Ultimate Driving Machine: E46 M3 Gets a Makeover

[C. Charles Hahn]

http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/M_LOGO.JPG



The owner of this 2005 BMW M3 Convertible contacted me a couple weeks back about getting it detailed before it goes into winter hibernation. Unfortunately he does not have a garage, so the car lives outside 24x7 and as a business owner, he has little time to do a lot of maintenance. Since this car is finished in the dreaded Jet Black, these conditions have taken their toll on the car over time, in spite of the low 31,000 miles on its odometer.



As usual, we`ll start with the interior:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/INTERIOR_BEFORE1.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/INTERIOR_BEFORE2.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/INTERIOR_BEFORE3.JPG



Just a bit of loose dirt, really nothing horrible.... except for the drivers` seat:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/SEAT_BEFORE1.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/SEAT_BEFORE2.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/SEAT_BEFORE3.JPG



Over time, the bolsters of the Cinnamon-colored leather had become caked with dirt, causing them to appear splotchy and brown. By employing Optimum Power Clean at 3:1 dilution and the "Fermani Method" of scrubbing with a toothbrush, progress was made:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/SEAT_5050.JPG



Three passes with OPC were required to fully clean up the seat bolsters, and save for a patch on the side of the seat that had sustained further damage, the leather was returned to pristine condition:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/SEAT_CLEAN.JPG



The remainder of the interior was steam cleaned and then wiped down with Optimum`s Opti-Clean at 3:1 dilution, and all leather was conditioned with Zaino Z10 leather conditioner. No deep shampooing of the carpets was required, so they were just freshened up with the steamer.



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/INTERIOR_AFTER1.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/INTERIOR_AFTER2.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/INTERIOR_AFTER3.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/INTERIOR_AFTER4.JPG



With the interior out of the way, next up was the engine bay. Outdoor living along with some miles have given the engine a nice coating of grime:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/ENGINE_BEFORE.JPG



Again, Optimum Power Clean was used, this time at 1:1 dilution, along with a siphon-fed compressed air cleaning gun to blast away the soiling and reveal a fresh clean result. Dressing was compliments of CD2 Engine Detailer, seen here freshly applied:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/ENGINE_DURING.JPG



Once the engine had dried and been wiped down, restoration of a factory fresh appearance was complete:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/ENGINE_AFTER.JPG



Now, it`s time for the main event: The Exterior.



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/EXTERIOR_BEFORE1.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/EXTERIOR_BEFORE2.JPG



Sadly the sun wasn`t with me for most of this detail, despite it taking place over the course of four days. Still, evidence that this car is most definitely driven was apparent:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/MUD_BOGGING1.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/MUD_BOGGING2.JPG



In addition, a bit of unfortunate damage had befallen the front clip, which is beyond the scope of this detail:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/FRONT_DAMAGE.JPG



The car was foamed down with a combination of Optimum Power Clean and DP Xtreme Foam Formula wash in the low buck "foam lance" that came with my pressure washer:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/DURING_WASH.JPG



With the car clean, clayed with Clay Magic Blue, and dried, it was brought back into the shop for inspection. Several etched areas from water spotting and bird droppings were found, along with scratches and a generally hazy appearance over much of the car, especially on the hood and trunk.



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/BIRD_ETCHING.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/HOOD_MASKED.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/GRILLES_MASKED.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/TRUNK_MASKED.JPG



Given that this car is going to continue living outdoors for the time being, we weren`t going for a full correction; however three buffing steps were required to bring the car up to an acceptable level suitable for application of Opti-Coat to make maximize protection and minimize the further impact of environmental exposure.



Here`s a sample area showing what I had to work with:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/SCRATCHES.JPG



The first pass was M105 on an MF cutting pad with the G110v2:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/PASS1.JPG



Next a pass with D300 on an MF cutting pad:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/PASS2.JPG



And finally a pass with Menzerna PO106FA (SF 4000) on a Lake Country HT Crimson:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/PASS3.JPG



After applying Opti-Coat to the paintwork and applicable trim, the car was moved back outside, where the beautiful matte-black aftermarket wheels were removed for cleaning and also to have the center caps replaced with "BMW" pieces for a more factory-like appearance. When they came in, they were covered in grime from the notoriously dusty factory brake pads:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/WHEEL_GRIME.JPG



Following a thorough scrub with P21S Wheel Gel, and an application of Stoner More Shine on the performance rubber, things are looking much more tidy:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/WHEEL_CLEAN.JPG



What we`re left with is a much more respectable and menacing M3, ready to eat up the streets or the track:



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/EXTERIOR_AFTER1.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/EXTERIOR_AFTER2.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/EXTERIOR_AFTER3.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/EXTERIOR_AFTER4.JPG



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/EXTERIOR_AFTER5.JPG



Thanks for looking! :)



http://www.hahn-on-the.net/pictures/M3/FINISHED.JPG

[mikenap]

Nice work Charlie, that`s a great makeover on that M. Those bolsters were so gross, at first I thought he`d rubbed the dye off the leather!

[Brad B]

Wow, I agree, nice save on the leather. I have always loved that color combo. Great job overall, that M was looking rather tatty!

[hamza7]

Menace brought back from the dead, very nice write up.

[C. Charles Hahn]

Thanks guys! Mike, I hear ya about the leather dye... I was concerned about that possibility at first too. It was a relief to find that it was just surface buildup.

[kakeuter]

Great work! Did you protect the wheels with anything? I have a customer with those and I`m debating what to use for protection.



-Kody-

[C. Charles Hahn]

Great work! Did you protect the wheels with anything? I have a customer with those and I`m debating what to use for protection.



-Kody-



Thanks Kody; the only thing I did this time around was wipe them down with some Z6 I had on hand, so what little protection that may have added is all the wheels got this time around. I`m looking into more durable options for matte finishes since I`m going to be taking care of this car going forward, so I`ll keep you guys informed with what I find.

[autoaesthetica]

Sick work Charlie, perfect documentation of it as well. Very enjoyable read :)

[DeanSweet]

That looks great!

I find it hard to believe a guy driving a convertible M3 in Michigan no less can do so without owning a garage?!

I`d be renting space somewhere to keep it. :)

[C. Charles Hahn]

Sick work Charlie, perfect documentation of it as well. Very enjoyable read :)



Thanks Mike!




That looks great!

I find it hard to believe a guy driving a convertible M3 in Michigan no less can do so without owning a garage?!

I`d be renting space somewhere to keep it. :)



Thanks; from what the owner tells me he is at least storing it in some sort of parking structure under a quality car cover for the winter months. And hey, we at least have a couple months a year of good convertible weather!

[Junebug]

Wow Charlie - blown away by that interior!

[C. Charles Hahn]

Thanks Jimmy

[Deep Gloss Auto Salon]

Great job Charlie - I bet the owner was very pleased with the outcome, especially the drivers seat!

[imported_paintxpert]

Good work on that BMW.... that was a 400.00 dollar job. Easy!

[C. Charles Hahn]

Great job Charlie - I bet the owner was very pleased with the outcome, especially the drivers seat!



Thanks Jason!




Good work on that BMW.... that was a 400.00 dollar job. Easy!



:suspicious: :scared: I don`t know about you, but I can`t afford to run a business on roughly $13 an hour.