# My BMW E46 - Detailing Session Pics



## benlee93 (Nov 2, 2011)

Hi All!

Havent ever posted pics up of my car on here, so thought I would create a post! :thumb:

I started by washing it, then claying, then meguiars paint cleaner and poorboys SSR2.5, poorboys black hole polish and AG HD wax, dressed the tyres with meguiars and sealed the wheels with poorboys wheel sealent. Cleaned the interior also. Spent pretty much most of the day on it!

Anyway heres the pics :car:








































































































































Let me know what you think! :detailer:


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## Ultra (Feb 25, 2006)

Tidy, nice well presented motor.


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## benlee93 (Nov 2, 2011)

> Tidy, nice well presented motor.


Cheers mate!


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## SimonBash (Jun 7, 2010)

Looks great buddy, really like the E46's still, looking very tidy indeed:thumb:


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Wow is that the original wheels as are immaculate and the paint finish is excellent very tidy BM great shine


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## benlee93 (Nov 2, 2011)

> Looks great buddy, really like the E46's still, looking very tidy indeed


Thanks! I dont think the e46 will ever go out of date.



> Wow is that the original wheels as are immaculate and the paint finish is excellent very tidy BM great shine


Thanks for the comments! They are freshly refurbished wheels, as I used to have some m3 replica wheels so bought some genuine mv2s fully refurbed a few weeks back!


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## Alpina-d3 (Mar 16, 2011)

Now that looks good, great photo's.

The Darkline Rear lights would look great on your car.


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## centenary (Sep 5, 2010)

Woah! Some serious shine there!

Now get that X5 sorted :thumb:


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## Gleammachine (Sep 8, 2007)

Looks a great example.:thumb:


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## dazzyb (Feb 9, 2010)

Tht looks well nice 
Its in great condition. Is it a convertible??


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## rsblue (May 8, 2011)

Could have cleaned it 1st!!!!!!!!!! lol..... looks the nuts mate..


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## recarouk (May 5, 2006)

i actually have a boner.


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## cleancar (Sep 21, 2006)

nice , whats on the tyres ?


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## President Swirl (Oct 23, 2011)

*e46*

Awesome mate, good work:thumb: the m tech kit is a must.


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## kcass (Aug 24, 2010)

very nice car mate,love it with the hardtop on and the led's really set it off!
great work..


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

Stunning Racing Tank :thumb:


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## Demetrios72 (Jun 27, 2011)

Great work there matey :thumb:

Very nice ride


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## benlee93 (Nov 2, 2011)

Cheers guys!

The tyre dressing is actually some turtle wax cheap stuff from halfords, I have got the meguiars tyre gel but it always sprays up the side of the car.

With the halfords stuff it doesnt spray up the car and will still just about last a week!

And the X5 is my dads lol I know its in a bit of a state at the mo!


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## benlee93 (Nov 2, 2011)

> Its in great condition. Is it a convertible??


Yeah its a convertible but have put the hard top on for winter at the mo!


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## simon burns (Nov 1, 2011)

Top work fella,very nice E46 you have there! :thumb:


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## joelee (Nov 28, 2009)

Nice mate i have just bought one in blue


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## SimonBash (Jun 7, 2010)

benlee93 said:


> Cheers guys!
> 
> The tyre dressing is actually some turtle wax cheap stuff from halfords, I have got the meguiars tyre gel but it always sprays up the side of the car.
> 
> ...


Spray or squirt it onto a foam applicator and wipe it on mate:thumb:


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## benlee93 (Nov 2, 2011)

> Now that looks good, great photo's.
> 
> The Darkline Rear lights would look great on your car.


I was considering getting the rear lights with the smoked top part indicators rather than the clear ones, its still on the to do list!!



> Nice mate i have just bought one in blue


Nice one mate, they look nice in blue don't see many about in that colour!



> Spray or squirt it onto a foam applicator and wipe it on mate


Thanks mate I'll give it a go next time! I do that with the cheap stuff but haven't tried with meguiars, so ill spray it onto an applicator next time!!


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## [email protected] (Jan 14, 2010)

You car is STUNNING. Basically, your car looks perfectly done. There just isn't much else to say.


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## Exotica (Feb 27, 2006)

I wouldn't change it. I want it, the E46 never seems to age.

Where in East Sussex are you?

PM if need to.


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Stunning work there mate :thumb:


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## benlee93 (Nov 2, 2011)

> I wouldn't change it. I want it, the E46 never seems to age.
> 
> Where in East Sussex are you?
> 
> PM if need to.


Thanks! Yeah I don't think the E46 will ever go out of date.

I live in Uckfield, whereabouts are you?

Ben


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## mislavto (Jul 3, 2010)

wow, car looks like new. great e46


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## Exotica (Feb 27, 2006)

benlee93 said:


> Thanks! Yeah I don't think the E46 will ever go out of date.
> 
> I live in Uckfield, whereabouts are you?
> 
> Ben


Just down the road, well A22. Eastbourne:wave:


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## benlee93 (Nov 2, 2011)

> Just down the road, well A22. Eastbourne


Sounds good! What car do you drive then?


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## Exotica (Feb 27, 2006)

Its for sale on here


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## Legacy (Oct 7, 2011)

Lovely example of an E46! 

Awesome job congrats, damn I love those wheels :drool:


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## Bowler (Jan 23, 2011)

Smart looker. Nice work keeping so fresh, love the wheels


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## jamesgti (Aug 9, 2007)

WOW stunning mate.


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## Mike k (Oct 14, 2011)

WOW!!! and i thought my 330 m sport was clean lol. That looks stunning.

Ok, do you know where the wheels were refurbed? The last owner had the mv2's done few months before i bought mine but they didnt do a great job, the small gap between the each set of double spokes the paint isnt smooth where you probably cant get a polisher in there.

Other thing- what bulbs are in your front lights? Is the dipped beam original xenons, or have you put a HID kit on there? Original owner of mine ticked every option box apart from xenons grrrr so ive been thinking of getting a HID kit. What side light bulbs do you have though as i notice yours are a nice xenon white style, mine are currently still the original horrible yellowy white. 

Cheers,Mike


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## benlee93 (Nov 2, 2011)

> Its for sale on here


Looks very smart mate! Loving the m3 wheels!



> WOW!!! and i thought my 330 m sport was clean lol. That looks stunning.
> 
> Ok, do you know where the wheels were refurbed? The last owner had the mv2's done few months before i bought mine but they didnt do a great job, the small gap between the each set of double spokes the paint isnt smooth where you probably cant get a polisher in there.
> 
> ...


Hi Mike, cheers mate!

The wheels were refurbed at a place called lepsons in kent, the finish on them is stunning. http://www.lepsons.com/

They look as new I would totally recommend this company!

With the headlights, they are not factory xenons, I have fitted 6000k HIDs to the dipped beam. Again I would recommend these as they look like factory xenons, pure white with a blue tinge and very good at night!

My sidelight bulbs are from ebay, they are LED ones, but make sure you either get these or make sure they are canbus error cancelling ones, as a lot of these bulbs will bring up errors on the dash due to low power consumption of LEDs, the computer thinks a bulb has blown. These are the ones I have, you wont have any probs with these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170684855829?ssPageName=STRK:null:IT

I have upgraded the main beam bulbs aswell to a xenon colour bulb, also from ebay:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/360298373961?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2648

Anything else you needed to know, Id be more than happy to help mate!

Cheers
Ben


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## Mike k (Oct 14, 2011)

Absolute legend, cheers Ben. Will follow those links in a bit and do some ordering. I have a thread going with my car also on first page of this section at moment. Only had it few months and now starting to crack on with some bits for it and further tidying it up to perfection.


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## Minus8 (Aug 1, 2011)

Looks fantastic, one of my "realistic dream" motors there


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## Mike k (Oct 14, 2011)

Ah Ben, where did u get your hid's from? Theres quite a few different kits out there and are different shades of white, most looking v blue but yours are the first ive seen that are very oem looking.


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## Exotica (Feb 27, 2006)

benlee93 said:


> Looks very smart mate! Loving the m3 wheels!
> 
> Hi Mike, cheers mate!
> 
> ...


As am just down the road we will have to meet up for a detailing session.


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## rockape (Feb 18, 2007)

hell of a nice looking vert ben :thumb:


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## benlee93 (Nov 2, 2011)

> Ah Ben, where did u get your hid's from? Theres quite a few different kits out there and are different shades of white, most looking v blue but yours are the first ive seen that are very oem looking.


Mike, I got them from www.hids4u.co.uk they are 6000k, so pure white with a tinge of blue like the factory xenons. I bought the ultimate kit, the best one they do, think it was about £150, so not bad at all, but took a few hours to fit.


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## benlee93 (Nov 2, 2011)

> As am just down the road we will have to meet up for a detailing session.


Yeah definately mate! What car are you planning on getting next?


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## stuart1164 (Jun 9, 2009)

Looks stunning.

These are still brilliant looking and will never look out dated.

Keep it forever :wave:


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## Mike k (Oct 14, 2011)

Cheers for posting all the links up etc Ben, nice one. Those bulbs on ebay are so cheap, have ordered some, hope they last a while. 
Will order up the hids whens get paid at end of the month,cant wait to get them on the car.


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Nice shine..


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## John-Cupra_TDI (Apr 13, 2009)

Looking good :thumb:


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## 028butlerboy (Apr 2, 2010)

Smart looking motor you have there chap! Prefer the E46 to its younger siblings..


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## Mike k (Oct 14, 2011)

028butlerboy said:


> Smart looking motor you have there chap! Prefer the E46 to its younger siblings..


Same here! i was thinking the other day what will i buy next when i want/need to go a bit newer. My 6 yr old e46 is so much better specced than the newer 3 series. Think the dash looks better in mine than in newer ones.


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## benlee93 (Nov 2, 2011)

> Same here! i was thinking the other day what will i buy next when i want/need to go a bit newer. My 6 yr old e46 is so much better specced than the newer 3 series. Think the dash looks better in mine than in newer ones.


Yeah unless you have I drive I feel that the dash in the e90 can look a bit square!


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## sam1owen (Aug 17, 2012)

looks great mate, i said i would never have a blck car again but i miss it! when they are clean they are clean


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## littlejack (Jun 11, 2008)

Nice really miss mine now.....


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## theshrew (May 21, 2008)

Real good job well done. 

Whats that ariel ?


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## mikeyc_123 (Sep 22, 2008)

benlee93 said:


> Hi All!
> 
> Havent ever posted pics up of my car on here, so thought I would create a post! :thumb:
> 
> ...


Top job mate.. I had exactly the same but in silver (330 M Sport) but had to get rid due to change in job. You have a lovely car there and the mods with the lights look really good too. I miss the interior as I smoke in my car and the new beemer has red seats with black carpet etc and ash shows up everywhere which drives me mad (its my own fault so I have myself and my OCD to blame lol). I machine polished mine twice over the 2 years I had it and it was a nightmare trying to find the right combo but the 3m range worked in the end and it has done a spot on job on the new car too. Keep up the good work mate and well done for doing that in a day!


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## litcan91 (Mar 16, 2013)

What a stunner!


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## BSD (Dec 1, 2013)

Stunning e46 I like the ride height and those wheels look mint.


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## almas_09 (Dec 19, 2013)

Looks amazing!


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