The "Today I did something to my car" thread

Stallingrad

dgt wrote: »

For the first time in 7 years, my 525i is beginning to shine hats off to 166man for working magic on the paintwork!!! :D:D

Nice one dgt, nice to see another E34 being brought back to life, pre water based paint so should come back really well. Keep us posted.

dgt

Time for a light hearted update....!

Finally got the centre console the other day. Compared to the D8 console


Yeah it needs cleaning....

Taking the old one out was a doddle. Some bits were fairly dirty though!


Yes, a car from the motoring felt....

Thank you Peugeot for supplying these cars with at least 3 different cig lighters....



Cleaned up and cleaned the interior. Quite pleased


Just have to fill in that gap....

joujoujou

Finally got bolts I've been waiting for (ebay), so...

Before:



After:



And close-up:

biko

biko wrote: »

Managed to break the power steering belt tensioner bolt
Goodbye power steering (until I can get a replacement bolt)..

As it happens a roofing bolt from McDonogh's in Ballyban (size M8) was a perfect fit. Cost 10 cents.

Tallon

@joujoujou That's awesome. I'm going to order them

Any link?

joujoujou

Tallon wrote: »

@joujoujou That's awesome. [...]

Thanks.

Tallon wrote: »

Any link?

Well, not easy with link. Got boot gas struts and hinges from a 2002 A6 (local scrap yard). Paid 20.

Of course hinges have been significantly modified.

Tallon

These ones are €50 odd delivered! With the brackets... So I'd say it's worth it?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bonnet-Hood-Strut-Shock-Support-Damper-kit-Toyota-Altezza-Lexus-IS200-XE10-98-05-/310445699962

joujoujou

Well, gas struts probably will, but not sure about them brackets, tbh.

2 ball brackets like these:

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/111095547942

2 ball studs:

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/140984759691

and any 2nd hand gas struts.

If you're gonna be here on Sunday, you can look at them yourself.

Tallon

Yeah, I'll be there... Deadly, cheers

joujoujou

No problem, see you soon.

cletus

Decided to go chasing down the really annoying rattle coming from the rear passenger door today.

Turn out that while replacing the fly window in the sleet and rain earlier in the year, I may not have been as fastidious as I should have been in tightening screws.

Anyway, rattle fixed, no more headaches

Max Power1

Max Power1 wrote: »

Some minor stuff yesterday for the 535
Replaced the standard number plates with german font ones from Eireplates
Deep cleaned the alloys and sprayed some alloy wheel guard stuff I got in halfords on them. Was a bit doubtful but they seem a lot more shiney now!

Will put up some pics this evening. Its funny how much the german font plates suit the car much more than standard.

Better late than never! Hope she's still in this good nick for the meet on sunday :P

Stuff I need to get done:

Interior cleaned up
Tyres Slickup spray
Wax & Polish for exterior in better quality. There are one or two minor scratches
De-tarring for the front

And then the big one, repair the scrape on the front bumper :P

colm_mcm

dgt wrote: »

Cleaned up and cleaned the interior. Quite pleased


Just have to fill in that gap....

Running the seat covers through the washing machine would transform them.

CianRyan

colm_mcm wrote: »

Running the seat covers through the washing machine would transform them.

You need to see the whole car.

Evidence of sheep in the boot.

MuppetCheck

Didn't do anything really but today I finally got to clap eyes on my new motor from the distance through a hole in the fence.

vectra

Astra is Looking decent

cena

what model astra is that

MuppetCheck

cena wrote: »

what model astra is that

It's a GTC SRI 2.0 diesel with a few bits and pieces.

Paddy@CIRL

So before I flew out to Gatebil for work, I got a package with my carbon fibre interior trim. I've only today gotten around to fitting it.



The original trim was pretty bad, the previous owner must have worn rings and shipped all the silver trim. I priced the OEM carbon fibre interior and after I recovered from the stroke, I priced up carbon skins on eBay.



I was dreading this job, as I know how fiddly things can be but as it turns out, it wasn't the worst thing in the world.



With a trim tool, and starting in the right location for each piece, getting most of the trim off was a doddle.



Next job was to clean down the trim with a strong APC...



... and prepare the carbon fibre skin for bonding.



Re-installation was easy as, although you do need to be careful as the trim is marginally thicker.



The rest of the trim came apart easily too, and before I knew it...



...it was done.



This was definitely a vanity exercise over a weight loss one, I just wanted to cover the rough original trim and this worked out cheaper than buying replacement trim. The carbon itself is quite good, with good weave and only one or two minor fitting difficulties getting things to align properly.

Think I'm running out of things to do now...

dgt

colm_mcm wrote: »

Running the seat covers through the washing machine would transform them.

I don't intend on keeping those seats..... May have something else lined up for the car and another update.....

I did think of hiring a wet vac though

Max Power1

I like the look of the carbon fibre interior, suits the car. Normally they look tacky IMO but that is an example of where it looks well.

What is the model 1/3?

conzy

Zcott wrote: »

Spent the morning at my folks house giving the Civic a wash, wax, and trim restore. Looks great apart from the huge stone chips on the bonnet up close :-(

]

What product did you restore the trim with? Mam has a civic and the trim has gone grey / white

MetzgerMeister

conzy wrote: »

What product did you restore the trim with? Mam has a civic and the trim has gone grey / white

I have loads of the Gtechniq stuff

Dord

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

I have loads of the Gtechniq stuff

Loads of Gtechniq stuff!? Pints are on Richie Rich over there! :pac:

Gary ITR

I was supposed to be finishing doing the geometry settings on my car tonight and the corner weighting but I've just left work early cos I'm in bits with vomiting

MetzgerMeister

Dord wrote: »

Loads of Gtechniq stuff!? Pints are on Richie Rich over there! :pac:

As in my bottle of trim restorer is still strong

bmstuff

Gary ITR wrote: »

I was supposed to be finishing doing the geometry settings on my car tonight and the corner weighting but I've just left work early cos I'm in bits with vomiting

Unless you vomited on the car (Inside or outside) it is irrelevant to the thread

Get better nonetheless

rizzee

Sprayed the centre caps... again

Ded_Zebra

With a very special thanks to our very own Toyotafanboi today I replaced the decrepit, rotten looking old stickers on my car with lovely shinny now ones and toyota-ized my wheels.

Here are the befores:







The old ones were absolute bitches to get off. Probably took me half an hour to get the BZ-G sticker off. After peeling it off the glue was left behind but a small drop of acetone took it right off

DURING:



And here are the afters:







And of course the most important of all :P



I can't put into words how happy I am with them, they really lift the appearance of the car as they were really shabby before. I can't stop looking at them now:o

dgt

Not a happy goer! Means one thing....


Clogged


Same as the last time, weird gritty crap in the housing....

Idling is now around the 850 mark, sounds much happier and drives much better

Next to sort that blow in the exhaust.... Tomorrow :pac: