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Styling Chavving Up Penny :)

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Styling Chavving Up Penny :)

missheath

missheath

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Aug 30, 2010
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Location
The Valleys, Wales
I have a red Fiat Punto mk2 and I want to pimp her up a bit as she is looking a bit outdated: especially seeing as my friends all have brand new cars. I have a relatively low budget and I don't intend on spending more than what I paid for the car on doing her up (£1000). I'm looking for some inside knowledge on how to make her look better without spending a fortune.

So as a first job I have decided to have a go at respraying the dashboard and plastic panels inside the car as they are a hideous two-tone grey colour. So far I have bought 1500 grit wet&dry paper to take the finish off the plastic, some tack cloths to pick up the dust, vapour masks and gloves, white plastic primer, Fiat Racing Red fior the lighter strip across the dashboard, black for the main dashboard, and laquer to finish the job. I've got masking tape, a huge supply of black plastic bags and tarpaulin to cover the car from overspray. Is there anything major I've overlooked? I know this is probably an ambitious job but I'm an art student in university and I've handled these paints and primers on different projects before so I'm pretty confident I won't do an awful bodged job! :D
 
I'd just colour code the console etc. Which is what I'm doing atm
Looks much better! There are many simple things to do to improve looks.

Colour code the wing mirrors, colour coded bumpers, nice alloys, lowering springs, maybe an induction kit, interior lights, side skirts, leather seats from alfa 147, painted brake calipers with plated brake discs, spoiler (only small sporting one), decal? (some people like it, some don't), a 2nd colour like painted bonnet, roof and boot? Or the centre bit of the bonnet.

colour coded handles, remote locking (if you have central locking), sporting steering wheel, upgraded dials if you only have the 8v, tinted windows, tinted rear lights or lexus lights (if you like them), angel eyes, eye lids.

I personally would get the LED lexus lights and tint them (y)
 
No suggestions the dash painting will be bodged but there are some techie issues.

Major thing (1) is to do the job right you really need to take the dash out. Any unpainted gaps, overspray or paint bridging over a panel gap will look seriously pants.

Major thing (2) the dash is made from polypropylene - very tough and easy to clean but nothing sticks to it. This plastic has to be flamed with a big floppy flamed gas torch and sprayed with tack primer while its still hot. Too much heat and you melt the plastic. Too little and the tack wont stick properly. You then spray over that with a flexible primer and finish as used on bumpers.

The environment inside a car is extremely hostile with huge temperature extremes and rates of change. If the paint isnt 100% stuck and flexible it will crack and split. You might want to consider a heat shrink mylar material (like SolarFilm) but it will still have to be done with the dash out as the edges will need to be returned. You would have to cheack with the manufacturers if it can cope with the temperature extremes.
 
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Now I'm really wishing I'd put this post up before I bought all the paint! (n)

I'd already thought about the fact that the temperature changes could cause the paint to warp but I assumed from reading other peoples blogs that this didn't happen if you use the laquer and finish it off properly! Apparently not. Great stuff :bang:

Ok so I might as well have a go anyway - Halfords aren't known for their sympathetic qualities so there isn't much hope of me returning the stuff I bought - please don't take this as me ignoring your advice - I just wish i'd asked sooner! Apart from keeping a sun shield on the windows during the day is there much else I can do to prolong the life of the paint job?

And what happens if it does go wrong and flake off eventually? Do I have to strip it all down and start again?
 
Yep, pretty much. Use the paints for something else. As soon as you sand the surface to get it to stick you've wrecked it and if it doesn't stick or any of the above goes wrong then you need a new dash! Not easy to replace! 3-4 hours for a home mechanic to get out and back in I'd say.

Go for the other suggestions to make it look good. Use the paint for the consoles etc, and wing mirrors, wiper arms etc.

3rd brake light looks good :D
 
Dont skimp on the priming technique. It can be done in stages. But deffo use flexible paints as sold for bumpers. If you bought rattle (oops - aerosol) cans Halfords should take them back.

You could also put solar panels on the roof and use them to run the ventilation fan more sun = more fan power. :)

For a mega proper job you could get a dash from a breakers they may well let it go dead cheap - who would want a spare dash panel. I ask you - who would? Eh? Eh? :D
 
dave said:
hold on i just realised this is the lemon punto you bought, dont do nothing to it yet it will prevent you getting the money back, why have you not took it back to get the money back?
Click to expand...

Absolutely those to$$ers should get a good kicking for flogging that car. Unless you got your money back AND they said keep the car. But even then you probably got ripped off.
 
Please don't think I haven't considered it - but to be honest I haven't taken it back because I just can't afford to not have a car at the moment :( My boyfriends car is in and out of the garage permanently and I start commuting back and for to Uni again in a fortnight. I've searched the local garages but just haven't got time to search for and pick up another cheap car (if I even do manage to get the money back) and even then there will probably be something wrong with that car seeing as I can't afford anything new and immaculate. I need to be able to get back and for to Uni if my boyfriends car needs more work on it and I can't afford £45 a week for the train and bus :( I know this may seem like I'll probably end up with more problems but I do like the car and don't really want the hassle of car searching again (n) I'd rather wait till my loans come through, fix any problems she has through a reputable garage and keep her if I can :)
 
Take it back. Who knows what they have done to it and who knows what its previous owners neglected to do. It could be (almost certainly will be) a money pit. Get your cash back and go shopping armed with info from us lot.
 
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Take the car back for a refund, and use £500 of this £1000 to get a nicer example of the car, with service history, and save the other £500 for a rainy day. If the next car turns out to be hassle free, spend that £500 on some well-deserved goodies for it.
 
I used to have one of those roller skates. Totally crap on the original steel wheels and grip-free tyres but not bad at all with some decent rubber. The biggest problem was other drivers assuming slow car = slow driver. They would pull out in front of me and then get in the way. It happens much less with the HGT Abarth.

Drop a half decent 1 litre bike engine and Quaife diff into a Sei and that would be fun.
 
Ive just finished respraying the interior on my mk1 punto which was also two tone grey very boring and horrid to look at lol!
You have all the right stuff but i would suggest using some scotching clothes which will leave some fine scratches to the plastic when rubbing the panels this will help the paint to stick aswell as the primer i sprayed my dashboard all gloss black with the vents being audi metalic silver and my centre console silver it all looks pretty good and i wish you the best of luck on your job :)
 
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