Eve, It's Time For A Face Lift (mk2 Focus Zetec Climate 2.0)

[Dan P]

Picking up a wrapped Eve tomorrow after work. It's going to feel like a very long shift!

V5C all ready to send to the DVLA.

[BobbyDee]

Picking up a wrapped Eve tomorrow after work. It's going to feel like a very long shift!

V5C all ready to send to the DVLA.

15 07 28 - V5 changes.JPG

I didn't think you had to declare a change if the car was getting wrapped. I've had a few mates that got there car wrapped and didn't declare it and one got pulled and ask he showed them the boot floor and they were happy enough.

[Dan P]

I didn't think you had to declare a change if the car was getting wrapped. I've had a few mates that got there car wrapped and didn't declare it and one got pulled and ask he showed them the boot floor and they were happy enough.

I'm pretty sure you do.

Please see advice from Totally Dynamic regarding insurance and DVLA:

Further, the following DVLA statement is referenced on multiple sites on the interweb:

The register maintained by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) essentially exists to assist in revenue collection, road safety and law enforcement. The Police and other enforcement agencies rely on the DVLA record for all vehicles-related investigations. It is therefore paramount that the information stored on the vehicle register is accurate and up to date.

DVLA records details given by vehicle manufacturers at first registration. Any changes to the vehicles details must be notified to DVLA by law.

By covering the entire vehicle in a coloured adhesive/vinyl wrap, it is DVLA’s view that the colour change should be recorded. To notify a change of colour you should complete section 7 of the registration certificate V5C and return it to DVLA Swansea SA99 1BA. You should receive a replacement certificate within two to four weeks.

[Dan P]

Picked up Eve from Totally Dynamic this afternoon. Here's a quick pic... more to follow later. She's very blue!

[Dan P]

Some more pics...

It's going to take a while to get used to the blueness! The finish is good, but it looks a little too civilised at the moment... black wheels should hopefully go some way to sorting that out.

It's quite dusty as it's been parked outside on an industrial estate all day so needs a clean. I was also advised that I should give it a wax. I guess it's time to head to Halfords with my new discount card to exploit their 3 for 2 offer on cleaning products!

[Jamesb9811]

I've just looked though your post and what a great job so far!

[Dan P]

I've just looked though your post and what a great job so far!

Thanks. Still got a few things to do but the biggest work has been done in getting her ready to be wrapped.

I can't stop looking out the window. I guess it will be a little while before the novelty wears off!

[Jamesb9811]

How long does it normally take to wrap the whole car?

[Dan P]

Totally Dynamic book cars in for three days.

[Lenny]

Some more pics...

15 07 29 - Wrap 1.JPG

15 07 29 - Wrap 2.JPG

15 07 29 - Wrap 3.JPG

15 07 29 - Wrap 4.JPG

15 07 29 - Wrap 5.JPG

It's going to take a while to get used to the blueness! The finish is good, but it looks a little too civilised at the moment... black wheels should hopefully go some way to sorting that out.

It's quite dusty as it's been parked outside on an industrial estate all day so needs a clean. I was also advised that I should give it a wax. I guess it's time to head to Halfords with my new discount card to exploit their 3 for 2 offer on cleaning products!

Wow the wrap looks awesome mate,

Looks just like paint even on the front lower grill and everything looks perfect.

[Dan P]

Wow the wrap looks awesome mate,

Looks just like paint even on the front lower grill and everything looks perfect.

Cheers. It's turned out really well. I'll post some close up pics later this week.

[Dan P]

I took some more close up photos of the wrap. I'm getting used to the colour and really like it... must confess I wasn't 100% convinced immediately but I love it now!

As Lenny already pointed out, the fiddly bits have been wrapped very tidily, as have the door sills and panel edges. I opted not to get the door and boot shuts done (as it would have increased the cost by around 50%) and the blue/black doesn't look too bad; it's certainly not going to bother me.

On close inspection you can see that it's not paint and there are a few tiny imperfections - small wrinkles and little bumps where it looks like there's a tiny bit of dust under the vinyl. I still think it's a great result for the money.

[BobbyDee]

I've got to say I think they have done a good job and I'm loving the colour good choice.

[Wheels93]

Does look very good for a wrap. What made you change the colour?

[Dan P]

What made you change the colour?

Because I could!

Given that there was some kind of damage on every panel, Eve was going to need a full respray if I was going to get her looking good again. A wrap was a far cheaper option and even if I end up getting her wrapped again in a few years time, I'm no worse off.

Obviously, going for either a full respray or a wrap gave me the opportunity to change the colour. When I was going through all of the available options I did seriously consider getting her wrapped gloss black. I've had Eve for 7 years and although I'm not desperate to replace her I thought a change would be fun.

I really liked the panther black and thought it looked good on the five door but I feel like I've got a new car now so I think I made the right choice for me.

[Wheels93]

Because I could!

Given that there was some kind of damage on every panel, Eve was going to need a full respray if I was going to get her looking good again. A wrap was a far cheaper option and even if I end up getting her wrapped again in a few years time, I'm no worse off.

Obviously, going for either a full respray or a wrap gave me the opportunity to change the colour. When I was going through all of the available options I did seriously consider getting her wrapped gloss black. I've had Eve for 7 years and although I'm not desperate to replace her I thought a change would be fun.

I really liked the panther black and thought it looked good on the five door but I feel like I've got a new car now so I think I made the right choice for me.

It most certainly is cheaper than a respray I would be happy with the finish too! Does looks very well done. Glad your happy with it. I got mine resprayed and it cost a small fortune!

[Dan P]

Thought it would be good to do a quick recap of progress so far and detail future plans.

The following were done immediately after getting the car – Aug ‘08:

Pioneer PH-P80BT double-din bluetooth tuner
Infinity Kappa Speakers front and rear
Genuine Ford mats

tomtom Go 6000 (Jan '15)

Done in the last seven weeks:

Replaced tailgate
Replaced rear passenger side door
Heko wind deflectors
Ford mud flaps
Replaced front bumper
Replaced front grille with chrome surround with one with black surround
Plasti dipped front fog surrounds
Numerous dents and damage removed at body shop
Cree Q5 reverse light
Philips X-tremeVision H1 & H7 headlights
LED interior light
LED boot light
Vinyl wrap in gloss indigo blue
Replaced number plates

Planned and upcoming:

Brodit phone holder
ELM327 bluetooth
Torque Android app
Plasti dip wheels
Paint callipers and hubs
Resolve small boot leak (from spoiler)
Gel badges
Vanstyle UV car shades
Interior valet
New genuine Ford mats
LED glove box light
Additional 12V supply for SatNav and phone charging with cables routed behind dash

Likely to follow soon:

Terraclean
Lowered on Eibach springs
ECU remap

Being considered for the future:

Cruise control
Subwoofer
LED number plate lights

ST spoiler

Silvatec indicator bulbs

New set of alloys

[Lenny]

Sweet,

Nice list there mate keeping it tidy,

I recommend painting the spacer section on the brake discs aswell, it looks good in silver too.

ST spoiler would be nice when sealing around the bolt holes,

The ST spoiler gives nice shape to the car when viewing from the side aswell as the rear.

See my guide for amplifier panel, goes nicely with the custom sub enclosure.

Some silvatec indicator bulbs are a great mod aswell and last just as long as stock bulbs the rear ones are offset pin bulbs

[Dan P]

Sweet,

Nice list there mate keeping it tidy,

I recommend painting the spacer section on the brake discs aswell, it looks good in silver too.

ST spoiler would be nice when sealing around the bolt holes,

The ST spoiler gives nice shape to the car when viewing from the side aswell as the rear.

See my guide for amplifier panel, goes nicely with the custom sub enclosure.

Some silvatec indicator bulbs are a great mod aswell and last just as long as stock bulbs the rear ones are offset pin bulbs

Thanks Lenny.

I've made a couple of additions to the list.

Already done - SatNav (tomtom Go 6000)

Wish list - Silvatec indicator bulbs, ST spoiler, new set of alloys

[Lenny]

Thanks Lenny.

I've made a couple of additions to the list.

Already done - SatNav (TomTom Go 6000)

Wish list - Silvatec indicator bulbs, ST spoiler, new set of alloys

tomtom are the best brand of Satnav in my opinion,

Have a tomtom XL Live, bought back in 2010 its been awesome.

Silvatec bulbs are nice, only need to do sides and rear as i dont think doing the front eliminates the amber from the headlight.

Keep an eye on eBay for an ST Spoiler going cheap, seal around bolt holes when fitting,

Just be sure it comes with a brake light preferably clear rather than red lens,

And a washer jet extension hose attached

They should do but just to be sure :)

There is a graphite grey one selling in the buy&sell section just informing,

[Dan P]

TomTom are the best brand of Satnav in my opinion,

Have a TomTom XL Live, bought back in 2010 its been awesome.

Silvatec bulbs are nice, only need to do sides and rear as i dont think doing the front eliminates the amber from the headlight.

Keep an eye on ebay for an ST Spoiler going cheap, seal around bolt holes when fitting,

Just be sure it comes with a brake light preferably clear rather than red lens,

And a washer jet extension hose attached

They should do but just to be sure :)

There is a graphite grey one selling in the buy&sell section just informing,

I resisted getting a SatNav for years (I do love a map) but am a massive convert since being given the tomtom (aka Lieutenant Gaeta) for Christmas. The live traffic updates are brilliant and I've avoided some big delays as a result - I have absolute faith now in Gaeta's navigation skills and will do whatever it tells me!

I saw the spoiler... I don't think it's time yet... too many other things to get done first.

[Dan P]

Not much time available this weekend but managed to install a Brodit phone holder - 653584 mounting bracket and 511308 passive adjustable holder.

The holder is of a very high quality (which it should be, at the price) and very easy to install with well written, clear instructions.

With the phone now in position, it seemed like the perfect time to try out a bluetooth ELM327 from eBay and download the Torque app for Android (available here). I'd read about the app elsewhere on the forum (such as here) and it looks like a very interesting bit of software, gathering live data from the car and acting as a sophisticated and highly customisable trip computer.

I connected the app to the ELM327 for a trip out yesterday - 100 miles each way. I had some initial issues getting connected, and some of the figures being generated definitely weren't correct. I need to spend some time investigating and playing with it further - I'm not sure how much the issues were related to the ELM327, the quality of the software or the incompetence of the user! (I'd place my money on the latter). Once I've had more opportunity to play with it, I'll update with how we're getting along.

[Dan P]

I spent the whole of today dealing with my wheels.

Firstly I stuck the car up on axle stands at the front and tackled the front wheels, before slapping them back on and switching to the rear. I followed the same routine with each pair of wheels.

First off I gave them a good wash and dried them.

Then I masked up the tyre.

After cleaning with degreaser I started to apply the black plasti-dip. I definitely got better with practice and I used the spray trigger, which makes life easier. I applied the very first coat with the wheels lying flat on the floor and subsequently switched to having them standing up, propped at 45 degrees. I found this prevented drips and led to a more even coat.

I did 5 coats on the front wheels and, as my technique got better, I did 4 on the rear. I really liked the matte finish and decided against using the glossifier.

I'd labelled up the tyres to make life simple when it came back to putting them back on the car.

In between coats of plasti-dip, I set about tidying up the callipers and spacers armed with a wire brush. I don't know why, but the front wheels were in a better state than the rears.

I set about removing the worst of the rust.

I then applied two coats of smooth black Hammerite with a small brush.

Whilst all this was going on, I managed to add my new chrome on black gel badges (courtesy of gelbadges@gmail.com) to the centre caps.

Having got the last wheel back on the car at 9.30pm by torch light, I was absolutely exhausted!

Pictures of the whole car will follow in due course, as well as some further thoughts on the plasti-dipping experience.

[Dan P]

Here are a couple of pictures with the wheels fitted.

I am absolutely delighted with the result. I think the wheels have totally changed the tone of the whole car and it looks a lot less boring. I'm really keen to get it lowered now to finish off the look and will be calling AMD Essex tomorrow to get it booked in to get the Eibach springs fitted.

I went to the supermarket today and couldn't resist parking behind another blue Focus for a bit of a comparison.

I had no prior experience of using spray paints and I'm very pleased with the results obtained. I am however concerned as to how well it will last. I was very careful when removing the masking tape but I managed to lift the edge of the Plasti-dip in two small places on the wheels. I was equally careful when fitting the wheels but still managed to break the Plasti-dip in a couple of the nut holes.

Only time will tell how well the Plasti-dip will last but I'm concerned that the existing imperfections could easily get worse. Given that I'm so happy with the look, at some point I shall get the wheels professionally refurbished and repainted matte black.

In addition, my head was buzzing by the end of the day. This was my fault for not using it in a well ventilated area - I chose to do it inside to avoid getting any dust or debris blown onto the drying surfaces. A worthwhile sacrifice!

I had another rest day today so managed to get a few other little jobs done. I set about addressing the spoiler leak using Stoney's guide. When I removed the spoiler I found the grommet on the wiring feed (left hand one on the image below) had come out of the hole, so I figure this is probably where the water was getting in.

After refitting the grommet I applied silicon around the bolt holes too as a precaution.

Next time I wash the car (or it rains) I shall check to see whether this has worked.

Having added the gel badges to the wheels yesterday, I finished off by doing the front, rear and steering wheel.

I still had another half hour to play with so decided to hide the SatNav cable. My SatNav is mounted in the bottom right of my windscreen. I decided to use the USB socket at the rear of my stereo as my power source as it's never used.

After removing the stereo I removed the panel below the light switch (one Torx screw in the top of the useless little storage pocket) and routed the cable in the little groove round the corner from the air vent and then behind the panel.

I used a cable tie to secure it and then tried to get the end through to the back of the stereo.

I couldn't get the cable through so had to improvise. I fed another USB cable (as it was all I had handy with me in the car) through the back of the stereo in the direction of the pedals.

I then cable tied the two together and pulled them back out.

I then cut the cable tie and plugged the SatNav cable in the back of the stereo before refitting.

Voila! All tidy and no trailing cable.

[Lenny]

Looks excellent mste,

Dont forget to fit Eibach adjustable rear camber bolts when having it lowerd followed by laser tracking wheel alignment to correct camber,

Prevents uneven tyre wear,

Some RS Green on thr brake calipers would be good contrast,

35% tint on rear windows