The Original i30 Owners Club

WELCOME => COME AND SAY HI ! => Topic started by: AutoAlchemy on October 28, 2015, 23:47:57

Title: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: AutoAlchemy on October 28, 2015, 23:47:57: Hi Everyone,

I recently picked up a second hand i30 for use as a daily runner and thought I would get to know the car a bit more by joining this forum and learning from your experience.

I run an Auto Detailing Studio so the first thing I did was give the car a steam clean in the interior and good external bath:

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5748/21857435743_4703f2f6c7_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/650/21857435763_a9ab746b6f_b.jpg)

After that I stripped the wax applied by the previous owner and gave it a decontamination bath and physical decon with a clay towel, there was quite a lot of reaction with the paint with bonded ferrous oxide which you can see in the purple deposits on the ground in this photo.

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5835/21857435713_8e1ccf8a4c_b.jpg)

I then set about correcting this soon to be lovely paint to bring out the metallic fleck which was hidden underneath an opaque clear coat riddled with swirl marks and scratches, yet not beyond repair, here is a couple of test spot pictures to highlight the difference between before and after.

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/728/22184663688_738e773002_b.jpg)

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5652/22347311986_77a7db6bee_b.jpg)

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5776/22346322396_a786fb4a1b_b.jpg)

There were a number of deep scratches along there but nothing I couldn't remove, the paint on this car was quite thin compared to other manufacturers but was of a good quality I felt and certainly harder than Japanese paints, not too much peel but the varying depths confused me a bit, the bonnet was about 120 microns thick but the roof (where the most severe damage was from the previous owner putting things on the roof rack) was around 80 to 90 microns thick.

Here are a couple of examples of the kinds of scratches that were on the car which are now removed

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/604/21751229253_c0077d6ba5_b.jpg)

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5628/22346296176_8915be9598_b.jpg)

They were taken in the typical spots you find your scuffs on a car where passengers have dragged their bags along the side of the panel on exiting and entering the car, a pet hate of mine for sure! felt good to eliminate these marks.

I then moved onto compounding the sides of the car, again it had all the typical swirling of a car of it's age in all the usual spots, yet another pet hate of mine is people who close the door using the paint instead of the plastic handle or the plastic door edge, which leaves marks like this

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5760/21749528644_ba48dcf44d_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/770/22359196672_c3c330bb96_b.jpg)

Fortunately they are easily corrected, leaving only that lovely blue metallic sparkle!

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5652/22184276780_d93e99f5dc_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/595/22359190352_14e66ddbe5_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/780/21751178963_51fc3862c1_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/680/21749495424_873fc8576f_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/589/22382972861_0fa5daa04d_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/690/21749474254_1d9f55e13c_b.jpg)

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5834/21751134503_841a5530d5_b.jpg)

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5671/22346201176_0b6ef08930_b.jpg)

Another pet hate! scratching around the fuel filler cap!!!! grrr!!!!

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/597/21749437134_9ed4b148fd_b.jpg)

Eliminated!

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5789/22359100572_b4d5f59fca_b.jpg)

The poor boot lip :(

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5682/21751083503_47b8c677da_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/670/21751072813_8656b99b0d_b.jpg)

50/50 on the upper boot lip

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5823/22359065812_76458a201b_b.jpg)

All up I spent around 20 hours doing three stages of correction on the car, a bit of sanding on the heavy scratches on the roof and sides was also included in this and it was followed by two polishing stages. I am really happy with the results and the car looks stunning now in full sunlight with the metallic paint absolutely popping, I would rate it as high as I would other premium euro car's I have done in the past.

And of course, you don't spend 20 hours on a car's paint without locking it in with a nano ceramic glass coating - my coating of choice in this case is Cquartz Finest, which will give me 2 years of protection without the need for regular polish or wax. Phew!

The car is a great drive, yes it feels like a bit of an appliance when compared to my other car (07 Astra Turbo) but it does it's intended job well, the motor feels quite potent and pulls well up hills, no diesel fumes or anything like that under full power. One question I have is what tire pressures people run up front? I followed the specs in the tire placard but I feel like the front end is a bit under inflated? let me know what you run guys!

I really need to read the manual of the car to get a handle on the features of the car but for now I quite like the refrigerated glove compartment, will come in handy for the summer months!

Fuel economy seems to be great but haven't taken it for a good long road trip yet, I will be going up to Sydney in December and looking forward to see how she goes. Enjoy the finished shots of my new ride!

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/777/21751050983_70e8ec29ee_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/580/21749362324_eb41cb0b42_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/740/21751001353_1f4ebb1d82_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/714/22184353788_f05dae8c61_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/763/22185199109_7568e36625_b.jpg)

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5717/22358943692_337b0aa920_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/657/22185178279_372e2a394c_b.jpg)

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5718/22382744141_a288e8b25e_b.jpg)

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5650/22183991820_d0a0ecce57_b.jpg)

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5661/22382726161_91c8d0f935_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/774/21750863863_4e57a0e823_b.jpg)

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/721/21749182214_3c042acfbd_b.jpg)

Bonnet looking amazing compared to where it was when I got the car!

(https://farm1.staticflickr.com/573/21750852053_54a0fe4a85_b.jpg)

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5767/22184204908_bec965b3d7_b.jpg)

(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5689/22358815302_8bffa82c22_b.jpg)

Thanks for reading, looking forward to learning more about the car.
Title: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: ~ Angel ~ on October 28, 2015, 23:47:57: Hi there AutoAlchemy :D

:welcome: to the forum.
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: The Gonz on October 29, 2015, 00:05:16: Wow! You make me want to send you Firty for some pampering. Great first post and welcome to the forum. If we end up back in Melbourne after her 14 months in storage, we'll likely be paying you a visit! :goodjob:
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: ibrokeit on October 29, 2015, 00:44:30: :welcum:

Wow!
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: rustynutz on October 29, 2015, 00:55:59: Welcome AutoAlchemy! :drinks:

What a great first post, your i30 has come up absolutely amazing! :goodjob:
Here's hoping you can give us lazy buggers some tips...

Oh, re your question on tyre pressures, I run 38psi front and rear...
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: CraigB on October 29, 2015, 01:36:44: :wttc: AutoAlchemy, your car has come up lovely, will you travel to Perth to do mine :D
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: The Gonz on October 29, 2015, 03:10:16: Quote from: rustynutz on October 29, 2015, 00:55:59
Oh, re your question on tyre pressures, I run 38psi front and rear...
There was a question? :eek:
41 all around for Firty, and were it not for a slight alignment issue with the front, I'd be on four originals at 84Mm. As it is, the rear are still the originals. :goodjob:
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: Doggie 1 on October 29, 2015, 06:53:07: :welcum:

&

:Agoodpost:

&

36 all round.

:)
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: Dazzler on October 29, 2015, 07:51:30: :welcum:

As several of the others have said :brilliant: first posting!

Lots to read on here and as you can see we are a friendly lot!
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: eye30 on October 29, 2015, 08:48:48: Welcome
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: Phil №❶ on October 29, 2015, 09:29:30: Excellent result, 36 all round
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: Hyundai i30 X on October 29, 2015, 10:51:50: :welcomettc: to the site.
Thanks for showing what you have done to your, i30
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: Asterix on October 29, 2015, 19:39:11: Hi AutoAlchemy

:wttc:

Nice job. :goodjob2: 36 psi all round here as well... :D
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: ibrokeit on October 30, 2015, 01:51:32: Oh yeah, BTW 36psi all round
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: beerman on November 01, 2015, 12:00:49: If the I40 wasn't such a great drive, your post would make me miss the CW.

I ran 38 all round without incident, and do the same on the wife's hatch and she dosen't complaign.

How anyone can let the car get like that I do not know....Even with the kids using the Hatch daily, it dosen't look like that..... Still, I guess it allows you to get a good deal on a 'run down' car.

Oh and good to see you and Dazz have the same barber :whistler:
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: Dazzler on November 01, 2015, 20:06:37: :evil:
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: Ozknight on November 01, 2015, 20:44:09: That's amazing. It looks like the paints still liquid. :goodjob:
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: beerman on November 02, 2015, 11:28:22: It looks like the paint is still in the tin :faint:
Title: Re: New owner of 2012 i30 CRDi Station Wagon
Post by: CraigB on November 02, 2015, 12:09:47: I've looked into the ceramic nano coatings before but never got around to having it done, it's very good stuff and I always kick myself for not doing it straight after I bought the car, it certainly makes maintaining much easier and will be the next thing on my "to do car list" :)

The ceramic coating I've looked at is the Ceramic Pro :link: Ceramic Pro Car Paint Protection - Nano Shine (http://www.nanoshine.com.au/) only one applicator here in the west but Bibra Lakes is fairly close to me, what I liked about the Ceramic Pro coating is that it's guaranteed for the life of the vehicle as long as annual inspections are carried out ( if you miss and inspection it defaults to 5 years coverage ) as opposed to other ceramic nano coatings who only guarantee 2 years with no more than 20% fading in that period.