325_driver 422 Report post Posted October 30, 2020 (edited) Had so much on the plate at the moment, still chipping away at panel work, will upload photos at some point. But in the mean time, a new color that came out on the 440i came out that caught my eye. Artic race blue So decided to order 100ml and spray out on the car again since this seems to be an impossible decision for colour choice Thinking of going that colour because it's such a unique blue, very different looks in different lighting. Edited October 30, 2020 by 325_driver 2 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted October 31, 2020 Basically just got to get this edge un-fakd from the crow bar job on it and thats this side done. Really starting to appreciate the work panel beaters do It's not 100% , don't know if I'm going to get it to 100% but compared to what I started with it's actually starting to look like an e46 read guard again. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3341 Report post Posted November 1, 2020 The stahlgrau was great. But this Arctic Race Blue is the one. Do it! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 1, 2020 @Olaf telling you, was about to put it to a vote on a poll, I love that sparkling graphite with pearl, but that artic race blue on the new 4 series is something else. Atleast I can redeem that colour by putting it on something without a botched up grill aspect. Will be the only e46 in the world that color too at my guess as that color just came out in 2019 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 2, 2020 (edited) This has got to be it, surely lol Just bought another lot of filler, etch and high build primer today. I am highly ineffective at this, but committed to see it through Had measurement calipers out, and even a dotted line to guide, starting to figure out there's no other way to do it some earlier shits of how fobar she was Edited November 2, 2020 by 325_driver 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 3, 2020 Signing off on this side for now until I finish the other side. May revisit for a small skim coat to add tenths or a mm here and there. Have her a clean from kilos of body filler and dust I'm struggling to see imperfections in the rear quarter panel which is a good sign I'm near completion. Took alot longer than expected, learning how to sand on a complex contour. But no regrets here ALSO, This colour is MONEY! 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
qube 3570 Report post Posted November 3, 2020 Its reminiscent of the classic bmw e46 colour steel blue. I like it Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 7, 2020 Side number 2 Then the rest is just pin side dents here and there on doors. Bashed the crap out of that lip with sledge hammer and the panel beating one but still no avoiding body filler on this bad boy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 8, 2020 Starting to take shape a bit. Just realised I measured out 15.5mm on the arch not 16mm so have to build another .5mm lol oh well Top bit is starting to look flat. Still a slight low spot I can feel. Nearly home stretch Touch wood 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 10, 2020 (edited) Atlast, getting to the point where I can live with this panel. Kink under window looking flat. Still cam feel a low spot but struggling to see any evidence of it in lighting Re dotted out the arch and added 0.5mm height to it, and made the edge slightly more defined. Found these photos, even this was after me slamming the flare back in with a sledgehammer, she was way out Onto door dents now. Then final sand down Maybe another large run of high build primer in panels I've been working on, with a dusting of guide coat followed by block sand. Diseasembly & prep Then paint!!!! She'll be the sickest 350,000km e46 in the game! Edited November 10, 2020 by 325_driver 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Eagle 1679 Report post Posted November 10, 2020 Man that flare must of had some big hours invested into it. Sounds like the mechanical side is going to need a lot of that along with a chunk of your hard earned cash. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 10, 2020 (edited) @Eagle I have gained a totally new level of appreciation for body shops. I know I must be inefficient as hell because of the 2 pots of filler I slapped on the car, 90% of it has been sanded off from me trying to perfect contours. And learning conclusively there's 1000 ways to sand and also not to sand / shape. I don't know if I'll ever get it 100% but it's sure going to be close enough so that once the respray is done the pay off will be there Engine I'll probably either full rebuild, or something far more ambitious Edited November 10, 2020 by 325_driver 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olaf 3341 Report post Posted November 10, 2020 great perseverance, it's looking good. I'm sure you're at the point where the results are overshadowing any frustrations you may have encountered! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 10, 2020 @Olaf I'm at the point on the arch knowing that it's not perfect but applying more filler and sanding back potentially leads me round in circles. Essentially I need $1000 in sanding block shapes and sizes. It's driving me mental haha, Ive measured the lip size on the front, which is 16mm and did the same on the rears but I swear they look slightly thinner haha. Might be madness setting in though Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 13, 2020 (edited) DONE! Too many cans of primer Too many pots of filler (most of it sanded off!) Too many sheets of sand paper 1000ml of paint used as guide coats Learning 1000 ways how not to sand complex curves One last crack at the rear lhs kink, thin but long layer of filler, knee board as a sander block and she's mint. Rear quarter panels, kinks and arches SIGNING OFF! Guide coats and hand touch finally revealing nothing, well I'm sure there's always low spots but I'm really struggling to find it using the go to techniques. Onto easy small door dents, what a relief!! Edited November 13, 2020 by 325_driver 6 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 20, 2020 ?♂️?♂️?♂️ Doh! Lol Found an image of how the arches look, they go down just a bit further until it flares out. Lol back to the grind!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 20, 2020 (edited) Looking pretty stock over LHS finally. Small touch up on the RHS side, then onto home stretch. Would never have forgiven my self not to give these hacked up arches 110% to get them mint again Was tempted to build them out agressive to the bottom with no feather out like the m3 has it haha. Bit too much body filler for my liking on that one! Technique and speed doing these contours is now 10000% better than at the start, quite an interesting thing to learn. Home stretch boys Edited November 20, 2020 by 325_driver 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 23, 2020 Gave it a small run to get rid of the remnant of the low spot Guide coat saving my ass again About to give it a final sand down, big run or primer, another guide coat then block sand to recheck. Those lines and shadows are looking real close, so nearly time to paint ! 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 25, 2020 (edited) Some small dings in the lower half, easy job compared to those God damn arches. One hit or primer and block sanded no dramas. And that edge wasn't edgy enough, and slight low spot under , close but no cigar so gave that another run It's damn close now, now i just think my eyes are playing tricks on me haha, need a coupe locally in tauranga i can eye up the lines to confirm if she's good now pretty much happy with this side now Going to do same checks other side, another big primer run, block sand and then practically at plaint stage. Edited November 25, 2020 by 325_driver 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
zero 1162 Report post Posted November 25, 2020 Great progress mate. What sanding blocks do you use? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 25, 2020 @zero Will take some photos but - rectangle hard rubber - rectangle soft foam - rectangle solid wood - knee board cut in half to be a very long one, good for contours Wish I had more, would have cut down my runs by 70% atleast And should have spent $40 on 3m guide coat powder. Probably would have cut down waste primer and guide coat runs 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted November 27, 2020 Believe it or not, that panel needed another few light runs of filler, some very deceptive low spots still, this curve is without a doubt taking me on a panel crash course from hell. But yeah for real, she's done. Well Im struggling to see where she's not good, so that's good enough for me. Walking a fine line to insanity getting this right. Slapped down some base coat to get some shadows showing, and she looks mint I was talking to a panel beater today and he laughed saying that what I'm dealing with is normal, happens on nearly every job Hopefully wrap up the other side on Saturday! Already put alot of work into it. But haven't applied a fine tooth comb over it like this side 5 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted January 3, 2021 Been a while but still been chipping away at trying to get it to final sand down. Started sanding down the guide coat that was on it 2 weeks ago and found these hidden Christmas presents no one in the house wants to own up to cause it was flat when I left it !! Lucky only a few hours to get that flat, bizzare no one knows how it happened, looks like a chair leg connected or something. A bit of force required to make those dents. Anyway went over the kinks and lines with fresh eyes over the holidays and realised those lines were definitely far from being sharp. Technique has come a long way, amazing to learn that with the wrong technique you'll get no where on a complex contour which this e46 has taken me on crash course for. Learning to spend more time using lighting and shadows to guide the final Sanding Ontop of Long primer runs with guide coats Got a good break of decent weather this week so provided I can sign off on those quarter panels I'll be doing full car sand down and diaaseably for paint this week. 6 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
325_driver 422 Report post Posted January 24, 2021 Did some final shaping on the quarter panels, finally sanding flat and straight along the lines and shadows starting to look crisp and symmetrical. Just re measuring those guard flare lip and Making it the right height and ensuring a crisp curve, was looking a little bulgy compared to fronts. You go no where without following a consistent process and utilizing guide coats to reveal shadows and where to sand. Fixed a few smaller door dings, so onto commencing final car sand down shortly! Finally Provided weather holds up, probably 2 weeks away before commencing painting .... 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M M 250 Report post Posted January 25, 2021 Man you have some perseverance for sure. Awesome work. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
