Questions about fixing my ZHP's imperfections

[alexandre]

Hi everyone!

So I just went over my (new) car in detail and took pictures of all the imperfections in the exterior and interior finish, and I was wondering what was fixable and what wasn't. The car has 206k miles on it so it's gonna need some refreshing :hi

The hood has a few 3mm-large rock/rust chips that were touched-up with that BMW Imola Red spare touch-up paint but are still well visible:

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/5803/dsc5292e.jpg

The car has those swirl marks pretty much all hover the paint. Nothing deep though.

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/1616/dsc5293y.jpg

Some fixed-up rust on the left side of the trunk:

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/5827/dsc5295d.jpg

Front bumper was probably scraped on the ground, was touched up:

http://img715.imageshack.us/img715/350/dsc5296i.jpg

Some kind of paint sprayed on the lower inch of the front bumper, I have black wheels so it probably happened when the PO was painting them:

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/2371/dsc5297l.jpg

State registration stickers. Is there a secret to removing those ?

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/4818/dsc5300g.jpg

Some kind of scotch tape gunk on my steering wheel's alcantara:

http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/2425/dsc5305e.jpg

Shift boot alcantara is pretty much worn out - any product to restore it to its former glory ? The OEM replacement is like $100...

http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/7646/dsc5307a.jpg

Center console plastic is really scratched. I think I'll just buy a new one unless you guys have some magic product to fix that. I have and want to keep my armrest - is there any cooler OEM alternative to the stock one ?

http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/7753/dsc5308.jpg

Door storage has some scratches as well. I assume this can be fixed with some general all-purpose car cleaner ?

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/6143/dsc5309o.jpg

That front bumper is what bothers me most. I don't know if I can restore it to it's former glory short of buying a new one...

It's my first car so I don't have any cleaning supplies right now. What do you suggest I buy to fix those issues and as an ongoing detailing kit ? I'm not too OCD about my car but I like to keep it decently clean. I'd do a full detail 2x per year, with a quick exterior and interior cleanup every month and a half or so. Full detail I'd ideally spend 4-5h on the big detail and have a decent result.

Interior is in Alcantara - what product do you guys use to keep it looking good ? (basically the equivalent of leatherique for that fabric)

Cheers!

[BCS_ZHP]

Welcome to the family. Some of the more experienced detailer folks will chime in shortly but you can wet sand some of those touch up spots with very fine grit sandpaper to even them out, then come back with a good buffing. Also list what part of the country you live in and a family member might be right in your area to lend you a hand.
Bruce

[alexandre]

Welcome to the family. Some of the more experienced detailer folks will chime in shortly but you can wet sand some of those touch up spots with very fine grit sandpaper to even them out, then come back with a good buffing. Also list what part of the country you live in and a family member might be right in your area to lend you a hand.
Bruce

I live in Montreal, Canada - probably not much chance of having someone up here :)

PS: congrats on the 540. It's gorgeous.

[Hornung418]

While there may not be a large ZHP crowd in Montreal, we have some good detailers in the North East! Maybe you can make the drive or vice versa and get some tips and some Mafia bonding over beers and good food.

My car has the same issues. I've just grown to ignore them because my car's paint has always been shit :( It's no ZHP though...328i haha.

[gammagoblin]

This could be a good thread for common daily-driver touch up issues most of us probably have. I'm particularly interested if there is something to clean up the console plastic. Mine has some scratches and it's like there's this top layer that erodes off and kind of spreads out.

Those state reg stickers SUCK! If I ever need one I'd stick them to some clear plastic and then slap that on the windshield. I spent a while on mine with a hair dryer and it comes off easier. You can use a box cutter too but be careful on the glass. Put a towel down inside the car or little bits of paper will fall down into the dash vent and make your inner OCD scream...

Oh and I've heard (no personal experience) that an alcantara-specific cleaner will help the wheel and boot a lot. I'm gonna be trying that one out soon.

[DasMechaniKer]

Those stickers will come off with a razor knife. They make a holder for them at the auto parts store that is specially made for doing it.

[webster]

rubbing alcohol will help get the reg. stickers off. dab a light cloth/microfiber and scrub away. razor knife to get the last bit.

as far as the shift boot goes, at this point you're probably best off just replacing it.

[Ryans323i]

I've recently started using a buffer for detailing. The process usually goes Wash, Clay bar, Wash, buff, Seal, Wax. I use a Porter-Cable variable speed random-orbital buffer, and an assortments of pads. The two most important products I can recommend are Meguiars M105 and M205. These are cutting and polishing products to get out swirls and light scratches, you then need to follow up with a sealant, glaze or wax. I'm not an expert but we have some amazing detailing members. Check out DetailersDomain threads in the detailing section (link) (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?18-Detailing-Sponsored-by-Detailer%E2%80%99s-Domain) and any advice MOnk3y (Kyle) gives is pretty spot on.

I'd be a little concerned about the rust on the DS near the trunk. Might consider stopping by a repair shop and getting a quote and their thoughts. You mentioned this a want car and how much $$ you put into it is up to you, but the rust could continue to grow if it wasn't/isn't repaired properly.

The tape residue looks to be at the top center of the steering wheel. Either the previous owner auto-x'd or wanted to look cool. A strip of tape is usually put there to help driver's on the race track know when their wheels are straight without having to look down. Depending on the overall condition of the steering wheel and what you want to spend, you could replace the tape (it is becoming a growing fad and looks pretty neat IMO) or get a steering wheel re-wrap from our forum sponsor Colby Wheel (link). (http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?1155-New-Affiliate-Advertiser-Coby-Wheel-Mention-ZHP-Mafia-for-a-10-discount) Many of our members have had their steering wheel re-wrapped through them and highly recommend it. Colby Wheel also offers shift boots and e-brake boots made with the Alcantara material. It's a perfect match.

To fix your center console peal I recommend pulling it out, sanding with 800grit to remove that rubber coating, rinsing it, drying it, wiping down with alcohol and then repainting it black. You can use any rattle can black, but I recommend Dupli-color. Choose a satin finish to match the rest of the interior.

For the scratches on the interior door. Clean with a moisturizing vinyl cleaner and see how that works. Post your results and if it doesn't repair enough for your liking, we'll go from there.

Hope this helps. Keep us posted on your progress!

[webster]

OEM center console...thinking about getting one of these myself. anyone with experience...how hard is it to get the ebrake and ebrake boot off?

http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330Ci-M54_3.0L/Search/Center_Console/ES86862/

[Ryans323i]

This is a video of the shift boot install. The first 20 seconds show the boot removal. The ebrake removal is similar, although the boot is attach to the handle, so just remove the ring and slide boot and handle off the brake lever.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAYEPwq8YJQ

[Hornung418]

OEM center console...thinking about getting one of these myself. anyone with experience...how hard is it to get the ebrake and ebrake boot off?

http://www.ecstuning.com/BMW-E46-330Ci-M54_3.0L/Search/Center_Console/ES86862/
You don't need to remove the parking brake it self, just the boot. Pop the tabs from the back of the boot and release the clips from the Console. Then just give your handle a good tug forward with the brake engaged and it should slide off. Just lift the Shift Boot up and undo the two screws that connect the front of the console. Once you start removing things, everything is illuminated.

[webster]

thanks for the info. seems simple enough. just broke down and bought a new center console. those scratches have driven me crazy since i got the car.

[Hornung418]

Yeah, me too. I'm going to swap out for a shorty console (Armrest Delete) and get a Euro Tray and I've got a lead on a mint Sunglass Holder that fits above the ashtray.

p/n 51168260312 - $45.38 from ECS.

4520

[alexandre]

Wow guys, thanks for all the replies. I didn't get the email notifications for some reason so I thought no one had replied! I'm way too busy to work on my car for the next few days but I'll take a look at your suggestions and go from there.

Has anyone got some input on the front bumper short of sanding and respraying ?

Thanks :)