# Mike's E46 M3 Steel Grey - The Big Clean



## mike_wall15 (Jun 13, 2006)

I bought an E46 M3 last saturday, it's always been my dream car, and now I finally have it!
I had a bit of fun driving it round on Saturday and Sunday, but it was time to get down to work with it on Monday & Tuesday (luckily I had the days booked off work ages ago).
I will add to this thread over the coming weeks. I want things as nice as possible so it might take a while!

Day 1 & 2

Here are some starting pics of the car:





































It's hard to see in the photo but some tar on the rear bumper (rear wheel drive and fat tyres seem the culprit!):










There's a nice bonnet bulge, but the swirls were ruining the look:










Time to wash with two buckets - being clear it is easy to see when the water is dirty, plus the oval shape makes it easy to put water in using 2 taps at once:










The car already wearing a decent amount of dealer protection & so lots of water beading:










The rubbers around the car weren't too dirty, but there's always room for improvement, so out came the APC (don't leave it on too long in the sun as it can stain!):










I didn't actually want a sunroof but I wasn't going to turn the car down because of it!:










I use a EuroW mitt to wash the upper sections of the car. A lovely thick pile to keep the paint in great condition:










A regular wash mitt for lower sections & the rear bumper. Also used on the glass as it has a bit more bite:










More window rubbers being cleaned with APC:










(Notice that I haven't used a pressure washer yet - I've always thought about buying one but never had the need. My Honda paint has survived my current wash technique for 3 years without gaining any swirls)

Once I have cleaned the car I change the hose setting so that it gives off a gentle stream in order to sheet a lot of the water off. This makes it easier to dry:



















Time to clay the car. Sonus green was used as it's the lightest one I have and the paint didn't look in too bad a condition:










In order to soften up the tar on the lower sections I used some white spirit (can't afford tar remover!! lol!! Be sure to wash the area afterwards!)










The tar in question:










How the two buckets were looking after the wash - good to see a difference!










The car was washed again after claying and dried using Sonus Der Wonder - a great drying tool!










Paint thickness readings were taken as I moved around the car. The car had original paint, ranging from 100 microns upto 140. (I had checked this when buying the car - I wouldn't buy one with paint work carried out, usually it cause a problem with peeling lacquer or a different colour match!)










Roof swirls:










Menz 3.02 with a Sonus Yellow pad via PC (2 or 3 hits) sorted it:



















I was achieving a 90% swirl removal. More hits were needed to get 99%, but I'd like to be able to drive the car again before too long!!

Rear lights not looking too great:



















But with the same polishing combo (only 1 hit needed though as plastics heat up quite a bit):



















There was a mark on the rear bumper just to the left of the light:










Looking better:










The side of the rear bumper with all the tar was just looking swirly by now:










Better:










On the other side there were some annoying scratches:










Knocked back a little:










That's it for now. The bonnet, roof, bumpers all sorted. Just the sides need to be de-swirled now.
More pics on Saturday night I hope!

*Click here for Day 3 & 4 Update *

Comments so far are welcome.

Thanks for reading

Mike


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## sengh (Aug 13, 2008)

looks superb nice write up


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## Gravy (Nov 17, 2008)

nice car mate, good colour


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## Wildcat (Apr 9, 2008)

Looking great - nice job. Thanks for sharing.
I'm new to all this, having just got my first bits of proper 'gear' from Elite Car Care, so I really appreciate the level of detail you're going into - helps me understand what I SHOULD be doing!
Looking forward to updates.


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## stuy180 (Mar 10, 2008)

Nice work so far.... Will keep popping back! :thumb:


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## JBR09 (Mar 10, 2009)

hey mate, great work so far! I hope you are enjoying the car. I am too a new owner to a e46 m3, and have 2 days off in a weeks time to get on with detailing it at last!!! 

A cool but cheap mod i have done which was worth every penny was to change the front indicator bulbs to chrome ones. Takes away the orange tinge. Makes it look spot on! 

Look forward to reading any further work!


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## Buzzsaw (Nov 4, 2007)

Subscribed









Excellent job can't wait to see her when the job is finished :thumb:


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## charlie_51 (Sep 19, 2008)

I officialy need an E46 in my life


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## stargazer (Aug 9, 2006)

Nice work there and a car too. :thumb:


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## mike_wall15 (Jun 13, 2006)

Thanks for the nice comments so far guys! :thumb:

*JBR09 *- I did that on my Type-R, it was certainly a great cheap mod! I'm looking to do it on this one too. I originally thought they'd both take the same bulbs and I could swap them over but looks like it's a different fitment - grr!! :wall: :lol:

I'm looking forward to cracking on at the weekend, should be looking a lot better in the finished pics!

Mike :buffer:


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Looks awesome mate, much nicer than the CTR. 

I shall be inspecting


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## saxyVTRsaxo (Nov 23, 2006)

Great looking car, im currently on the look out for an e46 M3, actually went to look at a steel grey one just over a week ago but it was in a really neglegted state.

What sort of spec/millage does this have and did you buy it from a BMW dealers or find it on the net etc...?


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## JBR09 (Mar 10, 2009)

mike_wall15 said:


> Thanks for the nice comments so far guys! :thumb:
> 
> *JBR09 *- I did that on my Type-R, it was certainly a great cheap mod! I'm looking to do it on this one too. I originally thought they'd both take the same bulbs and I could swap them over but looks like it's a different fitment - grr!! :wall: :lol:
> 
> ...


Yeah annoyingly they always seem to be different when you think you can use them! I got mine from ebay. Cost me £8 for a set of four. Obviously you would only need a pair as you have the revised rear lights (another mod i can't wait to do). PM me if you want the link to the bulbs i brought.

JBR


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## mike_wall15 (Jun 13, 2006)

*Gaz *- I will miss the Type-R, it didn't cause me any problems and was lots of fun to drive. Obviously I prefer the M3, but the Type-R was an outstanding hot hatch.
Once finished you can indeed inspect it!! You're bound to find something!  :lol:

*saxyVTRsaxo* - It was the first one I looked at (risky! :doublesho) but it was from a BMW main dealer. I've paid over the odds, BUT I have a full 1 yr warranty so no troubles.
Has red leather, SMG, TV, Sat Nav, 6 CD, Harmon Kardon... 64k miles, FBMWSH, biggest thing it is missing is the bluetooth!
It was from a dealer 1 mile away, and I had been looking for a while for this colour and spec so it was worth it. Best of luck with the search, make sure you've done your homework if you are buying privately. There are some various M3 forums that are very useful :thumb:

*JBR09 *- Seems like a good price that. I'll be in touch if I can't find anything. Might try and find a pair first... cheers amigo :thumb:


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## Sveneng (Apr 20, 2008)

I love M3s and I really like that colour as well. You've done a great job on it and I look forward to reading about the next stages.


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## RisingPower (Sep 21, 2007)

Great work and steel grey is the fastest colour


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## ahaydock (Jan 4, 2007)

Looking good.


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## rallyman1978 (Aug 8, 2007)

Ultimate car and a cracking job of it - looking forward to seeing more


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## Tone Loc (Aug 22, 2007)

Looking good and cracking buy... E46 M3s do give you a nice grin when you drive them 

Tony.


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## bluebro (Dec 29, 2005)

Welcome to the M3 club, Steel Grey/Imola Red looks great, can't wait to see the car 100% detailed.

The 19's look in great nick. :thumb:


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## Phill_S (Mar 30, 2009)

An awesome motor that's going to look even more awesome!


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## DAVEE46M3 (Aug 23, 2008)

Mike,
wellcome to the e46 M3 owners club...... cost a bit to run but worth it:car:

You will glad you went with the sunroof a rare option you do not see many around, sweet colour though, grey and silver the best.
If you need any tips on running/mods PM im local to you:wave:

Dave


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## mikist (Nov 10, 2008)

Good work , M3 is superb with thankful colour.


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## Nissan SE-R's (Jan 1, 2009)

Congratulations, grat car you bought. Enjoy it.


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## Dan Clark (Jun 25, 2007)

Awesome M3 mate. Its also my dream motor, and i WILL have one soon.
Excellent detail - enjoy it!

Dan


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## Waxamomo (Jun 18, 2008)

That's the exact car i'm looking for. IMO the best colour and I want all the added extra's.


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## bidderman1969 (Oct 20, 2006)

looking good so far, still trying to find some buckets like that tho, lol


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## Noakesy85 (Dec 27, 2008)

i freaking love the M3... also my dream car, i cant wait to upgrade my e36 

If you know many people that are looking for a set of e46 M3 wheels (powdercoated black) feel free to point them my way lol, im trying to sell mine.


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## mike_wall15 (Jun 13, 2006)

Thanks for the great comments guys! :thumb: It's really nice being able to see such positive comments about your own car. To the few people that have also said it's their dream car - I wish you all the best in finding yours too 

*///M_Karl* - Have you tried http://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/ as that seems quite a good UK forum? :thumb:

*DAVEE46M3* - I'll PM you, always good to find someone local :thumb:


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## mike_wall15 (Jun 13, 2006)

*************************

*Day 3 & 4*

*************************

Sorry for the delay in posting these pictures.
There are not as many to look at this time, but I've picked out the best ones to show the progress.

On these days I finished polishing the sides of the car and put some protection on the entire car.
So, onto the polishing...

The lower side not looking too good. Some of the marks you see here are down to the claying, which is why I always like to polish afterwards!










Much better









Possibly the worst area of the car was a massive long scratch. I've managed to reduce it quite a lot, with a bit more time I probably could have got it even better.
What it looked like:



























But with a bit of polish there was a massive improvement:









There were some tiny scratches on the other side near the large arches... I just love looking at these, the best parts of the car!

Before:









A slightly different angle, but they've gone:









With the polishing complete I applied some sealant & then a layer of wax. By applying this on a very light pad using the machine I am able to apply a much smaller amount. You only need a small layer anyway. This makes it much easier to remove with a microfibre cloth - I remember the days when I used to spend all afternoon removing a polish because I'd applied it so thick!

Being applied:









And how the car was now looking:


















I haven't taken many photos as there are still lots of areas to cover. Once these are all complete I will take some final finished photos.

So, still to come:
- Pics of all the products used
- Exhaust clean up (waiting for a polishing head in the post)
- Removal of wheels, Sealing, and arches cleaned
- Tidy of interior inc leather seats
- Final pics!

Comments so far are welcome.

Thanks for reading

Mike


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

Looks awesome mate, let me know when the leather is ready for some TLC.


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## mike_wall15 (Jun 13, 2006)

Gaz W said:


> Looks awesome mate, let me know when the leather is ready for some TLC.


Oh it is in desperate need dude!! Need to sell the Type-R first though... hopefully someone will look at it this weekend.
I'm hoping for sun this weekend too!! :lol:

Speak soon matey


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## Noakesy85 (Dec 27, 2008)

mike_wall15 said:


> *///M_Karl* - Have you tried http://forums.m3cutters.co.uk/ as that seems quite a good UK forum? :thumb:


Awesome!! cheers buddy, ill go check it out :thumb:


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## Mirror Finish Details (Aug 21, 2008)

Looks a really nice motor and great result.


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## karburn (Feb 1, 2008)

Great car & color. Well done.


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## JBR09 (Mar 10, 2009)

Good work mate, 

Looks like there are two of us detailing an M3 at the same time! How did you find the paint? Mine is like a rock, it took ages to find a good combination etc, but once settled managed to get about 80% correction. Such hard work with the G220...

Will keep my eyes on this thread though. Should have a write up for mine in the next few days or so! 

JBR


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## mike_wall15 (Jun 13, 2006)

JBR09 said:


> Good work mate,
> 
> Looks like there are two of us detailing an M3 at the same time! How did you find the paint? Mine is like a rock, it took ages to find a good combination etc, but once settled managed to get about 80% correction. Such hard work with the G220...
> 
> ...


The paint was much harder than my Honda. The swirls were gone with 2 or 3 hits of Menz 3.02 on a Sonus SFX 1 Pad. They were long hits too! Some random scratches still exist, but the 25 hours so far will have to do for a bit!

Hopefully it won't mark very easily! :lol:

I look forward to reading your writeup! :thumb:


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## Tiauguinho (May 1, 2007)

Congratulations on your dream car! I know the exact feeling! I'm the happiest boy ever since I got the M5


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## VIPER (May 30, 2007)

Great car, great colour, great write up! What more can I say - superb, Mike :thumb:


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## Ali (Apr 5, 2006)

nice work mike. Lovely looking cars the E46.


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## chrisfoster1971 (Feb 16, 2008)

WOW I love these motors.. And this looks like yet another cracker and good attention to detail. It always surpises me how someone can own one of these beauts and not look after it like nothing else.

It is obvious this particular one will be getting some TLC for the rest of it current ownership

Keep it up.. liking the work so far.

p.s. Are the Polished bliss buckets by any chance ??


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## RandomGUY (Apr 5, 2009)

Amazing car, an E46 M3 is my dream car.


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## tmclssns (Dec 28, 2006)

Good job so far!
Lovely car - I've been looking for an M3 but insurance is too expensive for someone my age (and job)


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## rockape (Feb 18, 2007)

lovely motor mike, top job :thumb: my next car i think. they do seem to hold there value well though


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## Tone Loc (Aug 22, 2007)

rockape said:


> they do seem to hold there value well though


LOL as an owner of one (for 14 months) i just wish that statement was true   Good time to buy now tho....

Tony.


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## SevenW (Sep 19, 2008)

Fantastic job, congrats on the purchase, I'd give my left one to own a E46 M3.


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## North east Car Care (Jan 14, 2008)

Stunning looking car Mike


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## mike_wall15 (Jun 13, 2006)

*SevenW *- Save up and get one, they're pretty affordable now :thumb:

*tmclssns *- Yeah insurance is always a big factor. This was £780 for me, but I'd probably pay upto £1k to own one. I don't know your age, but I was 25 this time round and it made a big difference :thumb:

*chrisfoster1971 *- I think for the age the body was in pretty good order, I was expecting more dents and deep scratches. It was just a bit swirly, but I'd expect that with all cars! :lol:
I bought those buckets from B&Q ages ago, before polished bliss did them. B&Q stopped selling them... excellent buckets :thumb:

Thanks to everyone elses great comments, it really is a pleasure to read :thumb:

Mike


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