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Old 09-24-2006, 10:27 PM
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asawadude asawadude is offline
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The wheels are cleanable. BMW OEM wheels are coated, the brake dust is not impregnated into the metal but is instead sitting on top of the coating layer. It can be broken down and removed. Use a strong soap (dish washing soap will work) with a soft bristle wheel brush or soft toothbrush, then follow it up with clay (using the dishwashing soap as a lubricant) to remove any stubborn chunks of dust.

If it looks like the dust is really caked on, get ahold of a good commercial spray on wheel cleaner like Mequiars Hot Rims Cleaner and let it soak for a few minutes before hitting it with the brush, then follow it up with clay. It may take several passes to get the wheels clean, but it's doable. Once clean, you can squirt a quick detail protectorant on the wheels, which helps reduce the dust build-up.

The oil on the doors could be the result of someone using the wrong type of lubricant on the hinges. It should also be easily cleanable with soap and water. An examination of the engine compartment and undercarrraige will help determine if the oil was instead the result of some type of failure.

There are many chrome/metal cleaners in your auto parts store that will cut through the dirt buildup on the tail pipes. What shows up in the picture does not look very serious - it looks bad because it's an accumulation.

Do those holes in the instrument panels go through the actual light display boards? It looks to me that you could cheaply restore the appearance by buying a used E53 instrument panel on eBay (there's plenty selling cheap with faulty LED lights), scavenge the cover from the purchased panel to replace your cover with holes, then resell your purchase back on eBay.

Good luck on your purchase. Do you have a full set of pictures showing the entire vehicle instead of these close up shots? It's hard to see the overall condition of the vehicle without the full body shots. What's the dealer asking? If the dealer hasn't done any cleanup work, it's probably because they aren't willing to commit any money towards the vehicle. That could actually work to your advantage as a leverage item in your negotiation.
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