Anything else I can improve on?

[mbeige]

I detailed my car last year and took some pics. Until now I maintain the same regimen and added a few items on my detail box. However, I was wondering what else can I improve on? I'm in Anaheim, CA, so I'm quite far from Big Bert's or Meguiar's in Kamias. Pero I'm pretty close to the Meguiar's headquarters in Irvine

Mother's Claybar
Meguiar's Paint Cleaner
Meguiar's #7
Meguiar's #26
Simple Green degreaser for engine
Aerospace 303 for dash, interior, weatherstripping

All hand-applied with microfiber towels and foam pad applicators.

But if I look closely at the paint, sometimes I see a smudge that I can't remove. I don't think they're scratches, and I don't know how else to describe them. Paint is non-clearcoat, non-metallic, single-stage typical of these w123s.

What is the best way to clean the trunk emblems? I have my used toothbrush pero I still can't get it really clean, looks like there's some stubborn oxidation in there. Do I need to remove the emblems? The star is not a problem, malinis siya. Just the "300D" and "turbodiesel" ones yung madumi pa rin.

When I use Mother's Back to Black on the bumper ends and side trim, it doesn't last for me, I try it pero it keeps coming back.

Lastly, I painted the grille screen black, pero I was still a newbie at painting so I forgot to use primer. How do I safely remove the paint if and when I disassemble the grille? I do not want to use my stock spare since yung shape medyo pango, flat yung curvature niya compared to the original.

This is my daily ride, 170k mile 83 300D.

Other items I use when necessary:

Meguiar's Scratch X
Meguiar's PlastiX
EagleOne tire spray
Turtlewax2001 trim spray
Mother's Aluminum Polish
Turtlewax Rubbing Compound, red (1 nasty spot on the door)
Meguiar's Gold Class car wax for general cleaning
Meguiar's Swirl Remover 2.0
Lexol cleaner + conditioner (maski vinyl yung interior hehe)





These pics were taken this year:

[Karding]

kaya pala mbeige, beige ang kulay ng mercedes. ang linis kapatid, pati engine bay.

[empy]

ganda nyan ah. sariwang sariwa!

i think you're off to a good start with what you already have. meguiar's and lexol are always good value for money.

later on when your current supply starts running out, you may want to experiment with other products to see if you like the finish and durability better. some good products to look at are Klasse, Poorboys, P21S, Zaino and FMJ (actually they are my favorites so forgive the bias ). for other members' recommendations please consult the 'detailing thread'

meguiar's 7 and 26 are a glaze and wax combo, right? personally, i prefer Klasse All-in-One + Sealant Glaze, topped off with P21S carnauba wax. mas matrabaho but i like the results better.

imo lang din, but i hate those back-to-black and tire black type products. i just clean my rubber surfaces as best as i can with no treatments to avoid that shiny "greasy" look that i despise. besides, as you say, it doesn't last anyway.

i also don't like to use rubbing compound. much too abrasive for my taste. if i can't get it out with a buffer and swirl remover, then i'd consider getting it painted. maaaybe if i was feeling like taking risks i'd use meguiar's #4 but i often get in trouble with that stuff.

if you painted a surface without properly prepping it, i highly recommend you strip off the old paint job before redoing it. sand it all the way down with fine grit sandpaper (600 then polish with 2000)

if you really want to go all out i suggest you invest in an orbital buffer as well.

good lucK!

[Elroi]

nice ride u got there.. linis nga pati ilalim at engine bay..

[schnitzerz4]

wow ang kinis

[scarab]

....hayup sa engine bay! your 23yo ride looks like it just rolled out of the showroom.

[gwapito69]

hayuf ang oto mo bosing ang kinis.. kung baga sa gurl e nasa tuhod ka palang e ubos na laway mo...

[empy]

mbeige, taga anaheim ka nga pala. malapit sa inyo si gwapito69 and karding....kung kailangan mo ng tulong sa pagdetail lagi silang handang tumulong any day, any time.

just another benefit of being part of the tsikot community :hihihi:

[Karding]

mbeige, taga anaheim ka nga pala. malapit sa inyo si gwapito69 and karding....kung kailangan mo ng tulong sa pagdetail lagi silang handang tumulong any day, any time.

just another benefit of being part of the tsikot community :hihihi:

gwapito69 volunteered mbeige's place for next SoCal EB :evillaugh

[ronald_m]

let me know if you get tired of that car.I'll take it off your hands.

[Eismann]

Cool ride kapatid.....inspired ako to take real good care of my old ride.

[CVT]

Ang ganda ng ride mo, mbeige! Ala akong masabi bro....

[arvic]

Kinis at ang ganda... pati engine bay... ginagamit nyo po ba eto?

[mbeige]

ganda nyan ah. sariwang sariwa!

i think you're off to a good start with what you already have. meguiar's and lexol are always good value for money.

later on when your current supply starts running out, you may want to experiment with other products to see if you like the finish and durability better. some good products to look at are Klasse, Poorboys, P21S, Zaino and FMJ (actually they are my favorites so forgive the bias ). for other members' recommendations please consult the 'detailing thread'

meguiar's 7 and 26 are a glaze and wax combo, right? personally, i prefer Klasse All-in-One + Sealant Glaze, topped off with P21S carnauba wax. mas matrabaho but i like the results better.

imo lang din, but i hate those back-to-black and tire black type products. i just clean my rubber surfaces as best as i can with no treatments to avoid that shiny "greasy" look that i despise. besides, as you say, it doesn't last anyway.

i also don't like to use rubbing compound. much too abrasive for my taste. if i can't get it out with a buffer and swirl remover, then i'd consider getting it painted. maaaybe if i was feeling like taking risks i'd use meguiar's #4 but i often get in trouble with that stuff.

if you painted a surface without properly prepping it, i highly recommend you strip off the old paint job before redoing it. sand it all the way down with fine grit sandpaper (600 then polish with 2000)

if you really want to go all out i suggest you invest in an orbital buffer as well.

good lucK!

You got the idea bro! Pag naubos na I'll try new stuff. Pero yun nga lang mura kasi Meguiar's dito siguro $10 yung isa ng bote ng #26 kasi malapit lang yung HQ nila. The car has original paint on it from factory kaya I try my best to keep it original. It was also my grandma/pa's car so it's staying in the family (I remember a quote "bad cars are sold, good cars stay in the family").

Yung rubbing compound ginamit ko lang dahil may isang stubborn smear/smudge na dumikit sa pintura, I got it off partially pero di na ganun kahalata. Then I used ScratchX to fill in any scratches left by the compound, sabay clay and then wax.

I like the idea of the detail day! There's a pressure wash na facility dito madali lang mag hugas tapos detail sa parking lot nila or something, whatever goes game ako dyan!

Orbital buffer? Right now mahirap yun dahil walang saksakan dito sa apartment garage, kaya sayang yung $200 for a good one. Exercise ko na rin hehe

*Karding yes that's why my username is MBeige (MB & Manila Beige yung name ng color)

*Ronald, are you nearby? We might be selling the wagon, similar to my 300D, if you're nearby let me know.

Thanks guys, I'll see if I can post some more pics. Or if anybody in Anaheim is up for a meet...

[blink21me]

But if I look closely at the paint, sometimes I see a smudge that I can't remove. I don't think they're scratches, and I don't know how else to describe them. Paint is non-clearcoat, non-metallic, single-stage typical of these w123s.

sounds like paint damage, stain probably??? Have you tried paint cleaner???

What is the best way to clean the trunk emblems? I have my used toothbrush pero I still can't get it really clean, looks like there's some stubborn oxidation in there. Do I need to remove the emblems? The star is not a problem, malinis siya. Just the "300D" and "turbodiesel" ones yung madumi pa rin.

ginamitan mo na ba ng kahit anong solution??? Tanggalin mo na lang to clean it properly...

When I use Mother's Back to Black on the bumper ends and side trim, it doesn't last for me, I try it pero it keeps coming back.

Ditch the Back to Black and get Forever Black instead... it's a black dye that lasts over 6-8 car washes...

Lastly, I painted the grille screen black, pero I was still a newbie at painting so I forgot to use primer. How do I safely remove the paint if and when I disassemble the grille? I do not want to use my stock spare since yung shape medyo pango, flat yung curvature niya compared to the original.

sand mo, then use the appropriate primer, tapos pagkatapos ng paint, kapalan mo yung clear coat... Oftenly, kapag pininturahan mo yung grille hndi naglalast ng talgang matagal kase nasisira din dahil samga rock chips kapag nasa freeway ka...

Anong trim mo ginagamit yung Turtle wax trim cleaner??? I hate Turtle wax products...

Great job, I really like how you did the wheel well, CLEAN! nice ride!!!

[mbeige]

Hi Blink,

Thanks for the nice words, coming from you after seeing your uncle's Paseo I'll take your words with pride!

About the paint, I tried paint cleaner pero parang scratch siya. Only visible kapag tinapat sa araw pero di kagad. Ayoko masyado gamitin yung Scratch X dahil original paint yun...

About the emblem, I might have to remove them to properly clean. I was wondering if u guys had your own unique solutions like a stiff brush (tried it, pero makapit yung dumi eh) or something. But if I remove it I may keep it that way, California look na lang.

Yes I might try Forever Black. Does it have a texture as if you painted it black (you mentioned it's a dye)? Ayoko sana yung mukhang naretoke.

Looks like the sanding might not work on the grille, puro slits siya and it's hard to access those. Will paint thinner be effective? I'd like to completely remove the paint sa grille tapos lagyan ko ng gray primer and then gray paint ulit, something darker than the faded look pero not too dark like what I have now.

Yung Turtlewax ginagamit ko sa trim that runs the length ng car, nalalagyan kasi ng wax kaya namumuti. I was never a fan of that brand either pero sinubukan ko lang and I sometimes use it para di naman sayang. Mostly for general cleaning lang in between detailing days.

Grabe yung wheel well cleaning, naiipit yung dumi sa fender lip kasi kaya on other w123s you see may mga rust spot (maraming ganyan sa ebay) sa wheel arches and other recesses where dirt (dry or wet) accumulates.

Socal guys, anybody up for a detail day this September? Ay wait, meet ko muna kayo haha. Pero if ever mag detail day, not my place kasi underground parking namin, mahirap makita eh.

Thanks again, and by the way if you remember the oil level thread, I should say I stand corrected. Tried it your way and oil pressure read higher at idle, which is good. Old habits do die hard I guess...

[blink21me]

About the paint, I tried paint cleaner pero parang scratch siya. Only visible kapag tinapat sa araw pero di kagad. Ayoko masyado gamitin yung Scratch X dahil original paint yun...

I honestly don't exactly know 100% kase hndi ko pa na-encounter yung stain na yon, sounds unusual though on a SS paint, do you apply the Scratch-X by hand? Sounds like hindi kakayanin ng kamay yan kahit pa gano mo kadiin ikuskos... Siguro kelangan mo ng machine to generate heat para mag-work yung Scratch-X polish and madala yung smudges...

About the emblem, I might have to remove them to properly clean. I was wondering if u guys had your own unique solutions like a stiff brush (tried it, pero makapit yung dumi eh) or something. But if I remove it I may keep it that way, California look na lang.

Never ko it-try yung stiff na brush, baka sa halip na yung dirt yung matanggal niya ma-scratch mo pa yung paint mo, LOL, kung nakadikit siya by addehessive siguro nga pwede mong hndi na lang ibalik kapag tinanggal mo, yun nga lang, malamang magle-leave yan ng bakat ng emblens mo...

Yes I might try Forever Black. Does it have a texture as if you painted it black (you mentioned it's a dye)? Ayoko sana yung mukhang naretoke.

Hindi tol, Forever Black works like Kiwi shoe polish in a sense, wala siyang texture, kelangan lang prepared right yung surface na a-applyan mo... Para mo lang binabasa yung trim ng itim na tubig but then it stays black...

Looks like the sanding might not work on the grille, puro slits siya and it's hard to access those. Will paint thinner be effective? I'd like to completely remove the paint sa grille tapos lagyan ko ng gray primer

I got what you're trying to say here, paint thinner will work but before it completely works, kelangan mo rin i-rub yun sa buong grille mo, which means chances are there might be areas that won't be easily accessible, try to do it with different sizes of brush and see which works well on such areas...

Yung Turtlewax ginagamit ko sa trim that runs the length ng car, nalalagyan kasi ng wax kaya namumuti. I was never a fan of that brand either pero sinubukan ko lang and I sometimes use it para di naman sayang. Mostly for general cleaning lang in between detailing days.

I-masking tape mo na lang next time na magwa-wax ka... Bumili ako ng Turtle Wax dati, tinry ko then binalik ko na kagad sa Walmart the same day. It's horrible, kung di lang ako nagsiguro baka nadamage ko yung paint ko ng tuluyan, lol...

Socal guys, anybody up for a detail day this September? Ay wait, meet ko muna kayo haha. Pero if ever mag detail day, not my place kasi underground parking namin, mahirap makita eh.

LOL, that's actually a good spot to choose when you detail. It's much better when it's dark because you're able to see all the swirls and scratches by catching the light onto the surface, and at some points by using a green LED light/florescent lamp to make them all visible very easily...

Thanks again, and by the way if you remember the oil level thread, I should say I stand corrected. Tried it your way and oil pressure read higher at idle, which is good. Old habits do die hard I guess...

:cool01:

[mbeige]

I honestly don't exactly know 100% kase hndi ko pa na-encounter yung stain na yon, sounds unusual though on a SS paint, do you apply the Scratch-X by hand? Sounds like hindi kakayanin ng kamay yan kahit pa gano mo kadiin ikuskos... Siguro kelangan mo ng machine to generate heat para mag-work yung Scratch-X polish and madala yung smudges...

LOL, that's actually a good spot to choose when you detail. It's much better when it's dark because you're able to see all the swirls and scratches by catching the light onto the surface, and at some points by using a green LED light/florescent lamp to make them all visible very easily...

Dito ko nga nakikita yung mga yun when I try to wax the car in the underground garage. Sometimes it's hard on my eyes kasi, di ganun kaganda yung lighting. I try to use a cheap headlamp para handsfree. I'll probably leave it for now, ok naman siya talaga it's just when you really scrutinize it.

Never ko it-try yung stiff na brush, baka sa halip na yung dirt yung matanggal niya ma-scratch mo pa yung paint mo, LOL, kung nakadikit siya by addehessive siguro nga pwede mong hndi na lang ibalik kapag tinanggal mo, yun nga lang, malamang magle-leave yan ng bakat ng emblens mo...

Di naman ganun ka-stiff, more like new-toothbrush stiff. Kaya toothbrush ako, gentle sa ngipin pati sa pintura hehe.

Hindi tol, Forever Black works like Kiwi shoe polish in a sense, wala siyang texture, kelangan lang prepared right yung surface na a-applyan mo... Para mo lang binabasa yung trim ng itim na tubig but then it stays black...

Sige na nga hanap ako mamaya sa Walmart baka meron or kung wala baka sa SuperAutoBacs hmmm...

I got what you're trying to say here, paint thinner will work but before it completely works, kelangan mo rin i-rub yun sa buong grille mo, which means chances are there might be areas that won't be easily accessible, try to do it with different sizes of brush and see which works well on such areas...

I was thinking of also soaking a towel/rag sa thinner tapos idadaan ko yung mahirap na mga areas. Let's see...dami ko pa projects walang katapusan hehe

I-masking tape mo na lang next time na magwa-wax ka... Bumili ako ng Turtle Wax dati, tinry ko then binalik ko na kagad sa Walmart the same day. It's horrible, kung di lang ako nagsiguro baka nadamage ko yung paint ko ng tuluyan, lol...

Talaga? Ganun ba kasagwa yon? We used Turtlewax before when I still didn't know how to detail properly, ok naman pero I don't remember them being that shiny (maski yung polish). Maybe I just got to learn more techniques/info on these products kaya I'm able to use them to full effect?

By the way, saan yung San Lenadro? Kung malapit ka lang we could meet up and do a detail day, yung mga ibang Tsikoteers nagbabalak na pero BBQ naman magdadala lang daw sila ng tinidor

[empy]

regarding painting the grille:

the most important part of a paint job is the prepping. two things are critical - every inch of the surface is clean and free of impurities (especially improperly applied paint that is/will peel off), and the entire surface is sanded or scuffed, since paint needs some roughness to facilitate adhesion.

the most common cause of a peeling paint job is bad prepping in the corners, nooks and crannies where the scuffing and cleaning might not have reached. spend some extra time on that.

paint thinner will work, but will be really tough if the paint has already had time to completely cure. try it, but don't be surprised if it doesn't work. btw the best type of thinner for removing automotive paints is lacquer thinner.

[blink21me]

Sige na nga hanap ako mamaya sa Walmart baka meron or kung wala baka sa SuperAutoBacs hmmm...

I'm under the impression that Walmart does not carry most of the good auto-related items so I barely go there, but it doesn't hurt to try

Talaga? Ganun ba kasagwa yon? We used Turtlewax before when I still didn't know how to detail properly, ok naman pero I don't remember them being that shiny (maski yung polish). Maybe I just got to learn more techniques/info on these products kaya I'm able to use them to full effect?

Oh, no, I meant it was a turtle wax product that I tried to clean the oxidation on my spoiler, not a wax, lol...

By the way, saan yung San Lenadro? Kung malapit ka lang we could meet up and do a detail day, yung mga ibang Tsikoteers nagbabalak na pero BBQ naman magdadala lang daw sila ng tinidor

hehehh, Tol nasa Norcal ako... layo mo! heheh, kung madami nga lang Tsikoteers dito sa Norcal eh di pwede sanang mag-setup ng meet...

I was thinking of also soaking a towel/rag sa thinner tapos idadaan ko yung mahirap na mga areas. Let's see...dami ko pa projects walang katapusan hehe

hahah, ako din madaming dapat gawin, currently working on my car getting it ready for my first track day on November... Hndi ko nga matapos-tapos yung suspension ko, hirap sa sched... btw GL!!!