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]
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]