# It's Being Smoked In For 13 Years! (Pic Heavy)



## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

After a bit of a break for Detailing due to moving house, we were back on the band wagon with a belter! A 13 year old Mercedes 180E that's being smoked in for most of it's life. Mike, the new owner, had just bought it and wanted to be able to drive it without the need for nicotine patches every time he got out!

Our task was to completely clean the interior and get rid of the nasty yellowing that has stained pretty much every surface, from the dashboard, to the headlining. The outside was to have a basic wash and wax.

This is the state the 190 arrived in, just take a peek at the interior! Eeek!





































  

We started off by cleaning the door/boot shuts and the wheel arches, thankfully no alloys to do this time!

For the door/boot shuts we used the ever flexible Meguiars Super Degreaser and a couple of soft bristled brushes to agitate the muck off. This was followed up with a gentle rinse from the Jet Wash. The foaming head was used for this as the De-Greaser tends to stick better when all foamy, thus cleaning the surface for longer. The 3rd pic along is the result.

  

The outside was then treated to a lovely soapy wash using the Gilmour Gun. For the solution we mixed up 3 plunges of Meguiars Hyper Wash (the gel type, not the new stuff) with warm water and stirred in with a fork!

Here's Harry squirting his load over the Merc! (Ahem)










After the mix was left to do it's work, we followed it up with another wash using Wash Mitts, 2 buckets and a few squirts of Meguiars APC in parts. We followed all this up by drying the car off with the usual spritz of Meguiars Last Touch and the lovely and soft Sonus Der Wunder Drying Towels.

Now the outside was clean we decided we couldn't put off the interior any longer! The first thing we did was take out the front carpets, boot carpet, floor mats and air vents (from the dash) to make it easier for us to clean, and ultimately dry!

This is when our friend George came into play! But before he could work his magic we sprayed Chemical Guys Fabric Clean onto the more stubborn stains and agitated them with a Meguiars Interior Brush. Following on from that we filled up George with carpet shampoo mix and started work!

Here's Harry working on the boot carpet and a picture of the water George sucked up after the front carpets were done! As the front was taken out of the car we could dry those inside next to a radiator.



















As only one of us could use the wet/dry vac we also started working on the headlining and dashboard. For the headlining we used a mix of Meguiars APC or CG Fabric Clean with the Meg's Interior Brush, followed up with a clean damp cloth. For the dashboard we used Meg's APC and a Meguiars Slide Lock Brush, liberally coating it with foamy APC and wiping it off with a damp cloth. The door panels were done using the same method.

As some parts of the interior were really yellow they required a little more time and a second application of APC.

One dry, the dashboard was treated with the fantastic Einszett ****pit Premium, which I have to say we're well impressed with. Imagine your typical interior spray but take out the silicone shiny effect and this is what you have!

Another product that we used to great effect (which smells great too) that we'd like to introduce to the forum is Holts Odor Kill - Anti Tobacco (in Peach). It just sprays on and does the job, kind of like Febreeze but in a range of different smells.

Here's some pics of the usual suspects mentioned above, as quite a few people will just scan through and never know whats used.

  

After working on the interior alone for some hours, we finished off the exterior with a layer of Meguiars #20 Polymer Sealant, followed by Collonite 476S, both put on using applicator pads. The tyres were dressed with Meg's Hot Shine Tyre Spray and the black plastic and rubber with Meg's #38. The glass was cleaned using Meg's Glass Cleaner.

Here's the pics and thanks for staying awake through all this!

  
































































  

Phew! Job done


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## Neil_S (Oct 26, 2005)

That interior 

I think I would have run a mile on seeing that! :lol:

Great transformation!!


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## donnyboy (Oct 27, 2005)

Thats a fantastic turn around. All credit too you. Well done.:thumb: :thumb:


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## Detail My Ride (Apr 19, 2006)

:doublesho Awesome Work There!!! :doublesho


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## dodger (May 20, 2006)

i think you have a competition winner there mate, well done


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## satnam (Oct 27, 2006)

That headliner before 









and after









is totally amazing two :thumb: from me

Sat :thumb: (ok make that three :lol


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## CJA Valeting (Dec 7, 2006)

Wow, i think you should give George a holiday after using him to clean that :lol: 

It looks really nice now :thumb:


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## Exotica (Feb 27, 2006)

What a turnaround:doublesho


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## Thomas-182 (Mar 5, 2006)

That's a great job mate, well done looks excellent, with a nice write up too.


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## Ronnie (Nov 15, 2006)

WOW... i need a ***...... Amazing work there lads a credit to ur skill well done:thumb: :thumb:


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## tompinney (Jan 29, 2006)

If I was looking for a car and found one with an interior like that I wouldn't have even entertained the thought of parting with my money!! 

11/10 for the results, great effort. Bet the new owner was more than slightly chuffed with your work!


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## murf52 (Apr 23, 2006)

:thumb: great turn around i hate too see smoking in cars the smell is sh**t. what carpet shampoo did you use in the henry vac for the carpets


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## BIG BAVARIAN (May 7, 2006)

great work wow, persistance always wins in the end   :thumb: :thumb:


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

murf52 said:


> :thumb: great turn around i hate too see smoking in cars the smell is sh**t. what carpet shampoo did you use in the henry vac for the carpets


It came with Merlin 643 Concentrated Carpet and Upholstery Shampoo. We also used CG Fabric Clean for stubborn bits.

http://www.chemiclean.co.uk/George.htm


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## TUBS (May 9, 2006)

Thats a great potential for competion win, love to see a before and after like that, total credit to you both !!! :buffer: :thumb:


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

Can't enter the comp as its a job! (albeit part time for now!)


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## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

That is disgusting :doublesho 

I'd have just torched it:devil:


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## craigparker (Jan 21, 2007)

What did you use on the dashboard mate? Where do you get it? 
Awesome turnaround on the interior


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## CleanYourCar (Jan 23, 2006)

Yeah thats a beauty of a turnaround. Much respect, as I hate doing interiors.


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

craigparker said:


> What did you use on the dashboard mate? Where do you get it?
> Awesome turnaround on the interior


Read the write up you lazy git!


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## Dave KG (Feb 23, 2006)

That is one of the best interior details I have seen! Excellent, what an absolute state before, really awful, but looking just like new in the afters - supberb! :thumb:


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## Bryman (Oct 1, 2006)

great turn arround,they must been well impressed, and thought you had replaced the car, lol

welldone, def an inspirational thread


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## Zorba_the_greek (Nov 9, 2005)

AMAZING work mate! bet owner will be over the moon


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## Mark M (Nov 29, 2006)

Awesome work. Interior looks like it has been replaced!

Hats off to ya


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

We did think it would be easier to get another interior and just swap it! :lol:


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## GlynRS2 (Jan 21, 2006)

Wow - you guys deserve a medal for taking on that interior!
Fantastic turn around after many years of neglect. If that was the state of the car I hate to think what the inside of the previous owners lungs are like!


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## burns863 (Jul 7, 2006)

Urgh :doublesho I cant believe the amount of yellowing in the interior. That is absolutely disgusting.

I cant understand though why someone would buy a second hand car if it is that state? Unless he got it for an absolute bargain price and knew it could be fixed i suppose


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

I don't think he paid a lot for it TBH!


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## AR-CoolC (Feb 9, 2006)

I can't see any pictures  

Is it your end or mine?


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## CK888 (Apr 23, 2006)

What a difference! Super effort there:thumb:


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## Mouse (Oct 31, 2006)

Very impressive


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

AR-CoolC said:


> I can't see any pictures
> 
> Is it your end or mine?


Think it must be you?


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## Skodaw (Mar 19, 2006)

Wow - he was a brave man buying that car in the first place -- hope it was cheap.

Still once he got you on board he was laughing -- got to be one of the best interior transformations I have ever seen on here. :thumb:


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## AR-CoolC (Feb 9, 2006)

ardandy said:


> Think it must be you?


Yeah I think it must be. The first few pictures show, but the rest are just a small box with a red cross in it


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## Sjdickso (Nov 8, 2005)

Well done what a change.


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## Refined Reflections (May 12, 2006)

Great work, I love interiors as a little effort can make a big change.

Top marks :thumb:


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## Fursecul (Sep 12, 2006)

WOW that was allot of hard work but the results speak for themselves.:thumb:


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## dino (Oct 26, 2005)

Best interior clean up i've ever seen!!


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## JustinC (Dec 27, 2006)

Amazing transformation, fair play to you guys !:thumb:


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## jon-v8 (Jan 26, 2006)

Fantastic work! Thats amazing! I wouldn't even know where to start!! 
How could someone do that to their car?! :wall:


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## simonmwh (Dec 5, 2006)

BBBBBAAAAAARERRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHH!!!!!! *walks away from a pile of puke* Those nicotine stains are f**king disgusting.:doublesho 

Nice work though:thumb:


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

You have to think that its a great ad for quitting smoking!


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## Summit Detailing (Oct 9, 2006)

WOW!...fantastic chaps!


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## Rasher (Mar 6, 2006)

what a job, amazing!!


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

Just found out the guy paid £360 for it!

It's a bargain now, even with our fee!


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## dw0510 (Oct 22, 2006)

Wow seen *** interiors before but not that bad. I used TFR on the last one and it turns yellow as it runs off when you spray it on. Minging!


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## AndyC (Oct 25, 2005)

And that's why I don't touch interiors  . Nice work mate - even as a smoker that's kinda sickening


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## satnam (Oct 27, 2006)

AndyC said:


> - even as a smoker that's kinda sickening


Just what i was thinking  need a *** now  :lol:

Sat:thumb:


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## Curtiz (Aug 11, 2006)

some turnaround done on that  nice one


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## Phil H (May 14, 2006)

great work!!! hell of a difference! excellent!


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

Someone asked me to bump this up, so bump!


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## BIG BAVARIAN (May 7, 2006)

speaking from experience those types of interiors are the devils work and really are b*** aches to do,top job there andy well done fella :thumb: :thumb:


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## alanjo99 (Nov 22, 2007)

Well done mate !

Nice transformation !


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## Dan Clark (Jun 25, 2007)

Awesome work!!! 

Can't believe how sh1tey it looks compared to the afters....millions times better!! Probably gone up a few £££ after that too! :thumb:


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## Buck (Jan 16, 2008)

Now that was yuk!!

Great work there - must have taken a bit to psych yourself up to do the inside but much improved!!

Well Done


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## nick_mcuk (Jan 4, 2008)

I did a E300 on an L plate a while back wasnt smoked in but it was errr heavily soiled shall we say!

These old mercs alwasy come up well....only thing to watch is the older ones have horse hair stuffed seats so you have to be really careful wet vacing them.

Good job though hope the owner was pleased!!!!


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## Mossman (Jan 10, 2008)

Good grief, don't you just love smoking!   

Hat off to you for that job - outstanding! :thumb:


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## stevil (May 7, 2006)

Good turnaround!


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## davyboy944 (Dec 30, 2007)

Must have stunk!


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## Destroyers (Aug 30, 2007)

Very nice stuff. Great job on the interior there, you wouldn't have known it had been abused at all looking at those after pictures :thumb:


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## Ray in Kingwood (Feb 16, 2008)

Boy that is one big difference....it looks great........even with the steering wheel on the wrong side!


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## mouthyman (May 1, 2006)

great work, i bet the owner was pleased


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## ClubmanCJ (Mar 2, 2008)

Nice work! That Merc looks awesome now! Being a 'Merrycan, I've never seen one of these with those wheels/hub caps. The interior before was absolutely disgusting. The after is seriously good! It looks like brand new!


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

Ray in Kingwood said:


> Boy that is one big difference....it looks great........even with the steering wheel on the wrong side!


Just sent this thread to someone and noticed this post.

I don't get it? Steering wheel?


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## ask4j (Feb 24, 2008)

ardandy said:


> Just sent this thread to someone and noticed this post.
> 
> I don't get it? Steering wheel?


Ray is from the states, so to us the steering wheel is on the wrong side... LOL

Excellent job on the interior, the befores were nasty.

"J"


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

Is this resolved?

EDIT: Ignore this, I was looking through this thread whilst replying to this one http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=200986 and typed in the wrong page! :wall:

Sorry!


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## Guest (Jan 28, 2011)

Great work!! That interior looks so crisp an fresh now :thumb:


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## Danny B (Apr 14, 2010)

Wow, amazing turn around :thumb:


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## andrew186 (May 23, 2010)

nice job imagine what the lungs of the guy smoking look like


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## tromppost (Jan 12, 2008)

Very good job..


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## big ben (Aug 25, 2009)

thread revival!!!!!

great work though


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## gargreen7 (Apr 12, 2009)

thats headliner before was actually SICK !


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## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

I've just had someone ask me about this. Dug out the thread and realised it was 10 years ago last month!!!!!!!!!!


Oh my god I'm old!!!!!

10 year bump!


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## Forsh (Jun 13, 2014)

I just had a brain fart trying to work out how a 190 could only be 13 years old LOL

Those first pics though - 2 words - write off!


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## enc (Jan 25, 2006)

http://www.executivedetailing.co.uk/content/images/008-Merc180/07dw.jpg

I feel physically sick


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