzerna PO85RD on a blue pad.

      As for sealant choices, they would be the same as above.

      Good luck.
      Todd

  6. jonathan says:

    thanks, yeah I’ve noticed how soft it is. so if i understand correctly it would go something like SIP or similar IF theres heavy defects, otherwise 106FA on white pad, then PO85RD on blue pad, followed by the vertua-bond on blue pad and finally sealant? given how soft this paint is, i’m wondering if i shouldn’t take it to professionals for the repair step, then just work on keeping it nice myself. thanks again for the recommendations.

    • Jonathan,

      What you described sounds like a pretty good plan to start. Always remember though that even with a good plan, it may require refinement once you start working with the paint. It sounds like you have the tools and products, so why not try to do it yourself even with the first step? It would be a great learning experience for you, and then you’ll know how to correct that finicky Jet Black paint in the future should you need to again.

      Thanks,
      Todd

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