My X3 after some elbow grease...
 

Here are some pictures of my car after a little zaino. I had a really bad experience with my cheapo ebay clear bra which let to an all-out full fledged detailing. The bra looked awful so I took it off. Unfortunately it left a ton of adhesive behind. Cleaning that was awful!!!

Enjoy the pictures!

Looks good ! Congrats...

Very nice! Good work there. I like the Euro plate, as well!

Good job, looks good!

Looks great, Zaino is great stuff, I still use it on my E46.

Where can I find pictures of the rear seating of the X3? Also can anyone tell me how comfortable the rear seats are. I tested a 2006 X5 and the rear seats were way too hard and with the sports pkg it was unbearable to sit back there, very bumpy and kinda harsh seating. Also are the rear seats in the X3 any softer seats than the X5 or the same? Are they bench style seats like the X5?

Thanks in advance. I own an E46 for the past 7 years and am looking for a new vehicle. Not sure about the E90 hasn't grown on me yet and the X5 is just too big for me, thinking of the X3.

Wow, really lookin sharp!!! :2thumbs:

The X3 seats are worse than what's in the X5. Not only is the suspension firmer than the X5, the seat bench is far too low. I think BMW tried too hard to make the seats fold flat, and made the bench too low as a result. :thumbdown So the end result is a big no-no for long trips unless you're short, like under 5' 4" or have short legs.

(Front seats are great though, even in non-sport form. That's where you wanna be!)

See attached from my X3.

What did you use to clean the engine so well? It is spotless!!!

White,
Fine looking job! Your engine compartment
looks brand new!

MyCEO loves white rides.
GL,mD

First of all, thanks for all of the kind words!!

I used Simple Green on the paint around the compartment and on the tops of the black plastic. Then I rinsed liberally and dried. The hard part about getting these engine compartments clean is the shipping grease stuck in the corners. To deal with that, get the compartment good and hot, spray liberally with simple green, wash the dirt out of it and then rub firmly. If that does not get it all out, try either some gasoline on a rag (carefully) or some adhesive remover.

For this detailing I tried Zaino's new product called Z-PC Fusion. It seems to have done a better job getting rid of surface scratches and light swirls than Z-5 does. It also did a really good job on the black b pillar trim. I also tried the Zaino glass cleaner for the first time and am very impressed with that too! (gush session over)

btw, just saw it on ebay...

saw what on ebay again?

That's too funny because I was about to comment how my wife loves the back seat in our X3 (no comments!!:rolleyes:). She's on the shorter side to the tune of about an even 5' tall. She says it is actually more comfortable for her than any other BMW we've owned (long laundry list of 3's & 5's). I will admit to having ridden back there a time or two (again, not like that!;pervert;) and found it to be a bit uncomfortable for anything longer than 15-20 minutes - though I prefer sitting in the driver's seat anyways!:boogie: BTW, sweet pics! The white looks pretty sharp. I'm a fan of white BMW's (I've owned 3) and they look great all cleaned up!

the x3...

Careful with the Simple Green. It can strip chrome plated plastic and acrylic paint in undiluted form. It needs to be used in a 1:1 or better water solution.

Thank you! I will be careful of that!

I did post the car on ebay, although I have little confidence it will sell. Frankly, I am not all that clear on why I listed it since I have no clue what I would get instead. Maybe an E90 330i or possibly a CPO E39 540 6-speed...

I went from an E39 540i 6-spd to an X5. Great car, but the trunk space is very small compared to my old E34, in fact, it's not much bigger than my E46 328i. However, that being said, it's a great car otherwise. You should be able to find an '03 with an M body kit relatively cheap. BTW - you could step up to an '04 545i 6-spd for a few bucks more and get another year or more out of the CPO warranty.

Good luck with your sale!

While I like the active rollbars on the E60 I prefer the exterior and interior of the E39. I do truck (pardon the pun) two kids around every day, but I never really challenge the trunk capacity so I am not that concerned about that. I really want something that will be more competent on the track. One thing I love about the E39 is that the ride is so composed while still handling well. I think that was BMW's best ever suspension tuning job.

If the X3 does not sell (which it probably wont), I wont cry.

Very nice Randy! I know that you're a clean car fanatic so I'm sure you could eat off that X3.

I hope you can make it to WestFest IV. A date should be announced soon. I am waiting for final confirmations.

Thanks Kevin! How is the e90? Are you enjoying it?

I will do my best to make WestFest IV! It sounds like a great time!

Randy

Nice work. I'm a BIG Zaino fan as well. Careful with the Z-pc fusion. It's pretty abrasive and should be used sparingly. I think I might just apply a coat of #2 to ours this weekend.

I am always cautious when dealing with abrasives...The car just needed a little something so I lightly did the hood and sides with Z-PC. Since it has no protective qualities I followed that up with Z-1 and Z-2. FWIW, their glass polish is amazing too!!

Very nice!! Pretty looking car! :thumbup:

Juan

Thanks!!