[body_work] First Clean Of The 205 In About 4 Months!

[Andy_C 50]

Copied from a thread on Detailing World hence the abbreviations!!

 

Well she HAS been laid up for the winter but that's no excuse.

 

Fighting a nasty twisted back I decided to get the 205 out and at least wash her down before a full day's detailing planned for the end of the month before slapping some tax on again.

 

As I say, no washing since September/October but she did get wiped down just before Christmas when I had to move her out of the garage to get some stuff out in sleet and rain - shoved her back in with a QD wipedown, knowing that this wouldn't help the paintwork

 

Anyway, here's some before pics;

 

 

 

 

Dusty but not too bad (apart from the side panels which I'm enbarrassed to even show - lots of marring courtesy of the above mentioned wipedown a few weeks back!)

 

So set the foamer up and used a mix of SSF/Shampoo Plus to thoroughly douse her in foam.

 

"Don;t you know white is this year's black dahlink"

 

 

 

Rinsed and then TBM wash using BH Autowash and a grout sponge for the first time. Weird TBH as it's not as soft as a Z sponge but comes off each panel clean (OK so the 205 wasn't exactly filthy but even so...) and left minimal additional marring that I could see so a tentative from me.

 

Rinsed then re-rinsed with RO water, mopped dried with Monster Fluffy before giving the tyres a quick lick of B&B and trim some Raceglaze Vinyl & Rubber.

 

Afters;

 

 

 

 

 

And the new rear panel and badges (all 90 flippin quid of em!) don't look arf bad either

 

 

The eagle eyed might spot some changes inside my car but for the purists the original seat and steering wheel are safely stored in the garage.

 

I'm pretty relaxed about the "less than AndyC anal perfection" level of swirls as a light machine polish will sort em easily but it was good to get the old girl out and cleaned today

[Alastairh 47]

Awesome Andy!

 

In case you hadn't noticed yet. South Meet thread

 

Al

[Andy_C 50]

Thanks mate.

 

Will go with the majority vote on the meet providing it's not a weekend when my Daughter's staying

[Super Josh 4]

Andy, looking as fantastic as ever Mate. Now get out an drive it

 

 

Josh

[Dino 3]

I feckon love this car

 

Andy you barstool - I want a black 1.6 () now!

[Baz 421]

Very sexy, as ever!!

[Pug_101 0]

Looking good andy.

Another grout sponge fan then, I'll have to try one soon myself. The autowash is top stuff though.

Look forward too seeing this car in the flesh sometime.

[Edp 67 3 Cars]

Looks fantastic as always, nice buckets by the way

[Richie 32]

Classy 205 you have there andy. Fantastic. Its an mi16 now right?

[Andy_C 50]

Its an mi16 now right?

 

Indeed - and love it!!

 

Ed - can't be doing with the £75.00 wash bucket bollocks mate!! Builders jobby from B&Q, grit guard and Bob's your Uncle

[Simes 248 2 Cars]

Looking nice...as always.

[Anthony 1,000]

You know Andy, if you're ever bored you're more than welcome to come up and clean my 205 some time.... it might need "a little" more effort to get it gleeming than yours though...

[ANDYGON 6]

looking nice Andy, good to see you haven't sold it.

[Andy_C 50]

You know Andy, if you're ever bored you're more than welcome to come up and clean my 205 some time.... it might need "a little" more effort to get it gleeming than yours though...

 

Happy to mate - and I now have a unit near Reading.

[Leopold-gti 0]

That is awesome, have you entered it into concours at all?

[DaveW 6]

Like the foaming look! that is one shiny car.

[Andy_C 50]

That is awesome, have you entered it into concours at all?

 

Believe it or not I took the decision last year not to go down the concours route as it involves a level of attention to detail that I don't profess to have and it would more than likely mean taking the car pretty much off the road, which to me seems pointless. Whilst I don't use the 205 every day (got a boring Vectra for that) I do still like to drive it, which means that just occasionally it gets covered in dead flies and other road grime (OK, gets washed immediately but that's just coz I'm a bit sad I suppose) - concours would mean reducing use to almost nil.

 

I'd also planned on finding a very early P1 1.6 and going for standard concours but again the level of prep and cost would have meant selling the black one and I couldn't see the point in it.

 

Longwinded answer to a simple question - sorry!

[max0 5]

My boss loves detailing world and has just got a PC. Nice work tho Andy - looks very nice and no swirl marks

[large 33]

I wish my car looked that good and not f*$king PINK (cherry red).

[danpug 1]

I wouldn't want to drive it for fear of getting it dirty!

 

 

Happy to mate - and I now have a unit near Reading.

 

Next time we are visiting my gf's parents in wokingham i'll drop it in for a polish!

[Miles 331 1 Cars]

Just need to make the engine shine like the outside Mr C

[M@tt 77]

looks amazing!! puts my road crud covered black one to shame

 

got any product recommendations for polishing black cars that isn't going to leave white powder marks hiding in every nook and cranny?

[Andy_C 50]

Miles - nearly there mate

 

M@tt - best way is to firstly get some 3M painters masking tape and tape up all doorshuts and trim. Only problem then is that you have to cut back in when you remove the tape. Using the Menzerna polishes (by machine) helps as this tends not to dust so much but TBH I rarely get any issues with product residue - lucky I guess!

[TurboSam 5]

Lovely car Andy, if I ever see it around Basingstoke I'll give you a wave

[Ben Allen 8]

Looks great Andy, good job