Some of you that have been following BMWBLOG for a while might remember that I personally own a BMW 1M in Valencia Orange. I purchased the car from JMK BMW in 2011, picked it up in Germany and toured the country, thanks to the BMW European Delivery. Needless to say, this was easily my best car purchase to date. Not only is the 1M a super fun car to drive – the last of its kind – but also a future classic. Or a classic already, some may argue. Therefore, I’ve been treating my 1M with the utmost respect and care, which means no winter driving – Chicago can be rough in winter – and lots of TLC.
Which brings me to the topic at hand today. A full detail of my 1M through a partnership with the local Dr. Beasley’s. No money has changed hands in the deal and this is purely a natural partnership that dates as far back as 2013. The folks at Dr. Beasley’s often hold some detailing workshops to showcase their latest products, so they’re always interested in having some cool cars to work on. It’s now August 2019, nearly fours years since my last full detail and the 1M heads over to their shop.
Firstly, they washed the vehicle to remove any loose contaminants. Tires were revitalized and protected with Dr. Beasley’s Tire Conditioner. From there, they set out to conduct a paintwork enhancement to get the paint in good condition for coating. This not only assures a better gloss but also optimizes for a more durable bond with the clear coat.
The enhancement was done by first chemically decontaminating the paintwork with a new Dr. Beasley’s chemical decontaminant product (not yet released). Next, they clayed the car to remove residual contamination and proceeded with the enhancement. Dr. Beasley’s experts used an experimental fine polish from their new polish line (not yet released) with a soft foam pad. Because clear coats are so thin, it’s important to start with minimally aggressive pads and polish to only remove as much as needed. Once the enhancement work was done we cleared the surface of all oils and residue with a new Dr. Beasley’s panel cleanser product (also not yet released).
With the surface in pristine condition and clear of all residual impurities, they were ready to jump into coating with Nano-Resin Pro. Nano-Resin Pro comes in a kit (Nano-Resin Pro Kit) that includes a 2 oz spray bottle of Paint Coating Prep, a 1 oz bottle of Nano-Resin Pro, two pipettes for siphoning the coating and two suede cloths with a foam block applicator.
First step is to prepare the initial panel with Paint Coating Prep, spraying and wiping to lay anchor points for the coating to bond with. Then using the pipette, the detailers place 7-10 drops of Nano-Resin Pro on a suede cloth-wrapped foam block applicator. The panel is then coated, getting full coverage through use of a crosshatch application pattern. After the panel is complete, they thoroughly wipe down after 30 seconds to a minute.
Because the coating is 100% solids, there is no solvent that must flash off before removal. This process is then repeated across the vehicle, going one panel or small section at a time. Next, they bake the coating under IR lights to accelerate curing. This kind of curing also improves bond durability between the clear coat and Nano-Resin Pro. A little bit on Nano-Resin Pro: According to Dr. Beasley’s, it uses high-end ingredients uncommon in the automotive nanocoating industry. These ingredients, while expensive, utilize durable ceramic elastomers that extend longevity to near-permanence and display unique characteristics such as flexibility and even natural self-healing of minor micro-marring.
They also told me that the coating’s nanostructure is also engineered specifically for low sliding angle hydrophobicity, which means that when water beads form from surface wetting, they tend to roll off more easily in comparison to other coatings. This is very important to have if you get water spots a lot. The 1M is now ready for the final touches, which includes the tire conditioner.
Last step is the buffing process which gives the car that shinny coat we all crave for. So it comes as no surprise that the Valencia Orange color pops up more than ever.
