[Rossodio]

I live in the Greenville, SC area and will be getting an M340i in Dravit Grey/Cognac and want to get ceramic/PPF/similar (+ paint correction if needed, and possibly other up front detailing such as leather protection, etc etc etc).

First question is... will be getting Dravit Grey metallic/cognac leather. Would imagine that coating on the Dravit would look wonderful but if anyone disagrees I would like to know.

Second question... I live within 15 miles of the Greer/Spartanburg plant so have the option of factory delivery (even though the car won't be built there). Has anyone dealt with factory delivery there and whether or not they would respect a request from me to not wash/detail the car when it arrives? Would hate to have to have someone do paint correction or clean up someone else's mess unless they HAD to. I can drive to the dealership 4 hours away to pick the car up that I'm buying it from after the factory order is done if it means better chance of getting the car the way I want it, but don't want to if I don't have to.

Third question... As I live in the Greenville, SC area, am looking for a detailer who would do these kinds of services at least within a couple of hours of me. Would go as far as Charlotte, NC or Atlanta, GA (or Asheville, NC/Columbia, SC) if needed to get to a good detailer but as this is my first foray into trying to get this kind of detailing done I don't know the landscape around here. Any recommendations would be appreciated. If you are a detailer who would consider this, PM me.

Finally... any tips you would have with going into this for the first time as I am, outside of telling every single person to not wash the car when it arrives?

Thanks for any tips you guys have; I'm really looking forward to all of this.

[DG20]

I think the car has to be delivered to the dealership so they can perform the pre-purchase inspection.

Also, I have to say that that is a beautiful spec you have there! Here are some pictures of mine right after PPF and ceramic coating:

[Rossodio]

Originally Posted by DG20

I think the car has to be delivered to the dealership so they can perform the pre-purchase inspection.

Also, I have to say that that is a beautiful spec you have there! Here are some pictures of mine right after PPF and ceramic coating:

The dealer stated to me that the car could be factory delivered at no extra charge, though I don't know if his dealership would do the pre-purchase inspection. I will look into this.

That car of yours is a beauty. I am struggling with shadowline (black grill instead of the grey elements that yours has) with the jet black wheels versus the grey on grey exactly as you have. I want what looks more aggressive and sporty but still BMW at its core. Doesn't have to speak luxury with the wheel/grill grey tones, but I am just agonizing over which combo to get. I'm sure both look good...

[DG20]

Originally Posted by Rossodio

The dealer stated to me that the car could be factory delivered at no extra charge, though I don't know if his dealership would do the pre-purchase inspection. I will look into this.

That car of yours is a beauty. I am struggling with shadowline (black grill instead of the grey elements that yours has) with the jet black wheels versus the grey on grey exactly as you have. I want what looks more aggressive and sporty but still BMW at its core. Doesn't have to speak luxury with the wheel/grill grey tones, but I am just agonizing over which combo to get. I'm sure both look good...

Thanks! Those above pictures were early pictures. Here are more pictures of my two most recent setups.

[VipinLJ]

There might be minor swirl marks right off the factory floor too. That's because they wipe the car down in the factory using microfibre and that instill swirl marks. So you'll need to do a minor paint correction before ceramic coating. All detailers know this. That is why they do that as a package (paint correction + ceramic coating).

Ceramic coating is worth it. Any car will look glossy if done right. Makes the paint pop and the gloss is worth it.

[M3ditate]

Originally Posted by Rossodio

I live in the Greenville, SC area and will be getting an M340i in Dravit Grey/Cognac and want to get ceramic/PPF/similar (+ paint correction if needed, and possibly other up front detailing such as leather protection, etc etc etc).

First question is... will be getting Dravit Grey metallic/cognac leather. Would imagine that coating on the Dravit would look wonderful but if anyone disagrees I would like to know.

Second question... I live within 15 miles of the Greer/Spartanburg plant so have the option of factory delivery (even though the car won't be built there). Has anyone dealt with factory delivery there and whether or not they would respect a request from me to not wash/detail the car when it arrives? Would hate to have to have someone do paint correction or clean up someone else's mess unless they HAD to. I can drive to the dealership 4 hours away to pick the car up that I'm buying it from after the factory order is done if it means better chance of getting the car the way I want it, but don't want to if I don't have to.

Third question... As I live in the Greenville, SC area, am looking for a detailer who would do these kinds of services at least within a couple of hours of me. Would go as far as Charlotte, NC or Atlanta, GA (or Asheville, NC/Columbia, SC) if needed to get to a good detailer but as this is my first foray into trying to get this kind of detailing done I don't know the landscape around here. Any recommendations would be appreciated. If you are a detailer who would consider this, PM me.

Finally... any tips you would have with going into this for the first time as I am, outside of telling every single person to not wash the car when it arrives?

Thanks for any tips you guys have; I'm really looking forward to all of this.

The car will be delivered from port, directly to the Performance Center, who will perform PDI on site. They don't ship the car to the dealer, then truck it to PCE.
They have great service, and will no doubt honor your request to keep on all shipping plastic. However, they're more than capable of detailing the car without screwing it up.
Much safer than driving the car 400 miles back home. Plus the experience is well worth it, people travel from greater distances than 15 miles, and you won't be disappointed.

Edit: As far as a recommendation for a reputable detailed, I would stop next door after you pick up your car to the BMW CCA museum and speak with someone there to see if they know anyone. If they're open.