# SL Restoration - BMW 325 Coupe



## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Hope everyone is well & found some time for a bit of detailing in albeit the short spaces of good weather we've recently had. Anyway, with things being extremely busy here for as long as i can remember now, i've finally made some time to drop into the Studio again. As always you might want to grab a drink & a biscuit 










This 2010 BMW 325 was brought to us after being recommended by an existing customer that had received GTechniq Treatments to his own vehicles. The owners request was simple "I'd like it to look how it did when i bought it". The treatment would involve some serious paintwork correction with the addition of interior & engine bay treatments. Maintaining the newly acquired finish would be key after the amount of work that was required, so the only answer would be one of our GTechniq Crystal Serum Treatments.

As always on arrival we began assessing the task (more of a mission in this case) at hand,










The sun also made a short appearance at this point,










Hmmm, just a few signs of neglect  . . .



















And things didn't really get any better . . .



















This requires one serious transformation . . .










Even the usual neglected areas had genuinely excelled themselves,




























Interior wasn't fairing much better either,










First up as always was to fit protective covers to both the seat & steering wheel along with a floor mat










So time for work to commence, number plates removed










The first step was to give the wheels a pre-contact soak with Auto Finesse Citrus Power, followed by a thorough rinse with the pressure washer to remove any loose debris & as much surface grime as possible



















The wheels were then cleaned with Valet Pro Blue Wheel Gel & a variety of detailing brushes










The lower sections of the car were then given a thorough soak with Auto Finesse Citrus Power & left to dwell for a few minutes before rinsing










Next up the body was raised to allow better access to the wheel arches which were rinsed with the PW, more than a few years worth of build up in here










Once rinsed, they were then tackled with Britemax Grime Out & a long handled Vikan Brush










Tyres deep cleaned & degreased in one step again with Britemax Grime Out










The wheel barrels were also given their initial cleaning stage at this point as rotation was made easy by the vehicle being raised. Valet Pro Blue wheel gel & a new brush i am currently testing was used for this










Whilst still raised the inner arch lips, side sills & lower bumpers were all cleaned with a short pile MF mitt










Next task now that the car had been brought back to ground level was to rescue the variety of undergrowth that had been festering in the various door jabs, other knooks & crannies in all the reknown problem areas. A variety of brushes teamed with Auto Finesse Verso (diluted 1:3) was used, these areas being rinsed with an open flow rather than the pressure washer to minimise water ingress










The first of the foaming stages, this being the initial pre-contact, was carried out using Auto Finesse Avalanche @ 60c










Once rinsed, it was contact wash time using the safe 2BM with a Microfibre Madness Incredimitt & GTechniq G-Wash










Rinsed @30c the 1st decontamination stage was carried out with Auto Finesse Iron Out










Then foamed with Auto Finesse Avalanche (this time @30c) to remove all remaining traces of the fallout remover










The next stage of decontamination was carried out with Auto Finesse ObliTARate










Left to dwell & wiped away with an old MF cloth










Some areas had picked up rather more tar than others & clearly benefitted from this . . .










A final soak this time at 30c with Valet Pro Snow Foam Combo 2 (this also contains degreasing agents so is ideal for this final soak)










Thoroughly rinsed with the pressure washer, followed by an open hose vehicle then dried with Uber plush towels & compressed air for all the water traps



















At this point the sun came out & gave me another taste of the task ahead . . .










Now in the unit it was time for the penultimate decontamination stage with Auto Finesse Glide & 3M Medium grade clay










Even now there was a fair amount of contamination remaining










Once dried it was time for the standard Spies Hecker 7010 wipedown on all surfaces to remove any residues that may be left on the surfaces (this is my final decontamination stage before any further work commences as it allows for true assessment of the vehicles condition)










Paintwork thicknesses taken










Delicate areas masked up with a variety of 3M 3030/3434 tape










Side repeaters removed for complete access










A few areas had been seriously affected with etching caused by bird bombs, these were wetsanded with 2000 3M grit paper, feathered out with a 3000 grit 3M Trizact










Then feathered further with a 6000 grit 3M Trizact before polishing










Bonnet raised with 2" tape cores to avoid contact with leading bumper edges when correcting










Correction carried out mostly with the Rupes LHR21 coupled with Zephir & their blue MF cutting pad










This 50/50 shows the extent of the improvement










Some before & afters under various lighting (post 7010 wipedown, all pre-refining)





































Tighter areas dealt with using the Rupes LHR75










Not perfect (due to the amount of CC to play with) but a huge improvement










The entire car was then cleaned up with compressed air to remove any dust etc, given another 7010 wipedown to confirm the correction results & refined with the Rupes Big Foot LHR15, their yellow pad & Meguiar's 205










A few little areas taken care of, shuts with Auto Finesse Tripple3, door handle recesses with GTechniq P1 Nano Composite Polish. Clean up of a few dust traps & of course some touch ups










Paintwork now dealt & wiped down it was time for protection. GTechniq Crystal Serum was applied first to give what can only be described as the ultimate protection & in this case an exceptional basecoat










Paintwork given a further wipedown with GTechniq Panel Wipe, Serum applied to the applicator










Worked in small areas & removed with 2 cloths within a 1 minute timeframe (you do not want to leave this stuff on too long!!!!)



















Once all the bodywork had been coated, 2 coats of GTechniq EXO were then applied simultaniously (this allows a 10 minute curing time for the initially coated panel)










All glass was then deep cleaned with GTechniq G4 Glass Nano Polish & removed with a slightly damp MF










3 coats of GTechniq G1 Clear Vision Smart Glass were then applied to the glass, the 1st in straight lines was left to cure for 20 minutes










2nd & 3rd coats applied directly on top of the 1st coat, 5 minutes apart in circular & straight lines motions respectively










Residue removed after a further 5 minutes with GTechniq G2 Residue Remover










Wiper blades cleaned with G2










Given a single coat of G1 (this is not removed)









Paintwork & glass now dealt with it was on to the ramp so that i could get back to the wheels. These were decontaminated with Britemax Iron Max & finally Auto Finesse ObliTARate










Now decontaminated, they were wiped down with GTechniq Panel Wipe & fully coated with 2 coats of C5 Wheel Armour










Once placed back on the car the tyres were dressed with GTechniq T1 Tyre & Trim



















Now back on the ground the wheel nuts were torqued to manufacturers spec.










Exterior now complete it was time to move on to the interior, carpet mats deep cleaned with Britemax Interior Cleaner & extracted with the Karcher Puzzi 100










Once dried these were protected with GTechniq I1 Smart Fabric










After steam cleaning the eingine bay was dressed with Auto Finesse Dressle to leave a like new finish










Now it was on to the remainder of the cabin, all thoroughly hoovered. Vents dusted & deep cleaned










Car Park permit residue removed with a razor blade










Foot wells & pedals given a spruce up










Seats hoovered with the brush attachment, then leather cleansed with the forthcoming GTechniq Leather Cleaner & a Swissvax brush










More than a small improvement here, i believe the saying is "Shiny leather is dirty leather"



















Leatherwork then protected with GTechniq L1 Leather Guard










The last few details taken care of GTechniq G6 Perfect Glass for the windows & a detail brush for the switch gear










Tailpipes thoroughly transformed with GTechniq M1 All Metal Polish










As always here's the finished product














































And finally, almost the same view from where it all began . . .










Thanks for taking the out time to have a read, hopefully your cuppa didn't get cold or your beer/can of fizz flat & you enjoyed it .


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## sm81 (May 14, 2011)

Fabulous work there... How much time you use it? 40-50 hours??


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## Gixxer6 (Apr 5, 2014)

Very nice! Car was in a state.


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## Zetec-al (Feb 28, 2011)

Your write ups and work are always 1st class!


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## richjohnhughes (Sep 24, 2007)

top job !


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## Scrim-1- (Oct 8, 2008)

Amazing work nick bet the owner was a little happy?


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## Nico1970 (May 15, 2014)

Great write up. This 325i had been neglected but you managed to bring it back to life.

As a matter of interest, how many hours work?


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## Rascal_69 (Sep 20, 2009)

Amazing. 

My favourite detailer and no wonder. 

Faultless


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## JoshB25 (Apr 13, 2014)

Forthcoming Gtechniq leather cleaner sounds good to me. Awesome work!!!


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## Alan W (May 11, 2006)

Stunning transformation and awesome gloss! 

Great write-up, photos and attention to detail - thanks for posting Mr. W! :thumb:

Alan W


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## neilb62 (Jul 30, 2007)

What an amazing transformation... That would have grown camouflage given time... Superb... :thumb:


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

Excellent write-up a fantastic presentation very informative the way every car should be detailed with passion.

Thank-you for your time and effort. John Tht.


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## luke w (Dec 11, 2012)

Nick, that truly is a stunning turnaround, u r a very talented chap!!!


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## ted11 (Jul 8, 2011)

Fantastic work and write up, again pictures are fantastic.


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## ColinG (Jan 20, 2013)

Stunning.


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## s29nta (Mar 9, 2013)

I really enjoyed looking through that, thanks for sharing. The car really did need some attention didnt it!:thumb:


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## Jas16 (Jan 9, 2013)

great write up and great work

out of interest, do you pass on tips to customers on how to look after their cars, post detailing?


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## Favorito (Jul 11, 2012)

Fantastic work


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## ronwash (Mar 26, 2011)

1st class work!.
What a change,car looks amazing.


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## Socal Brian (Dec 4, 2011)

Truly Masterful work Nick! :thumb:


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## mattwelcer (Jul 29, 2006)

Amazing, thanks for sharing! :thumb:


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Stunning work as always :thumb:


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## streaky (Dec 2, 2006)

For a mornings work that's very impressive ha ha!


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## tricky tree (Apr 15, 2013)

Absolutely fantastic.

Top work and a great write up

Thanks for posting


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## Al Fresco (Mar 29, 2008)

Same question as everyone else, how many hours work did it take to return a new car to the customer?


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## dooka (Aug 1, 2006)

As always buddy, awesome work, the kind of job I like, one you can get your teeth into :thumb:..

P.S, the saying "Shiny leather is dirty leather" is mine ..


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Great job:thumb:


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

Umbelievable work done, really enjoyed the turn around, the kind of job I would love to get stuck in to. Have a beer on me fella :thumb:


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## ocdetailer (Apr 9, 2014)

Stunning work as always, the car looks better than new. Thank you for the brilliant write up, I always look forward to yours


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## JBirchy (Oct 9, 2010)

Incredible Nick, thanks for taking note of my request for a write up over on Twitter! 

I love these write ups, your little tips and tricks are incredibly helpful to an enthusiastic hobbyist like me. The car is unrecognisable before/after, the colour has been completely restored! 

I bet the owner couldn't believe their eyes!


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## Steve (Mar 18, 2014)

Good work :thumb:


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## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

Blimey - you had your work cut out there!

Fantastic turn around - how many hours would you estimate?


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## tomo bpb (Sep 7, 2012)

outstanding turnaround


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## greymda (Feb 16, 2014)

GREAT transformation here!


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## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

Thanks to everyone that's taken the time to have a read through & even comment, much appreciated.

The total treatment came in at just over 45hrs. All customers are given a maintenance guide that contains various tips & product recommendations


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## corradokid (Apr 1, 2007)

Nick do you have price guides etc anywhere? The sl restoration site doesn't seem to have any information on the detailing side unless I'm looking at the wrong place?


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## Clyde (Feb 15, 2012)

Great read!


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## ibiza55 (Feb 22, 2008)

Dear lord, that car has had a hard life, had it many miles under its belt, fantastic work by the way, I think many people would have walked away from that one, unless they liked a challenge?


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## slrestoration (Nov 11, 2009)

corradokid said:


> Nick do you have price guides etc anywhere? The sl restoration site doesn't seem to have any information on the detailing side unless I'm looking at the wrong place?


Each job is individually accessed & priced accordingly. The current website is old now & although the new one is well underway it has taken a back seat for now while the unit expansion takes place. Feel free to email me on [email protected] if you have any enquiries though


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## gtechpete (Aug 16, 2010)

Wow, what a transformation Nick! A fantastic level of work as ever and in just 45 hours too. Second to none :thumb:


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## MDC250 (Jan 4, 2014)

Whoever let the car get like that to start with should be locked up, that's criminal!

Fantastic turnaround :thumb:


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## Jord (Apr 3, 2012)

Stunning results, great work!


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## spickup79 (May 14, 2014)

Truly amazing. I can't believe the state that car was in - the owner really got his money's worth! The 50/50 before and after shots are very impressive.


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## Aithor (Apr 6, 2014)

Fantastic work, nice!


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## Wout_RS (Jun 13, 2012)

Wow, what a huge transformation!


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

Top class Nick, top class

Would have loved to see the owners reaction when you handed it over!:thumb:

ATB

Chris


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## GAVSY (Mar 19, 2013)

One of the best write up I've seen on DW, great pics and loads of product info.

Fantastic turnaround too!

Good work sir


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## Ghorrocks (Jan 27, 2014)

Great job


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## rdoyle21 (Jul 15, 2011)

The 50/50 Shorts are mind-blowing, Good Job.


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## jack.bauer (Mar 4, 2011)

That is indeed very impressive and thoroughly done


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## UtzChips (May 8, 2014)

slrestoration said:


> Thanks to everyone that's taken the time to have a read through & even comment, much appreciated.
> 
> The total treatment came in at just over 45hrs. All customers are given a maintenance guide that contains various tips & product recommendations


So, let's say 45hrs @ $45 USD pr hour, which covers cost of products used. That's $2025.00 to receive back what looks like a brand new car. Worth every penny to me.!:argie:


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