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      11-16-2020, 08:37 PM   #1
Xlittlejohnx
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Caring for piano black trim

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I ordered an X7 as the family hauler and chose the individual piano black trim without considering how easy it might scratch. Any recommendations for the best way to protect and care for the trim from owners that have it? I will have three young kids in the car. Could paint protection film be applied without losing anything aesthetically? Thanks!
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      11-16-2020, 10:01 PM   #2
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Lots of people get ppf over it. If it's done right, you wouldn't be able to tell it's there.
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      11-17-2020, 06:25 AM   #3
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PPF would 100% be my suggestion, as well.
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      11-17-2020, 07:00 AM   #4
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Yes, I've heard of PPF over piano black, although I've never heard from someone that's actually done it.
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      11-17-2020, 07:21 AM   #5
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Fine piano lacquer is cared for like any fine wood furniture. It has a deep depth to it unlike most black plastic trim that gets confused as piano trim. BMW and Rolls Royce uses tulip wood under their lacquer that is hand buffed. It is the finest in the industry.
You would never put a plastic film on a surface like this. Use a high quality carnuba wax and a soft micro fiber towel to protect and bring out the depth. I use P21 wax for all my wood trim inside my car and home including my Steinway.


Last edited by MystroX5; 11-17-2020 at 07:28 AM..
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      11-17-2020, 07:57 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MystroX5 View Post
Fine piano lacquer is cared for like any fine wood furniture. It has a deep depth to it unlike most black plastic trim that gets confused as piano trim. BMW and Rolls Royce uses tulip wood under their lacquer that is hand buffed. It is the finest in the industry.
You would never put a plastic film on a surface like this. Use a high quality carnuba wax and a soft micro fiber towel to protect and bring out the depth. I use P21 wax for all my wood trim inside my car and home including my Steinway.

Thank you for your reply. My SA recommended PPF and I was tempted, but wasn't quite sold on the idea. I did read that it was tulip wood and polished to perfection. We had a Steinway at my grandparents house growing up and I didn't remember it scratching all that easily, but it was in the "formal" living room only used on holidays. 😝

I'll just just have to be very careful. Looks so nice in your picture. Our car came in yesterday, so hopefully surprising the wife with it today. Thanks again!
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      11-17-2020, 08:29 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Xlittlejohnx View Post
Thank you for your reply. My SA recommended PPF and I was tempted, but wasn't quite sold on the idea. I did read that it was tulip wood and polished to perfection. We had a Steinway at my grandparents house growing up and I didn't remember it scratching all that easily, but it was in the "formal" living room only used on holidays. ��

I'll just just have to be very careful. Looks so nice in your picture. Our car came in yesterday, so hopefully surprising the wife with it today. Thanks again!

Just no sunglasses or keys thrown on the wood and you will probably never get a mark. The lacquer is softer and can dent if abused but it also can have minor scratches buffed out like automotive paint. If you are familiar with living with fine furniture you will be fine. I recommend keeping a soft microfiber cloth in the car for dusting. Just lightly dampen the microfiber cloth with water to remove any stains from beverages or sneezing. I have owned a lot of piano lacquer interior vehicles and can say BMW’s is the best I have owned and worth the upcharge. It is certainly better than the Audi A8 I owned.


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      11-17-2020, 09:12 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MystroX5 View Post
Just no sunglasses or keys thrown on the wood and you will probably never get a mark. The lacquer is softer and can dent if abused but it also can have minor scratches buffed out like automotive paint. If you are familiar with living with fine furniture you will be fine. I recommend keeping a soft microfiber cloth in the car for dusting. Just lightly dampen the microfiber cloth with water to remove any stains from beverages or sneezing. I have owned a lot of piano lacquer interior vehicles and can say BMW’s is the best I have owned and worth the upcharge. It is certainly better than the Audi A8 I owned.
Interesting. And you have an M50i, if I recall. Someone posted in this forum that the Alpina Piano Black is a higher quality wood than the Individual Piano Black on the non-Alpina models. This person said the non-Alpina piano black is a mock-wood plastic, but apparently, that's not the case from what you're saying.
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      11-17-2020, 09:23 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by Wild Blue View Post
Interesting. And you have an M50i, if I recall. Someone posted in this forum that the Alpina Piano Black is a higher quality wood than the Individual Piano Black on the non-Alpina models. This person said the non-Alpina piano black is a mock-wood plastic, but apparently, that's not the case from what you're saying.
BMW individual Piano Black is all the same using the same materials and hand buffing. There is nothing to improve on with the process. BMW and Rolls Royce use the same process.

I have the BMW individual piano lacquer consecutively in my current loaded X7 M50i and had it in my last G05 X5 50i M-Sport.
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      11-17-2020, 10:06 AM   #10
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Yeah, that person gave that comparative information when I asked about the two piano blacks that are options on the Alpina XB7. There's the "Individual Piano Black" that is available for any X7, and the "Alpina Piano Black" that's only available on the XB7. I had asked whether there was any difference other than just the little badge added on Alpina trims, and the person said that the Individual Piano Black was not true wood.

Wondering if it really is anything more than just the badge
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      11-17-2020, 12:43 PM   #11
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Note the two Piano Black options when ordering an Alpina
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      11-17-2020, 02:20 PM   #12
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Thanks MystroX5 for recommendation in earlier post and picked piano black in my build. Definitely love it over all other trims.

I have ivory/night blue seat. Any recommendation for white leather cleaners before I turn leather into jeans blue/night blue?
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      11-17-2020, 02:23 PM   #13
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Thanks MystroX5 for recommendation in earlier post and picked piano black in my build. Definitely love it over all other trims.

I have ivory/night blue seat. Any recommendation for white leather cleaners before I turn leather into jeans blue/night blue?
I have the lemon interior in our 1 series and never wear new jeans that might bleed and I avoid rain in jeans that could bleed. Extra caution was my solution.
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      11-17-2020, 02:30 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wild Blue View Post
Note the two Piano Black options when ordering an Alpina
Note when you select that you get a “alpina” badge on the passenger side wood trim.
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      11-17-2020, 02:34 PM   #15
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Originally Posted by JVZanetti View Post
Thanks MystroX5 for recommendation in earlier post and picked piano black in my build. Definitely love it over all other trims.

I have ivory/night blue seat. Any recommendation for white leather cleaners before I turn leather into jeans blue/night blue?
We did a thread on this earlier. The trick with ivory Merino is to spot clean when you see the stains. Lexol leather cleaner has pulled up every dye transfer or stain I have tried it on. I also really like Sonax cleaner and conditioner.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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      11-17-2020, 02:41 PM   #16
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You are nuts if you don't put PPF over Piano...while beautiful, it's scratches very easily. Had multiple hairline scratches all over on my last and I was being crazy cautious. If you're anal-retentive, you'll regret you didn't get ppf and if done correctly will still look amazing.
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      11-17-2020, 02:47 PM   #17
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MystroX5 View Post
Note when you select that you get a “alpina” badge on the passenger side wood trim.
Right. Again leading back to my original question in the other thread, if there's any difference between the two piano black trims, other than just the little Alpina badges.
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      11-17-2020, 03:41 PM   #18
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Right. Again leading back to my original question in the other thread, if there's any difference between the two piano black trims, other than just the little Alpina badges.
No.
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      11-17-2020, 08:46 PM   #19
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Well, took delivery today and the center console already had scratches. They were very minor and the General Sales Manager said that is what I'm getting. Didn't want to consider fixing it and said BMW wouldn't replace it.

Scratches are minor, so I'm letting it go. Honestly, though, I'm completely blown by this.

The Apple key function doesn't work and the "genius" said I just have to wait a month or so until the system gets updated.
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      11-17-2020, 09:23 PM   #20
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Disagree with above points. The bmw individual black piano that you can order on x5 and x7 and take an extra 4-6 weeks to get is crap, not real wood. It's not tulip wood, buffed and shined, or anything close to a Steinway. OP that's why it's scratched already upon delivery. I would never get this again,while it looks nice it only lasts a couple months until it is scratched to fuck.
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      11-17-2020, 09:54 PM   #21
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Extra caution might not work for me since I have two young artists who crafted the leather dash of my another car with scissors guess I will just get some leather wipe and wipe it when stain on

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I have the lemon interior in our 1 series and never wear new jeans that might bleed and I avoid rain in jeans that could bleed. Extra caution was my solution.
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      11-17-2020, 10:03 PM   #22
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Thanks again friend
Will try both of them

Quote:
Originally Posted by MystroX5 View Post
We did a thread on this earlier. The trick with ivory Merino is to spot clean when you see the stains. Lexol leather cleaner has pulled up every dye transfer or stain I have tried it on. I also really like Sonax cleaner and conditioner.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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