Ultimate Driving Machine: E46 M3 Gets a Makeover

Marc08EX said:
Impressive results on your detail to go along with your well written write-up! Thanks for posting this!
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Thanks Marc!

rwright said:
Sweet detail Charlie. :) Just a couple questions - on the seat bolster, was that dye transfer or actually grime?
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Thanks Richard!

I suspect a combination of both. Most of the residue coming off onto my towels was brown/black, presumably dirt; but there was also a little bit that had a blue tinge to it, which could have been transfer from denim jeans.

And when you detailed the engine and sprayed the CD2 on it, did you let it run (engine) for a bit to dry or did you blow dry it and then wipe down? My experience with CD2 hasn't been the greatest so I obviously need to adjust my technique.

My usual routine is:

- clean with Optimum Power Clean + soap & water, Daytona Speed Master, Slick Stixx
- blow dry with Torro, let engine run 20 minutes
- then later when it cools down I spray 303 Aerospace Protectant on it - allow to dry then wipe down.

Thanks in advance,
Richard
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My technique was:

1) By hand or with the vacuum, remove leaves/loose debris (in this case done before I took the "before" shot that was posted)
2) Rinse down the engine, again removing any loose dirt the vacuum didn't get
3) Use the siphon gun to apply OPC and blast away stubborn dirt/grime buildup
4) After letting the cleaner dwell for a minute or two, rinse with the pressure washer
5) Dry with a compressed air blow gun/leaf blower
6) Start engine, apply CD2 liberally and shut the hood
7) Allow engine to run up to operating temp, shut down
8) Wait for engine to cool, then open the hood and wipe away leftover dressing.

In this particular case I let it sit for the entire period of time I was working on the paint, so in total it was probably sitting there for 24-36 hours real-time (not to be confused with working time!) before I wiped off the excess. Other times it only sits for 3-4 hours and the result is much the same.

Dan Metzler said:
Awesome work Charlie! What would we do without OPC???
Since you mentioned Stoner's, they sustained a 2 alarm fire early this morning.
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Thanks Dan! Just looked up that fire; luckily it sounds like it was well contained, hopefully they can recover from it quickly!

Garry Dean said:
Fantastic work, my friend!
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Thanks Garry!
 
You did an amazing job on that car, well done! I was looking at the last couple pics for a while and to me it looks like the rear tires are on backwards!
 
Sparkle007 said:
You did an amazing job on that car, well done! I was looking at the last couple pics for a while and to me it looks like the rear tires are on backwards!
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Thanks, and good eye! The rear tires are indeed on backward; I would've put them on the right way but since I only have one low profile jack I couldn't lift both sides of the rear of the car at once.
 
Nice work!!...own a white M3 with the same interior....wish my engine compartment looked half as good let alone the exterior...working on it.....
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
My technique was:

1) By hand or with the vacuum, remove leaves/loose debris (in this case done before I took the "before" shot that was posted)
2) Rinse down the engine, again removing any loose dirt the vacuum didn't get
3) Use the siphon gun to apply OPC and blast away stubborn dirt/grime buildup
4) After letting the cleaner dwell for a minute or two, rinse with the pressure washer
5) Dry with a compressed air blow gun/leaf blower
6) Start engine, apply CD2 liberally and shut the hood
7) Allow engine to run up to operating temp, shut down
8) Wait for engine to cool, then open the hood and wipe away leftover dressing.
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I perform steps 1 & 2, just didn't list them as I figured it was a given. But then again I shouldn't assume anything as the reader may not be seasoned. Starting with #6 though I see the major difference in my technique vs your technique. I'm going to give this a shot because my first couple experiences with CD2 were less than desirable, which is why I switched to 303 AP. Thanks man! :props:
 
warrior151 said:
Nice work!!...own a white M3 with the same interior....wish my engine compartment looked half as good let alone the exterior...working on it.....
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Thanks! Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get yours there eventually :dblthumb2:

rwright said:
I perform steps 1 & 2, just didn't list them as I figured it was a given. But then again I shouldn't assume anything as the reader may not be seasoned. Starting with #6 though I see the major difference in my technique vs your technique. I'm going to give this a shot because my first couple experiences with CD2 were less than desirable, which is why I switched to 303 AP. Thanks man! :props:
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Yeah, I figured I might as well list all steps in case anyone else reading this might not even be familiar with the process.

Just curious, what sort of issues did you have with CD2 when you used it? When you do try it again, let me/us know how it turns out!

Also, if you have an air compressor, I HIGHLY recommend picking up a siphon feed gun. Mine came from Harbor Freight; cost me $6 and it's easily worth twice that in the time savings it provides.

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