Today I did some detailing...

Curran · 10-02-2015 11:38pm

Wasnt aware of that. Perhaps in terms of packaging, branding, triggers, etc, which are a significant cost when selling smaller volumes. Easier to say raw materials? Either way; always welcome to see prices coming down..rare occurrence these days!

RandomAccess · 11-02-2015 12:18am

myshirt wrote: »

Wait until you get a load of the Sahara dust that visits us in Dublin aswell!!

I have an underground car park here though so escaped most of the Saharan dust from last year.

RandomAccess · 11-02-2015 12:22am

Curran wrote: »

..

RandomAccess; anyone got a 2nd key to your car and use it on occasion? Smoking in the car on the sly? Just a thought!

Nope, and not a fan of cigarette smoke so its banned in my wagon!

The best deterrent to ever taking up smoking was having a neighbour who used to call around and smoke silk cut purple. Those were rancid.

MetzgerMeister · 11-02-2015 12:23am

RandomAccess wrote: »

Nope, and not a fan of cigarette smoke so its banned in my wagon!

The best deterrent to ever taking up smoking was having a neighbour who used to call around and smoke silk cut purple. Those were rancid.

I used smoke those and Benson before them!

Noccy_Mondy · 11-02-2015 1:29am

RandomAccess wrote:

Nope, and not a fan of cigarette smoke so its banned in my wagon!

When looking at mondeos, about 3 years ago now, I came across a few that were reeking with smoke, gone into the leather seats. I liked the smell of it though, the mix of it with an autosmart air freshener was quite pleasant, and I'm a non smoker

Actually, anyone know where them circle shape autosmart air fresheners can be picked up?

quadrifoglio verde · 11-02-2015 1:35am

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

I used smoke those and Benson before them!

It must be ****e when you're stuck in traffic and dying for a smoke, knowing the effects it'll have on your cars interior :pac:

MetzgerMeister · 11-02-2015 1:51am

quadrifoglio verde wrote: »

It must be ****e when you're stuck in traffic and dying for a smoke, knowing the effects it'll have on your cars interior :pac:

I gave them up 3 years ago :P

Curran · 11-02-2015 3:19pm

Ohh so thats when you became a moany git! :P

[Deleted User] · 11-02-2015 4:03pm

So after the 407 broke my heart and cost me a fortune (first and last Peugeot I'll ever own!), I decided to buy something different. This time I went with practicality, and opted for an estate.

I decided I'd spend as little as possible, with an attitude that if it breaks, I'll just throw it in the bin and buy a different one, instead of getting caught up with repeatedly fixing trivial things, like I did with the 407.

So I went with an 2001 Focus Estate. My first car was a Focus, which my dad still uses, and it's never missed a beat. Despite my original plans to let it die a death and not fix a thing on it, I've decided to make it into a bit of a project car, and learn how to DIY a few things.

Detailing-wise... The plastic trim is faded, as are the tyres (they're legal, but just look like they've had a rough winter). There are tar deposits all over the lower body. The alloys are filthy and the break dust is stuck to them. Car's paint is covered head to toe in swirl marks. and although silver hides this better than the black I'm used to owning, it's still noticeable (to me, anyway!). Glass is filthy. It's missing it's arial and it has the usual stone chips, you'd expect. Although it looks like someone made an effort to try and cover up some of the stone chips on it, already.

Truth be told, there's a lot of nit-picking going on there. For a car of it's age (2001) it actually looks like it's been taken well care of.

Interior is in surprisingly good shape, but it's apparent the previous owner(s) was a smoker - the smell is beat into the fabrics at this stage - so a thorough interior clean out and shampoo is on the agenda.

The reason I wanted a cheap and cheerful estate, is because I'm gonna use it to see a lot more of Ireland than I ever have before and it'll be doing many a road trip throughout the summer months. So I'm looking forward to getting it going properly.

It'll be getting a thorough body wash today or tomorrow. Then it'll be going into a shed for about a week to be cleaned up properly.

Two weeks from now, I'll fit a 151 plate and no one would be any the wiser!

21BC9BB1FC574A52A84C5D249438C077-0000333410-0003726535-01024L-7A39BD9D671741BBADEB048C83247A52.jpg

0053B3A79EED46BFAC66C16AD02831BD-0000333410-0003726101-01024L-32B16F69684B4FEE9BE3841859AFE05B.jpg

8CEA2D836F324F15AAF3B595E9D897D6-0000333410-0003725529-00800L-8F6A2E8742F642EC83B1EA3A83D94BC2.jpg

As sad as it sounds, I'm actually looking forward to getting stuck in! In the words of Father Ted: "Let's clean this mother!

MetzgerMeister · 11-02-2015 4:16pm

Curran wrote: »

Ohh so thats when you became a moany git! :P

No

I was ALWAYS a moany git

TheBigGreen · 11-02-2015 4:21pm

myshirt wrote: »

@TheBigGreen

What do you make of the 50cal stuff?

Found the snow foam to be excellent, last Saturday was cold but it stuck to the car like glue and as you can see in the pictures it last for ages.
Gave the windows a quick wipe witht the 20/20 glass cleaner, turned out good.
Didn't get around to using the fallout remover.

Curran wrote: »

And the Wheel Woolies? :P

Very handy, great buy!

Curran · 11-02-2015 5:37pm

KKV; looking forward to seeing that one progress - a few hours work should really see a massive improvement!
Cleaning the wheels will take years off it; and a few quid on black spray paint to tidy up the nuts will help too. Good wash, clean the glass, dress the tyres and trim; jobs a good'un....then the swirls will eat at you!

[Deleted User] · 11-02-2015 6:07pm

Curran wrote: »

a few quid on black spray paint to tidy up the nuts will help too

I was actually just gonna get something like these:

http://www.ebay.ie/itm/20-x-Silver-Plastic-Alloy-Wheel-Nuts-Caps-Bolts-Cup-Covers-17mm-Audi-A3-A4-A6-/191484296872?pt=UK_Cars_Parts_Vehicles_Wheels_tyres_Trim_Nuts_ET&hash=item2c955a7ea8

Seems that'd be the easier option and probably give a better overall look. The 407 had them and they were grand, I thought.

Curran · 11-02-2015 9:27pm

Wouldnt be my cup of tea, but each to their own....loose one and it looks odd.

MetzgerMeister · 11-02-2015 9:33pm

I had those on my car for a while before I painted the bolts. They never came loose because they "grip" the bolts and you do have to use a bit of force to remove them.

The annoying things about them is that you have to take them all off whenever you remove the wheel and put them all back on again. They won't stay silver for long, when that wears off they go all weird like oil sitting on top of a pool of water.

If you're going to spray the bolts instead, make sure you use zinc paint as normal paint will just come straight off when you go near them with a wheel brace.

Pops_20 · 11-02-2015 9:36pm

With regard to TheBigGreeen's post, how do you get the snowfoam to dwell for so long?

MetzgerMeister · 11-02-2015 9:37pm

Pops_20 wrote: »

With regard to TheBigGreeen's post, how do you get the snowfoam to dwell for so long?

Take a photo :pac:

Curran · 11-02-2015 9:39pm

Pops_20 wrote: »

With regard to TheBigGreeen's post, how do you get the snowfoam to dwell for so long?

Combo of a good quality snowfoam lance and a good snowfoam solution.
There is an adjustment on the top of a good lance to adjust the air mix ratio, which effects the thickness of the resulting foam.

Ded_Zebra · 11-02-2015 9:44pm

Curran wrote: »

Combo of a good quality snowfoam lance and a good snowfoam solution.
There is an adjustment on the top of a good lance to adjust the air mix ratio, which effects the thickness of the resulting foam.

I've also found making the solution up with warm water really improves the foaming and dwell time.

[Deleted User] · 11-02-2015 9:48pm

MetzgerMeister wrote: »

I had those on my car for a while before I painted the bolts. They never came loose because they "grip" the bolts and you do have to use a bit of force to remove them.

The annoying things about them is that you have to take them all off whenever you remove the wheel and put them all back on again. They won't stay silver for long, when that wears off they go all weird like oil sitting on top of a pool of water.

If you're going to spray the bolts instead, make sure you use zinc paint as normal paint will just come straight off when you go near them with a wheel brace.

Whenever the mechanic was taking the wheels off the 407, he had to remove them with a pair of pliers to get them off quickly and easily.

A few of them were losing their "chrome"-ness, though, as you pointed out. However, on the ones on the 407, the 'chrome' had just started to peel to reveal a faded white under-coat (the bare plastic).

That said, I had the 407 for 6 months and they didn't deteriorate in that time, at all (they were the same when I sold it, as when I bought it), so if €10 worth of nut covers does me for a year or so, I'd say that's decent enough value (considering I probably won't have this car in a year's time).

The focus has 4 nuts per wheel, and the packets of covers on eBay come in 20's, so I'd have a few spare, should I need them.

MetzgerMeister · 11-02-2015 9:57pm

You normally get a small U-grip to remove them in the packet.

Pops_20 · 11-02-2015 10:03pm

Curran wrote: »

Combo of a good quality snowfoam lance and a good snowfoam solution.
There is an adjustment on the top of a good lance to adjust the air mix ratio, which effects the thickness of the resulting foam.

I have the Autobrite foam lance from yourself. I always use it with the dial turned fully to the +, I think this mixes more solution.

I usually only put about half an inch of solution into the bottle, and fill it with warm water then. Still wouldn't get 15 minutes out of it.

Curran · 11-02-2015 10:06pm

What snowfoam solution are you using?

Dial fully turned to the right, gives the thickest foam, if I remember correctly.....errr, its been a few months since I used mine last...the car is in a right state at the moment!

Pops_20 · 11-02-2015 10:21pm

I think it's anticlockwise, don't have it to hand at the moment. It gives the thickest foam anyway.

Chemical Guys Honeydew... Maybe there's better out there

Curran · 11-02-2015 10:27pm

There is better out there - 50Cal Ambush or Combat, Orchard Autocare Cotton Candy are my current favourite's. Bilt Hamber Auto Wash gets great reviews also, be available on next BH order!

Hmmm, I think its fully to the right that gives thickest! I'd have to check too! :P

[Deleted User] · 11-02-2015 10:45pm

Curran wrote: »

Wouldnt be my cup of tea

It's an 01 Focus Estate.. I don't think it'll be impressing many people, anyway :P

[Deleted User] · 11-02-2015 10:47pm

Actually speaking of which, before I start going through the thread and internet in general, would I be right in saying that I wont achieve the same high gloss, wet look and deep shine kinda look that I got with my previous cars that were black, on a silver car?

Will it come up well at all? I don't think I've really done a silver car before. My initial impression is that I'm gonna be getting a little frustrated with the lack of 'progress' compared to the Rav4 and 407 (both of which were black and looked fantastic after a day spent on them)?

Curran · 11-02-2015 10:50pm

Lighter colours are next to impossible to get a wet look on....when they are cleaned up, they look sharper, and generally sealants enhance that look.
As you know, it will hide swirls well, but a light polish all over will restore a fresh looking finish, that will pop a lot more! Worth giving it that, but anything more aggressive might not be worth your while!

[Deleted User] · 11-02-2015 10:58pm

Well I'll spend a bit of time with the DA on it and do what I can. It's not terrible looking at the moment (it is a tad grubby looking though). I'd say it probably hasn't seen a proper polish since it left the showroom in 01, so hopefully it'll make some improvement.

I don't really actually need the car at the moment, so I'm gonna take my time with it and just spend a few hours each day over the course of, say, a week. Hopefully it'll come up okay, but I bought it as a cheap runaround so I'm not overly fussed if it doesn't come up too well. I'll do my best on it, though.

myshirt · 12-02-2015 12:35am

Anyone using a CPW to soften up the dirt?

Today I did some detailing...

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