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This car appears to be a magnet for parking rash attacks. The week before last, almost everytime I went out to get domestic supplies, I`d come back to find the car hit again. Beware living near Caterham or Warlingham in Surrey! On one occasion I returned to find a number plate screw sticking horizontally out of the bumper! Long nosed pliers had to be used to pull the head of the screw out which left a hole in the bumper cover. I had to block that up and ensure the hole disappeared. That has gone well.

Paint on the boomerang trims had been pulled off, abrasion scuffs were along the bumper sides and worst of all, some ding damage had been done to the ali body. Fortunately, the light cluster was undamaged. Here is my repair sequence using Upoxy Super-Etch primer sprayed on with a small detail spray gun, further prep done, followed by top coat repairs using the Halfords special mix Holts rattle can paint. The results have come out well especially as I have had to fight off flu for the past week. The repair done in half hour stints.

I`ve repaired all the damage which has blended into the existing paint and finish. The final shots here were taken before I buffed up with G3. The finish is now a high gloss lustra. Repairs are vertually invisable but I expect to have to give them another rub up with G3 as the paint settles over the next couple of weeks. I don`t expect this will be the last time I have to do similar repairs.....

Mike

Hi Mike,
Very tidy repair there Mike,very neat,wish I was as good with touching up body work like that,I think I will try Halfords to match my paint,used an online auto touch-up paint store but when I tried on a sample piece it was more blue than green,I put that down to having what I think is an unusual colour being Emerald Green with Blue Pearl Underlay but still never mind I'll get there one day.
Some people have no respect of other peoples property nowadays Mike,which is quite annoying to put it mildly .
Great repair Mike.
Enjoy your car.
Andy

Thanks, Andy.

P2000 wet and dry paper together with a good clean up at each stage with panel wipe, works wonders.

Putting all my stuff in the car just now to return home, I`ve discovered a creeping windscreen crack rapidly progressing from a low level stone chip. There was a frost here in Kent this morning. The effects have been here all day. Just phoned the insurance company who will have their agents call me and arrange to have a new screen fitted. Its a tough old game being a car!

Mike

Mike,

I'm not sure if heated screen was an option or standard, but make sure they get you a heated screen! It was one of the most useful parts on my car in winter, (plus the heated seats!)

Paul

What you need to prevent such damage Mike, is a machete.

Yes, hit and run damage is rather a nause. At least I can fix this sort of thing myself.

I made it clear to the insurance company that the car was fitted with a heated front screen. Assuming the get the correct glass, this Thursday seems to be the possible day for replacement. Crack now about a foot long and is now about to go vertically up the screen. Pics in due course.

Mike

I once had a small chip on the edge of the driver's side wiped windscreen area. AutoThingy sent, I think, their best man to repair it. He took a look and said it would rapidly become a huge crack so he had to replace the screen. (I don't think he was fertilizing his business, but I know nowt about windscreens.)

Anyway, the relevant bit is, he had a real tussle winding his amazing cutting wire through the sealant holding the old screen in. After a lot of heaving, it finally cut through, and thereafter everything was hunky-dory, and it was a perfect job. Except I noticed the cause of the problem was the cutting wire had sliced the top 30% off of a bolt head holding something in place, probably air-con. So if yours gets a similar problem, he might need to relocate his equipment to avoid said bolts - assuming this can be done once you've started.

I got somewhat concerned at the possible consequences if his cutting wire snapped; with the tension he was applying, I had visions of a lethal backlash, and stood well out of line. If it had been me doing it, I'd have fashioned an extension handle from a broomstick and cowered in the back seats! As it was, I didn't need to get blood out of the carpet ...

It now looks like Monday for the screen replacement but possibly sooner. Autoglass on the case and have confirmed heated unit in stock. Not the type of repair I want to get involved with. Don`t mind a bit of paint which is pretty low stress. Glass fitting is a young mans job!

Mike