[Cat1.4]

Sorry it's a bit late, to those who were asking for it [:I]

Here are my piccies of my newly colour coded side and bumper strips. Did them last weekend, over 2 days, with the kind help of vroom69 with his warehouse & gerard.

Started on the Friday night in the warehouse, at about 5.30pm I think. I had already given the car a good wash earlier on that day, & made sure the strips were totally clean. Some of them were actually bonded to the car (don't ask me how, I don't know). I decided to break the seal as it already was in parts anyway. This turned out ok but in retrospect I probably wouldn't have if I was doing it over.

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/659255/original.aspx

Anyway, masked off all the strips well (including the bumper strips, didn't have time to try & get them off), and covered most of the car in newspaper. This was a good idea for the primer stage, it went absolutely everywhere! Although it looked like some sort of grotesque newsprint bodykit. Then sprayed the strips 3 times, leaving 15 minutes in between, with grey Halfords primer. I had bought 3 tins of this, but ended up using not even one whole one!

Anyway, had to leave the car in the warehouse overnight to dry... was hard to tear myself away from the poor thing looking like it did, but I managed it [:I]

Went back the next morning and rubbed it all down with wet & dry (dry). I had read that doing this would get it smooth, without having to sand before priming. It didn't! Well, not unless you sanded all the primer off again... but if I'm honest, I actually prefer it slightly stippled - adds to the metallic effect IMO (or maybe I just don't care cos it's mine [])

Then started spraying - 3 coats of green, with 15 minutes between the first two. As I found, you don't need to spray too heavily at all, or you will get loads of runs! If you do, a hairdryer will help spread this out. I also sanded any drips in between 1 & 2. Then the third coat went on & left for 15 minutes. I wasn't convinced that the undersides of the strips were done properly, so sprayed lightly underneath then the whole thing was left for 45 minutes.

Then the lacquer went on - in the meantime a pro sprayer had joined us & recommended to spray many times, extremely lightly & often rather than a few times & heavily. So that's what I did - once VERY lightly then left for 2 minutes & sprayed again. Then 15 minutes and repeated the double spraying, and again after 1/2 an hour (so 6 times in total). Again, be careful of running liquid & use a hairdryer. The warehouse we were in was actually too cold for painting, so this was even worse. In the end, we had 2 hairdryers on the lacquer constantly.

Then left for about 3 hours or something, by which time I had to go home & al the masking came off. Took it home, and clayed all the overspray off the next day & this is the result. What do you think?

We didn't do the handles, but perversely I quite like them black [:I] I think it needs some polish and wax now, to make it shine up the same as the rest of the car.

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/659524/original.aspx

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/659529/original.aspx

This is where I broke the bonding, but I've touched it up now & you would never tell

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/659532/original.aspx

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/659544/original.aspx

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/659559/original.aspx

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/724403/original.aspx

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/724405/original.aspx

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/724410/original.aspx

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/724407/original.aspx

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/724409/original.aspx

There was loads of this overspray that I clayed off... I love claybar []

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/724411/original.aspx

I just liked this one [)]

http://uk-mkivs.net/photos/cat1.4/images/724412/original.aspx

 

[Carlos]

Looks great Cat, whats next?

 

[a8wpg]

That really looks great, pukka job and transforms the look of your car, such a nice colour too[]

 

[J111ASE]

youve done a good job there.looks so much better.

 

[curley]

Looks great cat, thanks for posting.

Doing mine as we speak but haven't done the door strips yet..

Well done!!!

 

[S1R SS]

looking good - door handles next?

 

[Cat1.4]

Thanks for the compliments guys, hope the write up can help somebody.

Forgot to say, altogether I used 3 cans of paint, once can of lacquer (rip off selling it together IMO), and one pack of P600 wet & dry - obviously this would be more if you sanded before priming. So not bad for less than ?40.

Thanks to Rye & GreenBeast for their advice.

Not sure if I want to do the handles, tbh... I quite like them black & never wanted a 'GTI lookalike' so makes it a bit different. Will leave it for now & see if my opinion changes.

As for other plans, don't want to spend too much money on the car (don't see the point in a 1.4), but got some alu interior trim & tt pedals on the way, and bora vents. Would like to put in an MP3 CD player, but can't see it happening before my holiday - and thinking about a new front valance. That's about it really! (I'm sure once that's done I'll find other ways to spend money on it though [:I])

 

[oxford]

Fantastic job, well done!

 

[GreenBeast]

no probs...i'm getting red x's though so i can't see your handy work.

yeah i found a good sanding down then primer and another good sanding does the trick

 

[sdesailly]

Nice one Cat, looking good!

You gotta do the handles IMO!

 

[Cluke]

Superb job, really finishes the car. [^]

 

[Big A]

Looks a lot better. You'll be a dab hand at this painting malarky now then? Fancy doing my spoiler then???

 

[GreenBeast]

small pieces like bump and side strips are pretty easy compared to getting large areas like spoilers looking right...i did my valences and they don't look bad but they are practically underneath the car so that helps

 

[Cat1.4]

Quote: posted by Big A on 21/02/2005 21:33:18

Looks a lot better. You'll be a dab hand at this painting malarky now then? Fancy doing my spoiler then???

You know how you could sweeten that deal []

Don't know what's going on with my pics, sorry guys - sounds like some of you can see them, but they're not even accessible to me! Server problems...

 

[efrancis]

Looks a real neat job. But i thought you were selling your Golf?!

 

[binlinerVR6]

Neat job... dont mean to be picky but I think it would have looked a lot better with the texture smoothed out to give the same finish as the rest of the bumper. Give them a going over with G3 to really polish them up

 

[Cat1.4]

What's this G3 stuff? I'm trying to decide on a polish to bring out the shine before waxing, but don't know which to go for (don't have any as yet). Be picky if you like, it's your opinion & valid... my opinion is it looks better like this, and it's my car so I win []

efrancis, I had the paint anyway so would have been pointless not to do it - plus, killed a couple of days [^]

Been spending more money on the car, so she stays. For now.

 

[Big A]

Quote: posted by Cat1.4 on 21/02/2005 23:35:15

You know how you could sweeten that deal []

Lol, I asked for that one[)]

 

[N13LY R]

Looks good cat. Now no one knows (except us lot) whats under the bonnet.

 

[Tabs]

Looks great Cat, top job! Really transforms the look of your car.

Half way through doing my Girlfriends colour coding at the moment but I must admit I chickened out of doing the work myself on the front strips and got my mate to do them in the bodyshop [:I]

Still got the side strips and door handles to do though so may use your guide to do 'em [^]