# Light Correction Detail - BMW Z3 3.0i Roadster - Swissvax Best of Show!!



## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

The owner of this car had seen my work on Detailing World and contacted me enquiring about a price for a detail to specifically concentrate on the paintwork of his Z3 3.0i Roadster, as the roof had already been protected so didn't require any attention.

The was in great condition, but like most darker coloured cars the swirls and defects were robbing the paint of its original gloss and overall appearance. We agreed on a single day Light Correction Detail to restore a bit of life back into the cars' paintwork.

On to the detail...


DSC07936 by RussZS, on Flickr

Deeper scratches visible in normal daylight.


DSC07935 by RussZS, on Flickr

The wheels, tyres and arches were dealt with first:


DSC07937 by RussZS, on Flickr

Wheel liberally covered in AS Smart Wheels cut 10:1:


DSC07938 by RussZS, on Flickr

This was worked with various brushes:


DSC07939 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07940 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07942 by RussZS, on Flickr

Then rinsed and treated to IronX, which lifted surprisingly little:


DSC07949 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07951 by RussZS, on Flickr

Meanwhile, the car was prerinsed with 10:1 Britemax Grime Out via pressure sprayed:


DSC07943 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07944 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07945 by RussZS, on Flickr

Whilst not as 'pretty' as snow foam, a degreaser such as Grime Out is far more effective at removing dirt/traffic film.

This was agitated with Swissvax Detail Brush where required:


DSC07947 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the car was hand washed with Britemax Cleanmax, rinsed, treated to IronX and Tardis then moved inside for claying:


DSC07950 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07952 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07954 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the car was thoroughly dried with Uber Drying Towels and Aeolus 901X blower:


DSC07953 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07955 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the car was assessed with a paint thickness gauge to build up a view of if the car has been polished before, seen any paint and any areas of concern. The bootlid and bonnet had been polished relatively heavily before, which was also supported by the 'buffer trails' present in the paintwork:


DSC07964 by RussZS, on Flickr

Some general pics of the defects present:


DSC07956 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07965 by RussZS, on Flickr

After trialling a few combinations, I found that the paint to be surprisingly sticky!! The panel was getting very hot, very quickly using relatively low speeds and a medium cut combination (3M Yellow Pad and Megs 101), so decided to go down the DA route on this detail. After assessing a few options including Megs 101, Optimum MF pads, Optimum Hyper Compound etc, we settled on Meguiars D300 and their MF Cutting discs.


DSC07979 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07978 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07980 by RussZS, on Flickr

The product was worked around 4800OPM, which removed most of the defects but left a slight marring effect on the surprisingly soft paint:


DSC07990 by RussZS, on Flickr

Therefore the paint needed refining further (which is the case I always find with the MF system) so I used Meguiars 205 via Festool RAP150 Rotary and the new Menzerna Finishing pad, spreading on speed 1, working at speed 2.5-3 and refining on speed 1.


DSC07981 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07982 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07993 by RussZS, on Flickr

The finish was then assessed with CarPro Eraser to check that we weren't filling the defects:


DSC07995 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07996 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC07997 by RussZS, on Flickr

Much sharper!


DSC07998 by RussZS, on Flickr

The new Meguairs Pad Brush was also on test today, with pleasing results!


DSC07984 by RussZS, on Flickr

This combination was then used around the car, swapping out the 5" MF Disc for the 3" in more intricate places on the car.


DSC07976 by RussZS, on Flickr

Due to low paint readings, some defects remained on the bootlid:


DSC08008 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08012 by RussZS, on Flickr

After refining, the flake pop was superb:


DSC08032 by RussZS, on Flickr

Before:


DSC08033 by RussZS, on Flickr

After:


DSC08036 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08039 by RussZS, on Flickr

I finished up with:


DSC08042 by RussZS, on Flickr

and...


DSC08043 by RussZS, on Flickr

I've not used Best of Show for a long time and I'd forgotten just how nice to use it was and that it adds a lovely wet-shimmer to black paint. It was left on for 20-30 mins to cure, and removed effortlessly - big fan of this wax!

Finally, some afters:


DSC08047 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08048 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08051 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08053 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08055 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08056 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08057 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08062 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08069 by RussZS, on Flickr

Flake not muted at all from BOS:


DSC08070 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08076 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08078 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08081 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08082 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08085 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC08089 by RussZS, on Flickr

Thanks for reading 

Next up this week we have an Audi 3.2 V6 TT Roadster, black Range Rover Sport, Performance Blue Focus ST, BMW 335D Couple, Mini Cooper and I may just give my Golf some love!


DSC08090 by RussZS, on Flickr

Russ.


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## Racer (Oct 27, 2005)

Very Nice Russ :thumb:


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## Bill58 (Jul 5, 2010)

Fantastic result!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Racer said:


> Very Nice Russ :thumb:


Thanks Rui 



Bill58 said:


> Fantastic result!


Cheers Bill :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Trip tdi said:


> Nice work there Russ, have you got a new apprentice working for you, the correction and refining from the paint is spot on, nice work Russ as always :thumb:
> 
> Sorry to ask Russ, did you wet sand the defects behind the car at all and polish fully, where the Z3 badge is, plus along the way through the centre line as well.
> 
> Great work though :thumb:


Thanks 

Nope, no wet sanding on this one. Why do you ask please Trip?

Russ.


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

Nice work Russ as always :thumb:


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

MidlandsCarCare said:


> Thanks
> 
> Nope, no wet sanding on this one. Why do you ask please Trip?
> 
> Russ.


It's nothing Russ, just was curious nothing else :thumb:

Great work though on the car, the paint lifts off well for it's age, they are getting rarer by the years now, good to see one in great condition :thumb:


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Cracking job buddy :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Someone has just PM'd me about this pic saying it has hologramming on it:


DSC07998 by RussZS, on Flickr

In fact the 'item' to the left of the bulb is the sun gun itself and bottom left is my arm 

Russ.


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

There's no hologramming there at all, that's perfect, who mailed you Russ ?


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## andrewone (May 11, 2011)

Top work mate!! Was it as sticky as my paint??


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

andrewone said:


> Top work mate!! Was it as sticky as my paint??


Oh god no, your car was unlike anything I've seen before!!

Thank you 

How's BL holding up?


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## andrewone (May 11, 2011)

Lol it sure answered my question about what sticky paint was!! Yes holding up well have it a quick wash today and it's still beading nicely!! Will be detailing my mums mini at the weekend and it will be receiving a few coats of BL as its a superb wax!!
When will you be doing a write up for me??


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## Scrim-1- (Oct 8, 2008)

Very nice work Russ, how do you rate the new Menz finishing pad?


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

andrewone said:


> Lol it sure answered my question about what sticky paint was!! Yes holding up well have it a quick wash today and it's still beading nicely!! Will be detailing my mums mini at the weekend and it will be receiving a few coats of BL as its a superb wax!!
> When will you be doing a write up for me??


Very soon buddy, this along with 2 others is on a memory card that is at my friends house - I'm in the middle of moving house so not had time to go and get it yet I'm afraid. I promise I'll do it for you 



Scrim-1- said:


> Very nice work Russ, how do you rate the new Menz finishing pad?


It's excellent mate!! Seems to fall in between 3M Yellow and Blue, very nice indeed and much better than their older pad range!!

Russ.


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## ckeir.02mh (Jan 5, 2012)

Excellant Russ!!

That paint looked very tricky being soft (unusual for BMW), good results and hats off for sticking at it and finding a good, safe combination!

Chris.


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## Alzak (Aug 31, 2010)

Great work as always Russ, how about durability of BOS ??


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Looks great Russ! The car looks very nice! 

Looks like you're getting a ton of work too, great news mate! :thumb:


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## Swell.gr (May 7, 2008)

Very nice work buddy :thumb:


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## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

Cracking stuff Russ!


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## skorpios (Sep 11, 2011)

Brilliant work on an amazing car!!
Congrats Russ! :thumb:


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## JBirchy (Oct 9, 2010)

Looks awesome Russ! Not sure about the supsected hologramming though, looks perfect to me!

Almost a gold looking fleck in the paint? Amazing stuff!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

DMH-01 said:


> Cracking job buddy :thumb:


Thanks mate 



ckeir.02mh said:


> Excellant Russ!!
> 
> That paint looked very tricky being soft (unusual for BMW), good results and hats off for sticking at it and finding a good, safe combination!
> 
> Chris.


Thanks Chris. A lot of people say BMW is 'hard' but it's certainly not always the case!!



Alzak said:


> Great work as always Russ, how about durability of BOS ??


BOS is durable for 2-3 months I'd say, so not the best but certainly one of the better looking waxes. This car is a weekend toy and never comes out in the wet so I agreed with the owner to go for looks over functional durability.

Thanks 



-Raven- said:


> Looks great Russ! The car looks very nice!
> 
> Looks like you're getting a ton of work too, great news mate! :thumb:


Thank you 



Swell.gr said:


> Very nice work buddy :thumb:


Thanks Mike 



Ns1980 said:


> Cracking stuff Russ!


Cheers Nick :thumb:



skorpios said:


> Brilliant work on an amazing car!!
> Congrats Russ! :thumb:


Thank you 



JBirchy said:


> Looks awesome Russ! Not sure about the supsected hologramming though, looks perfect to me!
> 
> Almost a gold looking fleck in the paint? Amazing stuff!


I can see the small reflections so perhaps not the best pic to have selected but they are definitely that - reflections! 

Thanks all!! 

Russ.


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## Soul Hudson (Jul 5, 2011)

A great write up and a pleasure to read. Some great work on the paint work to hell of a flake pop.


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## deni2 (May 4, 2011)

Wow, very nice result on enhancement job.


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## dickyt (Jun 1, 2010)

Hello Russ,

Firstly a massive thank you for doing my car - I know you were not feeling too well, so credit to you for going ahead anyway.

Well, what can I say - I thought I was looking at a different car when I first saw it. You have done a truly amazing job, and my little Z3 looks like new and has turned out far better than I thought it could ever look.

The clarity and depth of shine is amazing, and I can now actually see the flake in the paint pop out. I think I better start saving up for a pot of the Swissvax!

Your write up, as ever, is great & it's awesome to see your own car shown on-line going through your transformation.

I am going to the Zfest at the Silverstone Classic in 3 weeks time, so I will be singing your praises to other Z3 owners.

Many thanks again from a VERY VERY satisfied customer!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

dickyt said:


> Hello Russ,
> 
> Firstly a massive thank you for doing my car - I know you were not feeling too well, so credit to you for going ahead anyway.
> 
> ...


Richard,

Thank you for the very kind words - massively appreciated indeed. I think I need a holiday as my immune system isn't the best at the moment!

Thanks again for choosing me and I'm glad you were pleased. I hope it stayed dry and clean for your journey home.

Thanks again,
Russ.


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## dickyt (Jun 1, 2010)

MidlandsCarCare said:


> Richard,
> 
> Thank you for the very kind words - massively appreciated indeed. I think I need a holiday as my immune system isn't the best at the moment!
> 
> ...


Russ, you know what they say...all work & no play! All credit to you though, there are not many people around prepared to work a full time job and then all weekend as well.

Yes, got home in the dry thanks & 99% clean bar the odd Bug splat. Managed to stop off in the grounds of the Chateaux Impney on the way home for a few sneaky photos myself.

What was the other (slightly cheaper) wax option you mentioned?


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

dickyt said:


> Russ, you know what they say...all work & no play! All credit to you though, there are not many people around prepared to work a full time job and then all weekend as well.
> 
> Yes, got home in the dry thanks & 99% clean bar the odd Bug splat. Managed to stop off in the grounds of the Chateaux Impney on the way home for a few sneaky photos myself.
> 
> What was the other (slightly cheaper) wax option you mentioned?


Swissvax Onyx is the cheaper option, which offers very similar looks but isn't quite as durable:

http://www.polishedbliss.co.uk/acatalog/swissvax-onyx.html

I look forward to seeing your pictures 

Thanks again,
Russ.


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## dickyt (Jun 1, 2010)

Not as good as your photos Russ - taken on my phone.


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## Bowler (Jan 23, 2011)

Good job Russ, growing desire to own a Z3 ideal second car (Toy)


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## AaronGTi (Nov 2, 2010)

Very nice workas always mate :thumb:

Flake pop is awesome :thumb:


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## dickyt (Jun 1, 2010)

Bowler said:


> Good job Russ, growing desire to own a Z3 ideal second car (Toy)


I know I am biased, but they make an affordable weekend toy and the 3ltr straight six doesn't hang around, plus it makes a lovely sound.
Russ has made it look a million dollars.


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

Russ have you tried the full combination of the new merzerna pads at all ? cutting polishing and finishing, if so what's the structure of the new pads plus the velcro system as well.


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## Rowan83 (Aug 21, 2007)

Stunning finish mate, I really need to try BOS on my car. How many months protection could you expect from 2-3 coats?


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## CleanDetail (Mar 7, 2009)

Looks well dude!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Trip tdi said:


> Russ have you tried the full combination of the new merzerna pads at all ? cutting polishing and finishing, if so what's the structure of the new pads plus the velcro system as well.


I have them all Trip, but have only used this black Finishing Pad so far, but they are MUCH better than the older, often brittle Menz Pads.



MatrixGuy said:


> Stunning finish mate, I really need to try BOS on my car. How many months protection could you expect from 2-3 coats?


Thanks buddy  I'd expect about 2-3 months tops from BOS, its more of a 'show' wax than out and out durability. It does look great whilst it lasts though!



Nick_CD said:


> Looks well dude!


Thanks Nick 

Russ.


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## Miguel Pestana (Feb 16, 2012)

great stuff as usual :thumb:


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## North east Car Care (Jan 14, 2008)

Cracking work Russ


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## OldskoolRS (May 5, 2011)

dickyt said:


> I know I am biased, but they make an affordable weekend toy and the 3ltr straight six doesn't hang around, plus it makes a lovely sound.
> Russ has made it look a million dollars.


I'm biased too (having a similar but slightly older 3.0 myself) but they really make a great weekend toy as a change from driving my company 320d Touring all week. Parts aren't very dear either so quite cheap to run if you're handy with the spanners (ignoring the 27mpg I get, or 30mpg on a run). 

It's a lovely job on this Z3, very surprised about the soft paint, but I guess this is why you don't assume and dive straight in with the coarsest polish. The depth of shine is amazing for a 10 year old car too. :thumb:


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## DetailMyCar (Apr 19, 2010)

Car came up lovely in the end, the Z3 is still looking nice and the 3.0 one is a cracking motor.

I think in 10 years they'll still look like a good option as a weekend toy, and no doubt parts will still be relatively easy to get due to the amount of them made and the amount of generic BMW parts used!

Great job though Russ, another good write up and some great pics.


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## dickyt (Jun 1, 2010)

OldskoolRS said:


> I'm biased too (having a similar but slightly older 3.0 myself) but they really make a great weekend toy as a change from driving my company 320d Touring all week. Parts aren't very dear either so quite cheap to run if you're handy with the spanners (ignoring the 27mpg I get, or 30mpg on a run).
> 
> It's a lovely job on this Z3, very surprised about the soft paint, but I guess this is why you don't assume and dive straight in with the coarsest polish. The depth of shine is amazing for a 10 year old car too. :thumb:


Thanks for the comments, good to hear from a fellow Z3 owner, especially the 3.0 ltr. Like your user name, they are a little "old school" but that's part of the appeal to me. In any case, I came from 4 years of a Tiger SuperCat kit car as my weekend toy, so the Z3 is luxurious by comparison!

I was surprised by Russ's discovery on the soft paint - not that I know what I am talking about, but I always thought BMW were know for their "Hard" paint?

I think I recognize you from the Zroadster forum? Are you going to the zfest at Silverstone later in the month?

Cheers

Richard


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## dickyt (Jun 1, 2010)

Russ, I meant to ask you about the Opti-Seal shown in one of the photos. What is this, and can I use this myself as part of a routine wash?

Did you put this on before the BOS wax as a sealant layer after the polishing stage?

Sorry to ask - just interested to know?

Cheers

Richard


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Hi Richard,

Apologies - the Opti Seal was used on the wheels for form a protective layer to allow you to clean them more easily. The paintwork just has BOS on it, which should keep it protected for at least 2-3 months, but I would expect longer as its not a daily car.

Regarding hardness - the car is not soft as such, but softer than expected, but I found this to be the case with an Alpina B3S I did recently too, when compared to something like the Imola 330ci I also did recently. I would suggest hardness wise this Z3 was around 6 out of 10, and most BMW's are 7-8 or so 

Thanks,
Russ.


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## Dellboi (Feb 26, 2012)

Stunning finish


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## dickyt (Jun 1, 2010)

MidlandsCarCare said:


> Hi Richard,
> 
> Apologies - the Opti Seal was used on the wheels for form a protective layer to allow you to clean them more easily. The paintwork just has BOS on it, which should keep it protected for at least 2-3 months, but I would expect longer as its not a daily car.
> 
> ...


Thanks for explaining Russ, you will have to excuse my ignorance! Interesting analogy on the paint.....looks like my car is about in the middle then? Neither a softie or a hard nut!
Any tips for keeping that bos shine mint after a wash? Do you recommend using anything like a quick detail spray, or just leave it as is?
Cheers
Richard


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## lowejackson (Feb 23, 2006)

Very impressive work :thumb:


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Very nice:thumb:


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## OldskoolRS (May 5, 2011)

dickyt said:


> Thanks for the comments, good to hear from a fellow Z3 owner, especially the 3.0 ltr. Like your user name, they are a little "old school" but that's part of the appeal to me. In any case, I came from 4 years of a Tiger SuperCat kit car as my weekend toy, so the Z3 is luxurious by comparison!
> 
> I was surprised by Russ's discovery on the soft paint - not that I know what I am talking about, but I always thought BMW were know for their "Hard" paint?
> 
> ...


Yes that's me from ZRoadster.net :thumb: I might have left it a bit late for the ZFest as I don't know if I'm working that weekend and won't know until the very last minute. I think it might then be too late to get a ticket and be on the parade lap.

My 'Oldskool' name is more due to my other car though as the Z3 is a youngster in comparison: The RS2000 has been off the road since before my Z3 was made.


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## Mark_H (Oct 31, 2007)

Great work Russ...Nice to see you making good use of the BOS....Sat in my fridge for months with no use !!!!!!!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks Mark. It's a cracking wax. Not durable enough to warrant £200 in reality but it certainly adds something to the finish


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## B&B Autostyle (Apr 4, 2010)

Looks stunning.:thumb:

have to agree with your views on BOS. It's not overly durable but the slick finish from it is hard to beat.


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## Socal Brian (Dec 4, 2011)

Great job Russ! How would you compare the Optimum microfibre pads to the Meguires pads?


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## lisaclio (Sep 6, 2008)

perfect results as always


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## Willows-dad (Jul 12, 2012)

Awesome work as always russ. I'd love to get my hands on a sample of bos for the a3.


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Missed this one Russ great correction and car looks fantastic as usual, how are you finding the grime out compared to BH and is it cost effective thanks Derek


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## Dan Clark (Jun 25, 2007)

Great detail. The Z3 still looks bloody nice imo!


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## leemckenna (Oct 11, 2011)

nice work russ this is one off the waxes i was looking at but carnt make my mind up between best of show sv shied or autofinesse desire


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## Lord Flashheart (May 5, 2011)

Absolutely brilliant work. The depth, shine and 'wetlook' are amazing.

Just wondering which DA machine you use? I'm in the market for a new machine. I only have an old Dewalt rotary and I'm looking for something to compliment it that is lighter and easier to use.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Lord Flashheart said:


> Absolutely brilliant work. The depth, shine and 'wetlook' are amazing.
> 
> Just wondering which DA machine you use? I'm in the market for a new machine. I only have an old Dewalt rotary and I'm looking for something to compliment it that is lighter and easier to use.


Thank you 

DA wise I have a couple of the CYC DAS-6 Pro's which have been faultless for me so far. I also have the Rupes Big Foot LHR 15E and will be adding the Festool DA at some point too. Then I have the RAP150 Festool Rotary and will be adding the RAP80 too to replace my 3M Rotary which I recently sold.


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## J W (Jul 26, 2012)

Great work


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## AntFunk (Aug 13, 2012)

Amazing job, I would like to get my car detailed!


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Looks well does this russ lad !!!

:thumb:


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