Stewpotz Mk1 Fabia vRS

[Stewpotz]

Finally got round to writing up here now.

 

Bought her in July with 52k on her, just passed her MOT today with flying colours and better yet, not a single advisory

 

Now running 312mm disks at the front, will be putting 256mm on rears sometime during the year

Also full set of H&R springs now fitted.

Seat front splitter installed, not an amazing job but works.  Will remove and fit properly when it is a bit warmer.

 

 

Nice cleaning..

 

 

Wonder Wheels (Hot Wheels) Getting rid of most of the dust/dirt build up..

 

Exhaust also got a good brillo padding to shine it up a little..

 

Better pictures will be taken tomorrow (or later today )

[Stewpotz]

This hasnt really been updated as much as I wanted....

 

Mechanically, not much has been done, had a full service with a total fluid drain and refresh

 

Also, most of the alloys were showing signs of the paint bubbling so decided to DIY spray them on one of my days off.

 

Before (Sanded Slightly)

 

Primed (bit at the bottom was filler which I didn't see . Sanded back and re-primed once I did.)

 

Forgot to take pictures of them when done, but there are some on the car

 

Anyway, got back from work today at 12 (nothing like an 11 hour shift to make you feel tired) to find a present awaiting me (DPD turned up about a minute before I did...perfect timing )

 

Magic box of goodies

 

Thankfully I don't have a nut allergy

 

Goodies (Valet Pro is Bilberry Wheel Cleaner)

 

Post Snow-Foam & First treatment with Sonax BSD (not a bad job for a first try). Also shows new wheel colour

 

 

 

 

Have a set of 5 17" Spiders which I have sanded down, just waiting on next door to have a bit of free time so as he can get them in his booth for a bit of spraying.  Need to decide on colour first though, not sure on anthracite for those.

[Massbad69]

Just done mine carbon grey and they are cracking.

They will go on the car on Friday after its lowered.

[Stewpotz]

Had a lovely day out on Monday,

 

96 mile drive from Manchester to East Yorkshire to pickup some T1R's from Dazza66

82 mile drive from there to lincolnshire to collect some alfa alloys from Adamos20

 

Both guys were fantastic, and dazzas 09SE really is a nice one

 

and finally a 121 mile trip back home

 

so a nice 200mile journey on just under half a tank 'abiding' to the speed limit ;-)

[Stewpotz]

Anyway, ordered some good old paint stripper (the stuff which still has the Dichloromethane active ingredient)

 

Going to be using it to fully strip back the spiders, alfa alloys, strut brace and calipers (last 3 will be going a nice metallic colour)

 

Will be putting my 5x standard alloys up for sale, as the spiders will be my main alloys with the alfas being winters

[Stewpotz]

Paint stripper arrived today, god it is strong!!

 

Had 2 pairs of latex gloves and a pair of industrial gloves along with a long sleeve base layer and t shirt as well as a hoody to make sure none got on my arms

 

Took paint right off without any effort at all.

 

Pics will be up tomorrow when i get round to uploading them.

 

Have ordered myself some 15mm and 20mm spacers with extended bolts inc. locking bolts which will be here tomorrow, along with some poorboys wheel wax.

 

Should be getting spiders in the spray booth in the next day or so hopefully done by weekend so tires can be fitted start of next week

[Stewpotz]

Pics finally uploaded,

 

Rear 256mm Carrier (Hammerite under primer as couldn't get off previously, this takes it right off!)

 

 

Strut Brace Before

 

 

First Coat of Stripper Applied

 

Second Coat

 

 

 

Once it sits for about 15 minutes in total, it simply scrapes off with either a metal scrapper or i used a wire bit on a drill

 

Final Result

 

[Stewpotz]

Gave one of the 17" spiders a coat on the face of it as well (I had already sanded them down, which took ages) and the stripper did a better job in 5 minutes than an entire days worth of 60grit sand paper

 

 

 

Pics might not show it, but it took them down to bare metal so should get a nice even primer when they go in.

 

 

Just as I was covering them in the lovely goo, (which goes on like wall paper paste), interlink man came with a lovely delivery...

 

 

 

2x 15mm Spacers, 2x 20mm Spacers, 4x Extended Locking Wheel Bolts & 16x Standard 17mm Extended Wheel Bolts.

 

Fitted the rear 20mm's but ran out of light before doing the fronts, so a job for tomorrow....along with the other 4 spiders

[Stewpotz]

had a drive down to bradford and dropped off both sets of wheels at cas coatings

 

ready wednesday, so will update when they arrive.

 

will also give them an extra 2k lacquer coat to make them nice and shiny and uber tough!

[Stewpotz]

Just got back from a lovely drive down to Bradford to pick up the alloys from CAS Coatings, Really good coverage on face & rear...not so much on the sides, but the tyre(s) will cover this so for the price I am not complaining.

 

Even though I could have got away without paying as me and my mate loaded all 9 alloys in to the car before the guy even questioned had I paid or not!

 

Anyway, went form anthracite on the Spiders, and plain white on the Alfa Supersport alloys.

 

Currently residing at my mates whilst tyres are sourced, thinking of putting the 4x T1R's I have onto the Alfa's and using them as a bad weather/winter alloys, and then getting 5x Yoko Parada 2's for the spiders for summer (less wet) times.

 

Anyway pics will be up as soon as the tyres have been purchased (hopefully in the next week or so) went a bit crazy on spending the last few weeks so might have to give the bank account/credit card a rest for a while

[Stewpotz]

Grabbed the spiders from my mates and had them fitted with the toyo's

 

pics from before tyres

 

 

 

 

 

Alfas

 

 

Will be fitting them tomorrow after cleaning up the excess lube from tire fitters and giving them a couple of coats of poorboys wheel wax

[FromTheDarkness]

Alfa 147s right? are they a direct fit?? if not what do you use? I always liked these alloys. I demand a alfa skoda pic fest!!

[Stewpotz]

Alfa 147s right? are they a direct fit?? if not what do you use? I always liked these alloys. I demand a alfa skoda pic fest!!

Yeah, alfa 147 supersport alloys. Wobble bolts needed, they are 5x98 pcd cb 58.1 and 40 offset. Should be getting tyres fitted next month so is will arrive

Only thing is that the alfas are significantly heavier than the spiders I would say around 5kg (if not more)

[FromTheDarkness]

Yeah, alfa 147 supersport alloys. Wobble bolts needed, they are 5x98 pcd cb 58.1 and 40 offset. Should be getting tyres fitted next month so is will arrive

Only thing is that the alfas are significantly heavier than the spiders I would say around 5kg (if not more)

 

What wheels nuts? from searching on google the nuts are a different diameter

[Stewpotz]

same nuts/bolts, just wobble bolts to make up for the 2mm pcd difference.

[SKfab]

Ive got a set of these afla wheels in black had them for a few months yet to have tyres put on for my fabia. They look good in white though be interesting to see what they look like on the car in that colour

[Stewpotz]

Ive got a set of these afla wheels in black had them for a few months yet to have tyres put on for my fabia. They look good in white though be interesting to see what they look like on the car in that colour

Have been having a word with the guy next door about a possible colour change in the near future so things might happen

[Stewpotz]

Got round to washing and waxing the wheels (will CC seal them in the next week or so when i get round to ordering it )

 

Anyway, got the first wheel off with no issue at all, however the second wheel (drivers rear) decided to eat the security key and round the pin heads

 

 

 

 

Thankfully, it wasnt terminal, went down to the local tire fitters who air gunned it off and then replaced the locking nuts with some new ones (and i have emailed the seller of the original nuts for some replacements).

 

Anyway, wheels are all fitted now and look amazing!

 

 

 

Have given the tires a coating of wolf tire black gel which is really good stuff! works wonders on the LCR splitter, wiper arms and the guttering as well.

[FromTheDarkness]

Oh no you put the wrong wheels on!

[Stewpotz]

ha ha, waiting on next payday for the tires to put on the others

[Stewpotz]

Having a bit of trouble with eherl wobble, old 16" alloys would not cause any wheel wobble at any speed, but with the octavias I get wobble from about 60 until about 80 or until I hold a turn on the wheel....

Could tracking/alignment cause these issues?

[SKfab]

Are the wheels balanced properly and no buckles?

[Stewpotz]

no buckles as far as i am aware, and were balanced when tires were fitted (spun up, weights added and then re spun to ensure 0 was shown)

 

Might hopefully just be that a weight has come off.  might go down to the fitters monday and see what they think

[Stewpotz]

Not updated in a while (gotta hate these 12hr days)

 

Got to the bottom of wheel wobble..... original place didn't balance the wheels with spacers fitted so they were all around 10-15g out!

 

Anyway, had them rebalanced and now all is fine (very slight wobble still, but nothing major)

 

Gave her a good wash & wax when i got back from work today and had a word with next door for when he can fit it in to get a few things touched up (paint wise) as a guy in a BMW behind me decided to lift his foot of the clutch whilst it was still in gear....THUD!

Small crack in the paintwork on the lower bumper but it has not cracked the bumper itself. Also starting to get quite bad lacquer bubbling on the spoiler where water is getting underneath as i can move it around when I wash.

 

anyway, pics below

 

 

 

 

Hopefully once a few things sell, I will be getting some new tyres for the alfas and have them fitted for a while

[Stewpotz]

Started to get epic lacquer peel on the spoiler, went from nothing to the entire spoiler peeling in about 2 days...

Finally managed to grab next door to get it sorted. Bumper, boot, spoiler and the bout under the spoiler have all been sanded down and the head taken it for paint now, told me it should be ready around lunch time so pics will come when it is back