B3 3.3 Coupe - A little TLC

Discuss all aspects of Car Care / Detailling etc.
James_G
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B3 3.3 Coupe - A little TLC

Post by James_G » Sun May 19, 2013 1:15 am

Having bought my B3 a few days ago I've taken the chance to have a look over it and I think there's enough to do to warrant a little mini restoration thread, so here we are.

As per this thread http://thealpinaregister.com/forums/vie ... hp?t=15264 I've had the B3 four days now and done a staggering 60 miles, but a lot of investigation. It came to me with almost six months of tax , a brand new MOT and 6 previous owners for its 74k. So with no further adieu here are some photos as the car currently stands

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Looks nice and tidy, although there are a few issues I'll come to shortly.

The previous owner, from whom I bought the car, lives very close. So close in fact that I could have walked home from buying the car, which made going to view a nice easy affair and was almost certainly instrumental in why I bought the car since I was looking for Renaultsport Megane R26 at the time. Luckily, I came to my senses...

This car though is holding a few secrets I am sure, but let's start with the paperwork. Provided with the car were some unusual item including the keys from another car, an "at a glance" for an E93 convertible and the document wallet from a later BMW, probably the cabriolet again.

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Taking the "spare" keys to my local dealer on Friday (while having my wife's car serviced) showed that they belong to a 318Ci, with 137k miles. They gave me the chassis number and then a call to BMW UK confirms that the car they belong to is a Sienna Red 318Ci on a W reg.

My plan was originally to contact the current owners and ask if they have my spare key but putting that info into the Tax Disc website shows that the car was written off sometime in 2008, since it has a VIC registered against it. So dead end I reckon. I suspect what's happened is that a dealer somewhere down the line thought it would look good if it had a spare set of keys and relied on the fact that nobody would check and so threw these in. To be fair I didn't check either, and the seller clearly hadn't used them as they were still in a sealed envelope when I asked to see them.

Regarding history alas, despite the previous owner advertising it with FSH, there are definitely some gaps, notably it seems to have missed a service in 2010. This seems to be because people can't get their heads round the fact that BMWs of this vintage need servicing when the car says so OR every two years whichever is sooner. Since the car covered just 15k miles in those 4 years nobody thought to have it serviced. Idiots.

Even before that though the car was going 2.5 years between services. Quite how you can own a fairly bespoke version of a BMW and not look after it properly remains a mystery but hey ho. Here's a photo of the paperwork I received.


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Always worrying to see a receipt for Euro Car Parts! Last service was an oil service in October last year, done by a local garage who mainly sell and service BMWs. Up to this point it had been all BMW main dealer servicing, but there was no paperwork to highlight what had been done. So between viewing and making an offer on the car I called up the dealer responsible for the two previous services (Dick Lovett, Hungerford) where I happen to have had my previous BMWs serviced and they were very good and sent me copies of the receipts with the customer name and prices removed.

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So I now know what was done at the services in 2006 and 2008 which is a good start. I've decided that I need to contact the previous owners to understand what was happening with the car between November 2008, the last BMW dealer service and September 2012 which was when the chap I bought it from bought it himself. To do this I need to send £5 to the DVLA and this from

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I've done this before with a 944 S2 I used to own and had some useful responses back. Moving on though...

The rear of the car - looks good, if a little dirty

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Somebody has been in here cleaning recently and it isn't me.

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Boot lock filthy, but low on the priority list.

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Car has been to the Independent Motor Company at some point in its life

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Not sure when, perhaps worth a call? I've no idea if these guys are any good, but they always crop up when looking for BMWs so they must be doing something right. Still, this numberplate will change - can't be doing with free advertising.

Dirty exhaust, but stainless so it's fine..

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Body work very straight and free from parking dents, which is a good sign

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Rear wheels in good shape, but centre caps have seen better days

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Rear tyres are Goodyear F1 Asymmetric 2s, which I've not had before.

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Good tyres I hear, but alas they fronts don't match since they are Acceleras!

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Never even heard of these but according to the sidewalls, they are made in Indonesia which doesn't fill me with confidence. You own a 280bhp RWD coupe in a country with some fairly terrible weather and you fit cheap ditch finders - makes perfect sense, clearly. Maybe I'm doing the Acceleras an injustice - they could be brilliant.

Moving on, I am sure the inner wheel arch should fit better than this

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Tax disc holder not straight, but interestingly a look on their website this evening shows my car in their "previous sold" gallery

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Presumably this is where the previous owner bought it from, but I'll give them a call and see what they say.

Wiper squealed like buggery on test drive and yet they past the MOT just a day later - odd. Will be changed ASAP.

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Lots of polish residue everywhere, but this is the worst area

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Probably the worst issue with the car, rust on the front arch. Close inspection shows that the wing has been resprayed in the past and I suspect this rust is from a poor previous repair

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BMW roundel flaking, although it did this on my previous 330i so a common issue. To be changed though

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A decent number plate (IMHO) so I may well head down there and get a numberplate made up for the rear to match.

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So that's it for the exterior. Interior up next.[/img]
Last edited by James_G on Mon Jan 18, 2021 4:26 pm, edited 7 times in total.
Currently:
1992 Alpina B2.5 #026, Lagoon Green with Parchment Cloth

Previously:
2013 BMW M135i 3dr, Mineral Grey with Red Leather
2001 Alpina B3 3.3 Coupe #170, Orient Blue with Grey Leather
2006 Z4MC, Silver Grey with Red Leather
2001 E46 330i Sport, Silver with Red Leather
1997 E36 323i SE Touring, Calypso Red with Grey Cloth

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Post by James_G » Sun May 19, 2013 2:01 am

So moving on to the interior, by complete coincidence when I got back from running an errand this morning this is how the dash looked :D

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Also, the dash is still showing a good distance to the next service, but I'm going to change the oil and filter anyway since it's easy and I'll then know where I am. I suspect the pollen filter would benefit from a change as well as that doesn't appear to have been done since 2008.

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Boot nice and tidy and also home to the 6 CD changer which is essential these days since the head unit only takes tapes!

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No surprise to see a coupe of tools missing. Why can't people just put things back? From what I recall there's a pair of pliers and a box wrench to complete the set I think.

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Key to the Alpina centre caps wrapped up in spare tyre inspection label and some emery paper. This beggars belief really, but at least it's there.

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Previous owner claimed he was brilliant at car cleaning - I beg to differ...

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Jack in place but missing the clip that holds the handle in place. Luckily, according to Real OEM it's a part I can buy on its own without having to get a whole new jack

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The boot carpet is both really sticky underneath and also has this odd effect to the rear backing - anybody know what causes it?

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Definitely not the correct battery and note the blue foam suggesting that this battery is a good deal smaller than the original. I guess if you're stranded on the hard shoulder and you want to get home you'll accept a smaller than ideal battery from the AA but I've been in this situation and they've lent me one to get home and then left me to sort out a proper replacement.

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Moving to the interior proper, it's in good shape actually and just needs a thorough clean. Behind the driver's seat:

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Strange mark on the leather in the rear, but otherwise tidy. What do people do with the centre lap belt since it doesn't seem to clip out the way anywhere?

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Coffee stain (hopefully!) to clean up:

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Rear ashtray built in October 2000, consistent with the build date on November 2000 by BMW.

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Headline door trim drooping - any recommendations for glue to fix this back up?

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The reason we all own an Alpina - the plaque.

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Clearly previous owners were tall since there are marks on the visor and a stray hair on the roof. Not ideal....

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General view of the dash showing the white leather that is in place of the the wood that you normally see on Alpinas. I like it, but I'd have been happy with wood too.

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Strange mark on drivers door. Personally had I been selling this car I'd have cleaned this up, but each to their own...

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Another shot of the white leather, this time on the door.

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Good to have a bit of blatant Alpina badging.

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Carpets in good condition - just need a good clean and vacuum.

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Missing glovebox torch and under seat first aid kit - where do they all go?

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Steering wheel still looking nice, but needs a good clean

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Good to see that it's still the original windscreen

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Small crack on the passenger side door trim - don't think it's anything to worry about

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Quick look at the engine shows no major issues but a lot of leaves in the gutters (see previous comment about last owner's cleaning capability..)

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No idea what this refers to - a service in September 2011 perhaps? But 50%? Answers on a postcard.

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BMW VIN crossed out (as expected). Rust over Alpina VIN not expected - anybody else's like this or is it just mine?

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Annoyingly, as well as the rust on the wing and VIN number there's this on the back and the front of the bonnet as well

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Still, it's always great to see one of these. I've always wanted an Alpina and now I finally have one :D

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Last edited by James_G on Mon Jan 04, 2021 7:03 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Currently:
1992 Alpina B2.5 #026, Lagoon Green with Parchment Cloth

Previously:
2013 BMW M135i 3dr, Mineral Grey with Red Leather
2001 Alpina B3 3.3 Coupe #170, Orient Blue with Grey Leather
2006 Z4MC, Silver Grey with Red Leather
2001 E46 330i Sport, Silver with Red Leather
1997 E36 323i SE Touring, Calypso Red with Grey Cloth

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Post by simon13 » Sun May 19, 2013 2:36 am

the saggy door trim is fubared and they're £200 odd per side. Common coupe problem

e46 front wings. Common rust problem, now. The rust is coming from the inside out from the arch liner rubbing on it. They went a step backwards here from e36's big time.

e46's never came with a glove box torch as standard. You had to spec it! penny pinching

Doesn't seem much to worry about to my eyes
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Post by paulbraden2010 » Sun May 19, 2013 11:15 am

Basis for this to be a gleaming car and the only different is time (and money), but if like me, you are looking forward to doing the different things.

Enjoy

Paul
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Post by drewjak » Sun May 19, 2013 2:42 pm

Looking forward to watching this thread

hope all goes to plan
:D

If its any consilation my Alpina vin is rusty to, also i think the spare key came in the standard folder you got with the car because its the wrong folder , i think normally the folder is a leather alpina one.
ESTORIL BLUE B3 3.3 COUPE #60 of 90
& the last 1 registered in 2000


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Post by jolls » Sun May 19, 2013 3:02 pm

The door trim surround was the same on mine. I used some carpet tape which is double sided to remedy it.

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Post by jamesa » Sun May 19, 2013 6:12 pm

a service in September 2011 perhaps? But 50%? Answers on a postcard.
Coolant - Water concentration ?
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Post by drewjak » Sun May 19, 2013 6:35 pm

jolls wrote:The door trim surround was the same on mine. I used some carpet tape which is double sided to remedy it.
Exactly what i did with mine but i used 3m double sided , it was the only way i could get it to stick.

If you ever wonder why they are so expensive to replace ,its because they have the cut of anti trap sensor in them for the window.
ESTORIL BLUE B3 3.3 COUPE #60 of 90
& the last 1 registered in 2000


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The lack of L.S.D keeps me on the straight and narrow

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Post by Hodge » Sun May 19, 2013 7:42 pm

Rusty VIN also if this helps with consistency

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Post by drewjak » Sun May 19, 2013 8:13 pm

One other thing with regards to the boot mat, its reversible hence why it has a wipeable grippy side for when you dont want to get your carpet dirty.

The reason it`ll gone funny is because someone has probably let oil or something leak on it at some point , as i spilt it on mine and ruined it :cry:
ESTORIL BLUE B3 3.3 COUPE #60 of 90
& the last 1 registered in 2000


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The lack of L.S.D keeps me on the straight and narrow

ALPINA......Because Gentlemen don't drift

James_G
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Post by James_G » Mon May 20, 2013 12:52 am

Thanks for all the responses guys. Regarding the trim I'll try the 3M tape option.

Reassuring to hear some of you have rusty VINs as well.

Great suggestion re the coolant change in 2011 - perhaps it has had a service between 2008 and 2012 afterall?

Finally the boot carpet - there's talk of water ingress from the service in 2008, so I suspect it's that which has caused the problem.

Right then, next installment, wheels and suspension.
Currently:
1992 Alpina B2.5 #026, Lagoon Green with Parchment Cloth

Previously:
2013 BMW M135i 3dr, Mineral Grey with Red Leather
2001 Alpina B3 3.3 Coupe #170, Orient Blue with Grey Leather
2006 Z4MC, Silver Grey with Red Leather
2001 E46 330i Sport, Silver with Red Leather
1997 E36 323i SE Touring, Calypso Red with Grey Cloth

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Post by James_G » Mon May 20, 2013 1:31 am

So having done a good overall look at the car I wanted to get the wheels off and see what was going on underneath. Partly because I'd been told it had recent brakes and partly as I knew some suspension items had been changed. Luckily I have a nice double garage to work in

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The car also came with a full set of winters which makes a perfect stand for the garage radio, my 15th birthday present if I remember correctly.

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First wheel off and I am pleasantly surprised by how clean the inside is

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Although it's no surprise to see that they've been refurbished in a hurry, with paint over the top of wheel weight sticky pads and on the label in the middle.

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Meanwhile the discs and pads look in good shape and since there's no record in any of the current paperwork I can only assume that they were changed during the missing 4 years. Original Alpina damper as well here on the driver's side.

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Tar remover working well on the inner wheel. Love this stuff - so useful.

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Then on to the front of the wheel and some Bilberry wheel cleaner.

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Leaving this:

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Round to the nearside now and with the wheel removed I'm pleased to see this:

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Since the previous owner mentioned a new arm and damper I am initially pleased to see this

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And this:

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However I've since learnt that the arm is not genuine BMW (Lemforder) and the shock is not Alpina (Sachs Super Touring). I'm going to start a separate thread to get opinions for about whether these parts are any good, since I'd ideally have at least matched dampers on both sides of the car.

Iron x doing its thing on NSF wheel - lots of contamination as expected

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Moving to the rear, both Alpina dampers and matching springs present and correct.

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Rear wheels have also been refurbished but to a better quality than the fronts as shown by the crispness of this lettering

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However a strange wear pattern on OSR tyre suggests a full alignment is in order. This was mentioned as an advisory on the MOT incidentally

Inner edge

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Outer edge

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This final wheel is in much worse shape inside than the others. Somebody appears to have removed old wheel weights by hacking them off, leaving cuts in the paint with inevitable consequences. Terrible approach to a simple task if you ask me.

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And yet the front of the same wheel comes up a treat. Again the label has been sprayed over but only lightly this time. I can't read it though - what does it say?

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So other than some replacement suspension components, that I knew about, all seems good with the brakes and other than needing a full alignment and perhaps a wheel refurb there doesn't seem much wrong at all. Quite a relief really.

Next stop, interior and exterior clean.
Last edited by James_G on Sun Jan 17, 2021 3:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Currently:
1992 Alpina B2.5 #026, Lagoon Green with Parchment Cloth

Previously:
2013 BMW M135i 3dr, Mineral Grey with Red Leather
2001 Alpina B3 3.3 Coupe #170, Orient Blue with Grey Leather
2006 Z4MC, Silver Grey with Red Leather
2001 E46 330i Sport, Silver with Red Leather
1997 E36 323i SE Touring, Calypso Red with Grey Cloth

shaziman
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Post by shaziman » Mon May 20, 2013 9:08 am

A few comments to your questions:

Acceleras are not that bad, i wouldn't rush to replace them until they're worn. I have had a few that i have acquired and they're OK. My Winters acceleras and they are just fine.

Cenre lap belt, if you fold it up, there should be a recess at the base of the bench seat and you can tuck it away in there.

Door seal, as all have mentioned before = sticky tape.

Vin rust, standard E46's come with a film over the BMW VIN. This is obviously removed by Alpina to cross it out and as a result, they don't replace it. Also they don't put film over the Alpina Vin - Hence rust.

One new damper and Arm??? This indicates that it has been hit. Also dampers are changed in pairs, so this again would give me concern as car car is unbalanced on rebound.
1995 E36 B3.0 Convertible (rebodied)
1996 E36 B3.2 Touring No:20 - 1 of 5 made
1997 E36 B3.2 Touring No:36 - 1 of 5 made
1999 E36 323 Sport Touring
2011 E92 D3 Bi-turbo no.246 (santorini blue)
2019 Fiat Fullback
2020 Mini Countryman SE (PHEV)
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IAM Joe
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Post by IAM Joe » Mon May 20, 2013 2:24 pm

Congratulations on the purchase, looks like you'll soon have it back to showroom (and better) condition. Let me guess, you also visit detailing world?! :lol: Don't tell me you've taken swabs off the seats and sent them for laboratory analysis :roll: (like they did on TG)

As mentioned, the Acceleras are not a 'ditch finder' tyre. Had one on the front of my D3 for a few weeks whilst my wheel was getting fixed and was suitably impressed with the tyres performance. It does annoy me having different brands on each wheel though. Michelin are always OEM on Alpina.

Sad to see the use of clip on balance wheel weights, but at least the wheels aren't kerbed.

Looking at the wheel centre badges I'd put money on them being 'fakes' replacements as the red always ends up turning orange and fading.

As mentioned previously, the service/manual folder should be Alpina branded. You can sometimes find them on E-bay from time to time.

You get four wheel keys as standard, maybe worth getting a couple spare as they're not unknown to snap.

Great to see it all cleaned up 8)
Joe

SOLD!

Diesel Power! #412

James_G
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Post by James_G » Mon May 20, 2013 9:09 pm

shaziman wrote:A few comments to your questions:

One new damper and Arm??? This indicates that it has been hit. Also dampers are changed in pairs, so this again would give me concern as car car is unbalanced on rebound.
Thanks for the tips re VIN and so.

As regards the damper/arm when I viewed the car last Sunday, the then owner had it booked for an MOT the next day, although it wasn't due until the 28th May. I said I'd buy it with a new MOT so he put it in. It failed on a leaking shock (debatable) and worn lower arm bushings. He's replaced them to get it through the MOT although I now wish he'd called me, offered it at a lower price and I could have sorted it out myself. I did take the chance to get hold of the lower arm and damper that he removed though, so I have them in the back of my garage. It's all original and the rear braking control bushing or whatever it's called looks tired. Plenty of potholes round these parts not helping I suspect.

Thanks also for the comments re the Acceleras - I assumed the worst based on them not being a well known name.
Last edited by James_G on Mon May 20, 2013 9:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Currently:
1992 Alpina B2.5 #026, Lagoon Green with Parchment Cloth

Previously:
2013 BMW M135i 3dr, Mineral Grey with Red Leather
2001 Alpina B3 3.3 Coupe #170, Orient Blue with Grey Leather
2006 Z4MC, Silver Grey with Red Leather
2001 E46 330i Sport, Silver with Red Leather
1997 E36 323i SE Touring, Calypso Red with Grey Cloth

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