Very Tired BMW M3 Fully Restored with Multi-Stage Paint Correction

Tired BMW M3 Fully Restored with Multi-Stage Paint Correction

Wow! That is all we could say when we got this BMW M3 into the shop to access what needed to be done. The car was recently purchased and the owner brought it straight to us to get the paint in order. The previous 8 years had not been kind to this once beautiful vehicle. However, the new owner and the team at Jay’s could see the underlying beauty was still there . We just needed to bring it out. This is the type of job that separates the real pros from the pretenders. It would take all the skills we had learned to correct this surface using a multi-stage paint correction, but keep reading to see how we accomplished what most shops would think was impossible.

The very first step is to get the paint absolutely clean from all contaminants on the surface. This starts with a soaking foam bath to loosen any dirt followed by a meticulous wash. This process will remove any contaminants not adhered to the paint. To remove the stuff that is adhered, we move on to the process cleaning the paint with clay bar.

What you see below is the “after” picture of the pieces of a blue clay bar we used on this vehicle to remove the adhered contaminants. This process will grab the contaminant with the clay and remove it from the paint surface it is embedded in. Usually, on a vehicle this size, this clay would have a slight brown tinge to it after cleaning the paint. This paint had so many contaminants that the bar was almost black by the time we finished. This is the worst I have ever seen a clay bar after a vehicle cleaning! This was further proof of just how bad the paint on this vehicle was upon arrival.

Now that the paint is thoroughly clean, it is time to access just how bad things are under the proprietary lighting system we use at Jay’s to clarify any imperfection in the surface. I will let the picture below of the rear trunk-lid speak for itself. Every square inch of this car was either scratched or had a paint stain from a bird dropping or other acidic contaminant.

Time to get to work! As you can see in the following picture sequences, we attempt to show the panels with a 50/50 perspective of half being corrected and half still uncorrected. This allows you to know that the improvement is not the result of a camera angle or lighting. The transformation in the surface is nothing short of amazing.

This is that same trunk-lid from the picture above. Hard to believe this is the same car!

Hard water stains embedded along with the swirl marks and scratches. Correcting this takes patience and proper technique.

Restored to a flawless finish.

Another 50/50 of the door. Same light, same angle. We tape off one side so that you can see the side by side transformation.

Same door now fully corrected. Look at the clarity of the floor reflection in the paint.

Door thresholds and side valences are notorious high wear areas and these were no different. The complex contours make it difficult to get into every nook, but we have specialized tools that enable is to reach every corner.

Again, it is hard to believe this is the same panel. To achieve these results on a black paint that was so badly damaged is amazing. We do not say this to praise our own work, we just know the level of time and expertise it takes to get these results. We have spent many years fine tuning our craft and we are proud of the results that we can achieve.

Can a hood look much worse? This thing had nearly every type of imperfection. The hood is hard to get perfect as it is such a big panel and it usually has significant damage from automated car washed, etching from bird dropping left on too long, etc. It is also in an area that any flaw is easily detected by someone looking at the car. This panel has to be right and it is the hardest to make flawless.

However, check out the results under the lights. All swirls, stains, etching, etc are gone. This paint is restored back to a factory level of freshness.

Now that the multi-stage paint correction was completed, we applied our CQuartz Ceramic Paint Coating to protect and preserve this newly restored finish. You can see from the results below that the vehicle paint has a level of shine, clarity and depth that I think most people though was lost forever.


At Jay’s Detail, we specialize in hard cases like this vehicle. Lots of shops can throw a coat of wax on a new car and call themselves detailers. It take a level of experience, expertise, attention to detail and the proper tools to get results like you see above. The owner of this BMW was literally jumping around in the parking lot when they saw the finished car. They had no idea it would turn out this good and they could not be happier.

Look at our work and read our reviews to see why we are the #1 shop in Texas for multi-stage paint correction. There is a difference between the discount shops and the quality craftsmanship you will find at Jay’s. Jay’s Detail pays attention to the details in order to give you a superior result every time. When you are ready for the very best, call the pros at Jay’s Detail at Call 210-863-1633 or email us at jaysdetail@gmail.com for your paint correction, paint coating and paint protection film needs.

Leave a Comment