San Marino Blue M6 Detailed

[Palmnuts]

I posted this over on the M6 section but as it seems theres a few more fellow Brits on the M5 section, and the two cars are closely related, I thought you guys might like to see how an inferior (as some of you so affectionally refer to it ) 6er polishes up

So, after a rare weekend of good weather in the UK, I finally managed to complete get a decent detailing session on my new M6 and I'm just amazed how good this San Marino Blue colour turns out when the sun shines (which really isn't very often over here ). Heres a summary of most of the products used and some pictures of the results.

Washed with BMW-branded shampoo (honestly, it's the only stuff I've used that doesn't cause the door seals to creak - all other shampoos seem to have additives which then tend to make seals on frameless doors noisy).

Clayed with Sonus Ultra Fine Clay and Sonus Clay Lube - a great clay which is so gentle that you'd have to be really careless to mar the paintwork

Machined with a 3M polishing pad and Menzerna Final Finish - hardly required this as the clay was so gentle so this really was just to prepare the surface, after which it was wiped down with IPA

Sealed with 22PLE VX1 Signature Glass Coat - to be honest, I'm not that impressed with this product and won't be using it again (will try Nanolex Sealant on the M135i when that arrives in a couple of weeks)

Waxed with 2 coats of Swissvax Blau-Weiss - this is Swissvax's BMW Specific polish and not only is it very easy to apply, it leaves a lovely wet-look finish

Exhausts cleaned with Meguiers Metal Polish - an utter crap product IMO and I much prefer Autosol. I then sealed them with Black Diamond Metal Sealant which is an excellent product for exhaust as nothing sticks to them after you've applied a couple of coats of this.

Glass cleaned with Auto Finesse Crystal - I've only recently come across this product and I cannot stress how good it appears to be. Considering it's a wipe-on wipe-off product, it's ease of use and lack of smearing is impressive to the point that it feels almost too easy! I then sealed the side and rear windows with Nanolex Ultra Glass Sealant (I don't do the windscreen though, as I hate the smearing effect that all glass sealants create when applied on windscreens)

Wheels sealed with Swissvax Autobhan - this is PTFE sealant which makes the wheels über smooth and so easy to clean. Having said that, I'm really seeing the benefit of the ceramic brakes because I get absolutely no brake dust whatsoever from them meaning the wheels always look clean.

Tyres treated with Zaino Z16 tyre gloss, which is another product that I thoroughly recommend for it's natural sheen (more coats = more gloss if required), easy application (simply wipe on with a sponge) and reasonable longevity (the tyres look good between weekly washes).

Interior....well, not much to do in there give it's a three-week old car other than vacuum it and remove fingerprints from the shiny surfaces with a microfibre and Autoglym car glass polish.

Saying that, the Opal White BMW Individual leather is clearly of a different quality than the normal BMW stuff (even the usual higher-quality Merino stuff). This is both good and bad....good, in that it's so soft and really does look and feels of Rolls Royce quality (is the 'Individual' leather similar to what they use in Rollers I wonder?). But bad in that it's also less hardy and much more susceptible to soaking in dye transfer from jeans, and requires an almost daily wipe down, where the dye is then not that easy to remove!

Heres some of the results....

[uhn2000]

Amazing car and stunning combo!

[greentrbo95gst]

my favorite color. Beautiful car

[URBAN LEGEND]

Not bad for an "inferior product."

[ijahman]

Stunning!!!

[Savory]

Had to dedicate my first post to this beauty. Looks crazy in that color!! Wow.

[Jay-K]

awesome and reall good taste.

[mstmng]

amazing colour combo!

congrats! keep it same way

[Simon H]

Hi Mate, the car looks fab, its a much richer blue than the MCB, but both great colours. Did you do the detailing yourself ?. Regards, SIMON.

[scoobyc]

looks fantastic as per usual!

Regards leather - dr leather are about to release leather shield which will prevent dye transfer, ordered some for my m5 silverstone interior. Contact Darryl on DW (saw your post earlier )

[Dionysus]

Freshly detailed San Marino looks stunning

Nice contrast with Royal Mail red

Have you used/considering using GTechniq C1+ with EXO (can be used on paint, wheels, glass, plastics)?

Alternatively, Modesta glass coating is the best sealant I've experienced to date (paint, wheels, exhaust tips). Needs care on application as I've heard once it's cured, it's very hard to remove it.

[ColdList]

Oooohhhh! That is sweet. btw..EVERYONE should use http://www.vintagedetailsupplies.com

The guy who sells this stuff actually makes it. He is one of those "rare" craftsmen that you find here and there in life. He has been a professional detailer for 25 years and currently runs the entire detailing operation on the ground floor of Ferrari of Atlanta. I have owned many cars n the past and have had many details and paint corrections performed but never anything like from this guy. I took my E60 (by a very fortunate introduction I was able to do this) to him first and when I picked it up (already being a very clean car) I almost didn't even recognize it. He works on the cars under intense close lighting and picks up every tiny flaw. Utterly amazing!

Anyway, I bought a complete suite of products from him and was blown away that I actually ENJOY waxing my cars now. His wax is kept in the refrigerator and has a cinnamon smell to it-just very cool! You apply it with a pad on a 2x2 section, immediately wipe it over quickly and smoothly with a microfiber to smooth it out and then immediately follow with a quick buff with another microfiber. No waiting for anything to dry. No difficulty in removing-nothing. And the protection is CRAZY! I am telling you guys there is truly nothing like what he makes on the market. I HATE buffing wax off my cars and being a sweaty mess and all that "work" that goes into detailing. This guy's stuff actually made it fun again. You are done in no time and your car looks ridiculous. I have been meaning to post this as a resource for all of us for a while.

On top of it all he is about the nicest guy you'll ever meet.

Mike

P.S. For the F10 (and just about everything else) his "Vintage Inner Wheel Cleaning Tool" is a MUST. He hand makes these using lambs wool (synthetic) like you would see on a really fine cloth and you can get to all those spots in your wheels, spokes, brake calipers, barrels, etc. in a few quick swipes. I know I sound like I am nuts about all of this and I am. Truly a "Raving Fan" of this stuff. I will never buy anything else for my car. I use it on even my clear bra and every painted surface. No white residue left around trim and emblems either. You'll get finished and go "wow! that was way too easy!". :-) A fresh coat of his wax was the first thing my 991 got her first night in the garage. :-)

[savela]

Curious, what is it you don't like about the 22ple? I guess I'm easier to imoress, looks great! Maybe its the wax though...

[ColdList]

Originally Posted by savela

Curious, what is it you don't like about the 22ple? I guess I'm easier to imoress, looks great! Maybe its the wax though...

If you are asking me then I have no issues with it. I just love this Vintage Detail stuff. It is not well-known but a great little secret.

That detail job on the SMB is AWESOME!

[mwlmd]

I like the freshly detailed car on the gravel road. Good stuff! Pretty nonetheless.

[stealth.pilot]

Very nice. I also like that you got the Comfort seats. Much better than the M Sport Seats.

[RiverRunner]

Originally Posted by stealth.pilot

Very nice. I also like that you got the Comfort seats. Much better than the M Sport Seats.

Here in the US we don't have a choice of seats on the M6, what's the difference in the comfort seats vs. the sport seats?

[stealth.pilot]

Originally Posted by PackerFan

Here in the US we don't have a choice of seats on the M6, what's the difference in the comfort seats vs. the sport seats?

Have a look at the picture above and then look at a US M6' seats

[Mperial]

Cheers on your last sunny day of the year.
Great work on the car and your combo of SMB/Opal White is nothing short of stellar.
And those seats...

[SVJ]

Your car looks stunning! love the interior colour with the carbon bits

[RPiM5]

Love this car! Makes me want an M6, but only if it came with those seats!

[nugent]

love the blue and the oreo interior!