Cookeh goes shedding...

Soldato
OP
Joined
21 Jan 2010
Posts
8,441
Location
Ceredigion
Finally, finally, finally got around to doing something about the wheels. Hardly an OEM finish but a significant improvement all the same. I bought some wheel trims from Halfords for a grand total of £21, and a few tins of satin black paint for the OE look. So they got a wash, a quick sand down, primed and then a couple of coats of base. I got lucky in that there was zero wind so I didn't have to overly concern myself with overspray.

Mid-spray
Post-spray
FS NSF

I know I had previously said I can't stand wheel trims, but seeing them in black bugged me far more than the trims do. I have a real aversion to black wheels... they make the tyres look perpetually brown, the car looks like a hovercar in the wrong light, and they lose any and all detail that the wheel might have (does not apply here of course!).

Next, I decided to do something about the decidedly oxidised and flat looking paint on the bonnet. Other panels had faded, but not oxidised so this was not only the worst looking but also, sadly, the only one I could restore the colour of. Being the pug it was also the perfect car for me to use a DA for the first time on - with very little concern over any damage or marring/holograms/whatever. Thankfully it all went smoothly and has built up my confidence sufficiently for me to take the DA to my 850 soon.

I'm sure previous pics highlight the lack of any sort of lustre on the bonnet, so I decided to use the M105/205 combo on an Orange/White pad (respectively)....mainly because that's what came with my DasPro 6 V2 haha. To your dismay, I did not have any tape so the 50/50 is not quite as dramatic as it could be but I feel it does still highlight the improvement in gloss and correction.

Bonnet 50/50ish
FS Front

And that is likely to be the last update for this car (minus a link to a listing perhaps), as it is now up for sale. Insurance renewal quotes for this thing are coming in at literally double what my 850 T5 is costing, which combined with maintenance costs and my ever diminishing will-to-live driving it makes it unviable as a second car. Those costs almost entirely offset any fuel savings, especially now the additional 12k mi that I was expecting this year are no longer a consideration.

Here are the pics from the sale ad that I am currently in the process of writing:

FS Boot by Cookeh_, on Flickr
FS Rear Int by Cookeh_, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2ggfWSr]FS Rear Bench by Cookeh_, on Flickr
FS Console by Cookeh_, on Flickr
FS Front Int by Cookeh_, on Flickr
FS Bay by Cookeh_, on Flickr
FS Front by Cookeh_, on Flickr
FS OSF by Cookeh_, on Flickr
FS OS by Cookeh_, on Flickr
FS OSR by Cookeh_, on Flickr
FS Rear by Cookeh_, on Flickr
FS NSR by Cookeh_, on Flickr
FS NS by Cookeh_, on Flickr
FS NSF by Cookeh_, on Flickr[/url]
 
Soldato
Joined
25 Mar 2008
Posts
9,180
Just wanted to say - thanks for posting this thread. It may have been a bit of thwarted effort on your part, but I really enjoyed reading it, learnt a fair bit, and feel inspired to work on our old x-trail because of this.

... And the result is really impressive.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
21 Jan 2010
Posts
8,441
Location
Ceredigion
Has someone taken a bite out of the parcel shelf, or does that notch go around the wiper motor or something?

I was chewing on it in frustration at being simultaneously deafened and contorted in traffic one day. No, you are right - it goes around the wiper motor.

Just wanted to say - thanks for posting this thread. It may have been a bit of thwarted effort on your part, but I really enjoyed reading it, learnt a fair bit, and feel inspired to work on our old x-trail because of this.

... And the result is really impressive.

Meh, awful awful design or not I still enjoy working on cars and it gives me something to do. I'm glad it has inspired you, that is honestly one thing I never expected this thread to do. Well, aside from inspiring people to never buy one of these and burn the next one they see...! :D I guess it did save me £150 too, so that pays for a few parts on my T5.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Jun 2013
Posts
9,315
Meh, awful awful design or not I still enjoy working on cars and it gives me something to do. I'm glad it has inspired you, that is honestly one thing I never expected this thread to do. Well, aside from inspiring people to never buy one of these and burn the next one they see...! :D I guess it did save me £150 too, so that pays for a few parts on my T5.

You know what? Someone is going to buy that as a second car/runabout, or a first car for a teenager, and they are going to love it to bits in great part because of all the work you've put into it. Sure, you (and everyone else a little older) will have had their standards raised by experience and won't countenance such a car, but for the right person, you're about to make them very happy until they move onto something a little more sophisticated.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
21 Jan 2010
Posts
8,441
Location
Ceredigion
I jest of course, for its intended purpose there isn't much wrong with it (ergonomics withstanding, if you're above average height). Sadly I pressed it into a service that it was not intended for, which likely developed my views for it rather more unfavourably than it should have done.
 
Soldato
Joined
22 Aug 2004
Posts
7,606
You know what? Someone is going to buy that as a second car/runabout, or a first car for a teenager, and they are going to love it to bits in great part because of all the work you've put into it. Sure, you (and everyone else a little older) will have had their standards raised by experience and won't countenance such a car, but for the right person, you're about to make them very happy until they move onto something a little more sophisticated.

I thought exactly the same :)
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
12,331
Location
Birmingham
Loving the work that you put into this. I hope the next owner takes as good care of it as you have! Sadly I think it’ll regress back into an awful rotbox with parking dings.

It really shows just what can be achieved with some hard work.

Congrats on the sale!
 
Man of Honour
Joined
21 Nov 2004
Posts
44,880
An interesting thread, thanks. Good work, looks like new!

For engine bay detailing I have found that a good soak with snow foam and a quick pressure wash can work wonders, obviously taking care with the alternator and connectors.
 
Associate
Joined
6 Feb 2007
Posts
1,259
Location
Derbyshire
Enjoyed reading through this thread, it's oddly satisfying working on "sheds" that have faced years of neglect, even just the cleaning and paint correction. Great turn-around, someone is getting a nice tidy vehicle.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
21 Jan 2010
Posts
8,441
Location
Ceredigion
The black ones look too much like those space-saver spares.

Funnily they're actually smaller than the space saver option for my 850.

Car has now been collected and is officially sold. That's the easiest car sale I've ever had. 10mins after the ad goes up I get a call about it, 15mins after that they are viewing it and then agree to purchase it about an hour later.

Thanks for the kind words all, glad the thread was somewhat enjoyable.
 
Back
Top Bottom