What did you do to / for your E53 today??

[Ricky Bobby]

For the headlight lenses I would use Opti-Lens as it's a more permanent coating.

Four8, looks phenomenal! If you use a high quality sealant you can probably just add a coat every 3-4 months or so, I get about 4 months out of a coat of the Menzerna sealant I use. Traditional natural waxes like carnauba paste wax, etc yes he is correct will need to be applied monthly as their lifespan is shortened greatly compared to a synthetic sealant.

For dent removal I would just pay a pro to do it, well worth it at 40-50 per dent as opposed to monkeying around with it myself. I have 3-4 to remove and plan on hiring a PDR guy to do it

[jsoto]

$45-50 per dent. Name your source.
I use Brunos over in Elmwood

My go to guy is great - but he charges per panel....Not really a cost effetive option when you just need 1 dent pulled out.

[Riggodeaux]

FourEight, After refurbishing my headlight lenses, I installed the urethane covers, cut to fit our lenses, from Weathertech. They seem to be holding up well.

[thrillcat]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

For the headlight lenses I would use Opti-Lens as it's a more permanent coating.

Thanks for the tip!

[thrillcat]

Originally Posted by Riggodeaux

FourEight, After refurbishing my headlight lenses, I installed the urethane covers, cut to fit our lenses, from Weathertech. They seem to be holding up well.

How difficult is installation on those, what with the contours of the headlamp? And do they hold up in cold weather?

I was curious, as the Mother's NuLens kit I used came with a 20% off coupon code for those (I think it was these, at least a comparable product), but I always goof those types of products up and wind up with a stupid bubble in the worst possible spot. Hence, I was looking at something I could apply to the lens as a spray or polish.

[Ricky Bobby]

Originally Posted by jsoto

$45-50 per dent. Name your source.
I use Brunos over in Elmwood

My go to guy is great - but he charges per panel....Not really a cost effetive option when you just need 1 dent pulled out.

You use Bruno too? He is the man! Did a good job on Naz's old car, I have to give him a call soon for mine


@thrillcat, Riggo is referring to the Laminx type covers for headlight protection so you won't get any new headlight rash from debris on the roads and such, the Opti-Lens is just a coating so that the UV fading doesn't come back but if you want protection from road debris you should look into the clear film covers, Lamin-X, 3M, and Xpel are all popular brands. If you have a local clear bra installer as well they can apply Paint Protection Film to the lenses, either free-cut or pre-cut.

[Jungerishere]

Looks good. What brand of wax do guys use?

Originally Posted by four.8is

he advised to maintain the buff that I should hand wax it at least once a month...

[Ricky Bobby]

I use Menzerna Power Lock sealant. Topped with Collinite 845 or 916 paste wax occasionally.

The power lock gives me the longevity and durability of a sealant while the Collinite waxes are regarded as some of the best traditional waxes made.

I do not use any waxes or products containing any filling or masking properties as I prefer to see my X as she appears and not put any "makeup" on any imperfections.

[four.8is]

Originally Posted by Ricky Bobby

I use Menzerna Power Lock sealant. Topped with Collinite 845 or 916 paste wax occasionally.

The power lock gives me the longevity and durability of a sealant while the Collinite waxes are regarded as some of the best traditional waxes made.

I do not use any waxes or products containing any filling or masking properties as I prefer to see my X as she appears and not put any "makeup" on any imperfections.

RB, what is the purpose of a sealant?My friend said he used a 3 stage 3M product to detail my car..would I need a sealant on top?
ever used the Sonax polymer net shield ?how does it compare to the Menzerna power lock?Any tips on applying the sealant?
Thanks

[Joshdub]

RB and four.8is, your paint looks really nice. The blue is just awesome.



Today was like Christmas for the X5



My mailbox was hilariously stuffed.

Got new roundels front and rear from BMW, a ZHP knob (I'll get the non ///M pattern soon), door lock repair kit, and 2014 maps for the nav.

I never had a stock knob on my E30 to compare against the ZHP. Man it makes such a huge difference.



Fresh roundels look much better compared to the peeling old ones.