Is 040 Black for 2008 Clearcoated or Single stage paint?

[Benz50602]

Originally Posted by CharlesAFerg

has anybody ever worked on the old BMW E34 paint from the 80s/90s? My cars clear is unbelievably resilient, and the only compounds/polishes that seem to be effective on this old stuff is the new line for the hardened CC.

I'm having the same experience with the clear coats on mercedes in general. Germans must like hard clear coats. What i found to work is megs #105 with a wool cutting pad and then go to #83 or #82 with and swirl removal pad to get rid of the micro marring left by the wool and the compound. Also, don't even bother using a DA, the only thing that can do good corrective work on these clears are rotaries.

I had a 92' 525i for a little while and i remember that it had a hard clear, but not as hard as the mercedes.

[CharlesAFerg]

Originally Posted by Benz50602

I'm having the same experience with the clear coats on mercedes in general. Germans must like hard clear coats. What i found to work is megs #105 with a wool cutting pad and then go to #83 or #82 with and swirl removal pad to get rid of the micro marring left by the wool and the compound. Also, don't even bother using a DA, the only thing that can do good corrective work on these clears are rotaries.

I had a 92' 525i for a little while and i remember that it had a hard clear, but not as hard as the mercedes.

Thanks, I've already worked in it - last year actually, amoung some other E34s and old Mercs. I used my Menzerna Ceramiclear cutting compounds on it, ha.

This is a pre-facelift model from 89, and the finish was neglected by the owner so it's got some moderate oxidation and such. Pretty bad, and seems to be much harder than the post facelift models with good paint. I believe it's dried out, because once you cut through the oxidation it's not quite so bad.

[benz rider]

Originally Posted by ByByeAmericanPie

it is not surprising to me to find swirls in a new car as most dealers do NOT know how to care for a finish prior to sale.

Speaking as someone whose actually worked at a dealership doing details for many years, your comment is purely generalized speculation. Dealers aren't stupid enough to hire any john doe to keep their cars looking good with a
"showroom shine". <- that term came from the dealers detailers.

[benz rider]

Originally Posted by Benz50602

Germans must like hard clear coats.

Given the severe weather conditions in Germany with all the constant snow, sleet, ice,salt, etc... It would appear to be beneficial for them to prefer the harder coats over the norm.

[benz rider]

Originally Posted by CharlesAFerg

Bingo, it's not noticeable unless you know what to look for anwyays. Unless it becomes the norm, there is no motivation to properly care for them. What they really sell is what's on paper, for most people it seems silly to gripe over the paint.

Bottom line, it's just meat they throw around until it gets pushed off the lot, no regard for the long term whatsoever. I mean, why would they?
Heh.

B.S.

[CharlesAFerg]

Originally Posted by benz rider

Speaking as someone whose actually worked at a dealership doing details for many years, your comment is purely generalized speculation. Dealers aren't stupid enough to hire any john doe to keep their cars looking good with a
"showroom shine". <- that term came from the dealers detailers.

Originally Posted by benz rider

Given the severe weather conditions in Germany with all the constant snow, sleet, ice,salt, etc... It would appear to be beneficial for them to prefer the harder coats over the norm.

Originally Posted by benz rider

B.S.

BS?

Of course!!
You worked at a dealership!
No wonder you don't know how to restore cars, you only screwed up all the new ones!
...It all makes sense now!

[benz rider]

Originally Posted by CharlesAFerg

BS?

Of course!!
You worked at a dealership!
No wonder you don't know how to restore cars, you only screwed up all the new ones!
...It all makes sense now!

Just because a few snotty nosed amatuers are messin' up all the cars in your town don't mean that all detailers who've worked for dealers do shoddy work. for all anyone knows YOU learned your skills from a dealers detailer.

I got it = You bought a swirled up car, got upset, learned how to do it right from another dealers' detailer and now you stand on pedistal denouncing the very one's who put you there.

It all makes since now

[benz rider]

hey Ferg, you wanna have a detailer's challenge? you do your car and I do mine, we both post pics and see who gets the most votes?

[Dieffenbach]

Originally Posted by drags1998

Some PLEASE correct Me if I'm wrong, A Clear that FLOWS out in the SUN??? OH, PLEASE, What is implied here is that swirl marks will HEAL themselves, on a car that has been painted for as much as a couple of Months {from the day its painted and baked, to the time it ends up on the Dealer's lot} The paint is STILL FLOWING??? I don't believe this for a SECOND!!!!!!!!

i have not read all of the post yet, but when i saw this one i thought of infiniti. i just traded in my 2004 infiniti FX35 for a 08 C350 Sport. right now i have a bunch of swirl marks on the hood and the trunk. i am taking it to my dealer today. but as to the still flowing clear coat, i have read that the new infinitis are using a self healing paint. right now they use it in the new EX. but i think this is what everybody is talking about. i wish that mercedes used it because right now these swirl marks on my obsidian black are really looking like crap.

[ByByeAmericanPie]

I have never heard of anything like a "flowing" or "self healing" clear coat. I am pretty sure such an animal, in acutality, doesn't exist. If the clear were fluid enough to "flow" it would mean that the coat never fully solidifies. Once the compounds in the clear stabilize and cure I dont believe there is any further "movement" of the coating after that. As an engineer familiar with fluid dynamics I have to play the role of the skeptic here.