Riaad
Events Organiser
Something that has been on my mind for well over a year, is getting a "newer" car...With WFH being a way of life, my ex 330i spent most of it's time parked off...and it's "impracticability" became a bit of an issue - especially when the other vehicle is a 20d, which meant it was hardly an option for most weekend runarounds. Around February this year I started to pursue options within the BMW stable, initially I was leaning towards a 35i - a 3l straight six turbo was sounding like a solid upgrade over the NA 3l in the E46, but with not having much free time for car related activities, I eventually decided that a F30 330d is the most sensible option, and something I can hold on to for the foreseeable future - a perfect blend of power, economy and reliability.
The search became a reality in March after the quick sale of my e46 330i - shortly after listing my new wanted thread https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/threads/f30-330d-lci.95780/page-2#post-1455004 , I was contacted by a fellow forum member, who mentioned he was thinking about selling his meticulous F30 330d. Being in no particular rush (as the second vehicle wasn't immediately required) I decided to keep my options open, but I knew from the first pic that I saw, that this is the 330d for me. Fast forward 2 months to May, F30 330d's scarce on the market place, with most dealers grabbing anything that was advertised and significantly marking the price up. I decided to stop wasting time...so here we are, my new 330d...
Specs : 2015 F30 330d - PreLCI (2015/04 build date with the revised N57T engine)
Mineral Grey Metallic with Coral Red interior
62000 kms
Pro Navigation
Harmon Kardon
Sports Auto
Extended Cluster
Rear PDCs
Sunroof
Xenons
Extras : Mperformance CF Boot Spoiler and Matte Black Front splitter, Software, DP + full exhaust, XHP Stage 3 and Michelin PS4s rear tyres
The drive from JHB to DBN was rather calm, and relaxing (especially in comparison to the track suspension setup in the 330i), however, the F30 is a significantly more comfortable place to be in compared to the E series generation. The 330d is nothing short of effortless on the highway, with tons of torque to get you moving (rather quickly). I was pleasantly surprised with the fuel consumption as well, returning an average of only 4.9l/100kms - with normal driving (in comfort mode with cruise control and a lot of roadworks).
The previous owner really took care of this F30, avoiding the use of carwashes and using only the best products to keep her looking as good as new, this is something that had drawn me to this specific car, its no secret that F30s wear really easy and have to be pampered to present well...Regardless, the next day was Cleaning Day...
Products used : CarPro Reset, AutoFinesse Iron out, Gyeon Wet Coat, AutoFinesse Dressle, Carpro Perl and Carpro Ech2o.
The next few evenings were spent on the interior... Starting with the classic shiny F30 steering...
Before:
Products used: Turtle wax Interior 1, Gtechniq L1 Leather Guard
After:
Next up was the seats, initially these looked really clean for Coral Red, now...they are thoroughly cleaned and coated.
Products used: Turtle wax Interior 1, Autofinesse Hide
50/50 pic
Completed pics:
The last pic was taken after applying the Autofinesse Hide, which has dried to a nice Matte Finish which really brings out the Coral Red.
The search became a reality in March after the quick sale of my e46 330i - shortly after listing my new wanted thread https://www.bmwfanatics.co.za/threads/f30-330d-lci.95780/page-2#post-1455004 , I was contacted by a fellow forum member, who mentioned he was thinking about selling his meticulous F30 330d. Being in no particular rush (as the second vehicle wasn't immediately required) I decided to keep my options open, but I knew from the first pic that I saw, that this is the 330d for me. Fast forward 2 months to May, F30 330d's scarce on the market place, with most dealers grabbing anything that was advertised and significantly marking the price up. I decided to stop wasting time...so here we are, my new 330d...
Specs : 2015 F30 330d - PreLCI (2015/04 build date with the revised N57T engine)
Mineral Grey Metallic with Coral Red interior
62000 kms
Pro Navigation
Harmon Kardon
Sports Auto
Extended Cluster
Rear PDCs
Sunroof
Xenons
Extras : Mperformance CF Boot Spoiler and Matte Black Front splitter, Software, DP + full exhaust, XHP Stage 3 and Michelin PS4s rear tyres
The drive from JHB to DBN was rather calm, and relaxing (especially in comparison to the track suspension setup in the 330i), however, the F30 is a significantly more comfortable place to be in compared to the E series generation. The 330d is nothing short of effortless on the highway, with tons of torque to get you moving (rather quickly). I was pleasantly surprised with the fuel consumption as well, returning an average of only 4.9l/100kms - with normal driving (in comfort mode with cruise control and a lot of roadworks).
The previous owner really took care of this F30, avoiding the use of carwashes and using only the best products to keep her looking as good as new, this is something that had drawn me to this specific car, its no secret that F30s wear really easy and have to be pampered to present well...Regardless, the next day was Cleaning Day...
Products used : CarPro Reset, AutoFinesse Iron out, Gyeon Wet Coat, AutoFinesse Dressle, Carpro Perl and Carpro Ech2o.
The next few evenings were spent on the interior... Starting with the classic shiny F30 steering...
Before:
Products used: Turtle wax Interior 1, Gtechniq L1 Leather Guard
After:
Next up was the seats, initially these looked really clean for Coral Red, now...they are thoroughly cleaned and coated.
Products used: Turtle wax Interior 1, Autofinesse Hide
50/50 pic
Completed pics:
The last pic was taken after applying the Autofinesse Hide, which has dried to a nice Matte Finish which really brings out the Coral Red.
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