AXE is back - Alfa Romeo Spider - new ride!

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imported_Axe

New member
OK its been a long time since I posted on Autopia, but I thought I would share my new ride with you guys, and the detail I had to do to sort out some really quite bad swirls/spider webbing. I bought the car this weekend (Sat 24th) drove it all that day :) ... sunday gave it a wash, and today gave it a full detail. The car is an Alfa Romeo Spider JTS Lusso, and I am totally smitten by it, it is just so much fun to drive ... the car is getting on for 3 years old, but has only done 9000 miles! Looking at the swirl pictures below you would never believe that though!



OK my process, I washed the car using Megs Gold Class shampoo, I then clayed the car using the Sonus Ultra Fine clay. I set to work using the Swirl Buster Polish and the Swirl buster pad using my PC



I would like to make a note here, for the last two years I have found I would struggle to get any swirls out of paint, and I couldn't understand why. I found today what I consider was a solution to my problem. In the UK we use 240 Volts, and of course I bought the PC from the states, and it requires 110 Volts. So I go through a transformer. Today I went to my friends place to detail the car, and this time I used his transformer, the PC was amazing .... so much more power than I ever get through my transformer, as a result I was able finally to get the sort of results I have seen many people on here get. Needless to say, I am now in the market for a replacement (heavy duty) transformer!



Anyway back to the job in hand, after the swirl buster I used Z2Pro as a finish, so onto the pics (I was lucky enough with the weather to get all full sun shots for your viewing pleasure :) ) ....



First the befores ....

swirl city? Every inch of every panel was like this!

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and more !



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Please don't mind the dust on the wheel here, i cleaned them up afterwards, you will see further down.

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not in Mikes league this photo, but I tried :)

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There is some damage to this wheel, which i will touch up later in the week, however I wanted to show you the pop and flake in the alloys - I AIO'd the wheels and coated them with SG - tyre black was 'Back to black' I like shiny tyres :)


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Hey everyone thanks for your comments and greets, yes it is a very cool car and so much fun to drive, I am grinning from one side of my face to the other everytime I get out, it's an absolute joy. I didn't know they didn't ship Alfa's to the states, that is a shame!
 
Fine looking ride and even better since you worked on it. Name it "The Transformer".....

1. It helped you discover your transformer problem and,

2. The way your face transforms to the big grin when you drive it.



Bristol work done there.
 
Thank you very much for your comments everyone. I have determined that my original power converter was only pushing out 750VA, my friends whose I used on Tuesday pushes out 3000VA (it is a twin, so 1500VA per side) which is basically twice the output I was getting ! No wonder I struggled.
 
Very nice job and a cool Alfa :) I think the 164 was the last Alfa sold in the US, but I read somewhere they might do a come back.
 
AYEEEEEEEEE! Perfect car man. I thought that Alfa does the engine real money. Don't forget to detail the soul of your car!
 
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