Just collected the M from KDS.
Discussion
Hi,
Collected my E46 from KDS in Gillingham and am absolutely chuffed with the results. Although in good mechanical and interior condition, my M3's paint was looking a little tired.
I selected KDS's silver paint correction level and finished off with a Zaino wax. Can't imagine how good the higher levels of correction must turn out.
I knew that Carbon Black had tints of blue in it but never realised the spectrum of mauves and purples that the colour has.
Have got to say that I was impressed by the honest approach they had towards suggesting the best package for my car - at no time was I encouraged into specifiying a more expensive package than i actually needed.
Top lads.
Here are a few pics.
Cheers,
KP
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/wZjVYhi1.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/5bEWKWjp" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/5bEWKWjp.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/AC3XRDdW" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/AC3XRDdW.jpg)
Collected my E46 from KDS in Gillingham and am absolutely chuffed with the results. Although in good mechanical and interior condition, my M3's paint was looking a little tired.
I selected KDS's silver paint correction level and finished off with a Zaino wax. Can't imagine how good the higher levels of correction must turn out.
I knew that Carbon Black had tints of blue in it but never realised the spectrum of mauves and purples that the colour has.
Have got to say that I was impressed by the honest approach they had towards suggesting the best package for my car - at no time was I encouraged into specifiying a more expensive package than i actually needed.
Top lads.
Here are a few pics.
Cheers,
KP
Edited by KP on Wednesday 8th February 15:21
That looks sharp mate.
Did he do anything other than just machine correction? I'd love to get this done to my car but the work it'd need on the front end (stonechips, poor chip repairs etc), it'd take the price way out of my budget. Well, not out of budget so to speak, but I couldnt justify the outlay.
His work is something else though!
Top work
Did he do anything other than just machine correction? I'd love to get this done to my car but the work it'd need on the front end (stonechips, poor chip repairs etc), it'd take the price way out of my budget. Well, not out of budget so to speak, but I couldnt justify the outlay.
His work is something else though!
Top work
Cheib said:
Out of interest how much do they charge ? I know that's as long as a piece of string....
Looks fabulous !
Thanks mate.Looks fabulous !
Prices are on Kds website. I had the following items done:
- Silver paint correction
- Paintless dent removal on a few minor debts
- Respray corroded mirror mount
- Leather clean and feed
- Zaino wax upgrade.
Reasonable amount of money but I think it was worth it. My car had at least 40 hrs of work done on the paint correction alone. It has been completely transformed.
KP
Firstly big thank you to Karl for posting this thread.
Many thanks
I passed on your email to Paul and has viewed it.
I have check also with Karl if I can post a few more pics slightly explaining the turn around.
Here are some before pics of the car
Here are some during shots i.e. this is after machine correction wiped down with An IPA liquid to remove all residue oils from cutting compounds to show the bare paint and look for any defects still present.
So bare clean paint only, using 3M sun gun light to copy direct sun light
So longer distance shots of bare paint, (still got the glass / tyres / rubbers / coatings to apply)
Different light source this time
And a few finished just before collection
Hopefully that shows the before and after.
I did have a delay with Karl’s car (nothing to do with his car) due to work loads and media goings on , and as Karl was understanding in letting us keep his car for a couple of extra days to get the car to our satisfaction I did give a little freebie as a goodwill gesture
Karl as I said by email got a special car in which as PART BMW in for wet sand, owner tells me only 14 in the country.
Couple of shots from filming of the wet sanding process, seems we are that well known for this service that it’s caught the media's attention now.
Even unwrapped my own M3 for TV
Can also been seen from tomorrow in March’s total BMW mag, which I am mighty proud off
Kelly
Many thanks
I passed on your email to Paul and has viewed it.
I have check also with Karl if I can post a few more pics slightly explaining the turn around.
Here are some before pics of the car
Here are some during shots i.e. this is after machine correction wiped down with An IPA liquid to remove all residue oils from cutting compounds to show the bare paint and look for any defects still present.
So bare clean paint only, using 3M sun gun light to copy direct sun light
So longer distance shots of bare paint, (still got the glass / tyres / rubbers / coatings to apply)
Different light source this time
And a few finished just before collection
Hopefully that shows the before and after.
I did have a delay with Karl’s car (nothing to do with his car) due to work loads and media goings on , and as Karl was understanding in letting us keep his car for a couple of extra days to get the car to our satisfaction I did give a little freebie as a goodwill gesture
Karl as I said by email got a special car in which as PART BMW in for wet sand, owner tells me only 14 in the country.
Couple of shots from filming of the wet sanding process, seems we are that well known for this service that it’s caught the media's attention now.
Even unwrapped my own M3 for TV
Can also been seen from tomorrow in March’s total BMW mag, which I am mighty proud off
Kelly
Cheers Kelly,
Refreshing to spend money on the car and feel as though I have got value for money.
Spent a long time looking for the right E46. Not easy as there are a lot of abused ones out there!
I was primarily concerned with mechanical condition, mileage, no of owners etc and when I found this one I knew that the paint was not as good as it could be. All the other boxes were ticked so I went ahead with buying it.
Didn't realise how much the paint would bother me!
The car is almost 6 years old and you have taken at least 5 years off it! Can't stop popping outside to check on it!
Thanks for passing on my comments to Paul, as soon as he started explaining the process to me I knew that he wanted me to be happy with the results of the detail.
Suffice to say that when the car goes in for its oil service at BMW there will be a big note on the dashboard saying "NO CAR WASH THANK YOU!"
Cheers, KP.
Ps. Your M3 looks so sweet. Mag getting bought tomorrow! Lightly modded from an aesthetic point of view and I bet that supercharger gives a proper bit of ooomph low down in the revs!?
Refreshing to spend money on the car and feel as though I have got value for money.
Spent a long time looking for the right E46. Not easy as there are a lot of abused ones out there!
I was primarily concerned with mechanical condition, mileage, no of owners etc and when I found this one I knew that the paint was not as good as it could be. All the other boxes were ticked so I went ahead with buying it.
Didn't realise how much the paint would bother me!
The car is almost 6 years old and you have taken at least 5 years off it! Can't stop popping outside to check on it!
Thanks for passing on my comments to Paul, as soon as he started explaining the process to me I knew that he wanted me to be happy with the results of the detail.
Suffice to say that when the car goes in for its oil service at BMW there will be a big note on the dashboard saying "NO CAR WASH THANK YOU!"
Cheers, KP.
Ps. Your M3 looks so sweet. Mag getting bought tomorrow! Lightly modded from an aesthetic point of view and I bet that supercharger gives a proper bit of ooomph low down in the revs!?
KP, your car looks truly stunning, KDS have done you proud.
Looking at the pics I can see why so many people chose CB M3s and M5s when they were new. After a few years they tend to look dull and lifeless, more so I think then the other paint finishes.
My CB car is having a full paint correction soon. I am very much looking forward that after seeing yours.
If I can be so crude, I am also interested in the cost to bring your car up to that standard.
n
Looking at the pics I can see why so many people chose CB M3s and M5s when they were new. After a few years they tend to look dull and lifeless, more so I think then the other paint finishes.
My CB car is having a full paint correction soon. I am very much looking forward that after seeing yours.
If I can be so crude, I am also interested in the cost to bring your car up to that standard.
n
I do find it properly funny how there are so many people asking for prices by PM, and to be honest it actually winds me up a little bit.
Detailing is a weird little industry. Most 'detailers' work out of the back of a van and have minimal overheads. I think a lot of traders are getting pretty desperate for work in these difficult economic times, and a lot of customers seem to think that the accepted norm is to haggle and be cheeky to try to get a discount. This just goes to show how removed KDS is as a company from the hobbyists who make up the majority of the trade. Other companies (I'll name no names) boasting that they charge £6,000 for a job on a knackered old saloon don't really help the situation.
I don't know KP, however I'm willing to bet that he paid exactly what everybody else does at KDS. Kelly and his team have lots and lots of repeat customers, and they work incredibly hard and long hours to do what I think we have all established is a consistently phenomenal job. Why would they bother wasting that precious time, their paying customers' time, on toxic customers who think that £10 to £15 per hour (bearing in mind Kelly is arguably the best regarded detailer on the planet) split between the wages of more than one person, covering the cost of all the expensive materials, electricity, PROPER insurance (you would be surprised how many professional detailers aren't covered for the things you'd expect) and a super-secure premises (your car is locked behind spiky gates, bollards, shutters and CCTV) to keep your car in, is anything less than a bargain?
Here are KDS's prices. They're publicly available! There is no conspiracy!
http://www.kdskeltec.co.uk/price_menu.phtml
Sorry that turned a bit 'rant-ish' but it winds me up!
Detailing is a weird little industry. Most 'detailers' work out of the back of a van and have minimal overheads. I think a lot of traders are getting pretty desperate for work in these difficult economic times, and a lot of customers seem to think that the accepted norm is to haggle and be cheeky to try to get a discount. This just goes to show how removed KDS is as a company from the hobbyists who make up the majority of the trade. Other companies (I'll name no names) boasting that they charge £6,000 for a job on a knackered old saloon don't really help the situation.
I don't know KP, however I'm willing to bet that he paid exactly what everybody else does at KDS. Kelly and his team have lots and lots of repeat customers, and they work incredibly hard and long hours to do what I think we have all established is a consistently phenomenal job. Why would they bother wasting that precious time, their paying customers' time, on toxic customers who think that £10 to £15 per hour (bearing in mind Kelly is arguably the best regarded detailer on the planet) split between the wages of more than one person, covering the cost of all the expensive materials, electricity, PROPER insurance (you would be surprised how many professional detailers aren't covered for the things you'd expect) and a super-secure premises (your car is locked behind spiky gates, bollards, shutters and CCTV) to keep your car in, is anything less than a bargain?
Here are KDS's prices. They're publicly available! There is no conspiracy!
http://www.kdskeltec.co.uk/price_menu.phtml
Sorry that turned a bit 'rant-ish' but it winds me up!
Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff