The "Today I did something to my car" thread

colm_mcm · 10-04-2012 09:02PM

It wasn't exactly exciting to start with

L-M · 10-04-2012 09:09PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

It wasn't exactly exciting to start with

No, but changing it makes it look like it's trying :P

colm_mcm · 10-04-2012 09:09PM

Needs tasteful mis-spelt graphics and German plates

or a pickup conversion

E39MSport · 10-04-2012 09:30PM

L-M · 10-04-2012 09:30PM

LOL @ The German plates.

String · 10-04-2012 09:41PM

colm_mcm wrote: »

Needs tasteful mis-spelt graphics and German plates

eringobragh · 10-04-2012 09:47PM

Got home from work and as I'd clayed the panel already decided to finish off the half I missed...was starving at the end of it!

Enjoy

Fuel Cover:

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Small Scrape:

BEFORE (without halogen light):

AFTER:
(without halogen light)

(with halogen light)

I didn't realise the car was so bad..don't think theres a panel that hasn't met the dreaded sponge!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Still small clearcoat scratch under light but a million% improvement!

More!

BEFORE:

AFTER (Small Deep Scratch in middle needs touch up)

eringobragh · 10-04-2012 09:48PM

CONTD:

& Finally

BEFORE:

AFTER:

END RESULTS:

Side of car:

Side HALF/HaLF (Notice difference between top and bottom, the colour is coming up nicely

)

Colour up close:

Compton · 10-04-2012 10:07PM

Nice work Erin! I'd say your neighbors think you're nuts!

eringobragh · 10-04-2012 10:14PM

Compton wrote: »

Nice work Erin! I'd say your neighbors think you're nuts!

you could be right

.. some people like working on their garden...I prefer the car!

vectra · 11-04-2012 04:58PM

Continued my pursuit of upgrading bulbs to LED's today.

Got these
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220841401508?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_1803wt_1037

Popped them in to my boot and presto
No errors

Vectra 1 ~ Vrs 0

From this

To this

Ordered 2 of these to use as number plate lights

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/320856601783?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649#ht_1809wt_1037

Fitted them
Error light in dash

Vrs 1 ~ Vectra 0

1 All at this stage

On with the thinking cap..

Ding Ding..!!

Out with the soldering iron and piggy backed the old festoons to the new LED's

Fitted them

No error lights
Vectra 1 ~ Vrs 0

2 ~ 0 To Vectra LOL

Bulbs soldered

Old Festoon light

LED fitted

Finished result :cool:

Happy camper

Killinator · 11-04-2012 07:27PM

First off, got a set of custom mats as standard mats won't fit(due to floor accelerator),
Camera phone and the mats have taken some dust/dirt since fitting:

And in preparation for travelling to the 80th running of the Le Mans 24 hour endurance race in June,
I took this:

And had it turned into this:

*For anyone unaware the light blue/orange are the Gulf Oil colours synonymous with motorsports and especially the 24 hour race at Le Mans.
*Dressing cars in race livery is also hugely popular among patrons who go to the race.

Its not 100% finished but its getting there.

Thanks to the people at Vision Signs & Design, Ballysimon, Limerick for their hard work and doing the job so quickly

L-M · 11-04-2012 09:01PM

I was going tl ask you did you realise that whom ever painted your wing and door added a bit of orange to the paint, turns out its the house

A modern day herbie no less.

Mar4ix · 11-04-2012 09:08PM

today changed wheels on my wife's car.

Think looks pretty neat

Jimdagym · 11-04-2012 09:12PM

@ Eringobragh,
What exactly did you do between the before and after pictures?

Fantastic work. Well done.

GalwayKiefer · 11-04-2012 09:15PM

Fitted a dash cam in my Landcrusier, can't be too careful these days.

eringobragh · 11-04-2012 09:25PM

Jimdagym wrote: »

@ Eringobragh,
What exactly did you do between the before and after pictures?

Fantastic work. Well done.

Cheers man

Its more down to the tools then me (Well 50/50 :pac:)...you need one of those Kestrel DA kits with the cutting compound and go from there..

A lidl/aldi/argos/halfords 20euro buffer ain't going to cut it!

Basically in a nutshell you'll need the following (if your car is anyways like mine)

* DA Kit with pads/polish pack (See detailing/diy subforum for group buy)
* Autoglym Claybar kit
* Microfibe clothes
* LOTS of patience!
* Beer :P

all the info on DA polishing is here:

lots of science in there:

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/images/misc/dapolishing.pdf

loads of videos on Youtube as well..Junkman does some good ones.

....hope I'm not forgetting anything :cool:

Voodoomelon · 12-04-2012 12:15AM

Only just copped how to access the power distribution panel in an E38 (the white panel to the left), feel like a dope. It just pops off and allows you to simply tap any electrical device directly into the cars circuit.

Spent the last 2 hours re wiring the heated seats and amplifier directly into the panel, perfect factory job! Lots of free space in it too, they have loads of screws for all the potential options for the 7 series.

(Not my pic)

12-04-2012 10:50AM

Killinator wrote: »

...............
*Dressing cars in race livery is also hugely popular among patrons who go to the race.

Its not 100% finished but its getting there.............

Looks well

I dunno if you plan on driving through England at any stage with it livered up but apparently it's a big no no having race car numbers on the road over there, might be something to consider

listermint · 12-04-2012 11:42AM

RoverJames wrote: »

Looks well
I dunno if you plan on driving through England at any stage with it livered up but apparently it's a big no no having race car numbers on the road over there, might be something to consider

Why would that be ?

Surely its just vehicle signage, no different to commercial signage on a commercial vehicle ??

listermint · 12-04-2012 11:45AM

vectra wrote: »

Continued my pursuit of upgrading bulbs to LED's today.

LED fitted

Happy camper

How do you find them at night? Ive been looking to change mine but ive found alot of them to be quite blueish which is not the clean look i wanted.

12-04-2012 11:49AM

I dunno the ins and outs of it, if the chap is intending on driving across England to catch a ferry or whatever it might be worth checking. It might only apply to race cars on the road having to remove or cover their race number or some such thing.

Ardennes1944 · 12-04-2012 11:54AM

listermint wrote: »

How do you find them at night? Ive been looking to change mine but ive found alot of them to be quite blueish which is not the clean look i wanted.

did you get smds or leds?

12-04-2012 11:55AM

Nice sig ^^^

Ardennes1944 · 12-04-2012 11:57AM

jaysus someones a moody!

gonna wear it with pride!

vectra · 12-04-2012 12:11PM

listermint wrote: »

How do you find them at night? Ive been looking to change mine but ive found alot of them to be quite blueish which is not the clean look i wanted.

Ardennes1944 wrote: »

did you get smds or leds?

SMD

Just went out last night to take a quick pic as my back is buckled again.

They look good and white to me

Ardennes1944 · 12-04-2012 12:12PM

i meant did listermint get leds or smds

i would never bother with leds. always kinda cheap looking. smds ftw

Ardennes1944 · 12-04-2012 12:19PM

cant say ive ever had any hassle with any smd bulb. if your car has canbus, order ones with resistors built in

vectra · 12-04-2012 12:31PM

OSI wrote: »

I actually got what appear to be the exact same bulbs as Vectra, which are advertised as being Canbus error free.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2x-6-LED-39mm-239-272-CANBUS-WHITE-NUMBER-PLATE-LIGHTS-/290602060572?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item43a93b8b1c#ht_2635wt_1165

But re-reading the ad now, and I see something that might explain my issues.

Try soldering a festoon bulb to the smd

Ardennes1944 · 12-04-2012 12:33PM

crap picture, the key is pretty dirty!

The "Today I did something to my car" thread

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