Corsa Detail - Massive turnaround required.....

[Nick Goodall]

Well this was the biggest task i've faced yet.... a young Photographer friend of ours wants to sell her car so asked if i'd do my best with it but warned me it was looking a bit sorry for itself...

SHE WAS NOT KIDDING!

The car had a scrape, dent, scratch or some sort of blemish on just about every single panel so it was going to be interesting.

I didn't get any pics of the Interior bit it was an absolute state, I filled 2 carrier bags with stuff i found in the car not to mention Sim cards, Pens, chargers, CD's, MOT's, Service history, Charcoal, Money, Cigarette butts, dog hair like you wouldn't believe!

Anyway, here are some pics of what was facing me:

http://oi52.tinypic.com/1znskds.jpg
http://oi51.tinypic.com/14aj6ee.jpg
http://oi52.tinypic.com/2mmbqit.jpg
http://oi52.tinypic.com/jihrbb.jpg
http://oi56.tinypic.com/2nsqh5i.jpg
http://oi53.tinypic.com/27zhv8l.jpg
http://oi51.tinypic.com/2a9qf69.jpg
http://oi53.tinypic.com/312z4v5.jpg
http://oi51.tinypic.com/qnux3s.jpg
http://oi54.tinypic.com/ngqd55.jpg

So first up was to give it a good snow foam, and go round all the badges, plastic trim edges, vents and grills with some G101 and a brush

http://i52.tinypic.com/9aww0j.jpg
http://i56.tinypic.com/11t1irl.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/2d9dauh.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/29o3151.jpg

Car was then rinsed off, then Washed using the 2BM with Zymol Auto-wash.

http://i51.tinypic.com/257i2ci.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/m79ow1.jpg

It was then clayed and De-tarred using Tardis - here's just a few more pics of what sort of damage was now on show after it was washed.

http://i55.tinypic.com/2m4841c.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/2qt8p6o.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/24d3fyg.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/1pxb9y.jpg

Cont'd Below

[Nick Goodall]

http://i54.tinypic.com/w2gfua.jpg

Car was then rinsed down after claying and dried off with some Meg's Last Touch and a AB Fluffy Blue Towel

http://i53.tinypic.com/2415nj9.jpg
http://i56.tinypic.com/xomm2e.jpg

Car was then taped up ready for polishing

http://i54.tinypic.com/2ry4pec.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/ndq89c.jpg

I started out with some AG SRP as it had worked really well on my mates Honda S2000 last week.
I did the Bonnet and it was working ok
Here's a 50/50 - Not great as it was Silver and i was trying to use the Sun as and when it appeared but you can sort of see the swirls on the left

http://i51.tinypic.com/29zy82x.jpg

It was never going to be good enough to get some of the scratches out so for the rest of the car i went to Sonus SFX-2 with some PO85RD, but found i needed to up it to an SFX-1 with S100 - This was working really well so i went over with that, and refined using 85RD with the SFX-2 pad. I wiped down each time with Menz final inspection and found the car looking much better.

Here's some pics after

http://i52.tinypic.com/6hhz42.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/5ee5u1.jpg
http://i56.tinypic.com/24m8i86.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/5y8eq0.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/33jo6bo.jpg
http://i54.tinypic.com/2lwvonk.jpg

Ideally i could do with putting the before and after pics there, but a lot of the scratches have gone and the machine was working great!
I then waxed the whole car up with Dodo Juice Rainforest Rub - Left for 25 mins to cure and then buffed off, wiped down with Meg's Last Touch
Here are the finished shots

http://i56.tinypic.com/2mriq88.jpg
http://i51.tinypic.com/3538nr8.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/2uogm5l.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/2egbghe.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/osg3r9.jpg
http://i55.tinypic.com/2n650ly.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/2rog87d.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/dy1tzl.jpg

[Nick Goodall]

http://i56.tinypic.com/s3qbmt.jpg

Tyres all dressed with Meg's Hot Rims Tyre Spray, and Trim with Meg's Detailer

http://i54.tinypic.com/vslych.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/2vskrxl.jpg
http://i53.tinypic.com/15sa1r7.jpg

Interior was honestly shocking, i used my Meg's Triple detailing brush, and large interior scrubbing brush with some G101. I hoovered it all out and then also treated the trim with Meg's Trim detailer.

http://i54.tinypic.com/mbsj8l.jpg
http://i56.tinypic.com/ojo80.jpg

Thanks for reading, it was REALLY damn hard work - Started at 8:45 and finally finished to start packing up at 17:45 with only a 20 min break in the middle....

The car is at least now sellable and she won't have to give it away!

[Chrislong]

What a bucket, looks great done though. Silver cars don't photograph the swirls well do they!

Next trick, walking on water? :thumbsup:

[peetbee]

I find it hard to believe it's the same car in the 'after' pics!

[Nige]

With the amount of scrapes it originally had, think I'll avoid parking next to any silver Corsa around Newbury.

Maybe you should suggest she gets some front and rear parking sensors on the next car ;) :woot:

[Big G]

a new set of hubs caps and a badge and it'll be mint :D

good work!

[metalmickey0]

Well you know women and cars dont go together. My boss brings his mrs car in every so often and thats usually full of all that stuff and covered in crap and dirt too. Her fav are half drunk bottles of water:D. think he throws out at least a gallon of the stuff all going green and manky.
Seriously well done. How you fancy doing mine to that finish. And its not a Corsa;) and wouldnt take as long