Xmas detail

[AussieRacer]

So I decided to spend my Christmas break detailing my car. Over the past few months I've been collecting new products and tools to up the level of quality and attention to detail (pardon the pun) I can give to detailing my car.

When the water restrictions came in I pretty much got my 120i, so it never got the level of care I gave my previous car. Now that I'm kitted up with a water tank and pump I'm happily maintaining my 135 to a new high standard.

The detail took 3.5 days starting from Weds afternoon, and ended on Sunday. In all I spent around 25 hours on the car and basically cleaned, polished and protected every surface I could reach. Only area I didn't detail, beyond cleaning, was the front wheels. They got a detail only a couple of weeks ago when I had the front up on jacks.

Pics:

Car jacked up for rear wheel and rear arch clean - prior to this photo the engine bay was cleaned and exterior glass polished


Left rear all cleaned - air dried after photo


Not perfect, but those bits only I see and know about


Post wash and under a canopy as my neighbours tree lets off crap and I wanted this to be close to perfect


Car was clayed after this photo


Dried after the clay - which didn't show up too much crap and certainly a lot less than its first clay


Coated front wheels with Armorall Wheel Protectant (rears were done when off) - disappointingly the spray dulls the polished and waxed finish a little, but if it works like others have claimed I'll be happy


After spot use of paint cleaner on the seeping panel glue the clay didn't shift, I started taping up the plastic bits


Some more taping


And still some more...

Here the photos jump to post polishing (done in three steps with a forced rotation RO/DA)


First cost of manual pad applied wax - a bit thick but my first time using this wax so it took me a while to get a thinner coat


You can just make a few minor swirls through the wax - I didn't want to cut too much as firstly this car lives outdoors and will always naturally develop swirls, and secondly I'll probably keep this car for a few years and don't want to strike through after like the 10th detail....


After the first layer and the wax I used - nice and cheap but easy to use. I'll discover durability in due course I guess.


Again after first coat - wax added some gloss, but polishing stages were where the real gains were made


Second layer was applied and I discovered my badge is delaminating and letting off flakes....not the thing I wanted floating about at this stage of the detail


Whilst second layer was curing I finished dressing up the engine bay & gave the car a quick charge as it was only measuring 12.1v!


Also gave the interior a clean - door cards keep getting scratched and scuffed as feet go in an out

And to the end result...

I think I achieved a nice wet look which perfectly suits the Le Mans Blue IMO.

I know I can pay someone to do this, and they'll probably get it looking as good, but I enjoyed the effort involved. I think I lost like 1kg over the period with the hard work involved, but I just consider it part of the ownership experience.

[d3syd]

wow, great result. I wish I had the time and energy to do that. How long did it take you? LMB really looks good enough to eat when it is that clean.

My car is crying out for just a simple wash and I can even spare the time for her... poor baby....

[takahashi]

I feel exhausted just looking at your detailing man...

I am lucky enough to see your car in real life - I drive by your house every now and then mate.

Good job. You can do mine later perhaps... when I bloody get the car.

[SimonB]

Congratulations on what appears to be an excellent job! Wanna come to Perth for a visit?

[JohnL135I]

Great Job!! Car looks fantastic!!:thumbup:

[WAY]

As Taka said, looks exhausting. I would love to do it myself, but outsourcing it to pros like Damian makes my life a lot easier haha.

[cam2801]

Looks great and you can see the results of your hard work. Ours was luckly to get a polish and wax one the day we bought it and and light wash and wax since. I doubt I have either time and patience to give full detail like you did

[smarm]

great job mate, you should post a few of those photos up on detail addiction!

[TP 135i]

Originally Posted by d3syd

wow, great result. I wish I had the time and energy to do that. How long did it take you? LMB really looks good enough to eat when it is that clean.

My car is crying out for just a simple wash and I can even spare the time for her... poor baby....

He explained the time required in the beginning.............

The detail took 3.5 days starting from Weds afternoon, and ended on Sunday. In all I spent around 25 hours on the car and basically cleaned, polished and protected every surface I could reach.


Very nice job..........Now you must never drive it outside in the elements again :wink:

[Zuzu]

Originally Posted by TP 135i

He explained the time required in the beginning.............

The detail took 3.5 days starting from Weds afternoon, and ended on Sunday. In all I spent around 25 hours on the car and basically cleaned, polished and protected every surface I could reach.

Thanks for the quotation but we can all read..:biggrin:

D3syd was more like questioning the time it took RATHER than asking how long it took...:wink:

[TP 135i]

Originally Posted by Zuzu

Thanks for the quotation but we can all read..:biggrin:

D3syd was more like questioning the time it took than asking how long it took...:wink:

Now I'm confused.....Isn't 25 hours "the time it took"?
I assumed that D3syd missed that detail originally, not that he couldn't read.
Just trying to help here

[Zuzu]

Originally Posted by TP 135i

Now I'm confused.....Isn't 25 hours "the time it took"?

CORRECT..... But he was still questioning the fact..

[AussieRacer]

Ooohhhhh, didn't mean to cause confusion over the time spent.

Yes it took 3.5 days as I started Wednesday afternoon, didn't touch the car Christmas day, and resumed on Friday and finished around 6pm on Sunday. Of course I didn't spend all that time on the car, so that's why I said I spent around 25 hours actually on it.

Can I do this all the time....hell no! The extended 4-day Christmas and that fact I was spending it at home presented a unique opportunity to spoil the car.

[AussieRacer]

Originally Posted by takahashi

I feel exhausted just looking at your detailing man...

I am lucky enough to see your car in real life - I drive by your house every now and then mate.

Good job. You can do mine later perhaps... when I bloody get the car.

Yes there can't be too many Le Mans Blue 135i with blue custom plates, and since it is very visible from the street, I'd expect a few people will have seen it.

That said it has been staying overnight in the garage since the detail, and probably will be for the next week or so....my old 1er has been shoved back outside :smile:

Get in touch when you get the car and I may be able to help out.

[AussieRacer]

Oh and for those wondering why on earth I'm posting on NYE, I'm about to hit the sack as I have an very early flight tomorrow....and sleep comes first!