[squidlyboy]

I was a little hesitant to do any type of heavy polishing on the B-Pillar trim pieces on my new 2014 F30 as this is my first BMW and i had no idea how delicate the paint was on these seemingly fragile high-gloss pieces between the side windows. I heard that the paint on these trim pieces are very delicate and light/thin, so i was a little leery about touching them, but the swirls were driving me nuts. So after a few beers tonight, i grew a pair and decided to take the plunge.

I'm definitely not a pro, and would barely call myself a detailing enthusiast - this is my first time doing any type of polishing, and i had no idea what i was doing. I purchased a multi-speed DA orbital polisher from Harbor Freight today for $50 along with some pads and got some Meguiar's 105 and 205 from my local Autozone, and here are the results. i started with the 105 cutting compound, then finished up with the 205 finishing/polishing.

Its not perfect, but it looks much better than it did before, and it was only about 10 minutes of work. I did only the driver side, and here are the pics of both sides to serve as before/after pics.

i wish i had some Opti-Coat 2.0 to seal it but i heard it was discontinued recently. Looking for some recommendations for another sealant product that performs as well/better.

[X2 Monstah]

Looks much better! I wonder if applying a paint protection film on the pillars would work. I assume so. Anyone have any thoughts on that? I actually changed mine out for matte black ones, but I like the gloss black better.

[Alan_NJ]

For not even being an enthusiast you sure went an enthusiast route getting a DA and some proper compound and polishes!

Came out nice too.

Did you throw any wax on it yet?
You need to do that after any sort of polishing, and I bet if you get a good quality carnauba wax youll see less of that haze and a deeper gloss.

[retiredmarine]

Damn that looks really good. I think I might try this, I have some cerium oxide that I'm going to use to polish some scratches out of my windows, I wonder if it would work for this?

[Ali Shiralian]

Originally Posted by BSM F30

Looks much better! I wonder if applying a paint protection film on the pillars would work. I assume so. Anyone have any thoughts on that? I actually changed mine out for matte black ones, but I like the gloss black better.

Yes, when I Opti coated the car, the guy paid especial attention to that area and specifically told me not to grab that area when closing the doors. After six months they still look great and no scratches on them.

[squidlyboy]

Originally Posted by Alan_NJ

For not even being an enthusiast you sure went an enthusiast route getting a DA and some proper compound and polishes!

Came out nice too.

Did you throw any wax on it yet?
You need to do that after any sort of polishing, and I bet if you get a good quality carnauba wax youll see less of that haze and a deeper gloss.

Thanks for the kind words - i haven't thrown any wax on it yet, but i'll give it a go tonight after work. I have some left over carnuba that i can use. I think the worst part about the work is the haze you are referring to. I'm using a finishing pad with 205 which i thought would get rid of the remaining haze, but i guess there's some additional skill/work involved to get it perfect. I'm afraid to overdo these areas and risk damage by doing more polishing. We'll see how the wax enhances it. Thanks for the tip!!

[Sabo]

Those B pillar trims are not painted only high gloss plastic so no need need to worry about over polishing it. I use the same products to get rid of the swirls usually 205 is enough.

[Fronzdan]

Originally Posted by squidlyboy

I was a little hesitant to do any type of heavy polishing on the B-Pillar trim pieces on my new 2014 F30 as this is my first BMW and i had no idea how delicate the paint was on these seemingly fragile high-gloss pieces between the side windows. I heard that the paint on these trim pieces are very delicate and light/thin, so i was a little leery about touching them, but the swirls were driving me nuts. So after a few beers tonight, i grew a pair and decided to take the plunge.

I'm definitely not a pro, and would barely call myself a detailing enthusiast - this is my first time doing any type of polishing, and i had no idea what i was doing. I purchased a multi-speed DA orbital polisher from Harbor Freight today for $50 along with some pads and got some Meguiar's 105 and 205 from my local Autozone, and here are the results. i started with the 105 cutting compound, then finished up with the 205 finishing/polishing.

Its not perfect, but it looks much better than it did before, and it was only about 10 minutes of work. I did only the driver side, and here are the pics of both sides to serve as before/after pics.

i wish i had some Opti-Coat 2.0 to seal it but i heard it was discontinued recently. Looking for some recommendations for another sealant product that performs as well/better.

Well done!! These damn things swirl up so easily.

[Max@TMB]

Nice work, big improvement compared to before. How did you like the Harbor Freight DA? I use a Griot's DA and find it vibrates pretty severely at higher speed..

[squidlyboy]

Originally Posted by Fronzdan

Well done!! These damn things swirl up so easily.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Max@TMB

Nice work, big improvement compared to before. How did you like the Harbor Freight DA? I use a Griot's DA and find it vibrates pretty severely at higher speed..

Thanks - i don't notice real heavy vibrations at the higher speed, but then again, i don't really have anything to compare it to as its my first polisher i've used. The extra handle helps though with stability through the tight areas. I seem to read a lot about the Porter Cable 7424, but it was a little more than i wanted to spend. This one from Harbor Freight was on sale for $67, then, with the 20% coupon, it was close to $50. The minimum features i wanted was 1) 6-inches 2) multi-speed and 2) dual-action (random orbit). This one has a top-speed of 6400 opm, and i know a lot of other polishers can go way faster, but it seems to do the trick.

[squidlyboy]

Originally Posted by SZABO

... I use the same products to get rid of the swirls usually 205 is enough.

I just noticed this comment. I was actually debating whether or not 105 was necessary. I know the general rule of thumb is to start with the least abrasive then go higher if needed. But i was watching a Chemical Guys YouTube video just before doing the work and the dude was doing b-pillar swirl removal using both a cutting compound along with a finishing/polishing compound (similar to 105/205). It wasn't an F30, but the b-pillar material looked to be the same/similar, and it looked like it was taking the cutting compound pretty well.

I still haven't done the passenger side, but i'll try doing 205 only this weekend. Thanks!

[jondaman]

Originally Posted by squidlyboy

I was a little hesitant to do any type of heavy polishing on the B-Pillar trim pieces on my new 2014 F30 as this is my first BMW and i had no idea how delicate the paint was on these seemingly fragile high-gloss pieces between the side windows. I heard that the paint on these trim pieces are very delicate and light/thin, so i was a little leery about touching them, but the swirls were driving me nuts. So after a few beers tonight, i grew a pair and decided to take the plunge.

I'm definitely not a pro, and would barely call myself a detailing enthusiast - this is my first time doing any type of polishing, and i had no idea what i was doing. I purchased a multi-speed DA orbital polisher from Harbor Freight today for $50 along with some pads and got some Meguiar's 105 and 205 from my local Autozone, and here are the results. i started with the 105 cutting compound, then finished up with the 205 finishing/polishing.

Its not perfect, but it looks much better than it did before, and it was only about 10 minutes of work. I did only the driver side, and here are the pics of both sides to serve as before/after pics.

i wish i had some Opti-Coat 2.0 to seal it but i heard it was discontinued recently. Looking for some recommendations for another sealant product that performs as well/better.

Hi, dude, Saw you thread here.
I have some left over Opti-Coat 2.0. We can get those B-pillars sealed up if you want.

[squidlyboy]

Thanks man - we'll have to go grab some brewskis again with Marc08FX soon - got some questions for ya later on how you like Opti products in general.

Great job on the bumper this week BTW. I wish i could've stuck around to see you drive it outta your garage, but had dinner plans. But looks totally dope bro! Way more mean and aggeressive looking than the stock bumper

[smithf80]

I would never use 105 on that plastic, only a fine finishing polish, since it is such soft paint.

I wouldn't use 205 simply because it doesn't finish down well, notice how your trim now looks hazy in the after picture? Thats all micro marring.

Take a look at the pillars on this M6 gran coupe I did (perfect reflection, no hazing):

[guitarman]

I used Xpel on my A,B,C pillars and they still look great, after more than a year. I learned on my last car, with similar B pillars, that this area becomes a challenge to maintain.
BTW, DIY fix up looks great!

[Busa1]

Originally Posted by smithf32

I would never use 105 on that plastic, only a fine finishing polish, since it is such soft paint.

I wouldn't use 205 simply because it doesn't finish down well, notice how your trim now looks hazy in the after picture? Thats all micro marring.

Take a look at the pillars on this M6 gran coupe I did (perfect reflection, no hazing):

Car looks great. What polish/pad combo did you use? You are a Menzerrna guy as well I believe, right? SF4500 or SF4000

[jondaman]

Originally Posted by Busa1

Car looks great. What polish/pad combo did you use? You are a Menzerrna guy as well I believe, right? SF4500 or SF4000

Dude, what wheels are those. THEY ARE SICK!!! I WANT!!

[Detailers Domain]

great job!

[aacabriolet]

Originally Posted by smithf32

I would never use 105 on that plastic, only a fine finishing polish, since it is such soft paint.

I wouldn't use 205 simply because it doesn't finish down well, notice how your trim now looks hazy in the after picture? Thats all micro marring.

Take a look at the pillars on this M6 gran coupe I did (perfect reflection, no hazing):

Nice, so why don't you share what you used

[smithf80]

Originally Posted by Busa1

Car looks great. What polish/pad combo did you use? You are a Menzerrna guy as well I believe, right? SF4500 or SF4000

Originally Posted by aacabriolet

Nice, so why don't you share what you used

Whoops sorry, thought I did.

Black pad with SF4000 (I think, pretty sure its 4000)

[rustyminded]

Followed

[Andrewthefirst]

Good thread squidlyboy, I will follow your example, grow a set myself, and tackle mine. This really bugs me about my car.