Entry Number 3.

[Sjdickso]

Fristly i would just like to aplogise as my photography skills are not the best. Well this is my GF's 172. I have just had some time of work and decided to give it a really god detail. The oustside of the car had some marring and swirls. The engine was filthy and the archers needed to doing.

I spread this over 3 days and took a total of 18Hrs.

Firstly Sat morning, -2C Tackle the outside. rinse Ice and surface dirt off, Wash with megs gold class with wool wash mit & x2 buckets. dried with pakshak ww towel. Then to tackle the bad marks a little bit of wet sanding was done to the bumper. Then with 4" cutting pad corrected the bad swirls on speed 5 -6 then went over with polishing pad with #80 speed 4 -5 , moved to 6.5" pad and did whole car with #80 spped 4 .

Here is how it looked to start with

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06003.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06002.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06001.jpg

Once this was done and wiped down with pakshak MF cloth i did a cote RMG with 6.5" speed 3. I then applied a cote of EX-P by hand

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06038.jpg

Buffed off after 2hrs and left over night for the rain to undo some of my work.

Then was for the wheels and archers, I never really use acid based cleaners but these wheels were filthy, so a mixture of machine cleaner and turtle ally cleaner. (boy this burns if you get in your eyes!

while th wheel was on the car
http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06004.jpg

then off the car

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06008.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06013.jpg

The outcome was ok but there was so much grime i could not get it all out.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06014.jpg

then for the archers while the wheels were off

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06009.jpg

Good clean down with machine cleaner and then rinsed and dried touch up with hammerite on the calipers and dressed with AG rubber care.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06018.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06020.jpg

Day three the engine, this was fairly filthy mostly surface dirt and grease.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06023.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06024.jpg

Covered all electric with bags and tin foil, squirted AG machine cleaner and then scrubbed, then wiped dry and started the engine!. After checking that appied AG rubber care and polished metal with AG UDS.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06048.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06028.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06045.jpg

while it rained a bit i did the interior

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06031.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06032.jpg

The inside just needed i wipe down with poorboys natural look dressing and a hoover out the mats needed a little cleaning with APC.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06035.jpg

Then once the rained stopped I dried, put anopther coat of EX-P waited x1 hour did x2 coats of nattys blue and re-did the tyres with megs endurance gel.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06040.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06041.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06042.jpg

I then drove to my mums house gave it a wipe down took a couple more pics

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb060721.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06066.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb060551.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06071.jpg

some trees

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06058.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06060.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c394/Simd/JemCarfeb06069.jpg


So there you go, any comments welcome, I am now ready for a good break!

[db_abz]

Looking good, never ming having a break, you're g/f's got some serious thank you's to hand out!

Better be careful when you park at your mum's and leave the doors open, looks like some ruffian's away to steal the car!

How did the wetsanding go?
I'm sure that there's plenty people on here (me included) that are too scared to bring out the Wet & Dry.

The interior just needed a wipe down and hoover?
You don't want to see the inside of my wife's car then, serious biohazard sometimes!

Dave

Dave

[blr123]

Apart from the first 2 I can't see the pics :confused:

Bryan

[Sjdickso]

Wet sanding went OK, It was the second time i had tried it, I was vey wary about doing it but i really soaked the W&D (courtsey of ALEX L). 2000 grit and very slowly and gently rubbed in one direction, once done it lloked like i had rubbed the clear cote off but x2 passes with SSr 2.5 and 4" cutting pad all was good. But i did only do a few areas.

To be honest i would be more wary of using cold Clay then what i would of wet sanding.

[Sjdickso]

Bryan Photos should work now

[blr123]

I can see th epics now Sj..........looks really good top job :thumb:

Bryan

PS Dave how are the rest of the wheels getting on?

[db_abz]

Been pi**ing it down all day, so no further forward, hence the trip to Costco !

Dave

[dino]

WOW What a transformation and really good write up!

[Mr Shiny]

Very nice work mate. :thumb:

[db_abz]

I've only posted one real photo detail and it took me almost as long to download, resize and upload the photos then sort out the order and write out the script as it did to do the detail.!! Thanks for taking the time to do a thorough write up.

Dave

[Brazo]

Excellent work mate a worthy contender!!

[Alex L]

Thats come up really well,
I hope your girlfriend appreciates it( my does but still does all she can to get it dirty and put greasey finger prints everywhere).

Alex:thumb:

[WX51 TXR]

Nice work, good write up - going to be a tough one this month. :thumb:

[Daffy]

Great work and a good write up. As allready said this makes it even harder to choose and this is only the first month!!!

[AndyC]

What they said - gonna be a toughy this month!

Looks like your missus got a damned fine Valentine's Day prezzy mate - beats the **** outa flowers & chocs :D

(mind you when I suggested a detail in lieu of said gifts it wasn't received with "quite" the enthusiasm I'd hoped for...)

[Neil_S]

Cracking work mate, great job on the wheels particularly!

[Sjdickso]

Thanks for all the comments lads!

I was very happy with how it all went, considering how bad the wheels were they didnt come out too bad. it must have been the first time they had ever seen any type of cleaner.

The GF is very happy with the outcome. She thinks i have got OCD though, she asked why do you need to clean the engine no one see's it.

[WHIZZER]

looks good

[sworks16]

i have the same problem with friends and gf's thinking i'm getting OCD

great transformation and it's the little things that make a difference, wheels look great now

[JJ_]

Thats looks excellent, to save you wipe down time and product the Ex-p was applied a little to thick, but, thats minor as the car looks the part.

I only said this as one of the American guys told me whatever hasn't bonded to the paint is a waste, so it means your ex-p would last longer!! lol.