Second Alpina addition - D5 BiTurbo No.13 (CarPlay update page 6)

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Metrics
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Re: Second Alpina addition to the family - D5 BiTurbo No.13

Post by Metrics » Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:25 pm

The car has been used for family holidays home and abroad. It’s in it's element for these – would be absolute perfection if it were a Touring!

Diesel sadly is now a cursed word for cars, but in the real world it’s an incredibly compelling proposition. 700nm pretty much from idle, the car has rapid pace from the get go and incredible efficiency which makes it a great tourer.

Exhibit 1, gentle cruise (4 up, full luggage):
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Exhibit 2, faster pace (again, fully laden):
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Full payload!
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Touring Scotland:
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At Dundee Law (fond memories from student days 25 years ago. One for you John!!):
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Last year drove to Norway to visit my sister. We spent almost 3 weeks driving through Europe and visiting each country. D5 never missed a beat.
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Almost 70 hrs of driving and 3216 miles
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Absolute highlight was taking the car on the derestricted autobahn where I got over 170mph indicated. Mrs Metrics took a nervous picture just before vmax!!
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The pot of gold at the end of this rainbow is this Alpina diesel engine 8)
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2019 G31 B5 Biturbo No.299
2012 F10 D5 Biturbo No.13
1993 Mercedes 190E 2.6 Sportline spec
1991 Mk1 Golf GTI Sportline cabriolet

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Re: Second Alpina addition to the family - D5 BiTurbo No.13

Post by Metrics » Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:36 pm

JASV8S wrote:
Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:07 pm
Beautiful looking car and that seat looks factory fresh. Someone is going to get a great car whenever you pass this one on.
Thank you John, but being a diesel I'm not sure how it will fair in the future.
Rav wrote:
Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:20 pm
Rav wrote:
Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:20 pm
Metrics - You are a lucky man, that is a stunning car. The interior looks like an amazing place to be for many miles.
Thank you Rav
ScooBeeFive wrote:
Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:25 pm
Fantastic write up Asim - I'd not seen this thread before so enjoyed following your story. The car is sensational - I'm obviously slightly biased but Alpina Blue suits it so well. The spec and interior are another level too - I didn't realise you could fit so much leather into a 5 Series. The base of the seats being leather covered is amazing.

I totally agree with them being the ultimate family car. For me, they just do everything so well - so much fun yet with so much comfort.

I have to admit, I'd be nervous about such a light interior for day to day use. However, you have proven that you can keep it looking immaculate - fair play.
Thanks Paul, just writing up the last post, will include decals!
2019 G31 B5 Biturbo No.299
2012 F10 D5 Biturbo No.13
1993 Mercedes 190E 2.6 Sportline spec
1991 Mk1 Golf GTI Sportline cabriolet

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Re: Second Alpina addition to the family - D5 BiTurbo No.13

Post by ScooBeeFive » Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:37 pm

You are totally using it as intended - I love it. Especially the trip to Norway, something I would like to do one day. I have a couple of friends who have driven up to Nordkapp and it looks an amazing adventure.

We used to do quite a few European road trips before the children came along. We spent nearly 3 weeks driving down to just north of Rome and back which was around 4000 miles in total. I'm looking forward to doing some more when they get a bit older - hopefully the B5 will be the perfect companion. My only concern is how long we will be able to do trips like this in petrol or diesel cars. We've done up to 900 miles in a day in the past and it just wouldn't be possible in an electric car....
Paul

2013 F11 B5 BiTurbo Touring #135 - Alpina Blue
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Re: Second Alpina addition to the family - D5 BiTurbo No.13

Post by greenelekta » Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:37 pm

Nice update Asim, don't think my wife would be so understanding as to take a picture doing those speeds!
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Re: Second Alpina addition to the family - D5 BiTurbo No.13

Post by ttrill » Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:56 pm

That looks amazing, a real credit to you for keeping the car in such good condition. I love the leather and the piping. It’s nice to see somebody got a chance to use their Alpina how it should be used on the autobahn this year :lol:
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Re: Second Alpina addition to the family - D5 BiTurbo No.13

Post by JASV8S » Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:03 am

Ah Asim you beat me to it getting an Alpina photoshoot at the top of the Law and with Our Wullie in the background, excellent. I think I have had the Alpina up the Law some years back but no photo. (By the way I replied to your PM, albeit bit late sorry).
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Re: Second Alpina addition to the family - D5 BiTurbo No.13

Post by Metrics » Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:14 am

ScooBeeFive wrote:
Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:37 pm
My only concern is how long we will be able to do trips like this in petrol or diesel cars. We've done up to 900 miles in a day in the past and it just wouldn't be possible in an electric car....
Your car is absolutely perfect for it Paul, and you've got loads of time yet before fossil fuels are banned. You will love it for sure!
greenelekta wrote:
Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:37 pm
Nice update Asim, don't think my wife would be so understanding as to take a picture doing those speeds!
She's a very understanding lady!
ttrill wrote:
Sun Nov 22, 2020 11:56 pm
That looks amazing, a real credit to you for keeping the car in such good condition. I love the leather and the piping. It’s nice to see somebody got a chance to use their Alpina how it should be used on the autobahn this year :lol:


Thank you Sir. You keep yours equally well - these cars are worth it.
JASV8S wrote:
Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:03 am
Ah Asim you beat me to it getting an Alpina photoshoot at the top of the Law and with Our Wullie in the background, excellent. I think I have had the Alpina up the Law some years back but no photo. (By the way I replied to your PM, albeit bit late sorry).
Yes my friend, we'll have to meet up in Dundee and get the cars together there!
Got your PM, apologies I've not replied yet but will do!
2019 G31 B5 Biturbo No.299
2012 F10 D5 Biturbo No.13
1993 Mercedes 190E 2.6 Sportline spec
1991 Mk1 Golf GTI Sportline cabriolet

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Re: Second Alpina addition to the family - D5 BiTurbo No.13

Post by Metrics » Mon Nov 23, 2020 12:19 am

Over the last 3 years the car has been pretty much flawless.

In early 2018 the car was subject of the EGR cooler BMW recall. New one fitted:
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Apart from taking over 12 weeks to sort (due to parts on backorder), the main dealer applied a seat cover the wrong way round. 12 weeks later the print on the cover had stained the driver’s seat! (yes, really!) :doh
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I had to dig deep and not blow a gasket! They were very apologetic and wanted to sort it, but I really did not want them scrubbing it with some nasty stuff and ruining the hide. I took it home and sorted myself and thankfully after a few passes of Gliptone it was all sorted. Phew!

One slight issue that needed sorting a couple of years ago was the diff seals started to mist oil. Up to this point the car had a full Sytner history. With the car at 100k miles I decided it needed the eye and care of enthusiasts not a main dealer. The car is now exclusively looked after by BMR in Turners Hill – brilliant guys. They sorted the diff seals in no time.

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In 2019 the next service was a major one so BMR sorted the car. Front brakes were due – and here’s the amazing bit – front discs and pads were original! Over 105k miles!!
Goes to show how things can last when driven with care.
Nerdy fact – the D5/B5 use 760i front brakes. I asked BMR to paint the calipers as the tired looking alloy calipers always annoyed me. They are now blue with a neat Alpina white text decal, as used by Alpina on later cars. Unfortunately I don’t have a very clear photo of them but you can see them on some recent photos below.
They also replaced a suspension arm that had some wear in the bush and the main battery (it’s bloody huge!!)

Next on the list to sort was the biturbo badge. The PO had lost the i with a pressure washer. As a temporary fix I cut an old 530d badge I had to make an i. From a distance you’d not immediately notice, but up close it was clear with the profile being all wrong.
I’d pretty much given up on finding a used badge when Ade on here sold some lettering and I struck some luck!

Before with bodged badge!
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Now you can see the difference:
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Using thin profile trim tape:
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After.
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Then I had a bit of bad luck, stone damage to the screen on the motorway. Glass cracked instantly. Gutted as the screen was the factory original.
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Fortunately the insurance (through A-Plan) were superb and after a bit of discussion an original BMW glass was ordered.
The car has heads up display and the insurance company agreed that original glass would be required to make sure there were no issues. It was fitted expertly by the approved fitters – the fitter was so careful with the car.
2019 G31 B5 Biturbo No.299
2012 F10 D5 Biturbo No.13
1993 Mercedes 190E 2.6 Sportline spec
1991 Mk1 Golf GTI Sportline cabriolet

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Re: Second Alpina addition to the family - D5 BiTurbo No.13

Post by Metrics » Mon Nov 23, 2020 5:30 pm

Here’s the iconic ton back in early 2018:
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Being a daily and getting used, the car now has 117k on the clock.
After some big journeys:
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Quick wash later:
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While it’s a really tidy car, naturally the original front end was starting to look tired from road rash (and autobahn blasts!!!) and general use.
I’d delayed repainting the front bumper as much as I could as I know how difficult matching Alpina Blue is. I really did not want to have the whole front end blown in as the bonnet and wings are excellent.
Earlier this year someone scratched the front bumper while it was parked up so now I had no choice, it had to be sorted.
Just before lockdown 1 I entrusted Khyle @ Str8paint in Wallingford – essentially on the back of a well-respected car collector using him and sharing pics on Instagram.
We had a chat and he totally understood my concerns on colour match and lack of blending if possible. Bottom line, he did a lovely job.

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The front number plate holes were also filled (I only use sticky pads) for a shorter plate – I wish I could have run it without a plate, looks so much cleaner!

One consequence of the new paintwork – obviously the front spoiler decal was removed (car had spoiler only decal from factory) so I needed to get this replaced.
Cue speaking to Simon Alcon (SPA69). Simon suggested a full decal set including sides and the more I thought about it the more I agreed it should have them. Being Alpina Blue, it just felt right that it should have the full Alpina effect!

However one key consideration for me was to ensure the paint was A1 prior to decals being applied. I’d been meaning to detail the car myself for a while but as ever it’s a time thing to do it properly. Sunshine showed the paint had the usual swirls and marring you inevitably get with age, use and historic poor washing techniques.
In the end I bit the bullet and went with a local company (Concours Detailing) to get the paintwork as good as it could be.
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Bradley @ Concours did a fantastic job. Full paint correction and ceramic protection on the body/glass/wheels.
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It’s like glass now. The clarity in the paint now means you see the full effect of Alpina Blue in different lights.

Between the paint correction and the ceramic coating being applied, Simon worked his magic. I know a lot of people on here swear by Simon for decals – I totally second the reputation he has. A true enthusiast and gent who did an amazing job working long hours to get it spot on.

Decals do sometimes divide opinion, even on an Alpina forum! Even I wasn’t sure I’d done the right thing. But when I saw it – wow! It’s really transformed the car to my eye. The decals complete it and I’m over the moon.

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Apart from looking as good as it can, I highly recommend getting a proper detail done for maintenance ease. It’s literally a breeze to clean now, nothing sticks! Water literally blows off. Probably the biggest single gain is the wheels – we all know the multi spokes can be a PITA, now normal car shampoo and a wipe and they’re mint again, including barrels.
2019 G31 B5 Biturbo No.299
2012 F10 D5 Biturbo No.13
1993 Mercedes 190E 2.6 Sportline spec
1991 Mk1 Golf GTI Sportline cabriolet

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Re: Second Alpina addition - D5 BiTurbo No.13 (update Nov '20 page 3)

Post by Bob » Mon Nov 23, 2020 5:39 pm

That does look lovely Metrics 8)
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Metrics
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Re: Second Alpina addition - D5 BiTurbo No.13 (update Nov '20 page 3)

Post by Metrics » Mon Nov 23, 2020 6:19 pm

CaesarBob wrote:
Mon Nov 23, 2020 5:39 pm
That does look lovely Metrics 8)
Thanks Bob!
2019 G31 B5 Biturbo No.299
2012 F10 D5 Biturbo No.13
1993 Mercedes 190E 2.6 Sportline spec
1991 Mk1 Golf GTI Sportline cabriolet

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Re: Second Alpina addition - D5 BiTurbo No.13 (update Nov '20 page 3)

Post by Rav » Mon Nov 23, 2020 6:22 pm

Stunning. You are making me go green Asim.

Was your car at BMR over the weekend? I saw a similar looking car at the back of the workshop.
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Re: Second Alpina addition - D5 BiTurbo No.13 (update Nov '20 page 3)

Post by Metrics » Mon Nov 23, 2020 6:23 pm

One area of interior wear that needed some attention was the driver’s door handle. A few marks over the years had seen the colour layer wear thin. This was made worse when a tyre fitter tried to wipe off some grease from grubby gloves.
The upper black leather had also developed a shiny patch from elbows being rested on it.
I’ve restored leather myself over the years so time to tackle this one.

Before:
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Shiny patch:
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Door card and switches/handles/trim removed, the old leather dye/coating is carefully removed with solvent. Careful asking is key here as the leather is stitched in blue & green coloured threads. Once removed, it’s carefully degreased, then prepared for paint, including masking each stitch individually so no paint covers the thread - a painful task!

During:
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Paint is sprayed on with several thin coats, then sealed with a number of clear sealant coats.
After (missed the black upper bit, d’oh!):
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Very pleased with the result, particularly keeping the stitching sharp and clear.
I also replaced the door handle/pull. Originally it was Ivory (painted by Alpina on a black item), but was also looking tired and scratched. I replaced with a new black one, which matches the other door handles and matches the other black trim parts of the interior.
Last edited by Metrics on Mon Nov 23, 2020 6:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
2019 G31 B5 Biturbo No.299
2012 F10 D5 Biturbo No.13
1993 Mercedes 190E 2.6 Sportline spec
1991 Mk1 Golf GTI Sportline cabriolet

Metrics
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Re: Second Alpina addition - D5 BiTurbo No.13 (update Nov '20 page 3)

Post by Metrics » Mon Nov 23, 2020 6:24 pm

Rav wrote:
Mon Nov 23, 2020 6:22 pm
Stunning. You are making me go green Asim.

Was your car at BMR over the weekend? I saw a similar looking car at the back of the workshop.
If you're turning Alpina green that's ok :lol:

No not mine. Might be the B5 that was for sale recently?
2019 G31 B5 Biturbo No.299
2012 F10 D5 Biturbo No.13
1993 Mercedes 190E 2.6 Sportline spec
1991 Mk1 Golf GTI Sportline cabriolet

Metrics
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Re: Second Alpina addition - D5 BiTurbo No.13 (update Nov '20 page 3)

Post by Metrics » Mon Nov 23, 2020 6:47 pm

If you’ve got this far, thank you for reading my ramblings!
Final update - some recent shots showing the “finished” car in the last few weeks.
Thread is now all up to date. See you in another 3 years!! :oops: :roll: :lol:

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You can just make out the repainted calipers in these:
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2019 G31 B5 Biturbo No.299
2012 F10 D5 Biturbo No.13
1993 Mercedes 190E 2.6 Sportline spec
1991 Mk1 Golf GTI Sportline cabriolet

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