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Author Topic: 2003 Mercedes ML 320  (Read 12086 times)

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Offline Blown F-150

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2003 Mercedes ML 320
« on: July 18, 2016, 01:36:37 PM »
Same one I did a few years ago. Back for another clean-up.
I picked it up Thursday.
Thursday night
 - Interior Vacuum
 - Seats cleaned with OPT Power Clean 3:1 and hit with PB Natural Look
 - Dash/trim cleaned and hit with Meg's HD 4:1
 - Exterior Two Bucket Wash
 - Wheels cleaned with Spray and Rinse
 - Clay with Nanoskin mitt
 - Tapped off

Interior befores





Tape job


Friday night
 - Started with Meg's MF cutting disk and MF cutting compound on the Rupes (5" pads)
 - Second step was M205 on a white LC pad (5") on the Rupes
 - LSP was menzerna Power Lock

Paint Before


 50/50 after cutting compound

50/50 between Cutting compound and M205


Saturday morning
 - Final paint check
 - Trim cleaned with Iso (lots of dead rubber)
 - Treated with Meg's Extrior trim restorer (Really need to buy some Blak-wow)
 - Wheel wheels hit with HD
 - Tires hit with Meg's Hot Spray

Afters




\

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Offline Kitzy

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2016, 08:37:49 PM »
Happy customer I'm sure!  Great work. 

I love the smell of black wow.  Good product.  I tend to use PB trim restorer more often because its easier and a little goes a long way. 
If you always do what you\'ve always done, you\'ll always get what you\'ve always got.

Offline Rollingrock

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2016, 08:42:47 PM »
dude, that looks great man.

How did they get it get so bad? 

Mike, funny I use the BlackWow more than the PB TR but it is a good product. 

Spay and Rinse wheel cleaner is freaking amazing stuff.   
Thanks for visiting the Cafe, come back often.  There's always something new!

Offline sscully

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2016, 10:45:57 PM »
Is that a CeramiClear vehicle ?
- Used to be the paint code started with a C if it was CeramiClear.

I am curious if you are seeing any difference in the details over the years.
Steve

Offline Blown F-150

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2016, 11:53:47 PM »
She was very happy with it. It also caught the attention of another co-worker that came and asked me about it today. His daily is a Porsche Turbo S and he wants me to look at it. We'll see if he follows up or not, but I told him I can't touch it till middle of August.
RR, I'm not sure how it got SO bad. I asked how/where she washed it and she said it was at a local place that does a "hand wash" and vacuum for $30. She does wash it often. It was very workable and obviously soft paint. The Cutting Compound and Rupes made really quick work of the first round. Both polishing steps were only about 4 hours.

Maybe I was inexperienced or not really paying attention last time, but the paint is really soft on this thing. I remember Steve asking about the CeramiClear last time and checked the tag under the hood. The code was 040 if I remember correctly. I think that is just the standard solid black. I should have taken a pic of the whole tag.

Again, not sure if it was experience or the Rupes, but it was a much faster process this time around. I like to think it's experience, lol.
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Offline Rollingrock

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #5 on: July 19, 2016, 12:14:41 AM »
She was very happy with it. It also caught the attention of another co-worker that came and asked me about it today. His daily is a Porsche Turbo S and he wants me to look at it. We'll see if he follows up or not, but I told him I can't touch it till middle of August.
RR, I'm not sure how it got SO bad. I asked how/where she washed it and she said it was at a local place that does a "hand wash" and vacuum for $30. She does wash it often. It was very workable and obviously soft paint. The Cutting Compound and Rupes made really quick work of the first round. Both polishing steps were only about 4 hours.

Maybe I was inexperienced or not really paying attention last time, but the paint is really soft on this thing. I remember Steve asking about the CeramiClear last time and checked the tag under the hood. The code was 040 if I remember correctly. I think that is just the standard solid black. I should have taken a pic of the whole tag.

Again, not sure if it was experience or the Rupes, but it was a much faster process this time around. I like to think it's experience, lol.

Good point to bring up CeramiClear...this paint should have it but not, and you feel it was soft that is a concern.   If not this would be a good candidate for Opti-Coat   I don't know paint codes but it was good of you to look and do a little research on it.  That was pretty heads up right there. 

I don't know the year and models of when they went to that paint but as an 03 I tend to feal like that was dual stage. 

I did a quick look up and it appears that MB has moved away from ceramic property clears in 2015.   I only know that Steve is at an OCD level that he will be able to tell us dates, times and lat long details about this paint.    LOL    :uugly:   :funny:

Thanks for visiting the Cafe, come back often.  There's always something new!

Offline sscully

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #6 on: July 19, 2016, 07:31:28 AM »
JP brings up a good point and I just recalled another point.

Keep in mind I do not touch MB's from this century under any circumstance; as not to run into repainting one.
- Infinity is another vehicle I will not touch with the self healing clear coat they used on some models in some years.  It is something goofy like IR heat lamps to remove defects on that clear.

2003 is on the edge of CeramiClear usage. 
CeramiClear was introduced in the early part of this century ( 2001 - 2004 ) and it was at the requests from MB that it be made.  This does not mean that every MB vehicle off the line had it that early either.
- Even in 2012 I cannot say with certainty that all MBs had it applied.

The other item of note, that was stuck in the back of my head and just came up; Canada's paint codes do not use the C in front of the number to denote its use. 
040 should be normal clear but in CAN that is not a cut and dry.  VIN decode is needed to verify which is applied over the color.

Supposition that I have would tell me that it is normal clear:
1) age - It is way early in the CC life which might only have it on higher end models ( again supposition )
2) that it corrected fine both times
- CC when the resin is gone from the surface, the clear will not finish correctly.

I would agree that it is experience that made it seem easier this time. 
From what I have read most modern MB paints are right in the center for correcting not putty soft or rock hard.

Sorry I had a senior moment and forgot I asked the last time. 

JP, sorry the lat-long pair I can only get into a hemisphere with MB clear coats; due to staying the F@#K away from them myself.  In insurance it is a called removing the risk..
Steve

Offline Too Stroked

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #7 on: July 19, 2016, 08:02:16 AM »
Awesome write-up and even nicer results! I wish I had the time to actually detail something these days.

Offline Blown F-150

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #8 on: July 19, 2016, 10:31:46 PM »
Thanks for the comments guys, It's great to get some other perspective on it.
 Jason, I only checked the code thanks to Steve mentioning it last time. So thanks Steve! Based on how easy the paint corrected, I really can't see it having the CeramiClear. Honestly, it's just a guess based on the paint code description and what I read online about how hard the CeramiClear is to correct.

I am going to grab her VIN just out of curiosity. Maybe we can get a final answer that way.

If it were anybody else's ride or I hadn't touched it before, I likely would have passed on it. I'm definitely going to head the advise and stay away from other Mercs. No need to take the chance, although If I get the Porsche and some of his buddies cars, I'll likely cough up the cash for insurance. I have a request for a quote out to my agent.  Apparently it's pretty cheap.

Now i have to find time to do the truck and Egde :boohoo:
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Offline Blown F-150

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #9 on: June 09, 2018, 08:31:22 PM »
Came back for some more love today.
Wash, clay, M205 and Menzerna PL as the LSP





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Offline Kitzy

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #10 on: June 10, 2018, 08:18:04 PM »
Looking good! 

I almost washed my truck this weekend.  But then I didn't.  Haha

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If you always do what you\'ve always done, you\'ll always get what you\'ve always got.

Offline Rollingrock

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2018, 11:38:14 PM »
It was good to read through this thread and see that it went back to 2016 on the same paint....and with different products the second time around.   

Nice work man.  Looks great

Thanks for visiting the Cafe, come back often.  There's always something new!

Offline sscully

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #12 on: June 11, 2018, 12:05:57 PM »
Nice work, turned out great.

Thank you for the follow up on multi passes on the same paint.
Steve

Offline Blown F-150

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #13 on: June 15, 2018, 07:31:56 PM »
Thanks all. It is very workable “soft” paint. Maybe why they offered the ceramic top coat on others.


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Offline Rollingrock

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Re: 2003 Mercedes ML 320
« Reply #14 on: June 18, 2018, 08:53:16 AM »
Thanks all. It is very workable “soft” paint. Maybe why they offered the ceramic top coat on others.


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I don't think they put ceramiclear on the 3 series paints.
Thanks for visiting the Cafe, come back often.  There's always something new!

 


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