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Today was spent removing all the aluminium window trim and grill so as to get it into the paintshop to get it turned black.... I just couldn't bring myself to wrap it in vinyl.

What an absolute TWAT of a job, the WSM states one line on interior removal, there went 2 hours of the day....

Poor thing is looking sorry for itself, tape has been applied to all the window edges to seal it all back up....

Just need to make my mind up on whether satin or gloss black!!!

 

[julianwhitta]

Subscribed! A fine build thread, and an entertaining read, restricted. Keep up the good work!

 

[SimonRoma]

Car looks wonderful and that V8 engine mmmmmm!!! Keep up the good work!!

 

[restricted]

Subscribed! A fine build thread, and an entertaining read, restricted. Keep up the good work!

Lol, thank you, your post made my day... it's nice to know others approve and are entertained :thumbsup:

Car looks wonderful and that V8 engine mmmmmm!!! Keep up the good work!!

she has a long way to go yet but she's a keeper.....

So today.... frustrating and it's probably why I do so much myself, sadly my job means I have little time these days to get as deep into car mods as I once did. Paint being the one thing that absorbs my time so I entrust it to local specialists. Yesterday I removed all the chrome trim to take it to my trusted paint bod... too busy came the reply (wasn't impressed given the amount of work we put his way), so onto the next one...

nah mate can't be painted

and the next one said the same....

FFS, so the only course of action was to fuck work, finish early and start sanding the anodising off of the aluminium, ball ache of a laborious job (hence why wanting to pay others to do it) but persevered all afternoon and managed to get the first coat of Etch Primer onto all 6 trims.

that will need flatting back and another couple of coats of etch, then flatten again and then prime and paint.

I've decided on satin black (I say decided, I've got 6 tins on the shelf and I can't be arsed to buy more), then a satin lacquer.


The grill being plastic needs a slightly different process, first off is to chemically remove the chrome trim, if I remember right from my modelling days (Airfix kits, not walking down bloody catwalks) a good soak in Mr Muscle Oven cleaner will remove the chrome to leave bare plastic ready for plastic etch primer etc etc etc…

If the weather holds out I may get it done for the weekend....

 

[julianwhitta]

I’m just amazed you managed to get the trim off without damaging it! I’ve read enough horror stories on the subject to be suitably terrified of the prospect of damaging one of the pieces in the process. Especially considering the truly princely prices Audi demands for replacement bits! The sand, prime, sand, prime ad nauseam I could live with because what’s the fun in working on one’s car if there’s no mind-numbingly tedious labour involved?

 

[restricted]

I’m just amazed you managed to get the trim off without damaging it! I’ve read enough horror stories on the subject to be suitably terrified of the prospect of damaging one of the pieces in the process. Especially considering the truly princely prices Audi demands for replacement bits! The sand, prime, sand, prime ad nauseam I could live with because what’s the fun in working on one’s car if there’s no mind-numbingly tedious labour involved?

to be honest it all came off fairly easy, the pain in the arse was removing half the interior to take the main door seal off (needed to remove that so as to get a direct line of sight for drilling out the rivets) and door mirrors all had to come off.

The piece on the door just levered off. The roof trim, drill the rivets out (3.2mm drill bit), then once they were out the way I applied tape to the paintwork above and carefully pulled the rubber back till the spring clips holding the trim on and just very carefully levered the trim off near the clips, doing each one in term.
My tip would be to have an assistant hold the very end of the trim near the door mirror end to stop it flapping about

 

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first coat of black done... couple of nibs but they all need flatting prior to lacquering....

so far so good... not bad for rattle cans and outside...

 

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I thought i'd best show the poor car in her current straight, window edges taped up with duct tape... tonight I deep cleaned the areas the trim normally sits and gave it a thorough seal, i'll waxoil the clips as they have surface corrosion on them.

the interior A and B pillars have been removed to facilitate putting the door seal back on, it would have been impossible to sit it correctly with the interior trims on.

At the 11th hour I changed my mind and have gone full gloss on the trims, I painted them satin black and wasn't loving it, so I flatted the black, gave it another coat and then high gloss lacquer.... sorry for the shit picture but I couldn't capture it that well...

So all 6 trims are now done, they will want a buff and wax once on the car... 24 hours to cure overnight and I may be able to start installing tomorrow night.... Watch this space!!!

 

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well after dinner the evening suddenly warmed up, the wind dropped and the sun came out.... would have been stupid to not Carpe Diem.....

one side all on, buttoned up and interior back together.... The paint was hard enough to handle and can be buffed tomorrow evening after the other side is installed...


More chuffed than a chuffed thing.....

 

[julianwhitta]

Looks brilliant!

 

[Mr.wreckless]

Looks brilliant indeed that trim bit. Count me impressed too that you managed to get it off in 1 piece

The LED bits, was that all plug and play?

Loving your build thread

Regards

 

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There's some disassembly required to get to some of the bulbs but yes very plug and play.
Well except the reverse lights, they needed recoding...

 

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no pics but just to document for that thankfully the weather held out and the other side was completed tonight...

roll on the weekend as it's time for the grill, on the S5 there are chrome bits on the upright slats... are they normally black on a black optic version?

 

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Instead of the grill today I turned my attention to things of a more mechanical nature....

I seem to have invented the magical flying S5 version...

today was all about the brake lines but like most things it evolved into other stuff (whilst in there). So the rear discs are being binned as they are past their best, the brake shields have been removed to go to the powdercoaters on Monday, thankfully the calipers just need a bloody good clean, the black finish on them is acceptable.

but as the wheels are off and she can't move anywhere and I am going to the powdercoaters it would be rude to not take these

as they definitely are not in the condition I want them to be in...

 

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parts are slowly landing.... I blame my bike for my Titanium fixation..... when presented with this...
rusty, crusty nipples....

yup.... 4 ordered in lovely Ti64

much better

the condition of the black finish on the calipers (certainly the face you see) was deemed acceptable after a clean.... I'll wait till I get my hands on a set of RS5 calipers before stripping and refinishing them....
However in the meantime, the plates just wouldn't clean up on the front calipers

what should I do?





yup.....

much better

whilst I am waiting to collect my wheels I've been repainting the brake disc bells, the front discs where fairly new, so they are done...

Hopefully the postman brings my new rears tomorrow, then they can be painted to match....

No pressure, only supposed to be going on holiday in the S5 Saturday...… what could go wrong!!!! lol

 

[julianwhitta]

Not the place I expected the expression “crusty nipples” to appear, but I like the titanium fix!

 

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Not the place I expected the expression “crusty nipples” to appear, but I like the titanium fix!

there is www.crustynipples.com * if that's your thing? hahaha



*it's not really a website currently and if you clicked the link you are a self confessed crustynipple freak :grin2:



But yes I do have a sickness for Titanium... it is an awful expensive addiction...!!! as my bike build would show, if I can't buy it, I've made it

 

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I'm promised the wheels will be back with me tomorrow, so with the freshly powdercoated backing plates in hand it was time to get jiggy with it...!!!

I'm sure I said somewhere that i'm not aiming to go concours with it, but it doesn't hurt to be clean....
Good old Mr Muscle on the ally bits

The hub face was duly attacked with a grinder mounted wire brush to descale to ensure as flat a surface as possible, a very thin film of assembly paste on the mating surface should resist corrosion for a time and done....

repeated another 3 times and all 4 corners were done.....
The new Hel lines fitted as expected, and then it was on to the flushing and bleeding...
I always flush through with a cheap DOT 4 to fill the lines and do a pre bleed, then it's on to the good stuff.

the only thing left to do was reset the EPB with the aid of VCDS and job is more done than a done thing...!!!

Stay tuned for the wheely good reveal tomorrow night...

 

[julianwhitta]

Complete with puns, yet! You are a standout member of the A5OC, where punning is recognised for the art form it is.

 

[credast24]

Excellent work and a very entertaining read.

Looking forward to the big reveal :smile2: