H5

Secrets going, but all for a good cause......! I use Auto Glym Engine and Machine Cleaner. Firstly, cover all electrical sockets etc that are exposed with cling film. Then spray the stuff all over the place and leave for a few seconds. Using a range of brushes (alloy wheel ones, paint brushes etc) go nuts for a bit agitating it on every surface you can get to. Use a watering can to rinse it off. Repeat as necessary until you can run your hand over every surface and it's clean. Dry with a cloth. That makes it clean, next step is to get the finish which is another step.......

Aimed at me or Ming??

That'll learn ya!! As long as she isn't setting a standard. Just go very slowly past any dry stone walls now...........!

You have no idea how accurate that is Mike!!

Hi mate, no news yet. Can't work out WHAT they think they're doing with it!! The pics of the install and exterior are on page two of this thread? Enjoy work, pays for more Glym!!

lol - everyone's got a bit of it in them!! And you clearly have an engine fetish! Have you seen the pics of the Volvo? What d'ya think?? I reckon for a home install it looks very very tidy. Not my choice on the covering pattern but nicely finished. I got carried away with Italian Alcantara in mine, all neatly brushed in the same direction...... My install was for me and no-one else. The fact it happened to do OK against some much bigger opposition and everyone like the car was a bonus.

Cheers Rob. It was lovely sounding. Not as 'cheque book' as some so there was the odd equipment limitation in sound. But I couldn't get enough of listening to music in it. I will do the Zed yes. But I have weight issues with doing it like I did the Volvo. The 440 was a diesel family hatchback. It never went fast so I didn't care about the weight. The sub box alone with W7 in weighed bout 35kgs. So next one will be a big sound from different kit though. Anyone wanna buy a W7 or Slash series amps?? I was at a show yesterday and speaking to a few distributors about this car and will try something else.

Liam you legend! Took a couple of goes, but got it done. Reset and all good. Cheers matey! Any ideas why it does this??

Engine bay. Worst bit over with..... Now for the outside..... And the install and interior.... What do you think?? And I know what some may think. Yes it was a bit chavvy, but that's the way it was!! I was young and naive..... But an improvement over standard!!

Powder, pah. Carbon fibre.......

Agreed mate. After all it is my every day car and is not garaged. I see it as all about being CLEAN and subtle. Theme wise the car is going to stay reasonably standard. There will be no great big ironing board/shopping trolley spoilers on the back or lips so low it grounds out on a pea. The engine bay will be simple with one colour added to what is already there. It will however be VERY VERY clean. I have plans to replace several bits under the bonnet and each bit I add will in one way or the other be changed from standard. The interior has not yet been considered as it is already comfy and, with leather, quite nice looking. I have a set of quality Nissan mats that finish it off nicely. The boot area is one I have a few ideas for. (Don't worry there is not going to be great big speakers and subs and amps everywhere I am far too old for all that!! ) Hell i am giving far too much away here!! What plans do you have mate?? Ming the Considered This is where it could get interesting then.....! I'm similar, car used regularly, clean and subtle the way forward. I have a lip on it's way and need to change rear bumper as someone reversed into mine already Under the bonnet, similar, one colour and then the rest clean and tidy. Maybe the odd bit of bling replacement too..... As for the boot, when you see the pics of my show car you'll roll your eyes. Nothing massive (it was two speakers up front and one sub) but it was in a pretty custom install. And won trophies for sound quality. The boot will change. Interior wise, I'm the same as you, just very clean. My mate has just bought a T350C and we wrote our shopping lists yesterday, but I'll spare you that...... Any rules needed??

Cheers Liam! Will go try. No doubt will get it looked at if it doesn't reset. Just wondered if flashing meant something specific.

And just to check, anything like chips that cannot be rectified without a respray don't come into the judging process? Fair?

Hi H5 Agreed. I did make the most of the sunshine. Its also good that both cars are Gun Metal Grey. There is not even going to be a 'well I prefer ............. colour' issue. I reckon we continue to post pics as we go along and store a couple of 'work in progress'files somewhere. On a set date next year we meet up at a show somewhere and let the club members decide. Those that can't make it get to vote on the photo files and the winner gets the six pack and trophy of 'King of Bling' It will be a straight H5 or Ming vote! Any other suggestions greatlfully accepted mate! I would open it up to other site members for suggestions but cetain persons on here would end up suggesting nude polishing or inserting vegetables in your exhaust pipes for extra points or other such inane ideas!! I can't wait to start taking things off so that I can clean BEHIND and UNDERNEATH them!! The PURPLE is coming! What plans do you have mate or is that going to be a little surprise along the way? Ming the ready PS Where are the pics of your show car? Show me those and I will show you what we did with my GTO Twin Turbo engine bay. (I'm sad I have loads and loads of pics!! ) Pics of the show car in the way. A mate has much better ones than mine and not always had a home PC - work scanned my old laptop for pictures. I'll get some more pics up soon of the Zed and the Rudeboy when I get them sent. I can't wait to start taking things off, sending them away and then putting them back on...... Did I mention my bro works at Prodrive in the composites department??? Plans so far are to clean everything and anything with a slight blemish replace. Last time I found a stone chip on my bonnet, I got a new one. (H5 the Obsessed!) Then decide on a theme..... You? As for a side by side test, anything like that is good. Show or meet to compare will do the trick. Then 6 pack it is. BTW, show car was more interior and exterior, and not so much engine bay. I even got checked for dust under seats and finger prints on plastics!!

Yeah, did that for him for Christmas recently! Am wanting him to have one parked on the drive and be able to go anywhere in it. Sheer posability!!

Head unit can be changed but if it has the BOSE set up then it'll mean other changes as well as it all goes through an external amp......

It comes on at start up, but then flashes. Manual says it could either: - 1) Stay on all the time 2) Flash 3) Never come on All mean there's something needing checking - anyone else had it flashing? Ming, hold up on the detailing challenge, I might be cleaning talcum powder and cornflour off my interior soon!!

Me and my big mouth!! Yep, the challenge is on, however your starter pics are in much sunnier conditions. I'll get my camera out when the sun appears later!! BTW, it's clear we went to the same School of Geek as the underside of my bonnet is the same. Have just downloaded your pic and put it next to mine of the engine bay and it's spot the difference time!! So what are the scoring criteria.....?? BTW, no need to apologise Ming, I love seeing cars with a little TLC!

Hmmm, looking to be a pricey present so far then!! £2 a mile excess seems a little steep too. Surely they don't depreciate that much?? Might just give him the keys to the Zed for 24 hours......

It's my Dad's 50th later this year and want to do it for him. I guess after looking the cost will just have to be taken on the chin, but any suggestions for places with more than 100 miles to be used for a weekend??

OK Ming, you've clearly declared war. Will pull out the pictures of my (now stolen) 10 year old show car......!! I did the inside of all the wheels and that was just a wash, removal of defects and initial polish. Waxing to come with the carnuba, just got to choose one first........ Ming, have you got a bonnet pic of yours as a comparison to mine?? Leather treatment, and shampoo to follow, with the waxing. Very therapeutic! Got to drive it now. Gonna get dirty tho!

Guys, anyone know of a decent place that offers this? I've seen some silly mileage limits and prices out there so would be helpful to improve on that. Cheers.

Engine bay before.... And after....... What's the car on the right...?? Paint finish now....... General shot..... Wheels...... And the requested tail pipe pics......!! It can over pretty cloudy so not as bright as it was. What d'ya think??

What is it with some people? Not a personal attack, but with what's happened to me in the last week, I've come to a conclusion. Some people don't concentrate on what's important in life and waste their hours on this planet whinging about nothing. Often because they're too narrow minded to accept that people are different, and to be able to say sorry when they're wrong or accept an apology gracefully. In the scheme of things, is a few like minded people having banter on the internet a bad thing? It's used for worse things, otherwise we wouldn't have to protect children the way we do. Apologies if you feel that something in a section title 'Off Topic Discussion' or 'General' ends up having opinion, but if you want nothing but fact we should all just quote our owners manuals to any question and ban all jokes. Get things into perspective, life's too short to waste on these things. Enjoy it. Rant over.

Not sure if there'll change the lines (ie body panels). Perhaps add a 'kit' as standard but I would say they probably haven't got the return on investment for the current shape yet. Before changing everything I think they'll put the new engine in and tweak interior and spec maybe. If it ain't broken...... What's the shortest space of another manufacturer from launch to redesign? I can't think of much less than about 5 years (that's checking model history on things like Imprezas and so on). Evos are just new interiors and kits each time, with fundamental changes about every 5 years too.