Oh I'm so excited

Up until about 18 months ago my paintwork was lovely. Then my drivers door was damaged in a Tesco carpark. Then the bonnet went dull. Then my engine expired. Then the low-loader broke a chunk off the front drivers LE lip. Then my mother reversed into the back of the car. Then my sister reversed into the rear corner of the car. Then I grazed a tree. Then one week later I grazed a gatepost trying to avoid the same tree. Then I grazed a wall. Then I rolled the car off a garage ramp into a pillar damaging the bumper and denting the bonnet corner. Then the tyre shop scuffed the two front alloys putting on my new Toyo’s. Then I watched a stone fly off the back of a lorry on the M1 at 70mph and plant a nice divet in my bonnet. Then my rear wheelarches went a bit scabby. Then my rear spoiler began to flake a bit more. Then the ends of my LE skirts began to flake too. Then I was really depressed.

So on 28th Feb I went to a paintshop and got quoted for a full body respray. The car was dropped in on 7th March...

They started by dismantling the car and rubbing down the bodywork



Then they rubbed back the bonnet to bare metal and dug out the filler where the previous owner has 'debadged' the Fiat Logo


Then they rubbed down the drivers door


And the passenger door


Not forgetting the bumpers


Then they threw away the bootlid with the Zender spoiler attached and replaced it with a nice standard replacement


After that the glassman came and took out all of the glass and it was off to the paintbooth


After drying in the booth the car was rolled out and looked like this (prior to polishing and waxing)


Finally, it was delivered tonight. Unfortunately it was in the dark, so I don't have any nice pics to show you. However I can say that it is well shiny and when first daylight comes I'll post up some pics!

In the meantime, here are a couple of pics taken in the dark!! (Car is dusty from the drive back from the paintshop so it needs a wash already)



I'm really happy with the result. Of course I'm terrified that I'll scratch it or a spider will sneeze on it but I guess I'll have to live with that.

With the bumpers etc removed I was surprised how well the underneath of the car is. There is no rust apart from two places. Firstly the pair of struts which hold the rear bumper in place are rotten through, though the top of the strut and the underside of the boot/fuel tank area is spot on (you can see the rotten struts in the pics of the rear of the car post paint before reassembly). The second place of rust is just some surface rust in the frame that holds the oil cooler in place, though the oil cooler and pipes are fine (replaced in 2008). You can see it in the very first pic.

Hopefully more pics tomorrow if it doesn't rain.

Beauty!

Mmm-mmm. Nice

Looks real nice mate, saw mine for the first time at joes (country cruising) after the respray and know ho you feel

gorgeous, the only colour le i'd consider having - and that, like cicolo's paint job, is just beautiful

I think it's stunning!

Genic - saw yours too... VERY nice!

Can't wait to get mine back now

v.nice

you will be ultra paranoid and not want to park it next to *anything* mind

thanks , hope you dont mind but had to chuck some of your stuff outside to make room

Patch, Hovedan, Genic, Proccy, Marco20valveT and duncan78...

thanks very much for the compliments

I'll never park it in public unless I'm at a carshow!!

I might even buy some traffic cones and some yellow tape to cordon off the area around the car

Does it get any better than that??? Please for me, don't park that in any public car park from now on! Lovely

My mate parks his Delta in the disabled places, because he saysits cheaper to pay the fine than fix the paint

Hubba I know what you mean - Mrs Nello used to do her nut at me when I'd park a mile away from the shopping centres.... Though she then realised that she could not bear to listen to me go on if I ever had a ding or scratch (as has happened in the past on other Nello cars! )

Stunning and gorgeous

Looks awesome mate

Tasty, tasty, very very tasty, she's very tasty

I think I've just died and gone to heaven

The paint job looks quality!

Stunning.

Well, from your first post, I hope you stay away from the trees and walls from now on!!

Nice job btw!

very nice cant wait for the day time pics

Stunning.

GROUP BUY!!

I love the second to last picture.

I went to have a look at my coupé on Thursday and she was undressed waiting for the clear coat to go on. I'd love it if she comes back with the deep shine yours has. NICE!

Best pic, looks evil and powerful

Thanks Guys,

I lke that second to last pic too.

I went out today to take a few pics, but the car was dusty, so I gave it a light, soft, cafeful wash!

Geez, it's hard to take pictures in blazing sunlight!






Hope you like them all the same

What my next bill then?

Better start saving for the new clutch and belts in 2012. £20 a week for a year should do it

Daithí

Daithí - Absolutely

at the risk of sounding like a knob.....

sssssswwwwwwwwwwwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeetttt

looks awesome mate, you must be well chuffed

It looks fantastic, absolutely Amazing how good coops look. This would stand up against any of the current crop of cars. You wouldn't believe they were ten years old!

i might have missed it but it looks like no one has asked

"who did it?" and "how much?"

Ah, well I live in Northern Ireland but it was done by Mackins Accident Repair Centre about 10 miles away from my house.

The job including refurbing the alloys was £1,700. They did a nice valet afterwards and delivered to my house aswell

Paul the owner is a very friendly guy and easy to deal with.

Thanks evo_number_one

"sssswwwwwweeeeeeeeeeeettttt"....that's what I said too

Good price!
Does look good.
Like new, you must be chuffed.