Make Your Mercedes Mint in 5 Steps

It might seem like a first-world problem, having a dirty car, but when you delve into the reasons behind maintaining a mint Mercedes, science and finances come well before vanity metrics. Yes, a nice looking, polished and shiny car makes you proud and others envious, but there’s much more to it. This guide outlines the steps to create a mint Mercedes with a selection of products from our official partners, AutoGlym. But first, lets’ explore the science and financial aspects to maintaining a mint Merc.

Your car is exposed to an array of nasty elements on a day to day basis (depending on use), all of which are on a mission to degrade the components and materials your classic Mercedes was constructed from. Allowing these ‘nasties’ to linger will only speed up any deterioration. Dirt will ruin the paintwork, clog up drainage holes and tarnish chrome. Accelerated deterioration of your car will mean more replacement components will be need, which means the world must produce more materials. Likewise, in some cases, deterioration can lead to a car being scrapped, resulting in more new cars being on the road. In a nut shell, maintaining a classic car is recycling. This is the simple correlation with science and climate change.

From a financial perspective, you’ll be less likely to spend money on a car that has been well maintained in these areas. As we’ve alluded to, the deterioration of parts will ultimately mean more cash required to fix issues; it is therefore imperative to maintain a mint Merc to pinch the pennies and save the pounds in the long run.

So how, do you achieve a mint Merc? James, who leads our detailing team at SLSHOP outlines exactly how he approaches the exterior of any classic Mercedes-Benz.

1. Start with your wheels. James advises that this avoids any dirt being sprayed on to your vehicle if you were to tackle the wheels after the bodywork.

James’ Product of Choice: AutoGlym Clean Wheels

Approach:

a). Apply the product, agitating with a brush before rinsing off.

2. Pre-wash: This prepares the body work for the use of a PH Neutral Snow Foam

James’ Product of Choice: AutoGlym Polar Blaster

Approach:

a). Apply a blanket of foam to draw the dirt from the paint work.

b). Allow 1-2 minutes dwell time in the sun, or up to 5 minutes when there is cloud coverage.

c). Remove the foam from top to bottom with a normal water jet wash.

3. Contact Wash: Uses shampoo to nourish and remove remaining dirt from your bodywork.

James’ Product of Choice: AutoGlym Pure Shampoo

Approach: James advises carrying out this process away from sunlight.

a). Utilise two buckets: one to wash with shamoo and one with water to clean and remove shampoo. A grip guard will also help prevent swirling through the wash stages.

b). Apply shampoo in straight lines across the top first before moving on to the lower bodywork.

c). Finish with a rinse using clean water.

4. De-contamination

James’ Products of Choice: Autoglym Magma | Tar & Adhesive| Clay Bar

Approach:

a). Apply the Magma product to the relevant areas, which will turn red as it reacts with the iron particles, loosening them from the surface to be easily rinsed away.

b). Spray the Tar & Adhesive remover to the relevant area before wiping to remove all tar-spot deposits from your paintwork. These are generally found on the lower portion of your vehicle.

c). Separate the clay into two and mould into a flat surface in the palm of your hand. Use the detailer spray as a lubricant before applying the clay gently in straight lines across the paintwork.

d). Finish with a resin polish on an applicator pad, applying to one panel at a time, with a small circling motion to activate the cutting capabilities in the polish.

e). Buff afterwards with the finishing cloth.

5. Protection

James’ Products of Choice: Autoglym Rapid Ceramic Spray

Approach:

a). Apply sparingly across each panel.

b). Spread with one microfibre cloth.

c). Buff with a second cloth.

d). Once applied, this adds 3 months of hydrophobic protection.