# Very rare Alpina B3s Enhancement Detail with Auto Finesse Wraith!!



## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

This extremely rare car is one of only 35 E46 B3s Coupe's sold in the UK and one of only 5 sold during 2004!!

The car itself was in great condition, but needed machine polishing to remove the swirling present in the clearcoat which in turn restores the gloss/lustre to the finish.

Ahead of the detail, the alloy wheel centre caps were removed - some of the afters exclude these for which I apologise, but they are present in some of the later 'afters'.

On to the detail...

A few befores:


DSC05703 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05706 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05707 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05708 by RussZS, on Flickr

As always, wheels were up first:


DSC05709 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05711 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05714 by RussZS, on Flickr

Ahead of any contact, I sprayed AutoSmart Smart Wheels cut 4:1 on to the wheels and tyres to loosen any dirt, before pressure rinsing off - the logic here being the same as snow foaming a car - you want to remove as much dirt as possible before making physical contact with the paint on the wheels:


DSC05716 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05717 by RussZS, on Flickr

and rinsed:


DSC05719 by RussZS, on Flickr

Better but still nowhere near 'detailed':


DSC05721 by RussZS, on Flickr

This was followed by a second generous covering:


DSC05722 by RussZS, on Flickr

This was then agitated using the soft Valet Pro brushes:


DSC05723 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05724 by RussZS, on Flickr

The EZ Wheel brush was used on the rear of the wheels:


DSC05725 by RussZS, on Flickr

G101 on the tyres:


DSC05727 by RussZS, on Flickr

Then the Wheel Woolie on the arches - this is used as its relatively soft so won't harm the painted parts of the wheel arches:


DSC05728 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05729 by RussZS, on Flickr

and rinsed...


DSC05732 by RussZS, on Flickr

Much better but still not good enough...

IronX next...


DSC05735 by RussZS, on Flickr

This safely dissolves any brake dust pitted into the lacquer on the wheel:

Sprayed on:


DSC05736 by RussZS, on Flickr

Left to work for 5 mins:


DSC05739 by RussZS, on Flickr

This was then followed up with Tardis to remove the tar deposits:


DSC05744 by RussZS, on Flickr

and finally rinsed...


DSC05746 by RussZS, on Flickr

Much better!! 

Next I turned my attention to the paint. The car was foamed with Bilt Hamber's AutoFoam to begin breaking any loose dirt down - again the logic being to remove as much dirt as possible before making physical contact with the paint:


DSC05747 by RussZS, on Flickr

G101 was used to work around the more intricate parts of the car, which hand washing with a mitt sometimes misses:


DSC05748 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05751 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05752 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05753 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05755 by RussZS, on Flickr

Pressure Sprayer used where required:


DSC05756 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05758 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05764 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05766 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the car was rinsed at high pressure using my Kranzle K7, then hand washed with Zaino Z7, a CarPro Mitt and the Zaino Grit Guard Bucket system:


DSC05767 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05768 by RussZS, on Flickr

This was then rinsed. At this stage the car was looking much cleaner, but the following stages are designed to fully decontaminate the paintwork ahead of machine polishing.

IronX was used first to safely remove any fallout:

Not too bad on the boot:


DSC05773 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05776 by RussZS, on Flickr

however the drivers door...


DSC05783 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05784 by RussZS, on Flickr

This was followed with Tardis which safely removes any tar deposits present on the paint:


DSC05779 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the car was foamed with a deliberately watery solution to run any IronX or Tardis out from under trim pieces:


DSC05786 by RussZS, on Flickr

The car was then rinsed and moved inside. I prefer to clay inside as it minimises the amount of debris which can fall onto the paint, which could potentially harm the clearcoat - this is of a particular risk on a windy day such as today:

Auto Finesse Clay was used:


DSC05788 by RussZS, on Flickr

Nothing significant was lifted, showing just how effective IronX and Tardis are!

I dried the car next using the Microfibre Madness towel - not the cheapest, but one of the best...


DSC05789 by RussZS, on Flickr

Next the paint was assessed ahead of machine polishing to remove the swirling present in the paint.

The car was reading a healthy average of around 160, with the lowest spot on the roof being 133:


DSC05881 by RussZS, on Flickr

After trialling various combinations, I was getting a great level of correction from S17 and 3M Pad via Festool Rotary:


DSC05805 by RussZS, on Flickr

Capturing defects and correction on silver is quite tricky, but hopefully you can see what has been achieved on some of these pics:

50/50 under halogen - not the best light source for silver!


DSC05794 by RussZS, on Flickr

I switched to Halide on the bootlid, so before:


DSC05813 by RussZS, on Flickr

After:


DSC05812 by RussZS, on Flickr

A deeper scratch which was dealt with specifically:

Before:


DSC05820 by RussZS, on Flickr

After:


DSC05821 by RussZS, on Flickr

It is still there under certain angles/lighting, but much reduced!!

After each set, CarPro Eraser was used to remove any polishing oils left behind by the Scholl which *can* fill if not worked properly:


DSC05830 by RussZS, on Flickr

Sprayed onto panel and left to sit slightly:


DSC05831 by RussZS, on Flickr

Removed with soft MF:


DSC05832 by RussZS, on Flickr

Still looking good:


DSC05834 by RussZS, on Flickr

Bonnet before:


DSC05849 by RussZS, on Flickr

After:


DSC05862 by RussZS, on Flickr

50/50 from passenger door under DIY Sun Gun lighting:


DSC05873 by RussZS, on Flickr

To finish, to paintwork was cleansed with Auto Finesse Rejuvenate via DA and 3M Polishing Pad:


DSC05894 by RussZS, on Flickr

This was followed up with a layer of Tough Coat and a layer of the forthcoming range topping wax - Wraith:


DSC05895 by RussZS, on Flickr

Crystal on the glass:


DSC05896 by RussZS, on Flickr

Gloss was used on the tyres...


DSC05897 by RussZS, on Flickr

Before:


DSC05899 by RussZS, on Flickr

After...


DSC05900 by RussZS, on Flickr

Also used, but no pics:

- Mercury on exhausts
- Revive on plastic trim
- Spritz on interior plastics
- Zaino Z9 on interior leather
- Mint Rims on alloys


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

and finally, after 12-13 hours or so, some afters...


DSC05902 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05906 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05913 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05914 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05915 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05919 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05922 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05925 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05926 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05927 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05928 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05931 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05933 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05934 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05935 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05937 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05940 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05941 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05942 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05943 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05945 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05946 by RussZS, on Flickr


DSC05948 by RussZS, on Flickr

Once again, thanks for reading!!

Next up this week, we have a 118D, 330D Estate, R26 and a Lapis Blue Boxster S!


DSC05949 by RussZS, on Flickr

Russ - Midlands Car Care.


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## Leemack (Mar 6, 2009)

Very nice mate !!


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## JBirchy (Oct 9, 2010)

Excellent work Russ, very rare beast, something of a wolf in sheeps clothing i expect? Looks great and very glossy for silver!


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## bigslippy (Sep 19, 2010)

Quality work as always Russ:doublesho:thumb: how you liking the Festool compared to the 3m rotary that you have used in the past?


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## 123quackers (Jan 29, 2009)

very rare car indeed Russ..... What's the Wraith like then??

looking good :thumb:


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## MRH72 (Mar 22, 2012)

Great work and write up as always.

So it's worth putting a wax over tough coat then?? 

How long did you leave before applying the wax over the top? 

Cheers

Matt


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

You've done the car proud there Russ, very nice work :thumb:

The wraith wax looks nice in the pictures as well, your very lucky to have one.


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## andrewst500 (Nov 2, 2008)

cracking work :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Concours Car Care said:


> Very nice mate !!


Thanks mate 



JBirchy said:


> Excellent work Russ, very rare beast, something of a wolf in sheeps clothing i expect? Looks great and very glossy for silver!


Indeed - 'Gentlemans M3' I believe...  Thanks!!



bigslippy said:


> Quality work as always Russ:doublesho:thumb: how you liking the Festool compared to the 3m rotary that you have used in the past?


Leagues ahead tbh mate - much smoother and quieter! Love it! Thank you 



123quackers said:


> very rare car indeed Russ..... What's the Wraith like then??
> 
> looking good :thumb:


Very nice, but it's being tweaked a bit more before release I believe so should be epic!!



MRH72 said:


> Great work and write up as always.
> 
> So it's worth putting a wax over tough coat then??
> 
> ...


It doesn't really need it tbh as TC beads and sheets so well anyway and looks good on silver, but Wraith seems to compliment it well and the beading is a touch tighter which the customer commented he liked, so I thought I'd crack it open once again... 

Thanks all - kind words appreciated!

Russ.


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## Youngben (Sep 27, 2008)

Awesome work as allways mate! Cant wait to have the M3 done


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

nice work on a nice car, looks much better.... 

different makes of tyres though!!! arrrgh a pet hate of mine! :lol: 

:thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Trip tdi said:


> You've done the car proud there Russ, very nice work :thumb:
> 
> The wraith wax looks nice in the pictures as well, your very lucky to have one.


Thanks mate 



andrewst500 said:


> cracking work :thumb:


Cheers :thumb:



Youngben said:


> Awesome work as allways mate! Cant wait to have the M3 done


Really looking forward to it dude!! Not long now...

Russ.


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

Good work as usual


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## lisaclio (Sep 6, 2008)

great work!!


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## Ns1980 (Jun 29, 2011)

Super write up - a slightly different, and better style than usual!

Love the results on silver - really really fine finish you got there. Would love to see some Wraith beading pics 

Thanks for sharing :thumb:


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## tom-225 (Aug 30, 2009)

Great job Russ i want some Wraith love !!!!!


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## ITHAQVA (Feb 20, 2011)

AWESOME! cracking work russ, silver never looked so DAM gooood! 

Bloody wonderfull drivers beasty, if anyone hasnt had a go but gets a chance to have some fun in an Alpina, go for it, its BMW but with extra ice & a little twist of lime :thumb:

Owner should be shot for putting different tyres on the car though :doublesho :devil:


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## Waxamomo (Jun 18, 2008)

Excellent work as always Russ, nice write up too :thumb:


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## rallyman1978 (Aug 8, 2007)

Very "bright" for a silver - is it Titan silver? Like the E46 M3?
Great reflections Russ

When you say the Iron-X and Tardis remove most contaminants and nothing significant is left when you clay, for us mere amateurs, do you think the clay step is still needed or can be skipped?


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## George3G (Jun 3, 2009)

Looks fantastic mate! :thumb:

Do you not use Magifoam anymore?


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## markamo (Sep 26, 2010)

nice job:thumb:
the finished shots in the unit look really glossy:doublesho


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## EAN8 (Apr 15, 2011)

zaino grit guard bucket system do you use a rinse bucket as well or just that bucket


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## [email protected] (Apr 28, 2011)

Nice work Ross loving the write ups from you can never wait for the next


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

Fantastic work Russ, I see those valet pro brushes are starting to crack at the heads like most brushes.


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## AaronGTi (Nov 2, 2010)

Awesome!  :thumb:


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

you're getting good at this lol
bet they were pleased with that 
:thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

SteveTDCi said:


> Good work as usual


Thanks Steve 



lisaclio said:


> great work!!


Cheers!



Ns1980 said:


> Super write up - a slightly different, and better style than usual!
> 
> Love the results on silver - really really fine finish you got there. Would love to see some Wraith beading pics
> 
> Thanks for sharing :thumb:


You like? Improvements for next time...?

I really appreciate your input and advice Nick!



tom-225 said:


> Great job Russ i want some Wraith love !!!!!


Not long now me thinks...



ITHAQVA said:


> AWESOME! cracking work russ, silver never looked so DAM gooood!
> 
> Bloody wonderfull drivers beasty, if anyone hasnt had a go but gets a chance to have some fun in an Alpina, go for it, its BMW but with extra ice & a little twist of lime :thumb:
> 
> Owner should be shot for putting different tyres on the car though :doublesho :devil:


Indeed... and thanks! 



Waxamomo said:


> Excellent work as always Russ, nice write up too :thumb:


Cheers Chris :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

rallyman1978 said:


> Very "bright" for a silver - is it Titan silver? Like the E46 M3?
> Great reflections Russ
> 
> When you say the Iron-X and Tardis remove most contaminants and nothing significant is left when you clay, for us mere amateurs, do you think the clay step is still needed or can be skipped?


No, claying is still required to remove contamination such as tree sap and pollen etc. Always worthwhile following up with clay...

I believe it's Titan - I'll check and let you know.

Thanks for the kind words!



George3G said:


> Looks fantastic mate! :thumb:
> 
> Do you not use Magifoam anymore?


Thanks mate! I do, but I've run out!!!



markamo said:


> nice job:thumb:
> the finished shots in the unit look really glossy:doublesho


Cheers 



EAN8 said:


> zaino grit guard bucket system do you use a rinse bucket as well or just that bucket


Nope not for initial washes - I very much doubt I'm inflicting much defect wise given how thoroughly it's pre-rinsed etc. I would use 2 buckets for a maintenance wash though...



DJ1989 said:


> Nice work Ross loving the write ups from you can never wait for the next


Thanks... R*u*ss :lol:



Scrim-1- said:


> Fantastic work Russ, I see those valet pro brushes are starting to crack at the heads like most brushes.


Indeed, but tbf it's just the swelling from them being wet for so long. If I dried them out after use I doubt it'd happen - still a great brush, especially the smaller one!



AaronGTi said:


> Awesome!  :thumb:


Thanks dude 



alfajim said:


> you're getting good at this lol
> bet they were pleased with that
> :thumb:


Lol thank you... always learning and getting better, never ends in this game!!

Russ.


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## R9SH G (Mar 14, 2011)

Nice work, looks mint


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## richard33dees (Feb 19, 2010)

awesome work as always :thumb:


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## sargent (Aug 25, 2009)

As always Russ.... Great work and Great write up!


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## backzilla (Oct 31, 2008)

well id be one happy customer anyway. looks awesome


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Now your talking Russ Alpina the B3 is a fantastic car to drive just so smooth, fantastic correction looking stunning with Wraith, how did you find applying the G101 with pump dispenser seen them when was Auot Smart event seemed good and direction nozzel handy, top work as always Russ


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## Bill58 (Jul 5, 2010)

Stunning result!


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

R9SH G said:


> Nice work, looks mint


Thank you 



richard33dees said:


> awesome work as always :thumb:


Cheers 



sargent said:


> As always Russ.... Great work and Great write up!


Thanks Tim!! Not seen you at the gym I never go to for a while.. :lol:



backzilla said:


> well id be one happy customer anyway. looks awesome


He was!! Thank you 



Bill58 said:


> Stunning result!


Thanks...



Derekh929 said:


> Now your talking Russ Alpina the B3 is a fantastic car to drive just so smooth, fantastic correction looking stunning with Wraith, how did you find applying the G101 with pump dispenser seen them when was Auot Smart event seemed good and direction nozzel handy, top work as always Russ


Cheers Derek - kind words as ever!!

The AS pump dispensers are awesome - £ 15-20 depending on size, but worth every penny!


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## Miguel Pestana (Feb 16, 2012)

Top job as usual :thumb:


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

Stunning finish Russ


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## spyder (Jun 15, 2010)

Incredible attention to detail. Great tip about applying wheel cleaner before rinsing , really makes a difference removing dirt before agitation . Cheers


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Miguel Pestana said:


> Top job as usual :thumb:





butler2.8i said:


> Stunning finish Russ





spyder said:


> Incredible attention to detail. Great tip about applying wheel cleaner before rinsing , really makes a difference removing dirt before agitation . Cheers


Cheers all :thumb:


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## craigblues (Jul 24, 2011)

Top Job!

One day, I'll pop up and give you ago on my Canon gear. ;-P


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## rnwd202295x (Mar 19, 2011)

Nice work Russ, loving the wet look, looks sooooo fluid. :thumb:

Quick question; How much Tadris and IronX do think you used for the whole car?


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

craigblues said:


> Top Job!
> 
> One day, I'll pop up and give you ago on my Canon gear. ;-P


Look forward to it... 



rnwd202295x said:


> Nice work Russ, loving the wet look, looks sooooo fluid. :thumb:
> 
> Quick question; How much Tadris and IronX do think you used for the whole car?


IronX I tend to use around 400ml per car - I'm not shy with it!

Tardis on this, around 150ml?

Russ.


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## Jim_S (Nov 6, 2009)

It looks absolutely perfect, well done :thumb:
I see you used the S17 on the polishing pad without refinement afterwards? I'm also experimentingwith the Scholl ATM and I hear S17 on the 3M yellow is an ideal one-stepper. What are your thoughts?


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Jim_S said:


> It looks absolutely perfect, well done :thumb:
> I see you used the S17 on the polishing pad without refinement afterwards? I'm also experimentingwith the Scholl ATM and I hear S17 on the 3M yellow is an ideal one-stepper. What are your thoughts?


Thanks Jim.

It really does depend on paint hardness but it's a great solution on med-hard paints. I did refine with Rejuvenate technically, but it was more of a paint cleansing role technically.

Russ.


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## Huw (Feb 16, 2007)

Car looks great. Nice to an Alpina of that age still wearing the original wheels and not some aftermarket copy.


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## DetailMyCar (Apr 19, 2010)

Lovely job again mate, Silver's never good for spotting defects which is why I think it's a great colour for a lot of people but you've hugely improved it, and really added some Gloss - Looks lovely in the after pics!!


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Looks amazing


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## BlackPanther (Oct 23, 2010)

very nice job indeed, looks stunning :thumb:


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## Auto Finesse (Jan 10, 2007)

Must have missed this when it first went up, looks great Russ, nice work :thumb:


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## MidlandsCarCare (Feb 18, 2006)

Thanks all


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## Ronnie (Nov 15, 2006)

very nice work and great finish.


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