Butterfly

Been loosing most points through paintwork so she's in the paintshop. I have apologised profusely for all the wax / silicon / other sh*t I've coated the car with. They are having fun getting it 'clean'.

It's been a sunny day car since I've had it (and by the previous owner at the end of his ownership). And re mine or Kips... I think it depends on which bit you are looking at :wink:

And here's a slightly different pic as it's not something that will ever be seen by a judge but I'm told from what can be seen it's looking good.

Ah but you know a lot of the work is thanks to you :luvlove:

Cheers. G60.. no way. too high maintenance and anyway, I've still got enough to do with this one. No expense spared.... not quite, I didn't go as far as new trackrods or doing obsessive stuff with the hub carriers. And I put new top mounts and bearings in 3 years ago and decided there was no need to replace those :grin: (though the drop links were replaced again so they will be up for sale as 3 year / 5k mile second hands soon) Oh, and I meant to say. Graham took her for a test drive and said handling was very nice. Dave had a go and agreed. I didn't drive it until I was setting off home but I immediately knew what they meant. It didn't take me long to get used to it being that way though.

Morning. Still aching. I think I spent 3 or 4 hours doing crunchies under the car on Thursday! Anyway, a few pics of the process.

No offence mate but why would someone else be paying for the work being done on my car?? Now, Kip doing work on my car (and me not paying him) is another matter but any DG bill I run up is all of my own doing and my resposibility to pay :nuts:

J11 has been to her second home the last 2 days. As is the norm, many thanks to D & G for all their work and attention to detail and putting up with me and my buckets full of cleaning stuff. Pics of new subframe etc to follow soon but I'm too tired tonight after a 4 hour 100 miles trip home in pouring rain and heavy heavy traffic. But I'll load this pic as I do think it is beautiful :)

I'm going for what ever DG recomend!! But yes R32 rear bushes and just standard VW inner - or front or what ever you call them as I'm expecting the originals to have suffered from the coating / baking. Thanks everyone for the info on heat resistant bungs / tape etc. It's not something I knew about, or Kip by the sound of it, as I've never been into this blasting / coating lark before. That Mr Kippaxs comment in July 2005 has a lot to answer for.

I think you could say.. errr.. yes. LOL. I've asked DG if it's OK to get other bits done now that they know what is involved. I think Graham had to use his best tap and die set to recut threads in some things and he certainly had fun getting the paint off the stub axle faces.... I've struggled to get brake hard wire clips & handbrake cable clips onto the retaining studs etc but it does all go on in the end. 1.jpg[/attachment:2y0brwh3] Just down the road from you, very handy. Though I'm not sure they are a wheel type of place :?

From Batchglows website. http://www.batchglow.co.uk/index.html More detail on the description page for each finish but this is the overview. Polyester Powder Coating Polyester powder coating is the most commonly applied coating. The hard, abrasion-resistant properties of the coatings are based on polyester resin which is cured at a high temperature, providing a superior smooth surface that is resistant to colour fade in direct sunlight. 60-100 microns is typical. Nylon Powder Coating Nylon powder coatings are glossy and tough, with outstanding adhesion and superb resistance to solvents and oils. The non-contaminatory nature of nylon coatings lends itself to food manufacturing industries, whilst the thickness of coating enables it to be applied to most metal surfaces. Typical applications are inside public service vehicles, stadium seating, disabled vehicles and underneath a Mystic Blue Corrado 100- 150 microns is typical for an electrostatic application.

2 new (yep new :cuckoo: ) wishbones.... even extra plasticoat paint layers on new ones don't keep them looking good for very long so I'm getting them the nylon coating 1 anti roll bar (the bit I was attacking witha power tool, getting the paint off the bubbleing areas to see what was underneath before handing over for full blasting) I've already taken the nylon coated subframe down to DG (see page 15) and I will be getting it all fitted in a few weeks. 8)

Nothing wrong with a bit of dirt in the right places. And while I'm posting in my members gallery I've been doing a bit more work on each C. 8v had lenses from my 'old' 60k mile headlights on the Storm put on in place of the 8vs 145k miles badly pitted ones. Hopefully I'll see better, especially when I get a DG headlight loom. But, I wish I hadn't lost the retaining spring clip from the 4 pin connector!!! Prizing it off it went 'Ping', way up into the air and I didn't see where it landed... Spent hours crawling round the drive and flower bed but given up and used a paperclip and 'tricians tape this evening :) 8) Then for the Storm I've been preping a few bits for blasting / coating and delivered them to Batchglow this morning. Kip has a pic of me with a power tool from last night but hasn't loaded it anywhere :nono:

Nawwww, BiggRed refurb. Bit of overkill for the 8v but, once it's all done, I shouldn't have to worry about brakes and MOTs for years... But only the carriers are fitted as yet as the 11mm nut beat 'us' as the weekend. Lots of WD40 a week before, proper brake spanners and even a blow torch but they wouldn't budge. I've not impossed on any more of Kips time and taken the car to our local for the final calipers and braided hoses.

8) thanks. I wont pretend they were cheap but hopefully once all this lot are on, with braided hoses, they will not give me any problems (or cause to worry come MOT time) for years.... I wonder how long the rest of the car will hold out for??? :lol:

The 8v has had a sticking caliper for a while so I've decided to give the whole lot a full overhaul.... Kip is gonna be busy but he says he likes doing brakes :lol:

Little update as it MOT time. Got another cert this morning though I had to wait 30 mins before the tester could issue it. He logged into the system at 9am, started testing my car at 9.10 and was all done by 9.30... but he says he is expected to take about an hour to test a 15 year old car so wouldn't put all the info to the system till 10. Big brother is out there.... Anyway, in that 30 mins wait I popped into Netto and got my own hand pressure pump for a bargain so I'm well happy.

And while talking about obsessive Stanford prep. I love this time of year. Kip goes nuts :cuckoo: :cuckoo: Neighbours have wondered what on earth is going on at our place as Kip was seen washing his car in the pouring rain this evening. :nuts: :nuts: As this is my 5th year of knowing Kip around Stanford time I don't think this is anything unusual. I've seen much more obsessive things done to the VR in the few days before... oh, and as is usual for Stanford prep he says he hates the car, it's got too many faults and he would like to sell it and be rid of it. :lol:

goooood mornin'!!!! :norty: :clap: hurray, someone's woken up. I was beginning to think I was on another planet :wink: :D

I've been paying the rear end a bit more attention. It all started with sorting out the rear number plate bulb holder cover on the 8V. When I took the bulb holder off I saw that one of the plastic hoops that holds the bulbs had partly melted!!! So, a new bit was bought but obviously wasn't going to go on the 8v. It's been fitted to the Storm and while all that was off the area has been cleaned, polished and waxed. Plus the Storm metal cover has had a new coat of paint. And as the cleaner & polish were out I thought I might as well take the Corrado & VW badge off and do a proper job of those areas. Quite a plesant evening sat at the back of my car, chatting the the neighbours as they went past and all done without firing the poor car up to move it 6 foot out of the garage!

It is addictive and it's all Brunys fault. He started it. The company is Batchglow. Based just north or Worksop. http://www.batchglow.co.uk/ has all the info you might want :)

It does look lovely doesn't it. That's another reason I dont want to put it on yet. It's so much easier admiring it in the house than having to lie under the car to see it :lol: :cuckoo:

I've had more nylon coating done while Kip was getting his tank straps seen to. These are not going on for quite a while though so don't anyone look too closely under the front of my car :?

I know it's funny isn't it. I meant to get the second Storm but another 8v in Blackberry was just the way it turned out!

Well, as per my signature, my original Blackberry 8v has been driven off to her new home today. And as anyone who has sold a Corrado will know, it's a funny old feeling letting one go out into the big wide world all alone without you :( but I know she is in safe hands and will get the cyclinder head attention she needs. It's also making me think about my original Storm and I'm feeling melancholy. Anyway, time to get a grip. Must post up pics of my 'new' Blackberry sometime but wont do so until we have sorted the recent dint to the front bumper! Oh yeah, and I guess I should change my avatar as I don't own either of the cars pictured anymore :?