Andrew Fanning Posted June 10, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2019 (edited) So this weekend fun was repairing and freshening up the bumpers from the carelessness of one of the previous owners. The front bumper had a scrap on the lower right corner from a wall or curb and both rear corners had scrapes and a load of small nicks and chips across the back. I have wanted to get this sorted for a while now but was waiting on better weather and some free funds. Bodyshops had been quoting between €300 and €400 to have the work done which i just dont have to spare right now. I have never painted anything bigger than a mirror or splitter so a few blogs have been read and plenty of youtube research done, feeling brave I ordered materials ( total bill €80 ) and roped in some help from my other have a go hero buddy Ian and got stuck in figuring if I messed it up would just have to pay a professional to re do and suffer the loss of materials. The Damage (looked worse in person ) The repair All Painted All Back together and out in the sun. Im not going to sit here and say it is perfect but it is a night and day difference and a great learning experience. Next up Leather repair kit should arrive today or tomorrow so will be cracking on with that and once some more pennies are gathered up the front will be getting a bit closer to the ground. Also need to get onto my pdr guy to sort or the car park dents on the lefthand side arches Edited June 10, 2019 by Andrew Fanning momo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirkynut Posted August 14, 2019 Report Share Posted August 14, 2019 Any updates Andrew? Your painting worked out well. It looks great. That shot from above in the workshop is good! I don't mind black wheels but they're hard to get to show up in photos. The mirrors and wheels work well together to break up the silver, which can become overwhelming on silver cars, so I think you've made a good choice with the black accents. Looking forward to seeing the other touches you give it. Kirkynut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted August 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2019 (edited) Thanks Kirkynut, Didn't realize the site was back up and running every time I tried to log in over last few weeks it seemed to be down or locking me out. So since I last posted there has been quite a lot happening but lucky I have another thread elsewhere so will be easy enough to update here. Brief Summary: * Attended few shows with our club * repaired wear in driver seat bolster * Major interior refresh * got the nose closer to the ground and fitted some of KBS Autostyling sill extensions * New smoked side repeaters * New high kick style spoiler Edited August 14, 2019 by Andrew Fanning spelling error Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted August 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2019 So First in the line of repairs. Since buying the car the driver seat bolster had a nice hole and a previous bodged repair which annoyed the hell out of me every time I opened the door. I ordered a repair kit from scratch doctor which I have to say was really good a quite simple to use once you take your time. Damaged seat. Repaired seat ( not perfect but a big improvement, i reckon it would have came out a lot better if previous owner had used a kit like this or just left it alone instead of bodging it) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted August 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2019 Next up was time to further improve the interior ( bear in mind that these post are one after the other but in reality all these jobs were completed over a few weeks ) Now as you might remember from earlier I was never keen on how the outside of the car was just silver on silver on silver and had been working on breaking it up a bit. Well the interior was even worse, now don't get me wrong the grey interior works very very well against some colors but grey dash, door cards, carpets, seats and roof cover against a silver car was was the original order-er thinking. Before A Weekend was set aside and a mixture of cleaning products, dye and painter were purchased and without really know what I was doing apart from reading some threads and youtube videos I got stuck in. momo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted August 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2019 Next was to get rid of that gaping front arch gap Before I have always liked the hot rod style of nose down ass up so being happy with the rear and keeping in mind this build is being done on a seriously tight budget a set of front lowering springs were ordered, would I have liked coil overs, of course I would but having taken a ride in a few cars with budget coils fitted and finding them very hard for the awful roads around my home and decent known brands were just out of my price range. After At the same time as my springs arrived I also got a package from Keith in kbs autostyling. I absolutely love these sill extensions would even go as far as to say they are my favorite addition to the car so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted August 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2019 So all work and no play can make Andrew a very dull boy so on a sunny Sunday ( rare occasion in Ireland ) in July I put the top down and headed off to a local cars and coffee with a friend. Not long after our clubs own annual show came up so wanted the car looking her best and treated her to a deep clean. - rinsed down - used tfr to remove old wax and stubborn stains - washed again and clayed bared - Machined with a light compound followed by a polish and a nice coat of wax. The big day arrived but never once got time to take my camera out so had to steel a few pictures other had taken of my car, A lot of work goes into arranging this show and with Circa 250 cars displaying on the day its a bit hectic running it as a small club but always a great day out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted August 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2019 Now before I look at this weeks work i am going to take a chance to show some pics of how the car is coming together. This is not a show build nor is it big budget or even for anyone else, this a car I always fancied and through research on boards such as this one I formed a picture in my head of how I wanted it to look and we are getting very close. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted August 14, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 14, 2019 So this very week a new spoiler arrived, was very unsure at the started but after a few days its growing on me, big changes always take a while to settle for me. In some of the pics you will also see I have fitted a wind breaker / deflector thingy. All I will say on this is if you own a vert and don't have one order it today, you wont regret it. I have also replaced my gear knob with a nice new weighted one and the shift and handbrake boot have been changed out for new black leather ones to go better with the black dash. So whats next up for my vert: Well my preferred Dent doctor is due to call to remove some car park dings next week and think I have a second hand android head unit lined up. Other than that I may take a break from the mods as am in the process of completely re-furbishing my garage to make it more suitable to use for some winter projects and a bike build I am hoping to start soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirkynut Posted August 14, 2019 Report Share Posted August 14, 2019 10 hours ago, Andrew Fanning said: So this very week a new spoiler arrived, was very unsure at the started but after a few days its growing on me, big changes always take a while to settle for me. In some of the pics you will also see I have fitted a wind breaker / deflector thingy. All I will say on this is if you own a vert and don't have one order it today, you wont regret it. I have also replaced my gear knob with a nice new weighted one and the shift and handbrake boot have been changed out for new black leather ones to go better with the black dash. So whats next up for my vert: Well my preferred Dent doctor is due to call to remove some car park dings next week and think I have a second hand android head unit lined up. Other than that I may take a break from the mods as am in the process of completely re-furbishing my garage to make it more suitable to use for some winter projects and a bike build I am hoping to start soon. Crickey! There's a few updates in one go there! I love the height and the rear spoiler! Kirkynut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted August 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2019 Thanks @kirkynut, Ya im a very impatient person and don't hang about. If I had my way ( and the Budget ) plan would be formed when car is purchased and all parts would be ordered and fitted before it sees road.. Last night I tried out a new detailing product, had seen a lot of online reviews and youtube videos and looked interesting so when it came up on sale in my local halfords I said id give it a go. Now I was skeptical but all I can say is wow wow wow.. I always keep my car clean and has had a good decontaminate wash, full clay bar, machine compound and polish and generous layer of wax which obviously helped. I followed the guides id watched online and gave the car a good wash sprayed the product on all the body worked and dried in with a micro fiber cloth ( was looking good at this point but nothing crazy ) the next step is to spray the car again and use power washer to spread and rinse off this is when things started to get interesting. The water ran off the car in a way I have only seen on professionally applied ceramic coatings before. Once all had been well rinsed I dried the car again with a good quality drying tool and the finish I was left with was so silky smooth and wet looking I was blown away, way beyond anything id ever seen with a regular wax and i've tried many. I don't see this as being a replacement for a full process like outlined above but definitely be keeping a bottle on the shelf for quick in between top ups. It was darkish when finished so didn't get any pics but now cant wait for it to rain so I can see how it beads. momo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoupEdin Posted August 15, 2019 Report Share Posted August 15, 2019 Congratulations on a great update, a huge amount of time and effort on your car AND keeping this place alive!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoupEdin Posted August 15, 2019 Report Share Posted August 15, 2019 I've two toned my interior too - you're a brave man using dye! But you're spot on - all one colour looks terrible and the black is a great contrast... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted August 16, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2019 11 hours ago, CoupEdin said: Congratulations on a great update, a huge amount of time and effort on your car AND keeping this place alive!! Keep the build threads alive cant beat a good sit down and read, social media just isn't the same for this type of thing, too hard to track progress on cars you like. This is my first BMW and this is the first BMW site I joined, I spent weeks reading and researching on here when I first got the car and the tips, ideas and inspiration I got have been worth there weight in gold so if my simple little project can inspire someone else well then job done. 11 hours ago, CoupEdin said: I've two toned my interior too - you're a brave man using dye! But you're spot on - all one colour looks terrible and the black is a great contrast... Brave or foolish its a fine line but didn't have much choice as used parts are much harder to source here never mind for a vert. In the year or so I've had the car I've only seen one used vert interior come up and it wasn't a sport and was rough and expensive. The finish isn't perfect but is good, most would never see the flaws guess its more cause i know they are there. Still a bit more to do here and will be refinishing the seats at some point. With the fall closing in fast my roof is in need of some sealing so have ordered a cleaner / dye / sealer kit for it yesterday so that will prob be the next update. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoupEdin Posted August 16, 2019 Report Share Posted August 16, 2019 1 minute ago, Andrew Fanning said: Keep the build threads alive cant beat a good sit down and read, social media just isn't the same for this type of thing, too hard to track progress on cars you like. This is my first BMW and this is the first BMW site I joined, I spent weeks reading and researching on here when I first got the car and the tips, ideas and inspiration I got have been worth there weight in gold so if my simple little project can inspire someone else well then job done. Brave or foolish its a fine line but didn't have much choice as used parts are much harder to source here never mind for a vert. In the year or so I've had the car I've only seen one used vert interior come up and it wasn't a sport and was rough and expensive. The finish isn't perfect but is good, most would never see the flaws guess its more cause i know they are there. Still a bit more to do here and will be refinishing the seats at some point. With the fall closing in fast my roof is in need of some sealing so have ordered a cleaner / dye / sealer kit for it yesterday so that will prob be the next update. Completely agree - social media is useless for build threads. My next challenge is trying to refit my rear 'door' cards - mine's a coupe, so no rear doors, but you'll know what I mean. I took both of them off to fit the Bavsound Stage 1 speakers and I just cannot get either of them back on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted August 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2019 So for those who were interested in my earlier post about or Mental Health Group Project below is a few update pictures. The project now has an official name and a Logo Ya know ifs official when ya have Facebook and Instagram ( please do pop in and have a look, the more likes and shares we get the quicker we can build awareness ) https://www.facebook.com/MidletonBikeProject/ https://www.instagram.com/midletonbikeproject/?hl=en The RD250 is now complete and ready for her shake down. Progress has already started on the next project a Yamaha Intruder 1500lc. This is going to be more of a custom build than a restoration and will also include a trailer which will tow the above bike to events to help raise awareness. momo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted August 20, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 20, 2019 Now I promise not to keep filling this thread with bikes but my own collection of personal project has grown with two new projects to see me through the winter. First up will be the 1999 Fazer 600 as it is the more complete bike and mainly needs service items and a bit of paint. As it stands I think this will be a standard refurb and a bike I will use for ride outs. The other bike is a bit of a basket case and will take a lot of work. Thinking of going kinda cafe racer / flat tracker combo with this as I think standard parts are going to be hard to find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirkynut Posted September 13, 2019 Report Share Posted September 13, 2019 The Bike Mental Health group looks like a great idea. I've a few colleagues who'd be interested to set up something similar locally. I'll mention it to them. I had a 2002 Fazer from new but sold it when my mate threw his down the road in front of me during a ride out one day. I got into scooters just to find them dangerous things to ride until mine got written off by a car rear ending me at a roundabout. Your car's looking good and I really do like that rear spoiler! Kirkynut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momo Posted September 14, 2019 Report Share Posted September 14, 2019 Cars looking great! Still not a fan of the black door mirrors.. But it makes more sense now. lol. Those front wheels look a little lost, worth spacing them out a little? Overall liking it a lot now though! Love the idea of the bike group! Keep it up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted September 19, 2019 Author Report Share Posted September 19, 2019 On 13/09/2019 at 22:41, kirkynut said: The Bike Mental Health group looks like a great idea. I've a few colleagues who'd be interested to set up something similar locally. I'll mention it to them. I had a 2002 Fazer from new but sold it when my mate threw his down the road in front of me during a ride out one day. I got into scooters just to find them dangerous things to ride until mine got written off by a car rear ending me at a roundabout. Your car's looking good and I really do like that rear spoiler! Kirkynut Ya rear spoiler has really grown on me now and I love it Had a few close calls over the years on bikes, no doubt they are dangerous feckers... A lot of people over the years have asked me about getting into bikes and I always tell them that unless you can make peace with the fact that every time you throw your leg over that bike could be your last then its not for you. Thankfully I have escaped serious injury so far but most bikers I know that have been hurt has not been down to there fault and is usually a car driver with caused the accident so doesn't matter how safe or wild of a rider you are. Fazer isn't really my type of bike more into sports or sports tourers but main reason for buying this one was that it would be a project to keep me busy in the shed over the long dark winter nights, something a bit more hard core will join her soon. If your colleagues are interested in setting something up I be more than happy to help with any questions they have, always happy to help anything that promotes a better awareness of mental health issues. On 14/09/2019 at 08:01, momo said: Cars looking great! Still not a fan of the black door mirrors.. But it makes more sense now. lol. Those front wheels look a little lost, worth spacing them out a little? Overall liking it a lot now though! Love the idea of the bike group! Keep it up! Ya she is starting to flow better now alight, even the mirrors LOL. Front will definitely be getting spaced out just been too busy with The Bike Project group and some home maintenance and repairs that needed doing before winter. Also have a cleaning and refinishing kit for the roof sitting on the shelf which needs to be done before the weather changes. momo 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Fanning Posted February 14, 2021 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2021 Wow well over a year since I added to this thread. So a lot has changed in the world and in my own motoring life. To help get through the boredom of these lock-downs I started a you tube channel ( https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMoeMlfU5HGp8x5X9NlWzWw ). The channel started off about my return to motorbiking and vlogging but am now starting to add car content. Sadly my E46 has been sold and been replaced by an Skoda Octavia VRS petrol Estate ( will always be a VAG fanboy at heart ) but i definitely don't think I am finished with the BMW brand and see an e90 coupe or maybe a nicely spec'd e60 in my future. Still have love for the e46 and keep up with the Facebook and insta posts, the tips and advise this group has provided were worth there weight in gold While i didn't have a lot of footage of the e46 as it was on the way out as the channel was getting started I did stitch together a little video more to keep a record of the car for myself than anything else, I would very much appreciate if you could maybe add a few views on the video and a like or share would also mean a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
