After being driven on a daily basis, BMW Z8 Alpina number 493 of 555 ever produced was left outside for no fewer than four years. During this period, the V8-engined roadster got so dirty that professional detailer Larry Kosilla of AMMO NYC can only describe the car as disgusting.
How disgusting? The list of icky stuff kicks off with cigarette ash and spider webs on the seat tracks, pebbles and junk on the floor, moldy and scratched up door kick panels, leaves and twigs inside the door jambs, black oily residue on the armrests, dirt built up into the seams, scratches and swirls on the gloss-black interior trim, and plenty of swirls in the original paintwork.
Larry starts the cleaning process with a brute wheel soap and boost winter wash formula that soaks the heavy grime on the paint. A high-pH solution and a brush are used for the door jambs, grilles, and emblems. The moldy engine bay also gets a little attention in the guise of foam and pressure washing, then Larry soaks the paint again. After going over the German roadster with a microfiber towel, the Alpina-tuned Z8 is rinsed and dried.
Detailing further includes the undercarriage, suspension, brake rotors, wheel wells, and five triple-spoke wheels. These being done, Larry moves to claying and polishing the paintwork before touching up the rock chips with a needle and syringe. And finally, the spruced-up BMW Z8 Alpina gets a couple of layers of enamel coating to boost the depth and shine of the paint.
As for the interior, polishing the gloss-black trim pieces comes first. Larry and his crew then vacuum the car, use a leather cleaner for the upholstery, scrape off the window stickers, and clean the greenhouse. Needless to say, the very collectible roadster looks a lot better after so much work.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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