Revenge of the Pink Bumpers!

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 4:00 pm

This is today's entry from my website:

Sunday, 15/04/07
I toddled down the road to the Southern Classics show at Shoreham Airport this morning - my first car show of the year. To be honest not a great show, not all that big, but it was fun to be in the airport watching the planes and helicopters coming and going. I think I'll go back there in future if the weather's good and I've got nothing to do, just to sit in the public car park, soak up the sun and watch the planes.

Anyway, the show itself was pretty small but I'm glad I went. There was an empty parking bay next to another red BX so I parked up there and had a stroll along the public car park, which was about half-and-half classics and moderns. Very nice - and a reminder always to poke about in the car park at classic car shows! The only other Citroen I noticed was an absolutely beautiful XM, polished to a state that looked like it had come straight from the showroom.

When I got back to my own BX, two blokes were giving it the once over - Syd and Sam, who know from the Citroen Car Club, and owners of the red BX and the polished black XM respectively.

Sam makes his living as a car valeter and was using the XM as a mobile advert for himself. All I can say is - Sam does good work. After giving my BX a quick look over, he said what he always says - "I could bring that up like a diamond" - and whipped off to his XM to fetch something to sort out my pink bumpers with. Hiring a professional valeter like Sam isn't cheap (partly because of the prices of the lotions and potions they use) but he's generous to his mates and was happy to go around my bumpers for me with a product whose name I have, of course, forgotten. The difference is amazing.

What Sam recommended was a chemical wash to remove the road film, then a treatment once a week with the stuff he'd used, which would gradually build the colour back up. He doesn't think the one treatment he's given will last long, but he says if it lasts a couple of weeks it means it'll be worth the long-term treatment. He reckons he could bring the paint up like new too - not that it's too bad, for a 20-year old red car.

This shot shows the difference the treatment makes - compare the bumper to the trim ahead of the rear wheel, which Sam didn't treat:

Chatting with Sam always reminds me of the huge difference in philosophy that he and I have. I've said before on this site that I don't mind my cars wearing their years and their miles with pride, rather like their owner wears his grey hairs. I know that my BX is mechanically sound and I don't mind that it's a bit shabby. Sam, on the other hand, will never be satisfied until his cars gleam; he looks upon cars like mine as a challenge.

I must admit, his enthusiasm is infectious and the car just looks soooo much better with its bumpers brought back to life. I've also got to admit to a degree of shame seeing the old shed sitting next to Syd's BX... and even worse when Syd left and Sam put his shiny XM in his space. The XM's only a couple of years younger than my BX but looks like it just left the showroom.

I can't afford Sam professionally but I am thinking hard about the idea of giving my BX a polish at least, and maybe buying some of the professional-grade products off of Sam next time I see him.

Syd also had a present for me - which was extremely generous of him - but I will tell you about that next time.

Barnsley BXer · Post by **Barnsley BXer** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:41 pm

Stuart,I usually find Mer bumper Gel does the trick,even on the most faded areas of plastic

tim leech · Post by **tim leech** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:17 pm

You need to get your TCut out matey aswell, my Xantia faded but came up real well. and some silver paint on your wheels, and a new set of plates will transform it!

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:48 pm

Barnsley: Bumper gel. That was the stuff.

Tim: It's wearing old-style metal plates, which aren't available just everywhere any more. However, that front plate is unacceptably battered - and I have promised it a new plate from the supplier who's always at the Bromley Pageant of Motoring this year.

Barnsley BXer · Post by **Barnsley BXer** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:18 pm

stuart_hedges wrote:Mulley: Bumper gel. That was the stuff.

'Twas I that posted about bumper gel

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:27 pm

Fred wrote:'Twas I that posted about bumper gel

Am I developing avatar blindness?

Barnsley BXer · Post by **Barnsley BXer** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 10:41 pm

stuart_hedges wrote:
Fred wrote:'Twas I that posted about bumper gel
Am I developing avatar blindness?

It mat have been my cunning plan that threw you

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 11:01 pm

stuart_hedges wrote:It's wearing old-style metal plates, which aren't available just everywhere any more. However, that front plate is unacceptably battered..

They can be flattened almost back to new fairly easily. I had metal plates on a couple of my cars many years ago, and found that even the most beaten-to-death ones could be straightened.

The trick is to get the plate flat in the first place. Put it between 2 bits of 2x4 wood, and clout the wood with a clubhammer.... very hard. You won't flatten the raised digits, but you will make the plate flat again. After that it's just a case of using small bits of wood on the white areas of the plate as a punch, with it still on a hard surface. Thereafter, you can turn the plate over, and flatten out the pressings in the same way.

The nice thing too is that the black painted areas of the plate are just that... black gloss paint. A quick touch up (or even complete repaint) of the digits, and hey presto, a fully reconditioned numberplate.

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 11:08 pm

BANG THINGS WITH HAMMERS

DavidRutherford · Post by **DavidRutherford** » Sun Apr 15, 2007 11:44 pm

Is that a statement of intent, or of incredulity?

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:44 pm

Intent

I'm going up to my Dad's on Sunday and we'll do that, amongst other things.

He's seen the car in the flesh but only through the window of his house. I explained David's suggestion and actually heard him go pale over the phone until I explained that it has old-style metal plates.

He then told me that he had in mind the new plates which apparently destroy themselves when even nudged - in order to foil the sort of scam we've seen lately on the Triumph Dolomite eBay item.

I've got to go to Dad's to to this because the screws holding the number plates have rusted away and need drilling out, and I have no way to get a drill to the car here - the house is set back from the road and I'd need a loooooong extension cable to get the drill to it! I used to have a battery powered drill but it died.

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:08 pm

Well, a very pleasant afternoon spent on my dad's drive! He's a bit stressed out at the moment so I let him do the drilling and hammering. The screws holding the number plates on were well knackered so it took us a while to get them out - three drill bits died in the attempt, but Dad's trusty molegrips were finally victorious.

We finally achieved this result:

which I'm pretty chuffed with. Some of the black paint on the figures has been scratched, but I'll sort that out some other time.

Now then, about that present Syd gave me at Shoreham Airport the other week.

Syd's a local CCC member, fantastic guy, and when he heard I'd be at Shoreham he dug a certain item out of his shed to give to me, knowing it would suit my new acquisition. What a guy.

Want to see what it was? Ready?

I think that looks awesome. I could not be more pleased!

Click for more.

MULLEY · Post by **MULLEY** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 12:13 am

I've been after one of those for ages, see them now & again on cars, but never for sale seperately.....

Post by **docchevron** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 12:58 am

Trail blazers FTW

Well done mate, that looks cracking.

Infact you may be feeling the need to start adding lots of bits to the car soon, thats how it started for me....

stuart_hedges · Post by **stuart_hedges** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:50 am

I wrote:he dug a certain item out of his shed to give to me

I forgot to mention Dad's comment at that - "So it was in the shed and now it's on the shed."

Docchevron wrote:Infact you may be feeling the need to start adding lots of bits to the car soon, thats how it started for me....

Actually, I've started thinking about taking that towbar off. I haven't towed anything since 1999 so I don't think I'd miss it... and it does look pretty ropey.