My mom's beater (dog hauler) 3 series sits outside all day in the elements. The dirt is the minor issue…sadly. Upon closer inspection you will find tree sap, tar, artillery fungus (black spores), and worst of all - rust. The plan was to clean the exterior up and protect it; nothing too fancy; just a short day job. As the car arrived: The black specs are artillery fungus; which was a pain to remove due to the prevelance and properies: It's sad to see a Bimmer rust; speaking with other dailer drivers in climates where salt is used for snow melt it sounds very common: The brakes on Bimmers are notorious for heavy dusting; these are an aftermarket set that dusts even more than the OEMs did: First up were the wheels and tires: Sonax action shot: Some 1Z Blitz (1:10) sprayed to help loosen the dirt: Next was a soak with the Gilmour Gun (used some Blitz and CG Honeydew): Rear bumper was loaded with tar: Stoner's Tarminator dwelling: Yes, this is just a paper towel; the paint is rock hard, the car is silver, and marring was not a concern: Then I went to town so no photos. But I had to use a plastic razor blade to knock off the 'head' of the artillery fungus then followed with the Fine NanoSkin Autoscrub system to remove the rest including other contaminants. The AutoScrub worked well with a bit of finessing (the regular could have been used but didn't have it on hand). The car was then rinsed off again and returned to the garage for drying, then lightly polished with Wolf's Shine and Seal and protected with Body Wrap. The results (my DLSR camera body and lense needs a calibration): Total time spent was about 4 and a half hours. Cleaning: 1Z Blitz APC Lusso Glass Polish NanoSkin Autoscrub Fine Kit Stoner's Tarminator Polish: Wolf's Chemicals Shine and Seal Pads: Uber 5.5" Green Tools: Gilmour Foamaster II Grit Guard Griot's Garage 6 inch Random Orbital Rapid Reel Wheeled Cart Garden Hose Reel Uber Yellow Wash Sponge Uber Dressing Applicator Pad Uber Plastic Razor Blades Towels: Chemical Guys Fluffer Miracle Supra MF Towel - Red Griot's Garage Waffle Weave Micro Fiber Drying Towel Uber Hi Tech Glass MF Towel LSP: Wolf's Chemicals BodyWrap Wash: Chemical Guys HoneyDew Wheels and Tires: Gloss It Signature Tire Gloss Sonax FE Wheel Cleaner
great clean up on the vehicle, Chase! first time i've seen fungus like that on a vehicle. btw, holding the Gilmour FM II upside down gives better foam? truth or myth? haha
Yeah, the fungus is prevalent in areas with a lot of mulch. My parents have had a pile not too far from the car; it is certainly the culprit. I hope regular washings will keep it down. Holding the reservoir upside down forces definitely makes more foam; not on the level of a foam canon but not bad. But the soap runs out a lot faster. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed. Thanks for the compliments. I love wagons too; my wife hates wagons, but I prefer their lower profile to SUVs. My dad replaced his 335 with a 328 wagon this past spring. Here are some pics.
