# Alpina MTD3 No:206



## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

Hi everyone! 

Its been a while since I had the RS4 and I craved another black saloon.










This time I fancied RWD and a bit more torque than the NA RS4. Well we petted the family pet, set the timer on the lights and locked up the house ready for our 500 mile road-trip down to Farnham from Fife to view a Black MT D3. I had viewed a shocking condition MT D3 at Edinburgh Lexus last week and was not really expecting much more from this one given the slightly higher mileage. Oh how wrong I was!

The trip down started at 10pm, the obvious plan was to travel through the night, stop off a few times and consume some terrible Wild Bean coffee and associated pastries. All was fine until around midnight when I started to feel a bit drowsy. One red bull later and I was wide awake again and chalking up the miles. Eventually at around 3am I realised I would be at the dealership for around 6:30am at this rate so we pulled over for a bit of shut eye. All in all I was really surprised at how easy the trek was. We eventually arrived at the dealership at 08:30, and after a road test, coffee and a chat with one of the nicest guys ive met in the 'trade' we were the very proud owners of MTD3 No:206, and on our way back up to Scotlandshire. We had planned to stay the night in a hotel but both myself and my wife felt great and just wanted to get past the M6.

The drive up was absolutely fantastic. The chassis is tight but amazingly smooth, the turn-in is to die for and the 50mpg was a welcome sight after many years of hideously thirsty petrol cars. I was shocked to see that on arriving at our house we still had a quarter tank remaining!...we had to fill up 3x on the way down!

The car is very clean, respect due to the previous 'enthusiast'. There are only a few minor light marks that I need to attend to but I'm pen pusher by day and a detailer by night so once again another monster order has been placed with www.cleanyourcar.co.uk - updates to follow. There are a couple of trim panels that I would like to change to get the interior looking A1 so I'm bracing myself for my first ever visit to a BMW Parts Department. I also need to source a new steering wheel or a recommended re-trimmer as the steering wheel is far too shiny and tired looking.

The standard headunit was changed by the previous owner for a Pioneer AV unit with Rainbow and Genesis audio complete with optional Bluetooth and iPod interface. The sound quality was amazing once I had set it up properly with real warmth and clarity, even when listening to the wifes Take-That album!

Overall we are both over the moon with our purchase and can see us buying a BT D3 in a few years time. I cant wait till home-time so I can drive it again!

More pics to follow - Promise to keep you updated on its progress.




































































































Im a sucker for OE so these were a must have addition. I'll apply them once the car has been detailed. I'll contact Sytner and get number plates ordered also.


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

*Alpina Gear Knob restoration*

Given the price I was quoted from Sytner Alpina for a replacement gearknob I decided to try and restore the original. My leather repair kit arrived last week. I wanted to test it on a small area but decided to remove the gear knob and use that as a test mule. There was a slight amount of wear but nothing too extremem, a good place to start for a leather novice.

Firstly I used a very mild APC solution and a soft brush to get the dirt out from between the knob and the badge.










Applied the leather cleaner, left it for 5 minutes then removed it with a damp cloth as instructed.










Was pretty shocked by the smount of dirt that came off and how much wear was now visible once fully dried. I guess that some of the dirt was actually the leather dye.



















Time to mask up the Alpina badge.



















The slightly rough finish was flattened using 3000 grit W/D.










After 3KW/D.










The kit consisting of leather cleaner, dye, filler and conditioner.










Applied a very thin layer of the filler to the damaged area, left it to cure for about 5 minutes then gently smoothed with damp kitchen roll. The stuff isnt just a filler, it works like water based superglue for leather. Mighty impressive b



















Once dried it was time to apply the dye using the sponge provided.




























Whilst I was waiting for the dye to dry I thought I would clay a wheel.










All dried! 










Decided to refurbish the badge using 2k, 2.5k and 3k W/D followed by Menzerna and a soft cloth. No point restoring the knob and leaving the badge IMO.










Tada! 8)

Test complete! Im really happy with the finish. Tomorrow I'll investigate the drivers side bolster as its needing a tiny bit of TLC.


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## Overdoser (Oct 25, 2010)

The gearknob looks stunning compared to before. Excellent work mate.


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

ride_to_die said:


> The gearknob looks stunning compared to before. Excellent work mate.


Thanks! 

Started the steering wheel last night. As you can see from the original pics the steering wheel looked quite worn. I used one of those magic sponge things and the difference was amazing. I've had to repair a couple of damaged spots on the steering wheel. Just waiting for 24hrs until I apply the conditioner then I'll post pics of the wheel and bolster.


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## BDJ (Nov 21, 2009)

Thanks a lot for explaining the process!
Haven't found any thread on here that explains so good how to repair leather!

Hope you'll document the next thing you'll repair, and share that with us 
How much £ the leather repair kit was?


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## 3976 (Nov 20, 2006)

Great process guide! Lovely!


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## n_d_fox (Apr 18, 2007)

Lovely choice of car... always preferred the Alpina alternatives, so understated in looks but packed with more than the factory cars.


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## borinous (Mar 25, 2010)

Top job matey i need to do the drivers bolster in my car.

How much was the leather repair kit?


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## pina07 (Dec 13, 2009)

Hello mate, I have the same car same colour and apsolutely love it. I'm sure you will to. I had some similar journeys to find the right one also.There are not many around so traveling is a must. They are worth it though. I bought mine 18 months ago and this car was resposable for my detailing habit!!, I've not machine polished it yet because i'm still learning but plan to in the springtime. If you need any parts for your car try using the alpinaregister.com you will find allsorts on there brandnew and second hand. Hope you enjoy your new motor. Regards Paul.


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## SeanyBean (Sep 24, 2010)

think you should have kept the rs4 but i do like it alot


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

Absolutely stunning mate, love it


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## lilesk (Aug 2, 2010)

Love those D3's :thumb:


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## NickP (Nov 20, 2005)

Very very nice 
I had a look at quite a few D3's before I got my 330d, but couldn't find one with the spec I wanted - ie Pro Nav/iDrive, Full Leather and Bluetooth/telematics - 
Were those options on the D3?


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## colarado red (Jun 5, 2008)

Lovely car that


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## 123quackers (Jan 29, 2009)

Enjoy, its always nice getting a new car to play with......... The wheels look awesome :thumb:


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## dubbers (Apr 3, 2006)

Excellent restoration - got more planned:buffer:


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

Looking good, nice job on the gear knob...

Got myself some tan leather seats to do soon, looking forward to it! 

:thumb:


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## Culainn (Sep 2, 2009)

Amazing :thumb:


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

BDJ said:


> Thanks a lot for explaining the process!
> Haven't found any thread on here that explains so good how to repair leather!
> 
> Hope you'll document the next thing you'll repair, and share that with us
> How much £ the leather repair kit was?


Really?...hmm, thanks. :thumb:

I have photo's taken before and after the bolster repair and after the steering wheel repair. In all honesty the bolster was only slightly worn. Will post the pics soon.

The leather repair kit was only £50 delivered from Dynamix http://www.dynamixdyes.com/buyonline.php. This was much cheaper than the £190 and £580 I was quoted by Sytner Alpina for a replacement gear knob and steering wheel. Its a dye not paint so it soaks in. Very impressed.


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

SeanyBean said:


> think you should have kept the rs4 but i do like it alot


Great car but a little lacking in torque/weight. It was like driving a Honda VTEC'd Audi, only really came alive over 5500rpm...which is a bit strange for a V8.

Because there wasnt as much grunt as I'd expected it didnt 'feel' that quick. The Alpina on the other hand is great from 1700rpm. Its like the difference between a V-Twin and a Inline-4 bike engine, it'll get you there all the same, just in a different way. :driver:

The RS4 sounded rubbish from inside too. It was only when my wife drove away (She did come back) that I heard what all the hype was about.

Oh...and there was the issue with the 16 shock absorbers in 3 months that may have pushed me to return the car for a FULL refund! :thumb:


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

dubbers said:


> Excellent restoration - got more planned:buffer:


Yeah - Driver side bolster and steering wheel. Drivers side interior door handle needs replaced but its £110! and it'll receive many months of paintwork TLC, once I fathom out the best way to tackle the BMW paint system.


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

The Cueball said:


> Looking good, nice job on the gear knob...
> 
> Got myself some tan leather seats to do soon, looking forward to it!
> 
> :thumb:


Post pics! :thumb:


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

NickP said:


> Very very nice
> I had a look at quite a few D3's before I got my 330d, but couldn't find one with the spec I wanted - ie Pro Nav/iDrive, Full Leather and Bluetooth/telematics -
> Were those options on the D3?


Yes apart from the iDrive. I have a Pioneer AVIC X1BT media unit which has the Bluetooth built in and an iPod interface, but I'm about to remove it. I never need Nav as I never travel far enough to get lost. :driver:


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## UBRWGN (Nov 25, 2007)

Very nice motor. :thumb:
Cringed at the leather scuffing process but the result is brilliant.


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

UBRWGN said:


> Very nice motor. :thumb:
> Cringed at the leather scuffing process but the result is brilliant.


There is no other alternative. 2.5k and 3k wet and dry mearly flattens the scuffed leather once its dried fully and you can see from the pic that you dont go crazy with it. The filler is more like a glue and sealant IMO.


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

Hi folks.

As the gearknob repair was a success I thought I would move on to the drivers side seat bolster. Given the size of the seat bolsters these days its no surprise that the leading edge fails. Resulting in discolouration and grazing. Here are a few pics of the bolster before I used the same repair process as the gear knob.





































Here is the seat bolster after a quick repair. There is a slight variance in the colour but it was only 1hr old and I can confirm that after 48hrs the colour match is perfect. I have also yet to apply the supplied conditioner.

Still a few scuffed areas that will require some more work using the filler and W/D, but you get the idea for now.




























This looks amazing compared to how it did look.










Okay the steering wheel. I had put money aside to replace the steering wheel when I bought the car as you can see from the original advert photo that the steering wheel looks quite worn. I contacted Sytner Alpina and they infirmed me that with the Alpina Register discount the price would be £540, down from £660. So I had very little to lose.










After searching the internet I found a site raving on about the versatility of those Magic Sponge things on leather and scuffed interior panels. After searching about 5 stores I eventually found them in Homebase for £5.










I did as advised and lightly dampened the sponge then gently worked the entire steering wheel. Once the leather had dried the difference was unbelievable. The colour of the water in the bowl was jet black. Some reckon that the sponge removed the dirt but I think it's more like really fine Scotchbrite. Either way it returns the leather back to original for the price of a Happy Meal.

The biggest problem after I had removed the shine was that the leather was grazed and had a few cuts in places caused by finger nails. So with the steering wheel off and in the warmth of my kitchen, much to the disapproval of my wife, I set about applying the filler to the various indentations and small cuts. The best thing to do with the cuts is to apply it with your finger and really push it into the recess, as the filler bonds the damaged flesh (Eew!). Once the cut repairs are dry apply another light layer incase the filler has sank during curing, The trick is to leave the filler to cure for around 4~5 minutes then use a moistened piece of folder kitchen roll and very gently sweep back and forward across the repaired area. Its water based so will gradually lift. Do not use a Microfibre as the fibres will reach into the repaired section and remove the filler. Ideally use a lint free pad but they are hard to come by unless you work for the NHS.

You can speed up the drying process safely with a hair drier on a medium setting.

Once it's dry it'll look a mess as the filler dries white. You can add a little of the die to the filler and it mixes very well though. I ended up with around 50 or 60 repaired areas. The next stage it to remove any contamination and ensure its free from dust with a dry cloth and apply the dye with the sponge provided. I say to use the sponge provided as its quite porous and gets the dye right into the grain. I tried a closed-cell firm sponge and you could see that it just sweeps over the top of the leather.

A few applications may be required. I found that stippling the leather with the dye gave a much better result. You can see the dye soak into the leather. You have to leave the leather for 24hrs before applying the conditioner and once applied it'll remain sticky for about another 24hrs. But with the heat inside the car it has dried to leave a superb finish IMO.

It's the difference between me being deeply unhappy to the point of wanting to spend £550 on a new wheel, to being very happy to the point where I don't even notice any repair.
































































Whilst I was in the kitchen repairing the steering wheel my wife was baking these!










Wheel refitted - Done. :thumb:


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## ant_s (Jan 29, 2009)

very well documented mate, if your taking this much care about the very finer details, you call will look mint once it's finished.

Plus how good is your taping on the gear knob?! lol


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

ant_s said:


> very well documented mate, if your taking this much care about the very finer details, you call will look mint once it's finished.
> 
> Plus how good is your taping on the gear knob?! lol


Ha! 

I worked for an inustrial paint company many years back. One of the military contracts was to mask and paint control modules for tanks. I never thought my masking skils would come in handy later on in life! The thing was I was the Quality Manager, but we only had 30 employees, come month-end it was all hands on deck! :thumb:


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## Lemongrab (Jul 27, 2009)

Awesome repair skills.


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## ALANSHR (Jun 29, 2007)

Looking good so far, got any piccies of the whole wheel finished?

Am seriously considering one of these, are you anywhere near Aberdeen? I've got a supercharged 330 just now and more and more these days all my journeys are short so am thinking to get something a bit newer and more frugal but still with some rwd fun factor, i'll certainly be looking forward to seeing this baby progress.


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

ALANSHR said:


> Looking good so far, got any piccies of the whole wheel finished?
> 
> Am seriously considering one of these, are you anywhere near Aberdeen? I've got a supercharged 330 just now and more and more these days all my journeys are short so am thinking to get something a bit newer and more frugal but still with some rwd fun factor, i'll certainly be looking forward to seeing this baby progress.


Sort of - I'm in Dunfermline. Its my first RWD always had 4WD and FWD in the past. It has a surprising amount of torque IMO. I'll keep this a few years then possibly look at a Bi-Turbo D3. After removing the AV system from the car I have a new found respect for BMW build quality :thumb:


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## RandomlySet (Jul 10, 2007)

vey nice... where did you get the leather restoring kit from?

Could it be used on cracked seats? Mainly the bolsters.

Also, is it ok to be used on steering wheels.... Mine could do with some dye being applied


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## X18JAY (Oct 23, 2008)

that is incredible! i need that stuff in my car!


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

-Mat- said:


> vey nice... where did you get the leather restoring kit from?
> 
> Could it be used on cracked seats? Mainly the bolsters.
> 
> Also, is it ok to be used on steering wheels.... Mine could do with some dye being applied


I bought the kit from these guy's. Just seaarched through Google and selected these guys at random. Fast delivery and it works, enought said.

http://www.dynamixdyes.com/


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## SR06 (Aug 24, 2009)

*Paint correction - Day 1*

So this week I have sinned in the fact that I have not washed the car in 5 days. It was covered in salt and dirt after two trips down to the Scottish Borders this week.

I started with Valet Pro - PH Neutral Snow Foam. Its the first time ive used it, coming over from Super Snow Foam. What a difference. Smells a bit nasty but the foam is super thick and holds on for quite a while.
:detailer:














































Then washed with 2BM, Maxi Suds, Megs mitt and towelled with a MF Drying towel.

I decided to attack the NSR quarter panel first as it had a few prime scratches that I was really looking forward to tackling with my new found knowledge (Thanks DW :thumb.

Menzerna Power Gloss
Sonus SFX-1 'Yellow' 4" Spot Pad

Menzerna Intensive Polish
Sonus SFX-2 'White' 4" Spot Pad

Sonus Final Finish
Sonus SFX-3 'Orange' 4" Spot Pad

Finish Kare #215 Cleaner Surface Sealant
Lake County 'Blue' Final Finish Pad

Collinite 476S
































































I cant wait to get the entire car done. With the help of DW its donna look amazing! :driver:


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## Pandy (Jan 19, 2008)

Back your previous post......the cakes look yummy! best they didnt last long on that cooling rack!

The car looks stunning, fantastic attention to detail and a real eye opener on how to use and get the best results from the leather repair kits

Keep up the very good work :thumb:


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