# PDC Spartanburg questions



## notanaudi (Feb 15, 2012)

Need some help and yes I searched the sites a bit but couldn't find all the answers 

Ordered an x5d in Nov build date to be complete late January 
I live in MA about 1k away from PDC

If we choose to pick up in Spartanburg...

Will the car have a full coat of wax like it would if we picked up at our dealer. How can I make sure they take care of this.

Will it have plates I assume our dealer will either give to us or send to PDC.

Inspection sticker

Can I get a clear bra installed there or somewhere close by. Hate to drive 1k home and risk the sandblasting the front.

Can we go to PCD and then have them send our car to our local dealer where we purchased instead of driving it home.

What else am I missing and what to ask for to make sure I get the most out of this trip.

Thank you all in advance your comments will be greatly appreciated 
Merry Christmas!!!


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## The Other Tom (Sep 28, 2002)

notanaudi said:


> Need some help and yes I searched the sites a bit but couldn't find all the answers
> 
> Ordered an x5d in Nov build date to be complete late January
> I live in MA about 1k away from PDC
> ...


1. Don't know for sure but you can call and ask for the wax. I'm sure they will accommodate you if you ask.
2. I took my plates with me when I did PCD
3. They will not install a clear bra but you can contact someone locally. Sorry I don't have a reference.
4. No, but you can request BMW 101 where you pick up your car at your dealer, then travel to the PC and get the experience. Your dealer will have to arrange this.


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## GeorgeT (Jun 22, 2007)

notanaudi said:


> Will the car have a full coat of wax like it would if we picked up at our dealer. How can I make sure they take care of this.


Yes, I believe that they use Maguires. Your car will be better prepped than your dealer would do.


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## brooski1 (Aug 24, 2015)

notanaudi said:


> Need some help and yes I searched the sites a bit but couldn't find all the answers
> 
> Ordered an x5d in Nov build date to be complete late January
> I live in MA about 1k away from PDC
> ...


I don't think you want to wax a car with fresh paint. I've heard you should wait 3 months. 
Dealer should give you a plate to take with you. 
It may look tacky but I'll be covering my bumper with painters tape for the drive back to PA after our PCD in 2 weeks. Clear bra installer I have lined up in PA said that should be fine.


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## notanaudi (Feb 15, 2012)

Can you please post about your experience in this thread
Let me know how the painters tape works

Are you getting the full good covered with clear bra or just the hood strip 

I think you should wax it before you have the clear bra installed


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## Ninong (May 20, 2014)

The Performance Center will place a temporary registration on the car. Whether your dealer gives you plates or not depends on how that works in your particular state. In some states, it's the DMV that mails out the plates to you so you wouldn't have them in advance. In any case, the PC will have taken care of those details with your dealership before you arrive.

If you take delivery at the PC but would rather not drive the car back home, you will have to pay the cost of having it trucked back to your dealership and you will be the one arranging that. They may assist you in how that's done but once you take delivery, you own the car and everything after that is between you and the commercial carrier you hire to truck your car for you. Your client advisor may be able to assist you with that in advance if that's what you want to do. Most people don't do that. Be aware that if the commercial carrier you hired to truck your car for you happens to have a bad accident that totals your car, along with any other car(s) in the same load, while it is being driven back for you, you may have a VERY bad headache on your hands. Yes, that happened to one guy and it was a mess! Some of those guys do not carry adequate insurance coverage to pay for the total loss of even two expensive cars, much less three or more. Some of those guys only carry two at a time and they're the ones who may have only a $100,000 limit. Not enough.

From what I have read, they do wax their cars. In any event, as already mentioned, their detailing department is excellent. And no, they won't install aftermarket stuff on your car for you other than maybe your own license plate frames, stuff like that. The local BMW dealership will apply one of the magic coatings (I forgot which one) for you if you make arrangements in advance. I have no idea which one it is or how much they charge or if they're any good or not, just that it has been done by at least one previous Bimmerfest member, but he arranged it in advance by telling them his exact delivery date. That added another day or two to his stay there. They could probably do a clear bra for you if you asked them. Again, no idea about prices.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

brooski1 said:


> I don't think you want to wax a car with fresh paint. I've heard you should wait 3 months.


That was back in the day of enamel paint, and with a car that was painted after assembly and not baked. The new cars now are painted, baked, and then set aside for a day or two to fully dry before assembly.


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## brooski1 (Aug 24, 2015)

notanaudi said:


> Can you please post about your experience in this thread
> Let me know how the painters tape works
> 
> Are you getting the full good covered with clear bra or just the hood strip
> ...


I'll let you know how the tape works out

Getting the entire front bumper,half the hood, and the side mirrors covered.

The guy doing the clear bra said he'd take care of the paint prep. Not sure if that meant wax or not.


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## BentZero (Aug 17, 2012)

They remove the wax before applying the clear bra on the areas where the film will be attached.


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## notanaudi (Feb 15, 2012)

Anyone have a great scenic route back to MA will be down to PDC in a couple of weeks for my X5d!!!
Thanks


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## brooski1 (Aug 24, 2015)

We had to get home quickly last week so we just did I85/95 but we have driven the Blue Ridge Parkway/Skyline Drive before. It doesn't get much more scenic than that. Pick it up near Asheville. 
http://www.exploreasheville.com/iconic-asheville/blue-ridge-parkway


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

The Biltmore Estate in Ashville is worth a look if you've never seen it. You likely have missed the Christmas illumination, though. They have a four-star hotel on the estate.

or... Pisgah Inn is a non-descript motel on the Blue Ridge Parkway west and south of Ashville, but with an incredible view. I also stay at the Oak Park Inn in Waynesville, a motel from the 1950's. They have assigned parking spaces, and the trick is to get one next to the crosswalks and hug the crosswalk line to prevent door dings. Watch out for the 18" curbs, though. That's where cameras and SONAR pay off.

Be mindful of the weather this time of year up on the Parkway. There's a risk of black ice, for which xDrive is no match.... you'll just hit a tree or ditch at a slightly straighter angle.


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## Autoputzer (Mar 16, 2014)

brooski1 said:


> We had to get home quickly last week so we just did I85/95 but we have driven the Blue Ridge Parkway/Skyline Drive before. It doesn't get much more scenic than that. Pick it up near Asheville.
> http://www.exploreasheville.com/iconic-asheville/blue-ridge-parkway


The best part of the Parkway is south-west of Ashville, including Smokey Mountain National Park. You can zig-zag to the bottom of the Parkway coming from Spartanburg.


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## tuatua (Nov 4, 2013)

Autoputzer said:


> The best part of the Parkway is south-west of Ashville, including Smokey Mountain National Park. You can zig-zag to the bottom of the Parkway coming from Spartanburg.


Just be advised that portions of the Blue Ridge Parkway close in the winter. Here's the link to the National Park Service Real Time Closure map:

http://www.nps.gov/maps/blri/road-closures/


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## LSU Tiger Wes (Dec 17, 2015)

tuatua said:


> Just be advised that portions of the Blue Ridge Parkway close in the winter. Here's the link to the National Park Service Real Time Closure map:
> 
> http://www.nps.gov/maps/blri/road-closures/


I know it's a crapshoot, what what should I expect when I do PCD on March 17? Will any signs of spring be showing yet?


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## tuatua (Nov 4, 2013)

LSU Tiger Wes said:


> I know it's a crapshoot, what what should I expect when I do PCD on March 17? Will any signs of spring be showing yet?


Typically, the Parkway is fully open by early May. I wouldn't expect the high evaluation sections north and south of Asheville to be open in March. Portions of the Parkway in Virginia may be open then; just keep an eye on the real time closure map.


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## GeorgeT (Jun 22, 2007)

LSU Tiger Wes said:


> I know it's a crapshoot, what what should I expect when I do PCD on March 17? Will any signs of spring be showing yet?


We have had snow in mid-March but you have a greater chance of temps in the mid-50's to mid'60's.


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## notanaudi (Feb 15, 2012)

My PCD is scheduled for 2/11
X5d
Can't wait!!!


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