How are cars detailed at PDC

[Andrew M3/M5]

I just placed my order for an M5 and hoping to pick up in April/May and was just wondering how the cars are detailed prior to delivery. Yes I'm one of the anal owners you usually doesn't let a dealer prep the car prior to delivery. I know the reps go to great lengths to cover every inch of the car prior to delivery. Not trying to offend anyone just wondering, specifically if the PDC takes the following steps as in this case below or close too it.

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1526474#post1526474



Thanks,

Andrew

[status38]

I remember seeing somewhere that the cars are covered in a thick wax for protection on the boat. You may not have the option to not have it prepped in that case.

I'm sure someone will chime in here if I am wrong though.

[ssamols]

Maybe you should check out this thread!!!
/www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2932484#post2932484

[Andrew M3/M5]

saw that - its a real shame that the ship shifted not at sea but at port :dunno:. at the end of the day I know most people think of it as a car but some of us don't. Recently visited a dealership in the NY area had 3 M6's two black and one white and a white M5 on the Floor. the swirls on all the cars even the white ones were very noticeable which drove me :mad: maybe its just me but i know some enthusiasts feel the same way

[DBville]

I don't know how it was detailed, but I have looked closely at ours, and see only very minor scratches on it, possibly from environmental damage, but not from detailing. The car is SG, so it shows scratches, but no where near as bad as black. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it, and would just inspect it upon delivery.

[Andrew M3/M5]

thanks guys just want to keep it as perfect as possible for the short time - i know eventually your going to have rock chips - its not going to be a show car or a garage queen I will drive the car practical everyday. One thing about my M3 is that after five years of ownership I can honestly say it still puts a :) on my face and I never get board of it.

but would love to hear from the PDC people

thanks,

Andrew

[vladsgym]

First, let me say that the PCD was a fun awesome experience. But I would gladly pay for the experience to avoid having an actual car delivered there. As you know we already "own" the car by the time we see it at PC; otherwise I would have totally rejected the Z4M roadster I purchased last August. I still regret that I didn't get on the phone with my dealer, maybe my attorney if necessary & refuse the car. My self-excuse is that we were tired from a difficult Delta travel situation the day before & an early, longish fun day leading up to seeing the car in the afternoon. 5 months later I'm still hassling with getting the car restored to "new" condition. First off there is a paint chip in the lower rocker panel, courtesy of the PC (on a car showing 3 miles). They touched it up but it looks like hell so it must be removed & totally refinished. I am concerned of course about further mishaps while at the collision center as well as even the odor of the car after etc. Yes, I'm anal but I've been completely denied a new car satisfaction. There were some scratches in the front of the hood so they took it back to the shop to work on those & seemed to get them. It was not noticeable in the showroom lighting but later that PM under the porte-cochere of our hotel, I saw 4 long, arcing scratches across the hood & deep, swirl marks all up the right side of the hood, right fender & extending to the top of the driver's door. Back in FL my detailer was able to mostly rectify at a cost of $350 to me & the loss of some quantity of clear coat. I have interviewed the shop foreman at PC twice by phone asking questions for my detailer; mostly what we found out is they use Meguiars products & "standard" procedures. I have never bought a car off a dealer lot & never allowed dealer prep so, of course, this situation is a huge disappointment. I also have a major defect in both the paint texture on my nose panel plus the finish of the top edge of that piece & a problem with the top but obviously these are not due to PC. I would discourage anyone who really cares about the initial perfection of their car from PCD.

[vladsgym]

Forgot: Washer fluid bottle nearly empty (don't really care as don't use anyway as streaks the paint) & one horn not working. Also the car just looked dirty by my standards: glass, cloudy paint areas, dull vinyl although little of that as I got extended leather.

[Jake C]

Just a heads up you may want to look at May since the Performance Center will not be re-delivering cars most of April. They will be doing dealer drives of the M3, X6, and the 1 series.
http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=257185&highlight=Performance+Center


- J

[I-Won-Today]

I just placed my order for an M5 and hoping to pick up in April/May and was just wondering how the cars are detailed prior to delivery. Yes I'm one of the anal owners you usually doesn't let a dealer prep the car prior to delivery. I know the reps go to great lengths to cover every inch of the car prior to delivery. Not trying to offend anyone just wondering, specifically if the PDC takes the following steps as in this case below or close too it.

http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1526474#post1526474



Thanks,

Andrew


Hi Andrew,

I can definetely confirm that the amount of work done on the M5 in your link is not done here. They will hand wash and wax the vehicle using Meguiars #26. Keep in mind we have to detail 6 - 8 vehicles a day using only 3 people.

We have had customers request no detailing be done. However be aware that the factory may buff or polish a vehicle before it ever leaves the plant. Most of the darker color vehicles we receive have swirls showing when they are unloaded off the truck and arrive fairly dirty.

Most of the problems (chips, scratches, dents) we see are from transporting the vehicles. Unfortunately since the vehicles are not very clean when they come off the truck, most of the time the problems are not noticed until they are being washed or waxed.

[800dog]

Hi Andrew,

I can definetely confirm that the amount of work done on the M5 in your link is not done here. They will hand wash and wax the vehicle using Meguiars #26. Keep in mind we have to detail 6 - 8 vehicles a day using only 3 people.

We have had customers request no detailing be done. However be aware that the factory may buff or polish a vehicle before it ever leaves the plant. Most of the darker color vehicles we receive have swirls showing when they are unloaded off the truck and arrive fairly dirty.

Most of the problems (chips, scratches, dents) we see are from transporting the vehicles. Unfortunately since the vehicles are not very clean when they come off the truck, most of the time the problems are not noticed until they are being washed or waxed.

What do you all use to wash? Microfiber mitt? After washing one car, do you use a clean/unused mitt and clean water? What do you dry the car with? Can a customer leave their own supplies with you to be used on their car? Thanks. Planning on picking my car up in Spartanburg. Appreciate the previous response!

[gmlav8r]

:wahwah:http://lh5.google.com/gmlav8r/R5lJLCfrtkI/AAAAAAAABGI/w3peCEPE4dE/s144/DSC00037.JPGhttp://lh6.google.com/gmlav8r/R5lJOSfrtmI/AAAAAAAABGY/3FJ7fPii2UQ/s144/DSC00038.JPG



I can't feel ya because: right now my car has about 1/2 inch of salt on it, inside and out. My floor mats are white. Welcome to the rust belt!

Just drive it.

But I do understand. My 2nd ED'ed car was very dirty on the first day in Germany.http://lh5.google.com/gmlav8r/R5lbgCfr0GI/AAAAAAAAB8g/9HjVs5SUAp4/s144/Picture%20058.jpg

[I-Won-Today]

What do you all use to wash? Microfiber mitt? After washing one car, do you use a clean/unused mitt and clean water? What do you dry the car with? Can a customer leave their own supplies with you to be used on their car? Thanks. Planning on picking my car up in Spartanburg. Appreciate the previous response!

Lambs wool mit for washing. They rinse it out between washes. Dry the vehicle with forced air from an air hose. They can only use Meguiars and nothing that a customer brings in (that is the only product that BMW reccommends other than their own BMW bottled products).

Let me know if you have any further questions :thumbup:

[800dog]

Lambs wool mit for washing. They rinse it out between washes. Dry the vehicle with forced air from an air hose. They can only use Meguiars and nothing that a customer brings in (that is the only product that BMW reccommends other than their own BMW bottled products).

Let me know if you have any further questions :thumbup:

Thanks for the response.

[rmorin49]

Lambs wool mit for washing. They rinse it out between washes. Dry the vehicle with forced air from an air hose. They can only use Meguiars and nothing that a customer brings in (that is the only product that BMW reccommends other than their own BMW bottled products).

Let me know if you have any further questions :thumbup:

A little surprised that BMW recommends Meguiar's as I thought perhaps Klasse or one of the other European products, perhaps PS21. At any rate, Meguiar's does make good products at a very fair price.

My car was redelivered at the PC in very good shape after 5 days of driving in Germany. It is white so doesn't show swirls near as a bad as the dark colors. I was very pleased with its condition at redelivery in SC.

Good job, Donnie and Jonathan!!

[Slumba]

I picked up my Monaco Blue 07 E90 at the PC after doing ED. It looked great and had no swirl marks. I think they did a great job in prepping it before delivery.:thumbup:

[Andrew*Debbie]

Our Crimson Red X3 PC redelivery came back looking great. The car was very dirty when we dropped it in Amsterdam.

Due to the severe drought we are not allowed to wash our cars at home. First car wash I used put terrible swirl marks over the entire car. It took me most of a day to polish them out.

I haven't washed the X3 in months :(

[Andrew M3/M5]

Hi Andrew,

I can definetely confirm that the amount of work done on the M5 in your link is not done here. They will hand wash and wax the vehicle using Meguiars #26. Keep in mind we have to detail 6 - 8 vehicles a day using only 3 people.

We have had customers request no detailing be done. However be aware that the factory may buff or polish a vehicle before it ever leaves the plant. Most of the darker color vehicles we receive have swirls showing when they are unloaded off the truck and arrive fairly dirty.

Most of the problems (chips, scratches, dents) we see are from transporting the vehicles. Unfortunately since the vehicles are not very clean when they come off the truck, most of the time the problems are not noticed until they are being washed or waxed.

thanks - is it possible to request only hand wax instead of using an orbitor? also could we request certain things be done in the prep where I would gladly pay for it? or can you recommend any detailers in the area where I could contact and have them prep the car the same way as Moe did to that customers M5? would it be allowed at PDC?

thanks again

Andrew

[I-Won-Today]

thanks - is it possible to request only hand wax instead of using an orbitor? also could we request certain things be done in the prep where I would gladly pay for it? or can you recommend any detailers in the area where I could contact and have them prep the car the same way as Moe did to that customers M5? would it be allowed at PDC?

thanks again

Andrew

Hi Andrew,

As stated earlier the vehicles here are always hand washed and waxed. The only time they put anything motorized on the vehicle is if they find scratches in the clear. But as I said before, even if we don't do any polishing or buffing, the factory may have done that before it gets to us.

Unfortunately there is no way to request additional services to be performed. I personally don't know of any detailers in the area. I do everything myself and have never needed to seek out any additional detail services. Below is a link to all the automotive detailers listed in the Yellow Pages for the Greenville, SC area:

http://www.yellowpages.com/Greenville-SC/Automobile-Detailing?search_mode=all&search_terms=automotive+detailing

Please note for liability reasons, they will not allow anyone to come onto our property to work on a vehicle. You would have to take delivery of the vehicle and then turn it over to who ever you choose to do the work.

Let me know if you have further questions,

[Andrew M3/M5]

thanks for all your help. Hopefully will see you soon. Andrew

[I-Won-Today]

thanks for all your help. Hopefully will see you soon. Andrew

You are more than welcome! :thumbup: