Tailpipe chrome finish renewal and "M" wheel emblems - The Unofficial BMW M5 Messageboard (m5board.com)

victorm5 · 29th April 2009, 00:27

I'm a newbie here so please bear with me -

I got my 01' M5 a couple of weeks ago and noticed the tailpipes are quite dull looking and lacking the original chrome shiny look. After reading how sensational the Meguiars NXT All Metal Polish is in restoring metal finish, I ordered and received it by mail yesterday. Any advice from those who have restored their chrome tailpipe finish or used this product before I start applying this polish? BTW, I have also ordered a set of 4 "M" emblems for 3 of my wheels that are missing them. Do these things fall off easily? Should I apply a certain adhesive to ensure they don't fall off again? Thanks in advance.

phil@detailersdomain · 29th April 2009, 01:22

clean them up , the apply the metal polish with an old rag or applicator pad, then buff to a shine.

read the instructions that should help as well. GL and post pictures!

victorm5 · 29th April 2009, 03:00

Thank you Philip. I'll certainly post some pics when I'm done. Can't wait to see the results.

Victor

phil@detailersdomain · 29th April 2009, 03:16

GL and have fun.

victorm5 · 27th May 2009, 06:56

I finally did it - here are the before and after pics.

I tried the Meguiars NXT All Metal Polish first but despite rubbing it repeatedly it didn't remove the dullness from the tailpipes. So I tried the good old inexpensive household trick of SOS pads (with water) and they performed magic!! The dullness was 95% removed by these pads.

Then I wiped off any residue left by the SOS pads with a clean wet rag and polished them with NXT at the end.

I was so glad that these tailpipes can be renewed this way as I was afraid I had to either put on new tips on them or replace with new exhaust pipes.

Mfreakin5 · 29th May 2009, 05:58

wow, that's a huge difference, nice work!

Justin13 · 30th May 2009, 02:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by victorm5

I finally did it - here are the before and after pics.

I tried the Meguiars NXT All Metal Polish first but despite rubbing it repeatedly it didn't remove the dullness from the tailpipes. So I tried the good old inexpensive household trick of SOS pads (with water) and they performed magic!! The dullness was 95% removed by these pads.

Then I wiped off any residue left by the SOS pads with a clean wet rag and polished them with NXT at the end.

I was so glad that these tailpipes can be renewed this way as I was afraid I had to either put on new tips on them or replace with new exhaust pipes.

+1 on the SOS pads. The polishes are all B.S. The first thing you need to do is get all of the carbon deposits off the pipes and the best way is with steel wool. I used a super fine grit of 0000 with water (and an industrial grade acid I got from my detailer..thanks Chris from All in the Details

) and was able to get the pipes very clean. I followed up with both Meguairs and Eagle 1 polish wadding (I think Eagle 1 is a little better) and was able to get them looking good again. No doubt the steel wool is the key

Tailpipe chrome finish renewal and "M" wheel emblems-car-photos-036.jpg

Mfreakin5 · 30th May 2009, 07:35

Those results are amazing, those pipes look new! I'm curious though, have either of you guys tried the P21S metal polishing soap? I bought some and I was going to give my pipes a go with the stuff but now I'm leaning towards steel wool and some elbow grease instead.

Justin13 · 30th May 2009, 08:45

Elbow grease and steel wool are way more important than the polish. Best thing to do is start with a fine grade (0000) and be sure to lubricate it with water. I used an industrial grade acid but I also sprayed water to neutralize it after minimal rubbing. IMO, the wool is more important than the cleaning agent. Lots of scrubbing here is advised.

Rinse everything off thoroughly and then apply your polish. I tried both Meguairs mirror glaze (basically same stuff as NXT with a different label) and also the Eagle 1 polish wadding. I found Eagle 1 to be easier and faster to apply as its a liquid rather than a paste with better overall results. The Eagle 1 is great because you can use a microfiber to buff out the residue left behind where as the paste turns your microfiber or terry cloth towels black

It also costs about half the price of the NXT or P21S.

Best of luck and be sure to show pix!

victorm5 · 30th May 2009, 10:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mfreakin5

Those results are amazing, those pipes look new! I'm curious though, have either of you guys tried the P21S metal polishing soap?

Yes, I found it amazing too that these chrome tips could be so easily renewed. When I was doing them, it reminded me of polishing our kitchen cooking pots with SOS pads. No I haven't tried the P21S - but who needs to spend the extra $$ to get these special metal polish gadgets when you can accomplish your goal with just simple household cleaning pads? To tell you the truth, the tips looked pretty shiny and smooth right after I used the pads so the NXT only made a subtle difference afterward.