Detailing an i3

I've not got an i3 yet, so maybe current owners can answer my question: what is the actual surface finish of an i3's body? Is it raw plastic? plastic with acrylic paint over it? painted plastic with a clear coat laquer on top? And whatever it is, what type of sealant or wax are owners using to preserve the finish? My current painted-and-laquered steel bodied car gets sealant topped with a wax once a year but I'm not sure that the same compounds will work as well on a plastic body.

bryand said:

I've not got an i3 yet, so maybe current owners can answer my question: what is the actual surface finish of an i3's body? Is it raw plastic? plastic with acrylic paint over it? painted plastic with a clear coat laquer on top? And whatever it is, what type of sealant or wax are owners using to preserve the finish? My current painted-and-laquered steel bodied car gets sealant topped with a wax once a year but I'm not sure that the same compounds will work as well on a plastic body.

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Depend on Marmalite.

BUMWA said:

Depend on Marmalite.

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I'm guessing this isn't a yeast-based spread you put on buttered toast (see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/road-and-rail-transport/8922164/20-ton-Marmite-spill-blocks-M1-motorway.html), so is it a wax or what?

SOmebody said, and I cannot confirm, that the plastic body panels have the color embedded into them in manufacture, i.e., no paint. In a typical car, paint adds maybe 50+ pounds, so color embedded in the panels seems like a logical decision to help keep the weight down.

jadnashuanh said:

SOmebody said, and I cannot confirm, that the plastic body panels have the color embedded into them in manufacture, i.e., no paint. In a typical car, paint adds maybe 50+ pounds, so color embedded in the panels seems like a logical decision to help keep the weight down.

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Yes that makes sense, but if, as I believe, the panels are polypropylene (PP) they will degrade in UV light, so I would expect there to be some protective coating.

jadnashuanh said:

SOmebody said, and I cannot confirm, that the plastic body panels have the color embedded into them in manufacture, i.e., no paint. In a typical car, paint adds maybe 50+ pounds, so color embedded in the panels seems like a logical decision to help keep the weight down.

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Can't be right because my car was delivered with a chip in a rear panel.

The manufacturing videos BMW made for the i3 show the panels being painted. What I found interesting is that they are painted individually before any assembly.

bryand said:

... what is the actual surface finish of an i3's body?

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I do not know whether or not there is some sort of protective final clear coat, but the color is impregnated throughout the thickness of the thermoplastic composite body panels, so scratches will not show up as a different color. According to this article about i3 manufacturing http://www.automotivemanufacturingsolutions.com/focus/switching-on-to-electric:

All visible body parts are impregnated with colour, thus eliminating the need for a painting stage on the assembly line.

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ultraturtle said:

According to this article about i3 manufacturing http://www.automotivemanufacturingsolutions.com/focus/switching-on-to-electric:

All visible body parts are impregnated with colour, thus eliminating the need for a painting stage on the assembly line.

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Perhaps the "painting" I saw in the BWM i3 manufacturing videos was just a surface treatment like a clear coat. It sure looked like a robotic spray painting operation handling individual body panels.

i3Alan said:

Perhaps the "painting" I saw in the BWM i3 manufacturing videos was just a surface treatment like a clear coat. It sure looked like a robotic spray painting operation handling individual body panels.

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I think somebody on this forum got a factory tour and might be able to clarify. Tom, maybe?

I assume the raw material would not have such a shiny finish, so they probably did something?

ultraturtle said:

bryand said:

... what is the actual surface finish of an i3's body?

Click to expand...

I do not know whether or not there is some sort of protective final clear coat, but the color is impregnated throughout the thickness of the thermoplastic composite body panels, so scratches will not show up as a different color. According to this article about i3 manufacturing http://www.automotivemanufacturingsolutions.com/focus/switching-on-to-electric:

All visible body parts are impregnated with colour, thus eliminating the need for a painting stage on the assembly line.

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Sorry to dredge this one up (I'm going backwards to glean all tidbits of information) but the quote above is for the CFRP parts, not the body panels. The article (and video agrees) says:

The painted multi-piece skin is made up mainly of injectionmoulded thermoplastics such as those used in conventional vehicle manufacturing (eg, front/rear aprons, side sills). The coloured plastic mouldings are bolted to the inner cell of the life module at special mounting points which cannot be seen from the outside.

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bryand said:

I've not got an i3 yet, so maybe current owners can answer my question: what is the actual surface finish of an i3's body? Is it raw plastic? plastic with acrylic paint over it? painted plastic with a clear coat laquer on top? And whatever it is, what type of sealant or wax are owners using to preserve the finish? My current painted-and-laquered steel bodied car gets sealant topped with a wax once a year but I'm not sure that the same compounds will work as well on a plastic body.

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The top coat doesn't appear to be much different than a standard automotive clear coat. Based on some door edge chips I have I would judge the i3 "color" coat to be a bit on the thin side for automotive paint.

I've been able to use all of the same products that I used on previous vehicles. I generally stick with a combination of Menzerna and Meguiar's products for the exterior. I really like using a multi-step polish, glaze, sealant process once or twice a year with a good carnuba wax on top of that 3-4 times a year.

Biggest challenge with a plastic body versus metal is that if you need to MOP (machine polish) the car then it's much more difficult. Using a machine polisher is all about heating the paint to a state where it becomes more compliant and easier to remove scratches. With a plastic body the heat doesn't dissipate as easily via conduction as it would with metal...this can result in "burning" the paint or clear coat if you are not careful. I learned this the really hard way one day polishing the hood of a Corvette.

If you want to see some seriously nerdy detailing stuff then check out the AMMO NYC channel on Youtube. Larry Kosilla details high end exotics for lots of very high profile clients and his videos (and podcast) are really educational. I haven't used is finish products but I may buy some once I use up my current supply of Menzerna.

Having just detailed my i3 with an DA polisher, I really disagree with the two step approach. A really good one step product worked much better than the two step which I tried. Sonax makes one and Chemical Guys have a really good one. I found the Sonax Profiline 4/6 followed by a sealant (ChemicalGuys) worked better than the two step and the wax. Fewer swirls and deeper luster. Also strongly suggest a good wash prior followed by the use of clay. Rather than look at AMMO who tends to be more commercial, take a look at detailersdomain.com. Their blog and forums are filled with great tips.

I received my first door scratch and it is paint on black plastic. Now how to fix it? Looks like as with my Tesla would need a complete respray of the side to blend the door color. Any one successfully touched up metallic?