Originally Posted by Xenon

Well in two days I'm going to detail my E70, and I had a couple of questions for the veterans.

Since this X5 has some pretty dull paint (black), I bought mothers 3 stage wax/polish, which will require 3 separate applications. I've also bought the mothers clay bar kit for prepping the surfaces. I've already cleaned out all the mud, and will take the pressure washer & sheepskin mitts to it again before any work will be done on it. Once it's washed I will bring it in the garage to dry it off and complete the other work.

My first question is, does the plastic bumpers, and other plastic parts (like the divider between the front and rear windows, get the clay bar and the waxes like everything else, or should special consideration be given to them?

The general consensus is when using a random orbital buffer, light application is the best, should I avoid putting too much pressure down on it?

For smaller areas like the a-pillars and any other harder to reach spots, will a microfiber cloth + the wax/polish work good doing it by hand, or is the orbital polisher the only way I should do it.

Lighting wise, what is the optimal conditions to ensure that I'm addressing any light swirl marks, and not killing my paint at the same time? I was planning on using some halogen painting/work lights, and using a handheld florescent work light to inspect individual areas. Could this be done better?

If anyone has any helpful tips on ensuring a quality job, please feel free to give any advice.