# Alfa 159 clean



## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

Hey guys

New to the forum to try and get some tips on better products and method to treat the Alfa with. She's a stunner as it is, but a clean Alfa is just porn :argie: She's a 2008 Alfa Romeo 159, 2.4JDTM 20v turbo diesel engine and Alfa's Q4 AWD system which is rare on a 2.4!

So, here are a few shots during/after my clean






















































































































Paintwork needs a proper mopping by the looks of it










Method and products used:

- Rinse with Karcher jet wash
- Autoglym shampoo and microfibre wash mit
- Rinse
- Autoglym wheel care sprayed on and left for 5 mins
- Rinse
- Dry with Meguiars water magnet drying towel
- Polish with Autoglym Super Resin Polish
- Buffed with microfibre cloth
- Waxed with Poorboy Natty's Blue liquid wax
- Buffed with microfibre cloth
- Inside and outside of windows treated with Autoglym fast glass

Recently bought some UK Valeting cherry snow foam and a Bilt Hamber Auto Clay regular bar for next time. Will also be taking the wheels off fully and sealing them with PoorBoys wheel sealant (forgotten which one)

Thoughts/feedback/suggestions? Wanting to get some better polish and wax to really give a nice deep shine to the black


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## Grawschbags (Apr 15, 2010)

Cracking looking car mate. The 159 always make me look twice at it.

Will certainly be looking at 159 estates if I ever need to purchase me a family wagon! 

You should consider using a glaze as well to further mask swirls. I use Poorboys Black Hole, it's pretty good. This will go on after your polish, before the wax stage.


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## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

:wave:


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

Grawschbags said:


> Cracking looking car mate. The 159 always make me look twice at it.
> 
> Will certainly be looking at 159 estates if I ever need to purchase me a family wagon!
> 
> You should consider using a glaze as well to further mask swirls. I use Poorboys Black Hole, it's pretty good. This will go on after your polish, before the wax stage.


Cheers  there's a Sportwagon in black around my estate at work that i see most mornings, always give each other a little wave :lol:

Been recommended Black Hole before, think i might have to give it a try!

Any recommendations for the polish/wax? Must be better stuff than Autoglym and i'm not 100% keen on the liquid wax



Dannbodge said:


> :wave:


Hey Dann :wave:


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## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

smudge_don said:


> Cheers  there's a Sportwagon in black around my estate at work that i see most mornings, always give each other a little wave :lol:
> 
> Been recommended Black Hole before, think i might have to give it a try!
> 
> ...


I see you finally signed up.

Black hole would be a good start. Wax wise it all depends on budget tbh


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## pee (Apr 6, 2009)

i see another ccuk member as discovered the world of dw. Car looks nice i really like the wheels.


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

Dannbodge said:


> I see you finally signed up.
> 
> Black hole would be a good start. Wax wise it all depends on budget tbh


Not looking to spend mega bucks!



pee said:


> i see another ccuk member as discovered the world of dw. Car looks nice i really like the wheels.


Thanks pee  will hopefully be getting some of these in the next year or so


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## JBirchy (Oct 9, 2010)

Hey buddy,

You've got a stunning car. I used to have a 156 Selespeed in Solid Black and i just loved it. The interior just oozed class! I deperately wanted one of these when i got my latest car but after the catastrophic failure of the last one and the fact i needed it for company use, my boss man (family member) said no...

Anyway, polish - I would look at something like Autofinesse Rejuvenate. It's not really a polish so to speak, but it's a pre-wax cleanser that does contain diminishing abrasives so will treat some of the swirling you have. Follow that up with a glaze such as Black Hole, or my personal favourite, Prima Amigo which will further mask the swirls, and then follow up with a wax/sealant. Price - £12-13 for 250ml

Wax I would recommend any of the Dodo Juice waxes, IMO, Purple Haze Pro is stunning on black, dont be fooled by the Pro bit in the name, its very easy to use! You can leave it as long as you like to cure and is a doddle to buff off, and leaves a mega wet looking shine. Best of all you can buy it in a panel pot, which if used correctly (very thinly) can give up to 6-7 layers on the car! Price for a panel pot is around £10

Alternatively, use a spray sealant like Autofinesse Tough Coat. I've recently started using this stuff and it is amazing. Very easy on (Spray 2 sprays on a microfiber pad and spread across the panel), leave to cure for 10mins and again, very easy to buff off. Price £20ish depending on where you buy. Lots of great traders who support this site.

Hope this helps, just these simple things will have it looking even more stunning than it already does!

Jon


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

Thanks Jon, just what i was looking for


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## 123quackers (Jan 29, 2009)

Nice work, such a great looking car the 159....:thumb:


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

123quackers said:


> Nice work, such a great looking car the 159....:thumb:


Cheers quackers

The pics don't really do it justice, need to see it in the flesh to really appreciate it


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## JBirchy (Oct 9, 2010)

smudge_don said:


> Thanks Jon, just what i was looking for


No problem Don, if you're up in the North West by any chance i'd be happy to have a look over it/give you a few pointers if of interest!

JB


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

ohh my days little bit of sex wee there... stunning i wanted the same car but the estate couldnt find one more pics please!!!!


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## Derekh929 (Aug 28, 2011)

Excellent motor and great reflections, and some good work, and welcome to DW


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## toomanycitroens (Jan 14, 2011)

Beautiful car, stunning.:thumb:


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## DMH-01 (Mar 29, 2011)

Cracking motor you've got there mate.


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

JBirchy said:


> No problem Don, if you're up in the North West by any chance i'd be happy to have a look over it/give you a few pointers if of interest!
> 
> JB


Cheers Jon, very rarely/ever up that why but cheers for the offer 



Grizzle said:


> ohh my days little bit of sex wee there... stunning i wanted the same car but the estate couldnt find one more pics please!!!!


:lol: cheers Grizzle. As i said the pics really don't do her justice

Something that might finish you off by the way












Derekh929 said:


> Excellent motor and great reflections, and some good work, and welcome to DW


Wasn't even that sunny so i expect i can get better pictures as well, shouldn't have sold my DSLR camera :wall:



toomanycitroens said:


> Beautiful car, stunning.:thumb:


Ta 



DMH-01 said:


> Cracking motor you've got there mate.


Thanks  more plans and washes to come!


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## pee (Apr 6, 2009)

smudge_don said:


> Not looking to spend mega bucks!
> 
> Thanks pee  will hopefully be getting some of these in the next year or so


Mmmmmmmm nice


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## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

You 100% right there, that is a stunner for a fact, great job on the whole car, i have not seen one on the road for a long time, Alfa have 100% cracked it with the styling plus the wheels as well.

I can see you keep on top of it, really look nice, thanks for posting.


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## Perfezione (Nov 23, 2006)

Nice work on a stunning car. Seventh pic down looks like theres a big ding in your front wing.


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## Dannbodge (Sep 26, 2010)

alex163 said:


> Nice work on a stunning car. Seventh pic down looks like theres a big ding in your front wing.


There is.
He had a fight with a fox


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## Grizzle (Jul 12, 2006)

smudge_don said:


> :lol: cheers Grizzle. As i said the pics really don't do her justice
> 
> Something that might finish you off by the way


Stick a fork in me i'm done!! :lol:


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## soulark (May 15, 2011)

Great job!


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

alex163 said:


> Nice work on a stunning car. Seventh pic down looks like theres a big ding in your front wing.


As Dann said, that's because there is  a fox ran out in front of me and his head bounced off my front wing, covering the side of the car in his brains....lovely....

Haven't had a chance to get her to the bodyshop yet

And then to make things worse, when it was really windy the other week, a plank of wood from a nearby fence was blown onto my bootlid, and a nail in the wood caused this scratch



















Hoping i'll be able to get it out


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

Ordered some Bilt Hamber Auto Clay to use on the car before TFS at the weekend


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

Clay bar came through today

Will be giving it a HUGE clean tomorrow before TFS, will post pictures of results


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## matt_132 (Mar 16, 2012)

Fantastic looking machine!!!


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## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Looks mint


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## MadOnVaux! (Jun 2, 2008)

smudge_don said:


>


God they have a mean front end, its stunning......only to be defaced with a numberplate, it should be law that 159's are exempt from a front plate 

Great looking car mate


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## CK888 (Apr 23, 2006)

Looks great mate:thumb: Love the 159s especially TIs!


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## jamesgti (Aug 9, 2007)

very nice.


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

MadOnVaux! said:


> God they have a mean front end, its stunning......only to be defaced with a numberplate, it should be law that 159's are exempt from a front plate
> 
> Great looking car mate


Ye the number plate on 1 side does look a bit off

I've taken it off and it looks SO much better so i'm leaving it off. If Mr Plod has anything to say about it then i'll just act ignorant 

Few pics from the 8 hour cleaning session on Saturday before TFS

1st, took all the wheels off and put her on stands










Wheels were a mess



















So then the snowfoam went on the car and got rinsed off after 5mins or so, no pic of the foam on the car as i grabbed a sandwich



















Wheels were given the same treatment, and then used Autoglym Clean Wheels on them back and front, followed by another rinse back and front



















Wheels were then sealed up using Poorboys Wheel Sealant, 2 coats on each one










Then onto the Bilt Hamber clar bar i ordered over the weekend. 1st time i'd ever used one and what a difference it makes! Car definately needed it

Just the top of the boot lid got rid of this










And then the rest of the boot and the back bumper produced this










Rest of the car was filthy, went through 3 bits of clay to go over the car and got rid of a lot of crap 

Then it was the usual 2 bucket method using Autoglym shampoo, and a rinse off. Then dried using Meguiars Water Magnet drying towel

Next step was Autoglym Ultra Deep Shine polish, not the best stuff i know but did the trick 























































Didn't get time to wax her  wanna buy some Dodo Juice Purple Haze to do this with anyway

The Mrs very kindly hoovered the entire car and went over all the interior too 

And the finishing product on the day


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

Just ordered some Tardis and Purple Haze to add to my collection


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## Bayside32 (Apr 10, 2011)

smudge_don said:


> Just ordered some Tardis and Purple Haze to add to my collection


Good additions there mate, liking the sticker on the wing btw :thumb:

And hello to a fellow Alfa owner :wave:


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

Nice work, I'm really tempted by the 159, I was looking at the 2.2 TS last night in red  mmm, before you buy the purple haze you might want to consider trying Supernatural, I use this on our black TT and its fantastic, you can get the small panel pot and it lasts ages


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

What Alfa you got Bayside? Sticker was purely to stop people asking me what the dent was from :lol: got a few good laughs at TFS on Sunday

Steve, it's an amazing car, but she has her flaws

- limited rear leg room
- all models are crap on MPG
- very heavy cars, mine weighs around 1750kg with the AWD system!

But the looks and the drive far outweigh these problems, make sure you get the Ti model like mine though


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## Bayside32 (Apr 10, 2011)

156 GTA Sportwagon bud, she will be having a good deep clean at some point tomorrow , was hoping to do it today but didn't get the time, will be posting up my efforts tomorrow.

Only had it a couple of weeks and have slaughtered the Petrol lol, That V6 is just simply gorgeous to resist putting your foot down, made even better now with a full Exhaust system that really gets her singing 

Which part of the world are you from Don?


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

Bayside32 said:


> 156 GTA Sportwagon bud, she will be having a good deep clean at some point tomorrow , was hoping to do it today but didn't get the time, will be posting up my efforts tomorrow.
> 
> Only had it a couple of weeks and have slaughtered the Petrol lol, That V6 is just simply gorgeous to resist putting your foot down, made even better now with a full Exhaust system that really gets her singing
> 
> Which part of the world are you from Don?


Sadly i couldn't opt for the V6 due to doing around 2k miles a month for work  the 2.4 diesel does me, the 5 pot sound is LUSH for a derv 

I'm in South London mate, you?


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## Bayside32 (Apr 10, 2011)

smudge_don said:


> Sadly i couldn't opt for the V6 due to doing around 2k miles a month for work  the 2.4 diesel does me, the 5 pot sound is LUSH for a derv
> 
> I'm in South London mate, you?


I'm In Brum myself, and yes Alfa seem to have nailed the sound of their diesels it would seem.


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

alfas look best on alfa wheels.
lovely car you've got there :thumb:


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

Cheers Jim

I was hoping to invest in these wheels at some point










Main reason is the weight of the Ti wheels is a lot, plus they're only 8J wide which limits the tyre choices due to needing a 96Y rated tyre. The OZ's are 8.5J wide and opens up the market to a wide range of tyres


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## alfajim (May 4, 2011)

multispokes suit everything :thumb:
it'll look the nuts.


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

I saw this a while back and decided on them, but i think i'll do mine in an anthracite/dark chrome colour


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## SteveTDCi (Feb 8, 2006)

smudge_don said:


> What Alfa you got Bayside? Sticker was purely to stop people asking me what the dent was from :lol: got a few good laughs at TFS on Sunday
> 
> Steve, it's an amazing car, but she has her flaws
> 
> ...


there is only two of us and we have a TT and a 206, so legroom is fine  MPG ... we get 27 out of the cupra and 40 out of the 206 so thats fine ... heavy cars ... i'll only use it for long trips out  I definitely want the Ti if i go for one ... although i still love the cupra, but the 159 is a real stunner


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## smudge_don (Mar 14, 2012)

Let me know if you ever want any more info on them mate


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