[alpineg20]

I just recently purchased a CPO BMW m340i xDrive in Alpine White. The car was purchased from Bill Jacobs BMW in Naperville, IL (Chicago MSA) last Saturday, May 20, 2023. We drove it 752 miles back to Mississippi the next day.

I don't have any plans for a major build at this time; however, I do plan to do some cosmetic upgrades as well as few performance upgrades over time. So, I decided I would start a thread to track my progress.

The below pictures are from when I picked up the car at the dealership.

[alpineg20]

After making the 11+ hour drive home, I took off work the following day, and completed a full-on exterior detailing/paint correction on the car. The car got a wash, chemical decontamination, clay barring, rubbing compound, polishing compound, and a wax. I was a little surprised at how much TLC the car needed being only 3 years old.

[alpineg20]

Yesterday, I made some time to get the wheels cleaned up and protected. Those Chicago winters were really rough on the inside of the wheels. They were in need of some major TLC. I took each wheel off individually and did a thorough cleaning with degreaser, iron remover, wheel cleaner, and typical car wash soap. I followed up with a clay bar, rubbing compound, and polishing compound (Meguiar's). Lastly, I protected the wheels with the Turtle Wax Ceramic+Graphene Paste Wax.

The 791s are really growing on me. Originally, they were not my first choice on my g20; however, after having the car for a week, they are really growing on me. I am really glad that I got them. The pictures just don't do the justice of how much shine these things had when I finished.

[Sandpiper]

Originally Posted by alpineg20

After making the 11+ hour drive home, I took off work the following day, and completed a full-on exterior detailing/paint correction on the car. The car got a wash, chemical decontamination, clay barring, rubbing compound, polishing compound, and a wax. I was a little surprised at how much TLC the car needed being only 3 years old.

What did you use for the chemical decontamination? Also what would be the reason to do that?

[alpineg20]

Originally Posted by Sandpiper

What did you use for the chemical decontamination? Also what would be the reason to do that?

I used the Meguiar's Iron Removing Spray "Clay". If you google the term "industrial fallout" you can probably find a better explanation, but the iron remover basically removes iron deposits that imbed themselves in your clear coat. Given that I bought the car from Chicago, I was under the assumption that the car had been exposed to a good amount of contamination.

The iron removers will turn purple when they become activated. If you plan to do this you want to do it on a clean, dry car; however, you do not want to let it dry on your paint or it could damage your clear coat. I would just do a couple of panels at a time. You can agitate it after a few minutes, or you can just rinse it off. You also do not want to get it on any of your black plastic trim pieces. It is best to tape them off before using it. If you do happen to get it on the plastic trim pieces, you can just put a little compound on your polisher and polish the blemishes off.

Nonetheless, the primary purpose of chemical decontamination is it is a necessary step in performing a paint correction. It is always best to remove as many contaminants as possible so that you have a clean clearcoat for the rubbing compound and polishing compound to work on. If you don't remove these contaminants, you end up driving them into your clear coat and moving them around causing more scratches and marring.

[alpineg20]

This weekend I added the red volume and start/stop buttons in my interior. I really like the small touch of the red in the interior. I purchased both from IND. I did not document the installation process as they are both already well documented on the internet. The start/stop button was a pain, but I finally got it done.

[alpineg20]

It looked like the exhaust tips on my car had never been touched. They were covered in soot that wouldn't wash off. I originally tried a little degreaser agitated by a toothbrush but was unsuccessful. The ticket to getting them cleaned up was the combination of grade #0000 steel wool and some brake cleaner followed by Mothers Mag & Aluminum Polish.

[Sandpiper]

Originally Posted by alpineg20

I used the Meguiar's Iron Removing Spray "Clay". If you google the term "industrial fallout" you can probably find a better explanation, but the iron remover basically removes iron deposits that imbed themselves in your clear coat. Given that I bought the car from Chicago, I was under the assumption that the car had been exposed to a good amount of contamination.

The iron removers will turn purple when they become activated. If you plan to do this you want to do it on a clean, dry car; however, you do not want to let it dry on your paint or it could damage your clear coat. I would just do a couple of panels at a time. You can agitate it after a few minutes, or you can just rinse it off. You also do not want to get it on any of your black plastic trim pieces. It is best to tape them off before using it. If you do happen to get it on the plastic trim pieces, you can just put a little compound on your polisher and polish the blemishes off.

Nonetheless, the primary purpose of chemical decontamination is it is a necessary step in performing a paint correction. It is always best to remove as many contaminants as possible so that you have a clean clearcoat for the rubbing compound and polishing compound to work on. If you don't remove these contaminants, you end up driving them into your clear coat and moving them around causing more scratches and marring.

Oh cool. I was aware of the iron particles getting embedded in the paint, but didn't realize it is called chemical contamination. I have Car Pro's Iron-X spray which I use for the wheels. It is also safe to use on paint, but I'll try Meguiar's to see how it works.

[alpineg20]

Continuing on with my very minor changes in the first couple of weeks of ownership. I removed the original m340i emblem with the help of a heat gun, fishing line, and a 3M adhesive removal wheel. I made a stencil out of painters tape for precise placement of the new emblem. Once the adhesive was removed, I hit the area with a little rubbing compound and polishing compound on my DA polisher. Then, I put the painters tape stencil back on and placed the new emblem. Nice touch.

[Burrcold]

Doing all the right things! Looks great!

[Kevin_The_Clean1]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Doing all the right things! Looks great!

I agree, this car is looking better each project. How many miles did it have when you bought it... ?

[alpineg20]

Originally Posted by Burrcold

Doing all the right things! Looks great!

Thanks! Hoping to make some more substantial mods soon. Just gotta get the wife on board.

[alpineg20]

Originally Posted by Kevin_The_Clean1

I agree, this car is looking better each project. How many miles did it have when you bought it... ?

Thanks! It had just under 40k when I bought it. It was a little bit higher than I really wanted, but I had missed on like 4-5 cars prior to this one. So I was ready to pull the trigger. I got a 4-year, 60k mile warranty on top of the manufacturer's warranty.

[alpineg20]

Today I changed out the amber reflectors on the front bumper to some clear functional reflectors from Unique Style Racing. If I had any color other than white, I probably would have gone with the paint to match reflectors from IND. I thought these were nice sense they retain the functionality of the reflector all while blending in with the white paint.

[alpineg20]

Got the windows tinted all the way around today with ceramic tint (XPEL Prime XR Plus - 98% heat blockage). I did 5% on the sides and rear and 35% on the windshield.
The car already had tint on it when I bought it, but it wasn’t as dark as I like. Also, it wasn’t ceramic, which is a must in these MS summers with black leather.

[SoCalM340i]

The car is looking great, like new. Good choice on the ceramic tint, I got mine with the infrared resistance, it's worth is especially in any region where it gets hot or humid!

[alpineg20]

Originally Posted by SoCalM340i

The car is looking great, like new. Good choice on the ceramic tint, I got mine with the infrared resistance, it's worth is especially in any region where it gets hot or humid!

Thanks for the compliment. I’m really enjoying the car so far! Just gave it a wash and detail. My 75-year-old neighbor came over and told me that my car has a really good sound to it, especially when I slow down in a low gear. I was a bit surprised he liked it, but I’m going to have to agree with him.

[alpineg20]

Today I replaced the cerium grey front bumper trim pieces with the gloss black pieces from Kies Motorsports. The replacements are OEM from BMW.

Now I need to get some touch up paint on my newest front bumper blemish.

[alpineg20]

My "blackout" vanity plate finally came in. A percentage of each blackout tag goes towards the law enforcement and fire fighter's death benefit trust fund in Mississippi. This fund helps the families of law enforcement and fire fighters who die while performing normal job duties.
I also purchased a used MPE (only 1,700 miles) this weekend from a fellow BimmerPost member over in HTX. I still have to go pick it up from my buddy that lives over there. I am so ready to get it installed. Planning on installing it myself once I go pick it up. Probably gonna snag some new tips for it too.

[RTPenland]

Looking great and you are making some great choices

[tturedraider]

Congrats!! Looking good!!

You might want to check out these. The consensus seems to be they are the best. https://infiniteautowerks.com/shop/e...tips-clamp-on/

[alpineg20]

Originally Posted by RTPenland

Looking great and you are making some great choices

Thanks! I am really enjoying the car!!