Clio 172 Project

I’M.
FUCKING.
KNACKERED.

I’ve just spent seven and a half hours detailing my car.

As I’m nearly falling asleep typing this I’ll keep it brief.  The process was this:

• Rinse
• Wash wheels with AutoGlym Clean Wheels
• Rinse
• Wash
• Dry
• Clay with Meguiar’s Smooth Surface Clay Kit
• Rinse
• Wash
• Dry
• Polish with Clearkote’s Vanilla Moose Wax Hand Glaze
• Buff
• Glaze with Poorboy’s White Diamond Show Glaze
• Buff
• Seal with Poorboy’s EX-P Sealant
• Buff
• Wax with Victoria Collector’s Wax
• Buff
• Dress tyres with AutoGlym Instant Tyre Dressing
• Clean windows with AutoGlym Fast Glass
• Death

In the pictures you can see the before, including the bird shit on the boot from a Terradactyl, and after.  All in all a good result, but the sun meant that I couldn’t let the products linger for a more “wet gloss look”, which is really what I was after, and made it a fucking pain in the arse to buff the wax off.  But it needed doing to save me a job come ISTS and fuck knows when we will next get any decent weather.  If we do then I’ll get another layer of wax on, hopefully in the shade this time.

With ISTS only three weeks away and the car finally being back and not, touch wood, having to spend it’s days in the garage I decided to lay down a good layer of cleanliness to save me effort closer to the time.  I’ll build up the layers over the next few weeks.

Used all of the AutoGlym products you see in the picture and yes I know that AG stuff isn’t the bestest super dooper shizzle on the market, but I’ve got a load of it and until I have used it up/bought something else better I’ll keep using it.  Although I am already looking at waxes and sealants and fucking confusing stuff.

Anyway pictures:

Took five solid hours but I think it was worth it.  Discovered a scratch on the n/s/r quarter panel, which I’ve tried to photograph but it’s not showing.  I’m hoping that with an oribital polishing machine and the right products I’ll be able to correct it, but that will have to wait.  Also need to get the parking dints pulled out at some point too.

One thing I realised though is that the car NEEDS claying.  So once ISTS is out the way and my MOT I’ll get on with that and then start building the layers back up in preperation of the next show/blizzard/raining frogs etc.

Well ok it’s not drastic.  The CV boot as I thought has gone, don’t think it’s split though just the circlip has come off, the boots slid back and then grease and spunked everywhere.  So it’s going in next Saturday, I’m too lazy to do it myself and it’s a fucking annoying job lol, to the garage in Ilkeston  to get it sorted.  Once it’s done I’ll grab some AutoGlym Engine and Machine Cleaner and get to work on the arches, might as well do them all, to clean them up and remove the CV grease from the o/s/f.

Also got a bargain on a replacement rear bumper from Daniel on ClioSport so once the new exhaust has arrived and been fitted, won’t be this month now due to an unexpected bill, I’ll get that fitted too.  It’s got a few small imperfections such as light scratches in the laquer and a few tiny bits down to the plastic.  So I’ll see how it comes up after a good wash and polish today and if it needs a spray I’ll take it somewhere local to get done, probably end up doing the prep myself though depending on the quotes they give.

Some pictures of the replacement rear bumper before, during and after a good wash and polish.  Took most of the light scratches out TBH, but I’ll still probably get it resprayed at some point along with the front for that minty fresh look.

O HAI Mr Bee!

Also got some replacement engine cover bolts and washers coming from davo172 on ClioSport which I’ll use with my other engine cover when I get around to spraying it, probably this month depending on my cash.  Hmmm just thought I need a replacement 2.0 16v sticker for the engine cover too…

This month though it’s Cam and Aux belt replacement.  Big expense, but it will give me peace of mind and it’s cheaper than replacing 16 bent valves!

Well after yesterdays disaster with my camera I spent about an hour sorting it out and thankfully it’s now working again how it should.

Decided to go out this morning and get a load of new cleaning products, all autoglym stuff for now, and give the 172 it’s first bath – seeing as I got it muddy yesterday.  Nowt exciting, rinsed it down first, soaped it down with AG Bodywork Shampoo Conditioner, dried it off loosely with a microfibre cloth, cheated and used AG Aquawax, dressed the tyres and cleaned the glass in and out.  Thrilling huh?

Anyway here are the results:

All in all I’m still pleased with it, but did notice some grease on the o/s/f wheel so I’m going to get it jacked up and checked out next week in case a CV boot has split, but it maybe old grease left behind from a split boot of old.