Thoughts on keeping paint finish during ED

[nybimmerfan]

I will be taking delivery of my 2013 Monte Carlo Blue M5 from the BMW Welt soon and upon return to the hotel immediately apply paint sealant such as OptiCoat or CQuartz. A friend suggested this, as he explains, will maintain the finish of the car and protect it from grime, bugs, bird droppings etc. and to a limited degree scratches and paint nicks due to minute stones hitting the body during the drive. Also, during ED, car washes may not be readily available to wash off bird droppings or tree sap whose acidic component will mar the paint surface -- the sealant will at least help prevent the immediate effect but will eventually need to be cleaned by washing. My question is, has anybody who has done ED did anything similar? I would also appreciate anybody's thoughts on this. Thanks.

[Necromancer]

Most folks do treatments in the underground parking at der Welt. That way you won't pick up any grime and have a perfect application.

[nybimmerfan]

Originally Posted by Necromancer

Most folks do treatments in the underground parking at der Welt. That way you won't pick up any grime and have a perfect application.

Thanks Necromancer, I will keep that in mind and hopefully the underground parking will remain open until I finish applying the coat as I have an afternoon pickup.

[stealth.pilot]

To be honest I think it is not worth it when you are on vacation. Unless you are going by yourself.

Your car will inevitably need a paint correction when you get it back anyway. It accumulates a lot of dirt and iron sitting at the docks. Claying is important.

[Tigumz]

I hear you, as my cars do not usually leave the showroom without a protective 3m-like film. However, For ED I just gave up being anal about it figuring I can correct anything when I get the car and the time/cost trade off would be worth the ED experience. Just my 2 cents....

[nybimmerfan]

So if the car gets Stateside, do we have to arrange it with the dealer to have the car exterior properly cleaned, paint nicks and scratches fixed and if necessary have a new coat of paint? I am picking up my car at the performance center, will I need to contact them beforehand to do this? It would be great if I would not have to do anything during ED and just have everything done when the car gets to the U.S.

[jmh]

Originally Posted by nybimmerfan

So if the car gets Stateside, do we have to arrange it with the dealer to have the car exterior properly cleaned, paint nicks and scratches fixed and if necessary have a new coat of paint? I am picking up my car at the performance center, will I need to contact them beforehand to do this? It would be great if I would not have to do anything during ED and just have everything done when the car gets to the U.S.

As for cleaning during ED I usually just bring some cleaning items with me and a few maintenance items (such as Zaino) to apply a quick coat for some basic protection.
But as has been said it's probably not worth going out of your way and do a full detail after you take delivery (if you want I can provide a name/address of a very good detailer appr 20 minutes from the Welt who can do a full vehicle prep/paint correction).
I've seen people cover the front ends of their cars with blue painters tape etc to protect it from stone chips.

Your dealer will usually do new vehicle prep based on either their standard protocol (which should including cleaning/washing etc) or if you're like me they won't touch the
car and leave it as is (ie the way it came from the VPC and I do the cleaning/washing myself) .
As for repairs the VPC will make repairs for damage which happened during ED , such as wheel scratches/nicks (usually replace the entire wheel), paint scratches/dents etc are repaired as noted etc. However be aware that sometimes these repairs will delay the actually delivery to your dealer/PC
I have not seen them actually repair minor stone chips or the like as these are assumed to be normal wear and tear (plus I'm not sure many folks would like entire hoods etc being painted and dealing with the issues of matching paint etc)

Just my 2c

[RPiM5]

Dudes all of this is highly unnecessary. I just got back from ED with my M5 a week ago. I put 2051 miles on it in 6 days. All I did was bring a pack of microfiber clothes and a full bottle of quick detailer. I put them in my suitcase for check-in luggage. In 2051 miles of driving I did not have one scratch, or bird poop stain or bug stain on the paint at the end. I washed the car a total of 4 times throughout the trip. Car washes are readily available in Europe. Additionally I would clean off the front bumper, windshield, and the front of the side view mirrors to keep all of the bug splats from accumulating. The paints protective clear coat is more than enough protection. Also I did not have a single rock chip. Even if you do have a scratch or a rock chip, just simply have the people make a note of it when you drop it off and then the VPC will correct it for you when it gets stateside. I did all this with a Sapphire Black car and it was fine. Stop being OCD! LOL! :P

[nybimmerfan]

Originally Posted by RPiM5

Dudes all of this is highly unnecessary. I just got back from ED with my M5 a week ago. I put 2051 miles on it in 6 days. All I did was bring a pack of microfiber clothes and a full bottle of quick detailer. I put them in my suitcase for check-in luggage. In 2051 miles of driving I did not have one scratch, or bird poop stain or bug stain on the paint at the end. I washed the car a total of 4 times throughout the trip. Car washes are readily available in Europe. Additionally I would clean off the front bumper, windshield, and the front of the side view mirrors to keep all of the bug splats from accumulating. The paints protective clear coat is more than enough protection. Also I did not have a single rock chip. Even if you do have a scratch or a rock chip, just simply have the people make a note of it when you drop it off and then the VPC will correct it for you when it gets stateside. I did all this with a Sapphire Black car and it was fine. Stop being OCD! LOL! :P

Thanks for the info. That's good to know that your car arrived without paint nicks. You must have driven during ED in the right places. A friend of mine who did ED with his M3 over a year ago, received his car with paint nicks and bugs that were literally fused to the paint. This I saw and got horrified. The picture of his M3's condition got stuck in my head. No amount of detailing could get rid of the fused bugs. So he had sections of his M3 front tip sandblasted and repainted.

I wouldn't want to deal with something similar and would rather do anything to prevent such from happening. I would rather have any bugs stuck, easily removed by washing.

[2045]

Europe roads are indeed much better than ours here. last ED i did with wife's Z4 i only picked up 1 chip in 1,300 miles. yes the first one is always painful, but i was surprised i only got one chip.

u can buy a bottle of quick detailer at Welt gift shop. just bring some microfiber towels with u. i also saved few water bottles along the way so i can make some soapy water at hotel. it's important to get the dead bugs off the paint as often as u can before the acid does any damage to the paint.

[2045]

Originally Posted by nybimmerfan

Thanks for the info. That's good to know that your car arrived without paint nicks. You must have driven during ED in the right places. A friend of mine who did ED with his M3 over a year ago, received his car with paint nicks and bugs that were literally fused to the paint. This I saw and got horrified. The picture of his M3's condition got stuck in my head. No amount of detailing could get rid of the fused bugs. So he had sections of his M3 front tip sandblasted and repainted.

I wouldn't want to deal with something similar and would rather do anything to prevent such from happening. I would rather have any bugs stuck, easily removed by washing.

i recommend all to clean the bumper before u drop off the car. just like my above post, the car will not be washed before it gets to our shore. leaving the bug remains on the paint for that long is just asking trouble. clean it before u drop it off!

i'm considering bringing a small roll of trac wrap (http://www.tracwrap.com/) with me this time. it acts like a temporary clear bra so it protects the frontal area nicely. at least i don't have to clean the bumper every night.

[matthewEW]

Originally Posted by 2045

i recommend all to clean the bumper before u drop off the car. just like my above post, the car will not be washed before it gets to our shore. leaving the bug remains on the paint for that long is just asking trouble. clean it before u drop it off!

i'm considering bringing a small roll of trac wrap (http://www.tracwrap.com/) with me this time. it acts like a temporary clear bra so it protects the frontal area nicely. at least i don't have to clean the bumper every night.

Thanks for the suggestion. I might just bring along a roll as this is the most expedient way and less hassle to protect the car finish during ED.

[nybimmerfan]

Originally Posted by 2045

i'm considering bringing a small roll of trac wrap (http://www.tracwrap.com/) with me this time. it acts like a temporary clear bra so it protects the frontal area nicely. at least i don't have to clean the bumper every night.

What a wonderful idea. I just ordered a roll of the 8" x 40ft -- that should be enough to cover the front and probably the lower sides of the car. Thanks for the info.

[2045]

Originally Posted by nybimmerfan

What a wonderful idea. I just ordered a roll of the 8" x 40ft -- that should be enough to cover the front and probably the lower sides of the car. Thanks for the info.

No problem buddy. I got the same size roll coming too. Need it by Monday since I'm leaving for Munich on Monday night.

When are u taking delivery?

[nybimmerfan]

Originally Posted by 2045

No problem buddy. I got the same size roll coming too. Need it by Monday since I'm leaving for Munich on Monday night.

When are u taking delivery?

Am picking up the M5 on Oct. 1st and leaving Munich on the 4th heading south to Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France.

[2045]

Originally Posted by nybimmerfan

Am picking up the M5 on Oct. 1st and leaving Munich on the 4th heading south to Austria, Switzerland, Italy and France.

Nice route! I'm picking up on 26 & leaving Munich on 27. Heading to Belgium, Netherlands then back to Paris for the autoshow. Have fun. Maybe we'll bump into each other in France.

[Bnicely]

I washed the car 4 times in 12 days, just got back yesterday. Upon leaving the Welt i drove about 3 miles to my hotel and applied Blackfire liquid polish. Also carried Griots garage waterless wash for emergency bug removal on highways. Needless to say i am psycho about the cleanliness of the car. Good news is its easier than i thought to find spray off car washes especially in northern italy than i had thought. Enjoy your trip, best trip i have ever taken in my life!

[nybimmerfan]

Bnicely,
Thanks for the tip. Am looking forward to my trip and delivery of the car from the Welt next week.