A weekend of Valeting

[kev131]

Are any readers fans of Autoglym products? I have to confess to being a sucker for cheaper and fancier looking brands for years, even to the point when I gave up polishing cars as unrewarding effort. Turtle wax this and back to black that promised more than they delivered. Even Audi polish for my metallic A3 diappointed me.

Well Damian (my orange sport bought at halloween) was going to be a new beginning and the most expensive products were on my shopping list. AutoGlym seem to occupy this market niche and their conniseur multi pack of 6 different mini products caught my eye.

Even though it was blowing? a gale outside with sideways rain, Damian and I spent most of Saturday locked in the garage with a bag full of cloths. I used the basic polish, glass cleaner, tar remover and bumper care and I have to say that the results have restored my motivation to use elbow grease. It was a very rewarding afternoon and when a brief sunny spell came along on Sunday I got the camera out. Photos cant always show reality but I can certainly see a marked improvement.?











Bad news though on my attempts to get my alloy wheels restored - See subsequent thread.

Cheers

Kev

[Thotos]

Kevin, your car is positively gleaming! Well done! 

I too like Autoglym polishes and use them most of the time. I've tried a lot of others and keep coming back to Autoglym as the best stuff to use. Some others seem to be similarly good but nothing I've tried is better. The only Autoglym product I don't like is their leather cream. Not an issue with the 131 as it never came with leather (in the UK at least) but the Autoglym leather cream smells like emulsion paint!

That's a somewhat strange looking rear spoiler on your car. Was that the 'standard' spoiler on the Walter Rhorl cars? And what's the writing on the right of the spoiler? (I couldn't make it out )

[kev131]

Hi Theo

The name is Hormann - I believe they were a German tuning firm who specialised in uprating Fiat group cars - This spolier seems specific to the 131 as it fits so well especially so at the rear where the angle of the uplift matches the angle of the rear panel. I do prefer it to the Richard Grant version which really spoils the lines of the car in my mind.?

Here is a photo of the brochure which came with my car.

[simon131]

Hi Kev,

A couple of years ago I transferred to using Auto Glym Super Resin polish from Mer, with superb results. I use it all the time now and it gives better results with less effort and without the white dust residue.

I can't agree with you about the Richard Grant rear spoiler though. I had one on my '82 2000TC Supermirafiori for the five years that I owned it and I thought it made the car look great!

Hormann did all sorts of 'styling' bolt-ons for all sorts of cars, not just FIATs. Generally not to my taste I'm sorry to say.

Simon

[Thotos]

Shortly after? I bought my first 131 Sport (back in 1982? ) I managed to slightly scratch the boot lid next to the keylock while trying to open the boot whilst holding the printer I was about to put in the boot. (I still remember it well; it was a Diablo 630 Daisywheel printer and I felt like throwing off a cliff? ? for scratching my 'new' and still gleaming 131 Sports) . So my solution was to fit a Richard Grant rear spoiler which did a grand job of hiding the little scratch and I thought also looked very nice (I was still a boy racer back then? ) .? Over the many years that I owned that car (technically I still do but there's not much left now...? ) a lot of people asked me (pointing at the rear spoiler) "does this work?" They were of course referring to its aerodynamic abilities but I would answer "It works extremely well!!" meaning its ability to hide the scratch?

I too think the Richard Grant spoilers (were they not the exact same shape as the Fiat supplied items?) look very nice on the Sport and make the car look longer in profile which is a good thing. I decided against fitting one to my current Sport as having now seen the amount of rust these spoilers generate by holding water, I didn't want that happening to my car. I also didn't want the headaches again caused by the boot lid dropping on my head due to the extra weight (even with the tension springs set to maximum strength).?

[kev131]

Guys guys guys - I'm sorry to have to say this but I have to question your judgement on this most serious of debates - Hormann or Grant - That is the question!?

For years I promised myself that I would never buy a RG tea tray aka known as the top half of a whale's tale. It's only co-incidence that it manages to sit on a 131 Bootlid (aided by gravity no doubt) as it more closely resembles a generic spolier that could be fitted to any saloon, than any other Fiat spoiler that I have seen. "Extends the line of the car" - Yep and outside the natural ambience of the intended shape. Behold the symmetry and grace of the H variety - A product in tune with the Fiat's bold masculine lines - That uplift is intentional and communicates the cars bold attitude to tail gaters - The RG pussy version says overtake me - I am sad and unworthy!?

Look at the lower edge of RG - It stands proud of the body whereas the H version blends in seamlessly with the rear panel uplift.

Have a look at the attached photos, look me in the eye and tell me that you prefer RG - bet you cant do it!?

[Thotos]

Kevin, showing us a photo of a badly fitted and badly painted? Richard Grant spoiler on a car in the wrong colour doesn't make your point. The RG spoiler has the same or very similar shape to the one supplied by Fiat so I'd say that's the better shape rather than the upright looking H spoiler. I won't say anything bad about the H and I'll reserve judgment until I see the one on your car but I'll repeat that I do like the shape of the RG and I think that it blends very well with the lines of the Sport. The black plastic trims on the C pillars have rearward extending lines that blend so well with the rear extending RG spoiler.?

[kev131]

Theo - You know that I have the highest respect for your opinions and knowledge on Fiat and 131 matters (same goes for Simon) but I think (and yes this is only an opinion) that the RG style (and Fiat's you say?) is so lazily designed (except for it's scratch revealing qualities) - To me it looks like they took any old spoiler shape and moulded the underneath to fit the contours of the car. Poor fitting and incorrect colour isnt disguising anything - The H version is much more integrated and non-intrusive to the overall shape - But dont hold back if you feel it deserves criticism - It isnt my design - It's that of the two choices it's a much better result IMHO.

At least none of us have this type...



and isnt it great that we have so few troubles that we can devote time to such a debate!?

Incidentally I never did take to the abarth boot lid incorporating a spoiler either - Like you I like the clean line...except in the case of H!?

[Thotos]

? YUK!!

Is that a 131 or a Skoda? I really like the forward facing rear view mirror though. I suppose it's because the car spends most of it's time driving backwards trying to hide?

[jseabolt]

Are any readers fans of Autoglym products?

Yes I am. I bought allot of this stuff at Halfords when I was in the UK several years ago. I bought one of those gift packs and when I returned the following year I loaded up on what I liked.

It's not sold in American autoparts stores but you can get their products  through Jaguar and other British car part suppliers but it's expensive.

One of their products I found really great is their black bumper treatment stuff. Whatever it's called. It's got something grainy in it like sand.

At the time I owned a Jeep Wrangler and the fender flares are non-painted black plastic and fade while sitting on the dealers lot. Eventually they will turn white. I tried shoe polish and everything and the best thing was their bumper treatment.

Their windshield polish is also great when you get allot of bugs. But doesn't have any water repelant like Rain-X which I normally use.

As far as their wax is concerned, I stopped using paste wax. I've been using this gel wax
made by Armour All.  You apply it when the car is wet and smear it with a chamois. My Subaru has some much porous black plastic trim paste wax just makes a mess.

[simon131]

Kev, you're talking out of your exhaust pipe mate .

As Theo quite rightly says, how on Earth can you talk about RG spoilers and show the terribly fitted example you do, not properly fitted to that 'blue thing'? The spoiler you show has been sprayed blue and has almost completely come unfixed. The surface that is shown almost horizontal in your photo should be at about 35 to 40 degs!

The RG spoiler (I can only mention these because I wouldn't be seen dead with a Hormann example on any of my cars!!) is fitted with a series of bolts that have their heads 'captive' in the rubber. These pass through holes made in the boot lid, and are secured by washers and nuts inside the boot. On the edge of the spoiler closest to the rear window there is a full length adhesive strip that stops the rain (if fitted correctly - which mine was, and that shown in your photo is NOT!) from getting under the spoiler and into the boot through the bolt holes.

No, the RG spoiler is NOT a 'pussy version'! (Disgusting language for one so young Kevin!! Where's the moderator??)

Being serious for a minute though - beauty is in the eye of the beholder, however if FIAT had intended the shape to be one way, why buy a Hormann spoiler?!?

[sid131]

Guys guys guys - I'm sorry to have to say this but I have to question your judgement on this most serious of debates - Hormann or Grant - That is the question! 

For years I promised myself that I would never buy a RG tea tray aka known as the top half of a whale's tale. It's only co-incidence that it manages to sit on a 131 Bootlid (aided by gravity no doubt) as it more closely resembles a generic spolier that could be fitted to any saloon, than any other Fiat spoiler that I have seen. "Extends the line of the car" - Yep and outside the natural ambience of the intended shape. Behold the symmetry and grace of the H variety - A product in tune with the Fiat's bold masculine lines - That uplift is intentional and communicates the cars bold attitude to tail gaters - The RG pussy version says overtake me - I am sad and unworthy! 

Look at the lower edge of RG - It stands proud of the body whereas the H version blends in seamlessly with the rear panel uplift.

Have a look at the attached photos, look me in the eye and tell me that you prefer RG - bet you cant do it! 

Woo Hoo that my 131 the blue one with the ill fitting spoiler, thats because the bolts had pulled through the bootlid which has no rust!!!!

[Gremlino]

Just where do you stop when it comes to mods?.......

Exhibit 1, someone gone mad at Ripspeed circa 1983

Exhibit 2, the easiest way to chop off your feet on a windy day

[sid131]

Cool!!!

[bax131]

Saturday well spent. Nice gleaming finish. New reg. number on that orange sport?