# The Life of My 2008 E92 M3



## eclipsisNA (Aug 4, 2010)

*The Life of My 2008 E92 M3, Wet Sanded Top to Bottom*

Some of you might remember me picking the second E9* M3 to be delivered in the United States:

http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=123851

In April of 2010, I decided that not only would I detail my car, but I would wet sand the paint to remove every last trace of orange peel (http://tinyurl.com/24so888). The result would be a mirror-like finish that polishing alone could never accomplish. The entire process took over two hundred hours to complete, but the results speak for themselves.

Oddly, I finished all the changes to this car only several months before picking up my next M3, which you can see in my signature. Every change that I've made to this car revolves around creating a finished product that would resemble an OEM model.

*Cosmetic Mods:*

My own headlight rebuild
6000K Headlights 
12000K HID Angel Eyes (camaross305)
EAS Carbon Fiber Mirror Covers
FormulaOne Pinnacle Ceramic Tint 35% (incl. windshield)
H&R Sport Springs
LED Front Turn Signal Bulbs
Macht Schnell 18mm front/15mm rear Spacers
Matte Black Kidney Grilles 
Matte Black Window Trim
OEM Euro Bumper
OEM Euro Side Mirror Housings (matte black)
OEM LCI Tail Lights
VentureShield Clear Bra on front bumper, hood, and fenders
Vorsteiner Aero Boot Lid

*Performance Mods:*

Active Autowerke Signature X Pipe
Eisenmann Race 
Macht Schnell Air Filter

*Tracking my car's build (February, 2008):*










*Bumper removed, headlights baked open, clear reflector housing removed for painting:*










*Eisenmann Race Exhaust, H&R springs, and Macht Schnell 15mm/18mm spacers:*










*Eisenmann Race painted matte black:*










*Eisenmann connecting pipes painted matte black:*










*Paint structure illustration:*










*Close-up of orange peel ridges/distortion behind Lithium Chloride flame:*










*Severe orange peel on driver side door panel:*










*Chemical Guys products used during the refinishing:*



















*Equipment used during the refinishing:*










*Large and small air sanders:*










*Mounted Blu-Ray laser to mark previous measurement positions:*










*Paint after decontamination, 0 PPM water drying under the sun:*










*Wet sanding the driver side door:*










*Driver side door paint measurements before wet sanding:*










*Tracking measurement positions on driver side door:*










*Driver side door paint measurements after wet sanding:*










*Passenger side after wet sanding:*










*Passenger side fender and door panel after polishing:*










*Lower panel before wet sanding, upper panel after wet sanding:*










*Side skirt before wet sanding (camera set to two separate focus positions):*










*Rear quarter panel after wet sanding (identical focus positions from side skirt photos):*



















*Driver side arch prepped prior to polishing:*










*Driver side rear quarter after wet sanding:*










*Driver side rear quarter after polishing:*










*Wipers removed, before and after polishing:*










*Chemical Guys Vertua-Bond 408 ready to prep the paint prior to sealing and waxing:*










*Chemical Guys Jet Seal 109 ready to seal:*










*Rear window after polishing and application of Jet Seal 109:*










*Gloss restored to the left side of the hood's clear bra after heat gun treatment:*










*Dirty floor mats:*



















*Chemical Guys Lightning Fast Stain Extractor ready for use:*










*Floor mat agitated with rotary brush and Lightning Fast Stain Extractor:*










*Mytee Lite II Hot Water Carpet Extractor:*










*Extracting dirty liquids with the Mytee Lite II:*










*Floor mat after extraction:*










*Body oils on driver side arm rest:*










*Leather Master Kit and Chemical Guys Liquid Extreme Shine Dressing:*










*Leather Master Vital to protect the driver side door panel's Fox Red leather:*










*Chemical Guys Liquid Extreme Shine Dressing applied to the drivers side door panel:*



















*Unilux 3000 Vapor Cleaner:*














































*Sterilizing the driver's side ****pit:*



















*Vapor cleaning the driver's seat:*










*Interior finished:*




























*Vapor cleaning the engine bay:*










*Chemical Guys Fade2Black:*










*Driver side front wheel removed:*










*Chemical Guys Grime Reaper Degreaser applied to the wheel well:*










*After application of (1) Chemical Guys Blue Guard, and (2) Chemical Guys Fade2Black:*



















*Chemical Guys Jet Seal 109 curing on the wheel's interior:*










*Canon 5D Mark II has arrived; Chemical Guys Celeste Dettaglio wax applied:*










*Finally free of orange peel:*


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## CJA Valeting (Dec 7, 2006)

Very nice, love the final pictures.

Nice number plate too


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## BDJ (Nov 21, 2009)

Love the number plate 
1MPG hahahahha!


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

That is a bloody awsome write up, and why I wet sand 90% of the corrections I do.

Paint removal is minimum for such a wow factor when finished.

Great work dude!!!!


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## Roody262 (Mar 6, 2010)

Wow fantastic work there! Very full on, dont think a single inch of the car has been left untouched! The 5D mkII is an amazing camera as well! What lens did you get with it?


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## Deeg (Mar 30, 2009)

Absolutely stunning!


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## toni (Oct 30, 2005)

I'm stunned! Fantastic write-up :thumb:


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## deano_uk (Apr 29, 2007)

All I can say is wow! Amazing work and attention to detail.


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## mundo (Sep 7, 2010)

fantastic........

very impressed with your collection too

love the motor

mundo


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## herbie147 (May 30, 2010)

Amazing work, and thats some amount of gadgets!!

Very nice car!


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## SimonBash (Jun 7, 2010)

Stunning work and a stunning car, extremely well done.


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## Niall (Nov 22, 2009)

Amazing job on stunning car. Nice exhaust too, recently fitted one of those to a customers car and the noise is incredible. Love the CSL style bootlid too.


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## andye (Apr 15, 2007)

Amazing job :thumb:


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## Depaip (Jan 10, 2010)

Great JOB!


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## fretfret (Jul 31, 2009)

Amazing job, fantastic results


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## david g (Dec 14, 2005)

Stunning to say the least :thumb:


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## SuperB (Aug 19, 2010)

Perfect job, better than perfect...


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## Rowan83 (Aug 21, 2007)

Wow, fantastic detail, the wet sand was incredible!! :thumb:


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## Sharpy (Mar 25, 2007)

That is gorgeous


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## Elliott19864 (May 11, 2008)

Wow, what a detail, love the final pictures.

Some gear used too!


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## Waxamomo (Jun 18, 2008)

Absolutely stunning write up and car :thumb:


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## kings.. (Aug 28, 2007)

thats on the money.... final shots are sexual!


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## ADW (Aug 8, 2010)

Very nice.. :thumb:


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## Frenchy0204 (Jul 22, 2009)

ARRRGGH!! Diamond cut wheels FACE DOWN on the concrete!!!!! Total let down on your behalf, considering the attention to detail you went to in all other areas.


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## ant_s (Jan 29, 2009)

awesome work mate!! love the pic showing the paint thickness's and what you removed, have always wondered if all the orange peel is in the clear coat, or if there some in colour.

also love the list, and the last but one. take gf the palms.


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## amiller (Jan 1, 2009)

Great attention to detail. :thumb:

HUGE amount of kit too! What rotary did you use and what grade of sanding pads?

Thanks


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## Eddy (Apr 13, 2008)

Amazing


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## Razzzle (Jul 3, 2010)

Amazing car, amazing collection of products, wish I had enough money to buy them all.

Top work that you've done on this mate, looks really sweet.

Daz.


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## Guest (Oct 30, 2010)

That is incredible!


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## SubtleAggressiv (Jul 17, 2010)

This thread has too much win. Amazing work, beautiful car and great shots. Esp loving the last few with the car and the sunset. # California love #


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## mjd (Dec 18, 2006)

Excellent writeup and an enviable second to none finish.


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## lego_man (Mar 29, 2007)

Stunning..!


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## jspeed2 (May 1, 2010)

fantastic results and excellent write up loving the collection :thumb:


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## srobrien (Feb 17, 2009)

looks lovely mate, is that the vorsteiner bootlid? Really want one for mine but you need to sell a kidney to import that kind of gear over here. 

R


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## remonrace (Jan 13, 2009)

Stunning, absolutely stunning.


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## Dan Clark (Jun 25, 2007)

Beauty! 

I'd love to own this.


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

One of the best write ups I have seen.

:thumb:


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## cleslie (Feb 19, 2006)

Stunning work, great car and beautiful pictures of the finished results.:thumb:


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## DubbedUP (Oct 2, 2007)

Wait a sec!

THIS IS AWESOME!

Although, I winced a little when I seen this alloy face down on the ground with no protection under it!


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## Frenchy0204 (Jul 22, 2009)

DubbedUP said:


> Wait a sec!
> 
> THIS IS AWESOME!
> 
> Although, I winced a little when I seen this alloy face down on the ground with no protection under it!


I said the same a couple of pages back. The OP should be more careful with alloys, especially diamond cut ones!

Apart from that, the rest of the write up is fantastic.


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## Arfman (Sep 13, 2009)

Fantastic! Really loving the license plate too


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## woodymbr (Mar 8, 2009)

Oh my...what a fantastic post! Amazing results mate!


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## boomboom (Sep 11, 2010)

Just a beauty!! :tumbleweed:


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## centenary (Sep 5, 2010)

Great finish! I love bimmers but the paint work on them when they come from the factory isnt the best.

Beep, beep :driver:


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## eclipsisNA (Aug 4, 2010)

Very kind words from everyone on the other side of the pond, appreciate everything that's been said.



Roody262 said:


> Wow fantastic work there! Very full on, dont think a single inch of the car has been left untouched! The 5D mkII is an amazing camera as well! What lens did you get with it?


I bought both the Canon 16-35 Mark II and Canon 50mm 1.4. :thumb:



Frenchy0204 said:


> ARRRGGH!! Diamond cut wheels FACE DOWN on the concrete!!!!! Total let down on your behalf, considering the attention to detail you went to in all other areas.


It _would_ be a total letdown if the wheels were touching the concrete, but they're not. You can't see it in the picture, but the lip of the tire shields the steel from touching the concrete. Knowing how neurotic I am, I'd never let the wheels touch the concrete. :wave:



amiller said:


> Great attention to detail. :thumb:
> 
> HUGE amount of kit too! What rotary did you use and what grade of sanding pads?
> 
> Thanks


Makita 9227.



SubtleAggressiv said:


> This thread has too much win. Amazing work, beautiful car and great shots. Esp loving the last few with the car and the sunset. # California love #


Many thanks!



srobrien said:


> looks lovely mate, is that the vorsteiner bootlid? Really want one for mine but you need to sell a kidney to import that kind of gear over here.
> 
> R


Yes, that's the Vorsteiner double-sided boot.


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## tim (May 2, 2006)

Top top post! Great Gear, Great Photography, Great Car, Great Finish!

I only wish I could have talk someone into letting me wetsand their E92! 

Major Kudos :thumb:


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## enjaytee88 (Aug 22, 2006)

Magic,

Now that's what it should have been like before it left the factory. 

New BMWs are so poorly painted theses days; water based paint systems my a***. It's just cost cutting on at the post paint stages. 

There just isn't any craftsman pride in the M cars these days...

Top job, top car.


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## VWDriver (Mar 5, 2009)

wow ......


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## MR CHU (Mar 18, 2010)

Looks amazing but did you put the alloy wheel face down on the concrete AGGGHHHH


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