# Correction Detail - BMW E46 M3 in Velvet Blue with PURPLE interior - Zaino Z2/Z8!



## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

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This car has been booked in for a few months - it has recently had a full polished wheel refurb at leading local wheel refurb specialists A1 Wheels in Bilston then also a full front end respray from local specialist Spray Station - both examples of work were very impressive indeed and the car was beginning to look like new again - all that was left was a correction detail to get the car looking its absolute best.

The original booking was for a full correction, engine bay tidy up and Optimum Opti Coat 2.0 for protection but this was swapped out for ZFX'd Zaino Z2 and Z8 as the owner is an avid Zaino fan and he can use his existing products to maintain moving forward.

This detail took place over a few days, starting on a Friday Evening...

A few befores:

Insects on the freshly painted bumper:


DSC09974 by RussZS, on Flickr

Mild levels of brake dust on the fresh wheels:


DSC09976 by RussZS, on Flickr

Exhausts carbon build up:


DSC09979 by RussZS, on Flickr

As always, the wheel area was dealt with first. Before:


DSC09980 by RussZS, on Flickr

Initial high pressure rinse with my Nilfisk P150 Pressure Washer to remove any loose dirt and brake dust:


DSC09981 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next Smart Wheels cut 25:1 was applied to the wheels - I watered it down as the wheels weren't too bad dirt wise and the polished surface required caution:


DSC09983 by RussZS, on Flickr

The rears of the wheels were worked with a wheel wooly:


DSC09984 by RussZS, on Flickr

Faces with a brand new, clean Valet Pro Wheel brush:


DSC09986 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC09987 by RussZS, on Flickr

Tyres were treated to 10:1 G101 being careful to keep it away from the wheels:


DSC09989 by RussZS, on Flickr

Same on the arches with the largest wheel wooly:


DSC09990 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the rear of the spokes and more intricate parts of the wheel were worked by hand with a Microfibre glove and 25:1 Smart Wheels:


DSC09991 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC09993 by RussZS, on Flickr

Finally the wheel was rinsed:


DSC09994 by RussZS, on Flickr

Then treated to IronX to see if any brake dust had adhered to the wheels since their refurb:


DSC09995 by RussZS, on Flickr

Only this was found and removed safely:


DSC09996 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next attention was turned to more intricate areas around the car, which were treated with Auto Finesse Citrus Power and a different Valet Pro brush:


DSC09997 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC09998 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC09999 by RussZS, on Flickr

Old trim dressing:


DSC00001 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00002 by RussZS, on Flickr

Other areas:


DSC00003 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00005 by RussZS, on Flickr

The front bumper was also pre soaked to safely remove the dead insects present:


DSC00008 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the whole car was pressure rinsed to remove any loose dirt, then was hand washed with Concours Oro Shampoo and CarPro Mitt:


DSC00009 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00010 by RussZS, on Flickr

After rinsing, we turned attention to the mucky engine bay areas:


DSC00012 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00013 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00015 by RussZS, on Flickr

This area was addressed with Citrus Power and a VP brush:


DSC00018 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00019 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00020 by RussZS, on Flickr

The material area with G101 and a Megs Interior brush:


DSC00021 by RussZS, on Flickr

Much better!


DSC00023 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the car was treated to IronX to safely remove any fallout, followed by Oblitarate to remove any tar deposits:


DSC00027 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00031 by RussZS, on Flickr

Then rinsed again before moving inside!


DSC00028 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00032 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next we clayed with Concour Soft Clay and Auto Finesse Glide:


DSC00033 by RussZS, on Flickr

There wasn't much left to use after IronX and Oblitarate, just a small amount of tree sap:


DSC00035 by RussZS, on Flickr

The car was then fully dried with CG Wooly Mammoth Towels and a Blower to release any trapped water:


DSC00036 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00037 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next we moved to paintwork assessment. We knew that the front end had been resprayed so this would be treated differently to the rest of the car - fewer defects were present and it was evident that the paint was somewhat softer.

Various polishing combinations were used to safely bring this car up to standard, including:

- Megs Mf Cutting Discs with M101 and D300 via CleanYourCar DAS6 Pro
- Rupes BigFoot System with Zephir and Yellow Polishing Pad
- Festool RAP150 Rotary using Megs 205, Scholl S3, Wool pads and 3M Polishing Pads

Some pictures from the corrective phases:


DSC00042 by RussZS, on Flickr

Before:


DSC00045 by RussZS, on Flickr

After:


DSC00046 by RussZS, on Flickr

50/50:


DSC00057 by RussZS, on Flickr

Before:


DSC00060 by RussZS, on Flickr

After:


DSC00059 by RussZS, on Flickr

The car was pulled outside periodically to assess the finish in direct sunlight:


DSC00064 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00066 by RussZS, on Flickr

The corrective work continued over 10 hours or so:


DSC00089 by RussZS, on Flickr

The newly painted areas were finished VERY well but there were a few sanding marks in areas which were dealt with:


DSC00108 by RussZS, on Flickr

After:


DSC00114 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00115 by RussZS, on Flickr

A few pics of the polishing:


DSC00132 by RussZS, on Flickr

Refining via Rotary:


DSC00131 by RussZS, on Flickr

More checking in the Sun - I find the Brinkmann to be the best light source for spotting hologramming but you can't beat the Sun...


DSC00124 by RussZS, on Flickr

Starting to look extremely sharp...


DSC00129 by RussZS, on Flickr

After all polishing was completed, the M3 was given a very thorough rinse to remove any traces of polishing dust:


DSC00145 by RussZS, on Flickr

Then re-dried carefully using blowers:


DSC00148 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00149 by RussZS, on Flickr

The trim was protected with GTechniq C5:


DSC00151 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00150 by RussZS, on Flickr

Opti Coat 2.0 was used on the wheels:


DSC00154 by RussZS, on Flickr

The paintwork was treated to 3x ZFX'd Z2, Z6 between layers and Z8:


DSC00153 by RussZS, on Flickr


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Revive was used on the engine bay:


DSC00158 by RussZS, on Flickr

Crystal on the glass:


DSC00161 by RussZS, on Flickr

Getting there...


DSC00164 by RussZS, on Flickr

Meguiars detailing sticks used to clean hard to reach areas and dress them:


DSC00165 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00167 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00168 by RussZS, on Flickr

Z16 was used on the tyres.

Finally, after many hours, the afters...


DSC00169 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00172 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00173 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00174 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00175 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00177 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00182 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00188 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00191 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00192 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00196 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00197 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00200 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00205 by RussZS, on Flickr

A quick interior shot of those awesome seats!


DSC00209 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00215 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00217 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00222 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00227 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00246 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00257 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00259 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00272 by RussZS, on Flickr

One last check before the customer arrived:


DSC00273 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00274 by RussZS, on Flickr

and of course, some Tesco pics...


DSC00280 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00281 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00284 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00285 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00286 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00287 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00289 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00290 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00291 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00296 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00298 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC00300 by RussZS, on Flickr

This was a very challenging but extremely enjoyable car to work on. It's amazing to think it's got over 100k on the clock!!!

Thanks for reading - if you have any questions then feel free to ask and I'll answer them all.


DSC00301 by RussZS, on Flickr

Russ.


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## Giobart (Mar 23, 2011)

Nice work Russ ad amazing finish!


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

bang tidy Russ, interior is certainly different lol :thumb:


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## Hincey (Feb 4, 2009)

Mint! I really have to bring my car round to u one day


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Giobart said:


> Nice work Russ ad amazing finish!


Thank you! 



-Kev- said:


> bang tidy Russ, interior is certainly different lol :thumb:


Yes, very purple!! Great colour combo!! 



Hincey said:


> Mint! I really have to bring my car round to u one day


Thank you and I'd love you to! What do you drive?

Russ.


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## andrewone (May 11, 2011)

Stunning Russ! For a car with 100k on the clock it looks better than new!! :thumb:


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## Miguel Pestana (Feb 16, 2012)

amazing job as usual, impressive


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## Jord (Apr 3, 2012)

Simply stunning, no other word for it..


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## Emporio (Jun 8, 2011)

Beautiful work


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## strongman (May 18, 2012)

awesome job as always MR.Russ 
Well done you ;;-)


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Stunning work there mate :thumb:


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

Not bad for 101k miles  stunning finish Russ.


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## David Proctor (Mar 6, 2011)

Stunning work Russ...... Looking proper sharp and wet.


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## prokopas (Apr 29, 2010)

Great Work


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Awesome job dude

Looks ace !!!!!


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## Mad Ad (Feb 7, 2011)

Nice work Russ, a few hours put into that one:thumb:


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## deni2 (May 4, 2011)

Car looks liquid, great result :thumb:.


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## Hincey (Feb 4, 2009)

MidlandsCarCare said:


> Thank you and I'd love you to! What do you drive?
> 
> Russ.


I've got an e92 m sport in white which needs enhancing


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Now looks amazing:thumb:


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## Zetec-al (Feb 28, 2011)

Fantastic!! the nicest M3 model IMO.


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## Faysal (Oct 23, 2010)

AMAZING work Russ!:thumb: Great colour combo!

Faysal


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## AaronGTi (Nov 2, 2010)

Nice write up :thunb:
Looks great now.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks all


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## Marky-G-66 (May 31, 2012)

Stunning...Again:thumb:


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## Racer (Oct 27, 2005)

Just plain STUNNING , congrats for the work :thumb:


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## Sparky160 (Aug 12, 2011)

Stunning job made of that Russ. Love that colour and interior. Perhaps the nicest E46 ive seen made look its best. Great job.


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## matt_83 (Apr 28, 2009)

Great work Russ :thumb:


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## KmChoPs (Nov 1, 2010)

Looking good Russ, How did you get on with the Opti Coat, Amazing stuff isnt it ?


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## JBirchy (Oct 9, 2010)

Stunning Russ, i take it that's an Individual model? Manual or SMG?

Fantastic work, one of my favourites yet from yourself!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

JBirchy said:


> Stunning Russ, i take it that's an Individual model? Manual or SMG?
> 
> Fantastic work, one of my favourites yet from yourself!


Thanks Jon 

Yes it's an Individual and it's SMG!

Thanks all!

Russ.


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## Exclusive Car Care (Jan 14, 2007)

nice work Russ:thumb:


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## stonejedi (Feb 2, 2008)

Simply superb:thumb:


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## leemckenna (Oct 11, 2011)

great work as always russ how was the zfx z2


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## jonjay (Feb 28, 2008)

Your best detail to day me thinks! 

Well done mate, really pleased things are coming along.


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## Clyde (Feb 15, 2012)

Amazing finish


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## Eheis5 (Apr 25, 2011)

That color is fantastic, great work!


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## Mr Singh (Apr 4, 2006)

Excellent work there mate, came out beautiful. 

Coupled with that colour, flawless correction and Zaino system your onto to a winner. Always found deep pearlescent blues to just burst with Zaino Z2/Z8. 

Cheers.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks all, really appreciated. 

Russ.


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## mike13098 (Jan 21, 2012)

one of the best car colours there is

lovely


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## Amer (Apr 7, 2012)

Great job


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## Ali (Apr 5, 2006)

Lovely lovely work. 

Hate the Angel Eyes...But that's not your fault!


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## lisaclio (Sep 6, 2008)

very nice and to think that its got all them miles on the clock and now it looks like new! great work


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## Dan_Mol (Jul 3, 2012)

Stunning, amazing colour.


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## GreenyR (Oct 26, 2011)

Wow this is amazing. Thanks for showing:thumb:


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

well that's back to showroom spec. mcc style.
:thumb:


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## bazves (Mar 24, 2011)

fantastic shine, the owner must have been chuffed


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## Titanium Htail (Mar 24, 2012)

That is a great job clean and simple, very well presented with good information.

Thank-you.

John Tht.


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## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Nice one Russ! Very nice work indeed!


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## gatman (Jun 13, 2012)

Stunning finish


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## ckeir.02mh (Jan 5, 2012)

Incredible Russ, what a colour aswell.

Chris.


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## cotter (Aug 31, 2008)

Looks fantastic Russ


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Loving that one Russ BMW Individual paint ? look fantastic, good range of products on the go there, opticoat two on the wheels is this the first time with this Russ? Gloss levels very nice


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## HeavenlyDetail (Sep 22, 2006)

Very nice Russ!!
Im just pleased you dont put them stupid flashing 56K logos on your threads , they should be banned now we have all got computers not zx81,s with dial up.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

What flashing logos??


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## -Kev- (Oct 30, 2007)

think Marc means the smiley i've selected above Russ..


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

MidlandsCarCare said:


> What flashing logos??


Russ some people put the hex read logo 56k to get your attention to the thread to look at it, you don't need it as your pics speak for them selves:thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Oh ok. Have I used it somewhere then? I'm lost!


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

MidlandsCarCare said:


> Oh ok. Have I used it somewhere then? I'm lost!


No Russ never seen one on your threads and i have no idea how to add them:lol:


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## organisys (Jan 3, 2012)

Amazing looking clarity and gloss.


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## Ross08 (Apr 8, 2008)

Great stuff, a lovely motor and a cracking write-up.


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## andrewst500 (Nov 2, 2008)

stunning work


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## Dan Clark (Jun 25, 2007)

Stunning!!


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## rsdan1984 (Jul 31, 2009)

hi, nice details, that BMW looks fantastic. i'm just curious to know why you used 3 different compounds rather than just the one? do the 3 offer you different properties? polish selection/polish range is the one area i know little about so i'm just trying to get my head around people's polish choices. i only have the menz range so i have no choice but i have some 3m samples now - just need a car to detail!


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## rsdan1984 (Jul 31, 2009)

bump for my question...


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Hi Dan,

Apologies. The resprayed panels required a different polish/technique to the original BMW paint so various combos were used to reflect this. 

Cheers,
Russ.


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## Bigpimpinpete (Jul 30, 2012)

I think people use 3 types as they are different grades, course medium and fine, course to do most of the correction, medium to refine a bit more then fine for the final finish to give a high gloss, as there all abrasives i personally found menzerna to be great as it starts with high cutting properties but as you work with it it wears down and givs a good gloss finish too hope this helps


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## rsdan1984 (Jul 31, 2009)

ok cheers, i guess that's just something that comes with experience.


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks all 

Russ.


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## colarado red (Jun 5, 2008)

Stunning


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## B17BLG (Jun 26, 2012)

never surprised by any of your work any more russ, always consistantly a top top job! Congratulations!


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## ckeir.02mh (Jan 5, 2012)

Stunning!

Chris.


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## jlw41 (Jun 5, 2011)

Awesome work :thumb:


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## andrewst500 (Nov 2, 2008)

cracking work Russ:thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thank you all


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

Very impressive results there Russ, the car is transformed to a show car standard that is done to a high level :thumb:


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