Ok guys, I defer to those smarter than me on these topics, hahaha. Got a new to me 2013 Cooper S, black paint white roof. This is her:



I have the day off tomorrow and I'm planning on spending it giving my new baby some love and a good wash, clay, wax etc.

My questions are...

1. Would a product like Meguiar's Ultimate Black Plastic Restorer be overkill since my trim isn't exactly faded? It's not super black, but the car has less than 3500 miles on it and it's been taken care of. Would I be better off just using a trim cleaner or dressing that's for maintenance and not neccesarily restoration?

2. The black paint is in decent shape but it already has some swirls and spider webbing since it's a coup years old. Polish before waxing? Any specific otc products that don't require an electric buffer that you guys like?

3. More of a maintenance question, I have the leatherette interior, which I've never had before. Any precautions I need to take as far as wiping it off if rain gets on it (like it did today in the torrential downpour we had)? Seems like common sense to me, but I guess I was wondering if it was an issue if it did get wet and I happened to miss it and didn't wipe it off.

Yes, I'm a tad ocd. Hahaha! Just wanna take good care of my mini!

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

First, spend some time exploring the 'Detailing 101' threads paying particular attention to those posts by 'octaneguy'. He also has some videos demonstrating various aspects of detailing and paint care. Visit his website at http://www.showcardetailing.com/
For your black trim you definitely want Black Wow from Show Car Detailing.
My choice of product is Griot's Garage but Meguiars is good stuff.
Only thing I'd recommend before polishing is to clay bar the paint.
Griot's interior cleaner works great on all inside surfaces and for quick cleanup after rain, Griot's Speed Shine is fantastic. Their microfiber cloths are made just for this purpose. Don't use the cheap dime store ones for anything but book shelves.

 

Thanks for the reply! I did pick up the Meguiar's clay bar kit so I am planning on doing that for sure, I am sort of limited to otc products for today since this will be the only day in the near future I have off to work on her. Just got the mini a couple days ago and I do plan on ordering some of the products I've read about on this forum. (Black wow, Prima products) I went with Megs stuff just because I've always heard good things about the brand.

I've always just washed and waxed, never clayed before (but I've watched a ton of videos and feel pretty good about trying it), and never polished before. That's the only step I'm really not sure on.

 

When you start the polish process just do an area at a time, a couple square feet then buff out the polish with the best car detailing specific microfiber cloths you can get. Use the same process with wax.
Don't ignore the engine bay, door frames and wheel wells either. When you show off your new ride, pop the bonnet and dazzle 'em.

 

Well I got most of it done today, phew! Took me 4 hours, but I did take the occasional vape break. Haha!

Got her washed, clayed, polished, and waxed. As far as I could tell (I was in shade) swirls are gone! She looks pretty spiffy too if I do say so myself. Not bad for a girl.







Still have to do the windows with Invisible Glass, the trim and dress the tires. I'll save it for another day though, my arms are jelly.

 

Dang! Nice work. Maybe consider putting away your pennies and dimes for a random orbital. The jelly in your arms will thank you.
The next thing on your list for now maybe should be a California Duster, any auto parts store like O'Reilly or others of that stripe will have them. That will really make keeping the dust under control a lot easier. I've used the same one for near 7 years.

 

Thanks! I definitely thought about that today as I buffed my arms off, but I'm afraid I'll mess up my paint with it. Gonna have to do some research on how to use them for the next time I'm due for a wax. I will probably wax her again right before winter so I have some time, lol. Thanks for all the advice!

 

Skip the duster! They hold grit and scratch your paint. Very noticeable on a black car.
You are better off buying a waterless wash to keep the dust at bay. I use Adam's and have been very pleased. Love their video library and the forums are extremely helpful.
I use black wow on my trim, I'm on my third MINI with the same bottle.
For the interior I use Adam's Leather Conditioner, they have a video on how to use it on perforated seats. It works wonders on all the interior bits, leather, leatherette, dash and doors.
Annette

 

Difference of opinion on dusters. I use mine all the time, no worries, but have no experience with a black finish. No sense in confusing the issue so maybe forgo that item.
As for a random orbital, it's hard to make a mistake. A direct drive on the other hand should only be used by professionals. With either one, the pads and the paint have to be absolutely clean or any contaminates will show up as swirls and holograms.
You did such a nice job done by hand, maybe stick with that and build some muscle.