What Have You Done to Your Cougar Today?

Well, well. Following today's earlier success with the MOT, I was feeling enthused enough to get something else sorted. So I counldn't find any white spirit, but did come across this stuff I have had for years. So long in fact the label is starting to go mouldy. So I carefully tried a little on a bit of kitchen roll on my grotty headlight glasses. Ooh, yellow stuff comes off fairly quickly and they go all shiny. Hopefully not just because they are 'wet' with this stuff, but even after drying with another bit of kitchen roll, they still look good, 100 times better.

But this gets better yet. I have always had this truly horrible patch on the bonnet, like somebody took some dirty wet and dry and dipped it in varnish before rubbing it around on the bonnet. Right in the middle roughly occupying the 'V' shaped area inside the 'depression' in the metal. Two people, professional paint sprayers one of whom is a friend of mine, have suggested 'it needs to go down to bare metal, because I don't know what it is' and of course resprayed. Well, flushed with success from my headlamp clean, I idly take a swipe at the bonnet, and wow it comes off, leaving the paint looking gorgeous underneath and the paper just looking brown with no melina lifting off at all. Maybe the previous owner left their headlamp lacquer standing on the bonnet and it spilled ? Well chuffed...

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Washed and waxed it again, measured up for a back box, Just a single 3" retaining the other silencers as I start work very early and keen not to **** off new neighbours, who are already going to be miffed when my Astra comes home from storage :D
 
Foobar said:
Well, well. Following today's earlier success with the MOT, I was feeling enthused enough to get something else sorted. So I counldn't find any white spirit, but did come across this stuff I have had for years. So long in fact the label is starting to go mouldy. So I carefully tried a little on a bit of kitchen roll on my grotty headlight glasses. Ooh, yellow stuff comes off fairly quickly and they go all shiny. Hopefully not just because they are 'wet' with this stuff, but even after drying with another bit of kitchen roll, they still look good, 100 times better.

But this gets better yet. I have always had this truly horrible patch on the bonnet, like somebody took some dirty wet and dry and dipped it in varnish before rubbing it around on the bonnet. Right in the middle roughly occupying the 'V' shaped area inside the 'depression' in the metal. Two people, professional paint sprayers one of whom is a friend of mine, have suggested 'it needs to go down to bare metal, because I don't know what it is' and of course resprayed. Well, flushed with success from my headlamp clean, I idly take a swipe at the bonnet, and wow it comes off, leaving the paint looking gorgeous underneath and the paper just looking brown with no melina lifting off at all. Maybe the previous owner left their headlamp lacquer standing on the bonnet and it spilled ? Well chuffed...

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That sounds like some good old fashioned stuff but do remember when using anything like this on your paint, it won't necessarily show signs of "colour" but could well be dissolving the Laquer/clearcoat which protects it. If it does dissolve the laquer/clearcoat and the basecoat/colour comes onto the cloth, then the damage is done and it'll need a repaint. Just be carefull with it matey.
 
I've taken mine for the first spin in weeks. It has been an utter joy, and I cannot wait to head off tomorrow :).

The replacement wheels have removed wheel wobble at speed and the rubber has sorted my annoyance at the handling, it feels much, much more planted than before. If I get a chance I'll post up some pics of the spent rubber they replaced, wear pattern was terrible.
 
Pid_16V said:
That sounds like some good old fashioned stuff but do remember when using anything like this on your paint, it won't necessarily show signs of "colour" but could well be dissolving the Laquer/clearcoat which protects it. If it does dissolve the laquer/clearcoat and the basecoat/colour comes onto the cloth, then the damage is done and it'll need a repaint. Just be carefull with it matey.
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I totally agree, and am always wary about using product on my car that wasn't intended for cars.

"Solvent" is a very broad term which tells you nothing about what it's actually supposed to dissolve. That said, this stuff is for uPVC windows and doors, and if it's anything like the stuff I have here, it's basically a harmless degreaser for removing nicotine and cooking fat (at which it excels).

All I would suggest - having got away with using it - is that you give her a good bath and a coat of wax or glaze, because it will have removed any protectorant that was on there.
 
Swapped my nuts for some shiny chrome ones (the correct 19mm Focus ones required for my new alloys).
After having discovered yesterday that the source of my rattly rear end is the exhaust touching on the rear bumper, I attempted to move it over but gave up as it was just too hot. If I can't get it done myself I'll take it to my local exhaust place and see if it needs adjustment or new rubbers - I've discounted the idea of using it as an excuse to get a stainless one made due to the cost:LOL:
 
Just cleaned mine yet again, richbrook aerial randomly snapped off with the lightest touch from the sponge as well so have to get an easy out on the threads. Bought wheels on Friday as well and hammerite today to do the caliper when I swap wheels, hopefully be here Wednesday.
 
Also installed a special bulb in my interior light thanks to Al - this glows alternately red, blue or green, then does a flashing disco pattern:LOL:

Was going to put my new stickers on, but car needs a wash first.

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astranaut said:
Just cleaned mine yet again, richbrook aerial randomly snapped off with the lightest touch from the sponge as well so have to get an easy out on the threads. Bought wheels on Friday as well and hammerite today to do the caliper when I swap wheels, hopefully be here Wednesday.
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Did you go for ST170s in the end mate?
 
No, im still on the lookout for a set, scored a cheap set of 17" Focus Mp3 wheels, see how it looks. Got them cheap enough for me to get my money back if they look cack :D
 
astranaut said:
No, im still on the lookout for a set, scored a cheap set of 17" Focus Mp3 wheels, see how it looks. Got them cheap enough for me to get my money back if they look cack :D
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They looked good on the last car I saw, I'm sure John (Everton) had them on his old blue one.
Don't forget to use 19mm Focus wheelnuts - I put mine on with the original nuts and was swiftly told they weren't suitable.
 
I had them on "The Ugly" after the respray (before I had the white 5-spokes refurbed). They looked alright, but the odd offset of the Focus meant they sat too far into the arches. They'd look much better with some spacers on (y)
 
Really, I'll have to find a set of wheels nuts now then :/ I've got some 5mm spacers kicking around somewhere as well

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191927395641 are these the ones I need guys?
 
...return to ugliness.....temporarily.

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