Alpine White BMW 330D - Detailed by Lawrence

[lawrenceSA]

Overall the paint on this car had minimal swirls, but there were about 5 'patches' on the car where the paint was really bad... they were in random sections and are presumably from someone getting very aggressive when washing off ?Dirt/birdbombs? The paint was also pretty thin (got readings ranging from 64µ upwards, but mostly around the 80µ mark) and so the plan was to use Menzerna 3-in-1 on the whole car, then go and 'spot repair' any of the bad areas where the 3-in-1 couldn't cut it (pun intended :lol: )

So on to the detail itself, working from 'dirty' to 'clean'....

Engine Bay
-Clean with Cyclo APC and various brushes and MF towels and protected with Aerospace 303. No water was used and no real before/after pics taken, save for the 2 below....

Before



During



Arches
-HP rinse (a lot for the carpeted liners which can be a real PITA to get clean)
-Clean with Cyclo APC using a Mothers Fenderwell Brush
-HP rinse
-Dressed with Aerospace 303

Tires
-Clean tires with Valet Pro Billbery Wheel Cleaner @ 1:6 and a Mothers Tire brush.
-HP rinse
-Repeat tire cleaning
-HP rinse
-Dressed with 2 coats of Optimum Tire Sheen 12 hours apart

Wheels
-HP rinse
-VP Bilberry Wheel Cleaner @ 1:6, Daytona and Daytona Jnr brushes and Valet Pro Boars Hair Brushes
-HP rinse
-Dry
-Remove tar using VP Citrus Tar Remover
-Spray with APC and HP Rinse
-Dry
-Remove bonded and embedded ferrous contaminants on wheels and brake calipers with Autofinesse Iron Out, Daytona (big and small) brushes and Valet Pro Boars Hair Brushes
-HP Rinse + flood rinse
-Dry
-Polished with Meznerna FG400 and a MF applicator by hand
-Protected with Collinite #845

Before



After



Before



During



After



Door/Boot Jamb/Petrol Flap
-HP rinse
-Clean with Cyclo APC and Valet Pro Boars Hair Brushes
-HP rinse
-Autofinesse Tripple

Wash
-HP rinse
-Gyeon Q2M Foam - mixed at 1:5 / MTM Hydro / Karcher K7 .
-HP Rinse
-Charchem Shampoo
-2 Buckets
-Grit Guards
-4 x Lambswool Wash Mitts
-HP rinse
-Flood rinse
-ONR at QD ratio
-Waffle weave drying towels

Decontamination
-Shield Heavy Duty Clay / ONR - the vehicle had a LOT of contamination on it, especially for its age.

Paint correction
Paint Readings
-64µ to 108µ - mostly around the 80µ mark...
Bumpers
-Flex 3401
-5" Lake Country Hybrid White / Menzerna 3-in-1
Door handles
-Meguiars Ultimate Compound / MF applicator
B-pillars
-Shield DA
-Menzerna PF2300
-4.5"Lake Country White

Before



During



Remainder of vehicle
-Flex 3401
-6.5" and 5" Lake Country Hybrid White / Menzerna 3-in-1.
-For the really bad sections I then did one pass of Menzerna PF2300 on a Orange Lake Country Hybrid, not to get it perfect but just to get it acceptable. With the car being so new (its a 2014 model but new to this owner) and the paint being so thin, it was decided to preserve as much of the clear coat as possible.

Before



After only 3-in-1



After PF2300



Before



After 3-in-1



Tailights
-Flex 3401
-Menzerna PF2300
-5"Lake Country Hybrid White

Protection
-2 Coats Collinite 915. This was my first time using this wax and I am really impressed with it. Looking very forward to using it on the next detail, which happens to be a black car

Glass
-Shield Heavy Duty Clay / ONR
-Glossworx Glass Cleaner
-Wynns C-Thru

Badges
-Autofinesse Tripple
-Cotton buds

Before



After



Door rubbers, window rubbers, exterior plastic trim
- Cleaned using Shield Heavy Duty Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner
- Protected using Aerospace 303

Interior
-Blower
-Autofinesse Spritz
-Autofinesse Hide
-Collinite #855
-Vacuum (Flex)

Exhaust Tips
-Cyclo APC
-Meguiars NXT All Metal Polish
Before



During





After



Some shots of the car still in the garage





And outside in the dying light just before the owner came to collect



































Total time spent = 25 hours

Thanks for looking and as always and comments or questions are welcome.

:hi:

[Sicoupe]

Lawrence my friend, you are very gifted with what you do. Another outstanding job on a beautiful ride buddy!

[AZ Mike]

Great job. I always like your write ups, because you include all the steps and products.

[CaveRacing]

Lawrence my friend, you are very gifted with what you do. Another outstanding job on a beautiful ride buddy!

Great job. I always like your write ups, because you include all the steps and products.

Fantastic job!

[Dereksdtail]

You got that white looking right!

[tenblade2001]

GREAT! THANK YOU THANK YOU! That's a great how to for Alpine White.

[lawrenceSA]

Thanks very much guys

[Tato]

There's a very good job my friend, I really love the 330's!

Congrats, thanks a lot for sharing.

Kind Regards.

[lawrenceSA]

There's a very good job my friend, I really love the 330's!

Congrats, thanks a lot for sharing.

Kind Regards.

Thanks Rafael

[Aaryn NZ]

Hey Lawrence.

Outstanding workmanship my friend.

Beautifully detailed example of a great looking car, followed with a beautifully detailed post right here for all to read. Much appreciated Lawrence - thank you for your hard work creating the threads & sharing the hard work you do! Top work mate!

I was thinking of you today when I was working on a blue 08 GTi, thinking how jealous I am of you because you seem to work on a few Dubs & I don't see all that many. German cars are bliss to work on huh.

Aaryn NZ.