# Breding new life into an old Levin



## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

This all started by me asking my friend what on earth he washes his car with as it doesnt look good. His reply with make DW fans shudder, "What do you mean what do I wash it with, I have never washed it once since I owned it" :doublesho

Anyway as he was going away for 9 weeks I said that I would give it a going over while he was away as he's looking at selling it when he gets home.

Must say a big thanks to Mr.Q for his help on this detail. Its so great having a mate with his own DA as we literally took one side of the car each. Saves so much time and good to have another nutty DW member to talk to.

The car as it started, very grey and dusty.


















Swirls using natural light.









Loads of bush scratches.









Standard Door Handle Scratches









More Scratches (excuse the pink Camera :wall









Bird Poo Etching all the way through clear and colour. Stay well away during polishing.









Strange white blobs on the bonnett that were like clear coat or glue. They polished out though.









As the wheels were Stealies with Hub Cups I just gave them a quick wipe down with a noodle mit and they had only been brought a few weeks before so they came up fine.

Car was foamed with a mix of Megs APC and Hyper Wash to loosen as much crap as possible. I always like to APC Foam as it breaks down crap in areas you wouldnt necessarily touch.

Obligatory snow foam shot.









Nice thick foam from an old school foam, Hyper Wash


















Then went round all the seals, plastics, badges, fuel cap, etc.

Tools of the trade. Really like the new Valet pro brushes.









Years of grime coming from window seals, was much worse but only decided to get the camera last minute.









Love how water can make any car look nearly perfect but we all know what lurking when its dried.









It was then foamed again with Hyper Wash and using the 2 bucket method and a Carpro Washmitt I washed the car while the foam was still on. Prefer washing cars this way.









Rinsed and we can now get a proper look at those scratches. 









Clayed with Bilt Hamber Regular as this has more bite than the soft. Used 3M shampoo diluted for lube as I find this really slick. I know BH Clay only needs water but prefer a little slickness to the clay lube.

After a quarter of the bonnet. :doublesho









Lower Doors









3rd Snow Foam and quick wash after to get rid of clay residue









Dried off and pulled into the garage. Some swirls. I couldnt capture the severity of the swirls using the energy saving bulbs but I know Mr.Q got some great ones using the LED light on his phone.

























I wanted to go full on correction on this car and use the Megs MF System as I hadnt had a chance to use it then but didnt want to take the chance as the NZ sun burns through clear coat so we tried Tripple. It looked good but not to DW standards so stepped up to Megs 205 on a 3M Yellow polishing Pad. This gave probably 70-80% correction but we thought we would try Tripple over the top and I was surprised how much better this made the finish considering 205 is a finishing polish.

Look at the crap the polish is pulling out of the paint and this is after APC and Clay. First thoughts were single stage paint but its definitely clear coated.









Autofinesse goodies ever so kindly supplied by Mr.Q for me to try. He insisted as he loves AF, rightly so I found. 









I was going to wetsand the headlights but decided to try a safer route first. Just hit these with 205 and I was shocked at the improvement.








See how the right light is quite yellow.









After polishing.









Problem now the colour was back to its original black, the white stone chips really show up.









The LSP of choice was Soul, had to be over Tripple. Trim Dressed with Revive courtesy of Mr.Q again. Mr.Q tried Satin on the tyres on one side of the car and I used Chemical Guys - New Look Trim dressing.

NLTD









Satin 









And some finished shots.













































One of my Favorite Shots.



























Stalker Shots

















Must thank Mr.Q again, 1 for all the help as wouldnt have got this finished in the time we did and 2 for letting me try out the AF products. I know that Mr.Q got some decent photos as well on his swanky Galaxy S3 which has a better camera than my Pink Camera.

The owner is back from travelling thursday so hopefully he sees the difference but I saw it at the weekend and its slightly dusty but I think you can still see the difference.

Just a quick reminder to finish

Before









After


----------



## Willows-dad (Jul 12, 2012)

Nice job. It's a shame that he didn't see all the work you had to put in. He just gets a clean car and probably a better price when it sells. I hope he buys you both a nice drink.


----------



## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Willows-dad said:


> Nice job. It's a shame that he didn't see all the work you had to put in. He just gets a clean car and probably a better price when it sells. I hope he buys you both a nice drink.


People in the UK kind of understood why we detail but people in NZ have absolutely no clue. Just did it for fun really and being a black car its always rewarding. If I can help a mate get more money and sell it easier its all good.

It took 2 people a day and a half so 30+ plus hours. Full respect to the pros for doing something like this in one day.


----------



## deni2 (May 4, 2011)

Great improvement, :thumb:.


----------



## id_doug (Apr 6, 2011)

Great turnaround on a truly neglected car :thumb:


----------



## tonyy (Jul 26, 2008)

Great turnaround:thumb:


----------



## veb (Mar 13, 2006)

What a turnaround, looks like two different cars, didnt realise it was meant to be black, great choice of products, top work:thumb:


----------



## Chrissyronald (Jan 15, 2012)

so much better! great work!!


----------



## Planet Admin (Jul 11, 2009)

Brill finish!:thumb:


----------



## Matt_Nic (Apr 15, 2011)

Good work turning a shed to a desirable rare car again.


----------



## bazz (May 15, 2007)

what a mess tha was in makes me wounder how people can drive around in such a dirty car.
great job looks much better and hope fully the owner will appreciate it when he come back


----------



## JwilliamsM (Dec 20, 2011)

Great work, theres so many people i know with cars that have paintwork like this it gets to me, they wouldnt have their cloths or house in that condition, so why their cars?
What 205 stuff did you use on the headlights? Unsure what it is


----------



## Natalie (Jan 19, 2011)

Looks a million times better, well done :thumb:


----------



## mattyslk (Jul 28, 2012)

Great turnaround


----------



## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Thanks everyone for all the comments. People say they don't understand letting their car get like that but you have to remember were the minority. I bet more people think were mad cleaning a car for 30+ hours :thumb:



jayz_son said:


> Great work, theres so many people i know with cars that have paintwork like this it gets to me, they wouldnt have their cloths or house in that condition, so why their cars?
> What 205 stuff did you use on the headlights? Unsure what it is


It's meguiars 205, Mr Q had some that i tried, was impressed with the correction abilities but it also finished down very well. Went out and brought a large bottle start away.


----------



## alesoft73 (Aug 27, 2012)

Old car..... now New car 
Nice work!


----------



## Dummer (Jul 28, 2008)

Did you get your product in NZ or mail order?


----------



## robgooch (Mar 12, 2011)

What a transformation, well done mate


----------



## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Dummer said:


> Did you get your product in NZ or mail order?


Majority were mail order but smits group do megs products.

Other than megs you can't really get any decent stuff in NZ. If your clever you can get stuff cheaper delivered here than uk


----------



## jlw41 (Jun 5, 2011)

Wow what a turn around :thumb:


----------



## Soul Hudson (Jul 5, 2011)

Cracking job. Shows how improtant tyre dressing is as it finishes the car off perfectly. 

I'm a fan of the Chemical Guys NLTG but after seeing your comparison with Satin I'm prefering the satin, as you can get a nice matt finish rather than the shiny finish NLTG gives you. Does not suit all cars in my opinion.


----------



## MR.Q (Apr 19, 2010)

Bod42 said:


> People in the UK kind of understood why we detail but people in NZ have absolutely no clue. Just did it for fun really and being a black car its always rewarding. If I can help a mate get more money and sell it easier its all good.
> 
> It took 2 people a day and a half so 30+ plus hours. Full respect to the pros for doing something like this in one day.


Great Day was had, Cheers mate :buffer: I didn't get to see the final, final product (after wax had fully cured and in the sun).Came up WELL nice. The owner of the car is back now so I have to ask the inevitable.... What did he think of it?



Dummer said:


> Did you get your product in NZ or mail order?


 I see another DW nutter in Auckland  good to know :thumb: that makes a grand total of 3 people in Auckland that know what detailing even means :lol:



Soul Hudson said:


> Cracking job. Shows how improtant tyre dressing is as it finishes the car off perfectly.
> 
> I'm a fan of the Chemical Guys NLTG but after seeing your comparison with Satin I'm prefering the satin, as you can get a nice matt finish rather than the shiny finish NLTG gives you. Does not suit all cars in my opinion.


 Thats the finish I prefer to mate but when I applied it it was a little darker and richer. I then left and the car was instorage for a day or so before BOD42 pulled it out for the shots in the sun (we worked on it until the early evening :buffer: ) I would have probably put another layer on to get that new tire look :thumb:


----------



## Dummer (Jul 28, 2008)

Bod42 said:


> Majority were mail order but smits group do megs products.
> 
> Other than megs you can't really get any decent stuff in NZ. If your clever you can get stuff cheaper delivered here than uk


I guess 3M is the only other choice :wall:
saw someone selling CG on trademe but never tried.
Can I join your next mail order please. need some small pads and brushes.



MR.Q said:


> I see another DW nutter in Auckland  good to know :thumb: that makes a grand total of 3 people in Auckland that know what detailing even means :lol:


Used to spend the whole long weekend to polish/wax the car but not anymore. It just bring up all the defect of the car (stone chips, supermarket trundler/tow bar dents...etc)


----------



## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Dummer said:


> I guess 3M is the only other choice :wall:
> saw someone selling CG on trademe but never tried.
> Can I join your next mail order please. need some small pads and brushes.
> 
> Used to spend the whole long weekend to polish/wax the car but not anymore. It just bring up all the defect of the car (stone chips, supermarket trundler/tow bar dents...etc)


Mitre 10 and Bunnings sell 3M but thats still average Joe stuff not really the decent pads and polishes. The shampoo isnt half bad tho.

There are a few sites out here selling stuff, DetailDepot sells loads of makes and MaxDetail sells Carpro, EZ Brush and Scholl but you can get them cheaper from the UK usually. Just being careful as if you order too much you can get stung by import tax.

If you need small bits and pieces EliteCarCare is your best bet as they charge per item weight so the other day I just ordered 2 brushes and a Wheel Brightener Bottle as it was cheaper than over here. Bigger orders Shinearama is probably your best bet.



MR.Q said:


> Great Day was had, Cheers mate :buffer: I didn't get to see the final, final product (after wax had fully cured and in the sun).Came up WELL nice. The owner of the car is back now so I have to ask the inevitable.... What did he think of it?


The txt I got was "Yea man car looks great. I'll try not to get it to dirty before I sell it. Cheers for doing that" then I said hopefully it will sell easier and he said "Yea definitely looks like its been looked after" not quite the reaction Im used to but if you dont care its just a clean bit of paint at the end of the day.


----------



## BigGeezy (Sep 24, 2012)

Nice work, but can I ask what pro you got to take the pics of your Scoob. Who ever it was also did a hell of a job photoshopping it to!!


----------



## Raga (Feb 14, 2012)

You have been through alot with this car hope he appreciates it!


----------



## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

BigGeezy said:


> Nice work, but can I ask what pro you got to take the pics of your Scoob. Who ever it was also did a hell of a job photoshopping it to!!


I took the pics, the great thing about Digital Camera's is that you can take hundreds of pics and just pick the best ones.

Where did you see pic's of my scoob other than my Avatar? The only photo thats photo shopped is the one where the back round is black and white and I did this using photobucket. If you look at the full size photo you can see where the edges arent quite perfect.


----------



## BigGeezy (Sep 24, 2012)

I meant the one I photo shopped ya mug. It's Goz. I accidently deleted them all by the way but have them all on book. Need to somehow extract them all, or find my flash drive as i'm sure they are all backed up on there.


----------



## Beanman (Jan 10, 2013)

Wow small world, my mates dad owns Wheels on Wairau where the car's from, do you guys live on the Shore?
I've finally found some other Kiwi's


----------



## Trip tdi (Sep 3, 2008)

This ones a nice result, just shows what can be done with the skills and products you use, great work guys :thumb:


----------



## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Beanman said:


> Wow small world, my mates dad owns Wheels on Wairau where the car's from, do you guys live on the Shore?
> I've finally found some other Kiwi's


Theres a couple of Kiwi's on here, me (Im a POM tho) and I know of 2 others. I detailed a few cars now with Mr.Q as well. Check out some of his details in the Showroom, he uses Autofinesse a lot and his write ups and results are top notch.

Theres a few companies poping up over here that stock what I class as proper detailing gear as well, at last.

Im out West Auckland.


----------



## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

So many Jaffas in this thread  :lol: :lol: :lol:

Awesome turnaround though, shame that that is a looked after car over here



Bod42 said:


> People in the UK kind of understood why we detail but people in NZ have absolutely no clue.


And they don't really care, only people I've met who care about their cars seem to be the Hot Rod crowd



MR.Q said:


> I see another DW nutter in Auckland  good to know :thumb: that makes a grand total of 3 people in Auckland that know what detailing even means :lol:


Theres one more isn't there.

and Leighton from Detail Depot is a member on here too.



Bod42 said:


> Mitre 10 and Bunnings sell 3M but thats still average Joe stuff not really the decent pads and polishes. The shampoo isnt half bad tho.
> .


Not sure about up there, but here Mitre 10 stopped stocking 3M 



Beanman said:


> Wow small world, my mates dad owns Wheels on Wairau where the car's from, do you guys live on the Shore?
> I've finally found some other Kiwi's


Couple more of us and we might get our own section


----------



## -Raven- (Aug 26, 2010)

Nice work boys! Great to see more anzacs on here!  

I love detailing cars like this! Hopefully your mate will start washing it now!


----------



## TopSport+ (Jul 22, 2012)

awesome work, like a nwe or better


----------



## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

-Raven- said:


> Nice work boys! Great to see more anzacs on here!
> 
> I love detailing cars like this! Hopefully your mate will start washing it now!


Definitely get more joy out of the older cars than new as its a more dramatic change. The guys had a real culture shock since I moved over here, he using the 2 bucket method, lifting proper weights and playing golf, what have I done :lol:

And Kiwi's did you know theres a company out here that now sells Polish Angel, Auto Finesse, CarPro, EZ Detail, Scholl Concept, Swissvax and Wheel Woolies. Finally getting some good makes. Surprising that the big sizes are really good value like I have 5L of Avalanch on the way to me. He has hinted at discount if a few of us get together but cant post as he doesnt sponsor the site so PM if interested.


----------



## BMW - AL (Dec 31, 2012)

Very nice mate, looks like a new car  certainly a different colour :thumb:


----------



## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

PM me the site :thumb:
Or is it on trademe?

Just need to get Zaino over here and cheap clay and I'll be happy 

We'll have to arrange a kiwi meet up, what's the big Concours D'Elegance event they hold each year, possible Ellerslie



Bod42 said:


> Definitely get more joy out of the older cars than new as its a more dramatic change. The guys had a real culture shock since I moved over here, he using the 2 bucket method, lifting proper weights and playing golf, what have I done :lol:
> 
> And Kiwi's did you know theres a company out here that now sells Polish Angel, Auto Finesse, CarPro, EZ Detail, Scholl Concept, Swissvax and Wheel Woolies. Finally getting some good makes. Surprising that the big sizes are really good value like I have 5L of Avalanch on the way to me. He has hinted at discount if a few of us get together but cant post as he doesnt sponsor the site so PM if interested.


----------



## Beanman (Jan 10, 2013)

Even though I'm new, I'd still be keen to meet up/chat about achieving similar results to what you guys are producing.


----------



## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

Beanman said:


> Even though I'm new, I'd still be keen to meet up/chat about achieving similar results to what you guys are producing.


We're always here to help, if I was in Auckland then I'd be back to my organising meets ways.

I've had my Detailing World stickers on my car for about a year now and not one Naki person has signed up


----------



## Beanman (Jan 10, 2013)

To be honest most Kiwi's don't give a rats about their cars so that doesn't surprise me.
My friends think I'm strange for washing and vacuuming my car once a week.


----------



## FFV Jonathan (Jun 30, 2012)

Bod42 said:


> People in the UK kind of understood why we detail but people in NZ have absolutely no clue. Just did it for fun really and being a black car its always rewarding. If I can help a mate get more money and sell it easier its all good.
> 
> It took 2 people a day and a half so 30+ plus hours. Full respect to the pros for doing something like this in one day.


I do this for a job here in NZ and your right, they have no idea here.
And whats worse is they're shocked at our prices for a full detail. 
I should quote them some of the UK prices, that'll get their knickers in a twist


----------



## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

FFV Jonathan said:


> I do this for a job here in NZ and your right, they have no idea here.
> And whats worse is they're shocked at our prices for a full detail.
> I should quote them some of the UK prices, that'll get their knickers in a twist


I thought about carrying on detailing for a living when I got here, but a week of looking at the cars convinced me not too.


----------



## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Alex L said:


> I thought about carrying on detailing for a living when I got here, but a week of looking at the cars convinced me not too.


I walked down the entire length of pak n save the other day and no word of a lie every single car had damage of some sort. That would be why I park my car across the street and walk.


----------



## Alex L (Oct 25, 2005)

Bod42 said:


> I walked down the entire length of pak n save the other day and no word of a lie every single car had damage of some sort. That would be why I park my car across the street and walk.


That doesn't seem to matter with my car


----------



## MR.Q (Apr 19, 2010)

Bod42 said:


> I walked down the entire length of pak n save the other day and no word of a lie every single car had damage of some sort. That would be why I park my car across the street and walk.


And they still manage to find your car, park next to it and ding it!!!!! 

Been out of the game for a while over christmas and haven't really checked DW as much as normal - seeing this thread come up again however has made my day. Im pleased to see all the kiwi's coming out of the wood work (so to speak) as I had no idea there were so many on here. Did you say Avalanche Bod42???  Im listening..... ha ha ha. chuck me a txt when you read this as I wanna chat to you re Auto Finesse gear (surprise....not)

Is anyone else here getting a bit envious of the cool snow shots the guys are getting back in the UK at the moment? maybe its just me. Nice to meet you fellow kiwi's btw. Im in Aucks too but on the North Shore - hit me up if you're near and fancy a meet and greet


----------



## Bod42 (Jun 4, 2009)

Holy Thread Resurrection Batman.

http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=212084&highlight=new+zealand

No seriously the above thread was started by Alex to find all the Kiwi's. All kiwi's should post in there so if there ever is a DW meet we can let every body know. Swap knowledge, try products etc.


----------

