Well, this is the mega-thread I've been promising everyone. This is the detail process on my 2005 E46 M3 (needless to say, I had lots of fun). There is still some stuff I'd like to go over (rock chips, etching on the roof that I couldn't polish out so I called it quits as I didn't want to go after the clear coat too aggressively on the roof of all places) but so far, I'm pretty satisfied. Truth be told though, 99% of the general populace can't see what I'm fixated on, so take that it for what it's worth.

Anyhow, it's important to note that I got the car in great condition, other than the above mentioned flaws. The interior and exterior are absolutely great - practically new. It's obvious that the previous owner took great care of this vehicle.

This is basically a step-by-step overview of everything. Enjoy!

Purchase & Drive Home







Before - Exterior

 

Before - Interior

 

 

After Wash & Claying

Gunther, the name my dad has christed the M3, was washed with Zymol Clear using a natural lambswool mitt and two Griott's Ultimate Buckets (one for the Clear, the other for rinsing), and dryed using Moe's microfiber drying towel. Gunther was then treated to a claying using Zymol Lehm Klay & Lube. Afterwards, he was washed again to remove residue & spots from a freak rain that hit momentarily.

 

Dumb little spot: this is actually underneath the clearcoat. Why? Oh well; a V-CSL bootlid will solve the problem eventually.

 

A few rock chips:

 

Prep: Mask it off!

Taping things is always fun, fun fun. I have to be borderline OCD; I ended up redoing numerous pieces because I wasn't satisfied, but it works out in the end.

 

Polish

Because of very light micro-marring, swirls, and rain etchings, I decided to polish Gunther. A FLEX unit was used with a white Lake Country CCS pad and Menzerna Nano polish. Things were done lightly, with light to moderate pressure (when needed) and about 200-250 RPM for the majority of the process. I spent extra time on the roof, bumper, and rear diffuser (with the roof and rear diffusor still not up to a level I'd find acceptable).




HD Cleanse

After polishing, I went over the car with Zymol HD Cleanse to prepare for Zymol Concours.

 

Post-Wax

As mentioned earlier, I opted to use Zymol Concours. Fun stuff; Moe was right - applying it by hand is almost therapeutic (and it feels GREAT to feel the smooth paint). Quite the experience; almost worth the cost for that alone. Regrettably, the sun was not willing to cooperate, so these photos aren't the greatest.