This very clean 1990 BMW E30 came to us in a variety of red shades. Originally, this BMW was painted in a single stage paint, meaning the paint was not topped with a clear coat like most modern cars. In addition to adding depth to the paint, clear coat serves to protect the pigment from UV rays. Without this coat, paint can oxidize and lose its luster.
The beauty of single stage paint however is that by polishing away the top layer of oxidized paint, you reveal a fresh new coat, while eliminating scratches, swirls and etch marks, restoring its original condition. However, without UV protection, the paint will oxidize again, so in addition to a paint correction, we topped this car with Gtechniq’s EXO; a remarkable product providing UV protection, while leaving a deep gloss and incredible repelling properties for 2 years!
We started with a solid cleaning and measured the paint thickness around to car to ensure we have enough paint to safely polish. Other than the C-pillars, we had a comfortable working margin, so we were able to get as aggressive as we needed to be to get the job done. That said, we still did a fairly gentle correction to get the stunning results.
Progress was slow as we constantly were cleaning our pads to get rid of built up paint residue. But encouraged with the great results and the E30’s small surface area, we finished the whole correction in a day. Here are some before/after split shots, click any picture to enlarge.
The front right fender was resprayed and as a result had clear coat on it, prior to the correction, it did not match the passenger side door, which was more on the pink side.
After correction, a remarkable match considering the age difference in paints.
Following the correction, we topped this car with Gtechniq EXO, a quartz based long lasting sealant. EXO adds remarkable shine and slickness, while offering UV protection and repelling water for ~ 2yrs.
Here is a video the owner made, showing the car and its hatred for water:
Here are some pictures we took after all was set and done:
