D3BT #454

Thought we'd tempt out our budding photographers. Share your photos. We'll add different themes from time to time.
ttrill
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Re: D3BT #454

Post by ttrill » Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:39 pm

ScooBeeFive wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:16 pm
That looks really nice - the Xenons make such a difference aesthetically, as well as being great at night. It’s super clean too!

How did you find applying the ceramic coat to the wheels? Is it a simple process?
Thanks! Very simple to do, but very hard to get an even coat although much easier with the wheels off, use a decent wheel cleaner and tar remover to get the properly wheels clean. I’ve found the actual coating has enough for 2 coats on each wheel (19’s) but I’m not sure in longevity of the coating as after 5 or so washes (ph Neutral cleaner) it’s hardly effective. On another set of wheels it was £100 to have the coating done properly and has lasted over a year.
Toby

2011 D3BT #454
2019 440i Gran Coupe

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Re: D3BT #454

Post by ScooBeeFive » Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:23 pm

ttrill wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:39 pm
ScooBeeFive wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:16 pm
That looks really nice - the Xenons make such a difference aesthetically, as well as being great at night. It’s super clean too!

How did you find applying the ceramic coat to the wheels? Is it a simple process?
Thanks! Very simple to do, but very hard to get an even coat although much easier with the wheels off, use a decent wheel cleaner and tar remover to get the properly wheels clean. I’ve found the actual coating has enough for 2 coats on each wheel (19’s) but I’m not sure in longevity of the coating as after 5 or so washes (ph Neutral cleaner) it’s hardly effective. On another set of wheels it was £100 to have the coating done properly and has lasted over a year.
I’ve always been slightly nervous about attempting a ceramic coating. I’ve heard it can be quite tricky. Wheels may be a good place to practice though as not quite so disastrous if you get it a bit wrong, compared to on the paintwork.

I’d be tempted to get it done by a pro but ask if I can stay and watch!
Paul

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2017 F33 B4S BiTurbo Cabrio #235 - Tanzanite Blue

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Re: D3BT #454

Post by ttrill » Mon Sep 28, 2020 10:38 pm

ScooBeeFive wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 9:23 pm
ttrill wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:39 pm
ScooBeeFive wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 7:16 pm
That looks really nice - the Xenons make such a difference aesthetically, as well as being great at night. It’s super clean too!

How did you find applying the ceramic coat to the wheels? Is it a simple process?
Thanks! Very simple to do, but very hard to get an even coat although much easier with the wheels off, use a decent wheel cleaner and tar remover to get the properly wheels clean. I’ve found the actual coating has enough for 2 coats on each wheel (19’s) but I’m not sure in longevity of the coating as after 5 or so washes (ph Neutral cleaner) it’s hardly effective. On another set of wheels it was £100 to have the coating done properly and has lasted over a year.
I’ve always been slightly nervous about attempting a ceramic coating. I’ve heard it can be quite tricky. Wheels may be a good place to practice though as not quite so disastrous if you get it a bit wrong, compared to on the paintwork.

I’d be tempted to get it done by a pro but ask if I can stay and watch!
I agree, wheels are fairly fail safe but using a spray bottle for application is tricky to have it even.
Toby

2011 D3BT #454
2019 440i Gran Coupe

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Re: D3BT #454

Post by ttrill » Thu Nov 19, 2020 6:11 pm

Some time off work today meant I could spend abit of time doing a deeper clean of the car as well as winter tyres going on.

Not posted a picture of the inside yet so here you go. Carpets will go through the machine soon as they’re grubby.
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Toby

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2019 440i Gran Coupe

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Re: D3BT #454

Post by Bob » Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:24 pm

I’d missed the fact you have electric pews Toby, very executive. Do you have heated seats too? Can’t see it in the spec sheet, but I thought it was standard with full leather, or was that only in Coupes? :think
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Re: D3BT #454

Post by ttrill » Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:32 pm

CaesarBob wrote:
Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:24 pm
I’d missed the fact you have electric pews Toby, very executive. Do you have heated seats too? Can’t see it in the spec sheet, but I thought it was standard with full leather, or was that only in Coupes? :think
Yep heated as well :lol: also have the lumber support and backrest adjustment. Not sure if it’s the lux package that includes them?
Toby

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2019 440i Gran Coupe

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Re: D3BT #454

Post by Bob » Sat Nov 21, 2020 12:31 am

ttrill wrote:
Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:32 pm
CaesarBob wrote:
Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:24 pm
I’d missed the fact you have electric pews Toby, very executive. Do you have heated seats too? Can’t see it in the spec sheet, but I thought it was standard with full leather, or was that only in Coupes? :think
Yep heated as well :lol: also have the lumber support and backrest adjustment. Not sure if it’s the lux package that includes them?
This is an extract from the Jan-11 price list, seating was part of the full leather.
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Re: D3BT #454

Post by ttrill » Sat Nov 21, 2020 12:36 am

CaesarBob wrote:
Sat Nov 21, 2020 12:31 am
ttrill wrote:
Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:32 pm
CaesarBob wrote:
Fri Nov 20, 2020 8:24 pm
I’d missed the fact you have electric pews Toby, very executive. Do you have heated seats too? Can’t see it in the spec sheet, but I thought it was standard with full leather, or was that only in Coupes? :think
Yep heated as well :lol: also have the lumber support and backrest adjustment. Not sure if it’s the lux package that includes them?
This is an extract from the Jan-11 price list, seating was part of the full leather.
A sensible choice by BMW for once then, nothing worse than leather that’s not heated :cry:
Toby

2011 D3BT #454
2019 440i Gran Coupe

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Re: D3BT #454

Post by Jamie23 » Thu Nov 26, 2020 11:27 am

hap wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:40 pm
Not many have xenon
The only thing not got is a sunroof but there is a blue touring that was very high spec in alpina blue it was at gaydon this year so defo x2 very high spec cars over base cars
Do your mirrors fold via remote or only switch on door ?
That was mine, Hap! Great chatting with you as well. Mine was Montego blue and yeah similar spec but in a MT touring. As you rightly pointed out, just missing xenons and perhaps alcantara roof lining. Always room for improvements. I've had loads done to it recently so will post soon.

For what it's worth, my MT mirrors only fold with the door switch. Windows go with the lock button but not the mirrors. They also come out if you drive off with them folded! :oops:

Lovely BT saloon. Hope to meet one day! I remember lusting for one of these in 2011 - took me another 7 years to get my hands on one (well, similar). Recently I was looking to upgrade the idrive from CCC to CIC but the missing link was the wood piece round the idrive so I'd make sure yours is stuck down well at the next show haha!! Take care, happy driving and feel free to ask any questions of me.
2007 E91 D3 #190

Best of previous cars:
EG Civic Hatch (great car, a real companion)
E36 318is (long-term test drive from my brother :lol: )
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Re: D3BT #454

Post by ttrill » Sat Nov 28, 2020 12:07 pm

Jamie23 wrote:
Thu Nov 26, 2020 11:27 am
hap wrote:
Mon Sep 28, 2020 6:40 pm
Not many have xenon
The only thing not got is a sunroof but there is a blue touring that was very high spec in alpina blue it was at gaydon this year so defo x2 very high spec cars over base cars
Do your mirrors fold via remote or only switch on door ?
That was mine, Hap! Great chatting with you as well. Mine was Montego blue and yeah similar spec but in a MT touring. As you rightly pointed out, just missing xenons and perhaps alcantara roof lining. Always room for improvements. I've had loads done to it recently so will post soon.

For what it's worth, my MT mirrors only fold with the door switch. Windows go with the lock button but not the mirrors. They also come out if you drive off with them folded! :oops:

Lovely BT saloon. Hope to meet one day! I remember lusting for one of these in 2011 - took me another 7 years to get my hands on one (well, similar). Recently I was looking to upgrade the idrive from CCC to CIC but the missing link was the wood piece round the idrive so I'd make sure yours is stuck down well at the next show haha!! Take care, happy driving and feel free to ask any questions of me.
Thanks, yours looks great too. I don’t think I’ve seen an MT in a spec like yours. Hopefully come spring there will be an opportunity for some meets, I’ll make sure my car is locked if I see yours :wink:
Toby

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2019 440i Gran Coupe

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Re: D3BT #454

Post by ttrill » Fri Dec 11, 2020 1:34 am

After a fairly rapid degradation of both my front shocks and having them on my list of things to do as the car is getting on abit now (just ticked over 85k) I decided to do it myself. Planned on having the car done in a day but Sod’s law stopped that and ended up having the car off the road for 10 days looking pretty sorry for itself. Using the brilliant info that’s already available on the forum and quite abit of time on the Sachs parts catalogue I was able to determine the correct OEM parts for my car. I used Sachs 311403&311404 shocks and Sachs 993256 springs (D5 spring code) plus new bumps and covers.

First hurdle was getting the old shocks out, it quickly came about that both the front shock pinch bolts were seized into the knuckle which lead to around 5 hours of swearing to get the offside out. Eventually I twisted the head off the bolt which allowed for the bolt the be extracted the other way using the nut to pull the bolt. I really couldn’t be arsed to do the other bolt so I got my local mechanic to come round to sort it. Cutting the bolt then using a hydraulic ram to push the bolt out in less than 10 minutes added a rather large amount of fuel to the fire but at this point I was still wanting to finish the job myself.
DEBBE8DC-3B3F-496E-BA66-C3AA0F59B666.jpeg
There is a high level of hate towards this bolt.
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The springs arrival delayed the process significantly but that gave me time to paint the callipers, carriers and disc hubs as they were letting the car down abit. Whilst all that was off I changed the front pads out. The car had yellowstuff pads fitted a while back that were good but I personally couldn’t differentiate the pads from a pagid compound which I had in my last 1 series so the extra cost wasn’t justifiable.

The springs delayed arrival meant I could put the car back together again but unfortunately I couldn’t compress the spring enough to get it over the shock - even with the shock extended. So I decided to take it down to my local specialist to fit for me especially as I wasn’t too keen on a spring flying through me :boohoo

Old shocks vs new shocks was scary. Offside was shocking :wink: and was clearly blown but judging by the corrosion around the shock it had been like this for a while. The springs had resultantly had a hard time because of this and had around an inch difference compared to the new ones. This was reflected in the ride height pre-change.
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Hmm
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Now it’s all back together it’s safe to say the car is pretty much transformed. No more bottoming out on the smallest of speed bumps and the car feels as it should be. It does highlight the fact that the rears are tired but they are not as bad as the fronts were. The ride now is almost comparable to the B3 which is very complimentary considering that’s running full Alpina OEM which is around 6x the price for parts.
Toby

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2019 440i Gran Coupe

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Re: D3BT #454

Post by Bob » Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:41 am

Sounds like that turned into a bit of mission, but definitely worthwhile in the end. You need to get some more pics up though ;)
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Re: D3BT #454

Post by Charles » Fri Dec 11, 2020 12:30 pm

Nothing like a bit of Anglo Saxon terminology to keep the spirits up :D
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Re: D3BT #454

Post by ttrill » Fri Dec 11, 2020 7:54 pm

CaesarBob wrote:
Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:41 am
Sounds like that turned into a bit of mission, but definitely worthwhile in the end. You need to get some more pics up though ;)
Abit more than a mission Bob :roll: it definitely needed doing. Hopefully when the weather & work clears up I’ll get some more photos of it and hopefully a group photo of all 3.
Toby

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2019 440i Gran Coupe

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Re: D3BT #454

Post by zedwheels » Mon Dec 14, 2020 10:30 pm

ttrill wrote:
Fri Dec 11, 2020 7:54 pm
CaesarBob wrote:
Fri Dec 11, 2020 10:41 am
Sounds like that turned into a bit of mission, but definitely worthwhile in the end. You need to get some more pics up though ;)
Abit more than a mission Bob :roll: it definitely needed doing. Hopefully when the weather & work clears up I’ll get some more photos of it and hopefully a group photo of all 3.
Hi ttrill.
My first time to own a D3 BT too, and agree it does handle very nice and it has enough get up and go for my taste now. The car was originally purchased by a forum member its #246 Santorini Blue. I would like to get hold of the factory spec sheet like you show in your post and wondered would Sytner's provide me with a copy if I asked them, or did your car come with it supplied.?

Cheers.

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