# Got a swirly Astra for a week



## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

*Got a swirly Astra for a week... All done finished pics pg5*

I've got a mate's other half's car for a week while there away on holiday...A scratched, swirly, black 10 plate Astra...

Jobs to do are to clean it inside and out, plus fit some universal rear parking sensors...

It's abit if a mess. I'll start on it over weekend, and I'll keep progress coming...
It's a good'en...


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

Really looking forward to the finished results, good luck:thumb:


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

It's gonna be a good'en...


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## greymda (Feb 16, 2014)

little offtopic, but what does is mean when you say "black 10 plate"?
pretty often i see this and never got it. i'm not in UK )


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

greymda said:


> little offtopic, but what does is mean when you say "black 10 plate"?
> pretty often i see this and never got it. i'm not in UK )


Model year 2010


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## Carshine (Nov 11, 2009)

Good luck! 

Not a bad idea with rear parking sensors or a females car


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## t4yl0r92 (Jan 1, 2015)

Soul boy 68 said:


> Really looking forward to the finished results, good luck:thumb:


what he said! ^^^^
gunna be a lot of :buffer:


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

Carshine said:


> Good luck!
> 
> Not a bad idea with rear parking sensors or a females car


Rear screen is tiny, you can't see much out of it...
They've had it from new... Looks like it's been through a car wash all its life...!


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## smifeune (Mar 2, 2014)

i'd love to machine that haha! looking forward to some 50/50s


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## R0B (Aug 27, 2010)

Will look good when done


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## Eden95 (Feb 26, 2015)

Good luck haha


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## Sutty 90 (Aug 24, 2014)

greymda said:


> little offtopic, but what does is mean when you say "black 10 plate"?
> pretty often i see this and never got it. i'm not in UK )


Since around 2001 UK number plates have included two numbers which indicates the year the car was registered. In this case the registration says 10 on it which refers to 2010, more specifically it was registered between March and September of that year.

Sutty.


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## percymon (Jun 27, 2007)

Slammedorion said:


> They've had it from new... Looks like it's been through a car wash all its life...!


Which begs the question are they going to do anything different with their cleaning regime after you've put a few days into correcting the paint ?

Perhaps a ceramic coating, rather than a sealant/wax, might help retain your hard work for more than a few months.


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## Cookies (Dec 10, 2008)

percymon said:


> Which begs the question are they going to do anything different with their cleaning regime after you've put a few days into correcting the paint ?
> 
> Perhaps a ceramic coating, rather than a sealant/wax, might help retain your hard work for more than a few months.


That's a fair point percymon. I always struggle with this when doing cars for friends. They're usually on fairly bad shape when they arrive and I constantly wonder whether there is any point in doing a full in detail, for it to return to poor condition within a few months.

In saying that, I do what I do because I enjoy it, and I love seeing the level of improvement. It's very satisfying.

Cooks


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

I hear what your saying, but I've been asked to do it...

I know when it leaves my possession it'll look at its best... :thumb:

Spent a spare half hour the other night cleaning the glass inside.

All interior glass done with Autoglym glass polish. :argie:

Today I've spent a spare hour or so hoovering the interior.
It's a lot cleaner and smells a lot fresher.



Front seat material has had a scrub with G101

Plastics have just been wiped down with warm soapy water, they've asked me not to treat plastics as they like the finish as it is... 





Today the rear parking sensor kit arrived...

http://pages.ebay.com/link/?nav=item.view&alt=web&id=251251636370

Very basic, but for £9.99 it'll aid parking. :car:

I've had it out of the box and wired up to a spare battery, seems fine.
Will whip the bumper off in the week and check if factory sensor positions are marked on the rear of the bumper.


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## alphaj12 (Feb 17, 2011)

are you going to post up a step by step of the parking sensors??


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

Can do?
It's only basic wiring...
And brave pill for drilling the bumper...


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

Just a few more pics while the suns out... :doublesho



Looking at the drivers door edge, I might detail the full door edge... Looks rough as ....!
Think I've got some paint for this somewhere? I'll have to flat the door edge with 800, pull the full edge in with my horses tail with basecoat followed by clearcoat. ( easy enough job and will perfect the overall job I think )

Scratch down the 1/4 will need a quick nib with 2000, followed by 3000.


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

Made a start on one of the smaller deep scratches, problem was it was dented too...
No point flatting scratch until low spot was lifted... 
Not sure if you can make it out in this pic?



In this pic I've put white dots top and bottom of the dent.



Tab glued on.



Couple of pulls.



95% happy with it, so flatting time now with a carbon block, will perfect the low spot repair area and I can flat that scratch out.



Tool shot...





Polished the area up with the rotary quickly...





And a quick 50/50 on a small panel, rotary only...



Loads left to do but will come good in the end... :driver:


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## Christian6984 (Dec 20, 2007)

coming along nicely :thumb:


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

I've got 2 bedrooms I should be getting ready for plastering...
Just trying to balance my jobs... :lol:


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## 182_tom (Aug 4, 2008)

Awesome work.... AGAIN ;-)


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

Did abit this morning before work

Pulled the bumper off to see if the Astras had factory positions marked inside...
They do which makes things easy...
Electrics been off this morning due to trees being cut, so I just stabbed the hole centres for now... Will drill them when I get home, push sensors in and run wire into the boot...









Wired control box up... Used a earth point in the boot...



Live goes to reverse light wire, used supplied connector...



Beeps when in reverse...

I'll post finished pics up later...


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## subarufreak (Oct 20, 2013)

where did you buy the tools for that glue smart repair?

stunning work so far!


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

subarufreak said:


> where did you buy the tools for that glue smart repair?
> 
> stunning work so far!


Bought a few tools for doing PDR at home from Dentrix...
My work place sent me on a weeks course 18 months ago...
Do bits inside and outside of work... Practice makes perfect...
Plenty of PDR stuff available on thier website...

Bumper drilled and all refitted tonight after work...









All wiring kept behind the panels to keep it all looking factory fit...



Works perfect, beeping is loud and clear in the cabin...

Detailing will commence over weekend... :thumb:


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

alphaj12 said:


> are you going to post up a step by step of the parking sensors??


All done... Need anymore info? :thumb:


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## Tsubodai (Oct 20, 2012)

I'd love to have the nous to do this sort of thing. Good work.


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## Kirkyworld (Jan 12, 2014)

Looks ace :thumb:


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## VAG-hag (May 14, 2012)

Very neat install mate.


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## Soul boy 68 (Sep 8, 2013)

Looking fantastic, if it was my car I would be well happy.


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

Right... Today after a wash here's where we are up too...



Started on the o/s... Look closely you'll see a scratch down the 1/4



All polishing today has been done with a rotary, foam head and 3m finesse. I Flatted the scratch with 2000 discs



Started polishing up



Nearly there





1/4 done



Half the front door polished



Front wing



Side



Then did roof, boot lid and rear bumper and washed it off for tonight









Bare in mind this has only been hit with the rotary to get rid of the scratches, next few processes with the Das21e etc will really fetch it up...
Tomorrow after work I'll carry on with n/s and front end... Will see how far I get...

Progress today way delayed after work, a mate's transit broke down so had to plug fault code reader in ( he's happy lol, needs a fuel pump ) 
To top it off,on the way home, my gearbox in the daily Vectra developed a terminal noise, M32 bearing failure I think...
I'll remove the box myself, and refit...
But box repairs come in between £400-£700, and while it's off I'll put a full clutch kit in, £400!!! )
Expensive day today...
It's a job to do mid week after I've got the Astra done...


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## greymda (Feb 16, 2014)

awesome progress..


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

Great work, sounds like you've got your jobs lined up for the foreseeable future.


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

alfajim said:


> Great work, sounds like you've got your jobs lined up for the foreseeable future.


Daily will be back out for next weekend fingers crossed...
Big job on the floor but it'll get done...


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## bazz (May 15, 2007)

looks like great job you have done so far.
love the rear parking aid you have added


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

All rotary correction pretty much done...
Half way round it with the Das21e... Been rained off for now, so I'm back in the house doing my chores... :thumb:
I might end up finishing it tomorrow after work, no biggy...
It's nearly there... :car:


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## gatman (Jun 13, 2012)

Great work, your friends will be chuffed with it ;-)


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

Just wax to go on, the all plastics, glass, tires, wheels to be treated...



Nearly there, finished pics soon...:thumb:


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## boost monster (Jul 19, 2013)

"Plastics have just been wiped down with warm soapy water, they've asked me not to treat plastics as they like the finish as it is... "

I use Autosmart Pazzaz on the plastics really natural looking.


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## VAG-hag (May 14, 2012)

The half door pic is ace!!


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## Mark R5 (May 21, 2013)

Sterling work there mate. Looks a different car!


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## 20vKarlos (Aug 8, 2009)

looking good so far!


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## Treganin (Oct 31, 2010)

Hard to believe it's the same car! :thumb:

Good job.


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

Pics are slowly uploading... Keep watching...
Looks awesome... Even got some of the door edge detail...



























Parking sensors look like they've been there from day one


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

I've been round the car touching in chips etc...
But this door edge really let it down imo 
The solution... Detail it of course...



Damage quickly flatted with 500, followed by 2000 on a block



Edge wiped clean and brushed in with detailing brush







That's the basecoat on... Allow a few mins to dry off...

Next up, alittle clearcoat









Much better... Jobs a good'en


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## alphaj12 (Feb 17, 2011)

Slammedorion said:


> All done... Need anymore info? :thumb:


No that's perfect, loving the tip about the factory marks on the inside of the bumper, would never have thought of that one


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

Rinsed off and quick detailed as its been left out...
All ready to go...


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

Well they seemed happy from the phone call I got earlier on today...
" It's like coming home to a brand new car"
There very impressed with the parking sensors... Another job well done.

Collected all my parts today to get our daily Vectra back on the road, so I'll be under that for a couple of days now...


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

It looks a different car. Top work.


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## Slammedorion (Apr 13, 2014)

Cheers for comments...


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## ibiza55 (Feb 22, 2008)

After never owning a vauxhall till now, some people do slate them, but I think your astra would be hard to beat in a 5 year old car comparison against say a focus cab or megane


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Great job done:thumb:


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