BA - Howie's 97 ZXi. New MS Splitter fitted.

**Posted:** Fri Apr 10, 2009 9:22 pm

congrats! looks fab! :flower:

**Posted:** Fri Apr 10, 2009 10:47 pm

Nice one Howie - that's a stonking picture

Mark

**Posted:** Wed Apr 15, 2009 12:41 pm

Thanks for the great comments again :thumbright:

Spent the last week trying to do a bit of colour coding, nothing too ambitious, just the door handles and wiper spoiler.
Been trying to get the finish right for the last few days, and think I've got it at last.
Bought a cheap plastic car cover and used that as the basis for masking the handles:

Sorry the cars a bit dirty:

Finally for now another reflection pic:
Very pleased with the shine after using a bit of G3 and Megs stage 1 and 2 (just pretend you can't see the AG products in this one :oops:

)

**Posted:** Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:05 pm

I like the look of that alot! leaving the black surround really works specially with this colour. Looks great mate!

**Posted:** Wed Apr 15, 2009 1:15 pm

Like I said Howie

The car is.......................

soon to be mine :evil4:

Nice work fella, keep it up..........................and I don't mean your pecker.... :lol:

**Posted:** Wed Apr 15, 2009 2:41 pm

I think I prefer all the handler painted but is better

**Posted:** Wed Apr 15, 2009 5:26 pm

Really like the painted handle there. That's the kind of colour detailing I'd do - keep the slight contrast, make it a bit interesting. If you want to come and do mine like that too that'd be fine

**Posted:** Wed Apr 15, 2009 8:41 pm

Looks really nice, but isnt that a bit of doing it the hard way?

Those things are out of the car in 30 minutes for all 4...

I supposed it looks better on blue cars with only the handle done,
before I did mine I sanded the things down a bit to get that rough
surface smooth.

**Posted:** Wed Apr 15, 2009 11:30 pm

wow looks good Howie! nice and unique but also subtle, and of course one more part of the car you can get a propper shine on to!
How about the wind screen spoler?

**Posted:** Thu Apr 16, 2009 8:57 am

RHRH wrote:

Those things are out of the car in 30 minutes for all 4...

Like many things, only if you've done it before

Nice one Howie :thumbright:

Mark

**Posted:** Thu Apr 16, 2009 9:12 pm

Cheers guys. :cheers:

RHRH wrote:

Looks really nice, but isnt that a bit of doing it the hard way?

Those things are out of the car in 30 minutes for all 4...

I supposed it looks better on blue cars with only the handle done,
before I did mine I sanded the things down a bit to get that rough
surface smooth.

It only took me about 30 mins to mask the car up, and I still had all my knuckles at the end, which is a good result for a technical newbie like me :thumbright:

Not sure about BLUE cars,
but I'm happy with how it looks on my NOBLE GREEN one :evil4:

Got another good pic today with the sun directly on the handle:

Also a quick one of the wiper spoiler, for you Nick!

Finally, my choice of prize arrived from Megs today:

Looking forward to trying it out soon. :thumbup:

**Posted:** Thu Apr 16, 2009 10:03 pm

good work fella, Nxt wont disapoint :thumbright:

**Posted:** Fri Apr 17, 2009 11:31 pm

WOW that last shot of the dorr handle realy shows off the paint work! looking great Howie

**Posted:** Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:00 pm

Have just finished re-doing the door handles.
I was not completely happy with the finish on them, as RHRH noted they were a little rough, despite the shine.
So after a bit of looking on our club site, and finding this guide online on how best to remove the orange peel finish:
http://www.migweb.co.uk/forums/car-clea ... tures.html

I stripped them back and started again.
Took my time, but my painting still produced this orange peel finish, (which I hadn't had a problem with when doing my alloys last year)

As they started, with the orange peel finish:

Wet sanding: (the really worrying bit for me!)

Then working on getting the shine back with some G3, then Megs stage 1:

Final results after the laquer coats and a good polishing:

Much happier now :blackeye:

**Posted:** Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:11 pm

cool Howei!! You got some dedication there sir!

**Posted:** Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:25 pm

it's better
now everything matches

**Posted:** Mon Apr 27, 2009 10:34 pm

very nice mate..what a bit of sanding and polishing can do..magnificient

**Posted:** Tue Apr 28, 2009 6:18 am

nick wrote:

cool Howei!! You got some dedication there sir!

That is indeed amazing - very nice!

**Posted:** Wed May 06, 2009 4:18 pm

Just got her back, after a week at the bodyshop having a front end respray. (belated birthday present from my wife and parents

)

Sorting out the stone chips on the bonnet and front bumper, as well as this old scrape:

While she was in they also colour-coded the mirror covers and front splitter for me.

Quick reflection pic:

Pleased with the results, will post some better pics when I give her a good clean and polish.

Finally, about 4 weeks ago my original aerial packed up and have just replaced it with a new one from Mazda:

**Posted:** Wed May 06, 2009 4:26 pm

never thought the front splitter would look good color coded but the result is fine

**Posted:** Wed May 06, 2009 4:35 pm

nice mate..looks stunning

**Posted:** Wed May 06, 2009 4:38 pm

Nice mate, least you dont have to back to black the spleeeter now....Just polish it

**Posted:** Wed May 06, 2009 4:39 pm

Lovely as ever :thumbright:

**Posted:** Wed May 06, 2009 7:05 pm

Shiny!

**Posted:** Wed May 06, 2009 8:46 pm

Lookin good, although I think I prefer at least the center piece of the splitter black.....can't say it looks bad as is though

Got any other pics of that bit?

Mirror pics make me want post-fords back

**Posted:** Thu May 07, 2009 12:17 am

wow Howie looking great mate!! Done forget to wrap the car in cling film before you go for a drive now eh!

**Posted:** Thu May 07, 2009 1:40 am

The second car to have the splitter color coded. Looking great Hpwie. :thumbup:

**Posted:** Thu May 07, 2009 8:12 am

Cool!

The handles are much better now! Nice n smooth makes it look
so much better compared to the car colour.

Like the spleetah aswell!

**Posted:** Fri May 08, 2009 8:15 am

Cheers for the great comments guys :cheers:

A L 3 X wrote:

Got any other pics of that bit?

**Posted:** Sun May 10, 2009 1:16 am

da2el wrote:

never thought the front splitter would look good color coded but the result is fine

Splitter on my old v6 was colour-coded too - makes the car look even lower !!
Though mine was NEVER that shiny - absolutely gorgeous F, I am very jealous ... and inspired.
Congrats on the Megs listing - well deserved.
Another club member 'flying the flag'

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BA - Howie's 97 ZXi. New MS Splitter fitted.

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