Step 1. Remove Excrement... Mods, Can you help me move this to the project thread?

[1mz]

So the weather finally got nice again around here and I dove head first into my dirty 30 project, picking up where I left off back in April 2010. I started with the interior.

I pulled everything out and gave it the 'purple power' treatment with a tire brush. The door panels came out pretty well and the coffee stains were tamed to some degree.

My question of the day is - do you guys think power washing the carpet would take out more of the stains?

As is customary forum manner - I present pics (so I don't have to gtfo)

General Before: (picking up project where I left off months ago..)






Hey! at least ALL my jackstands weren't stolen!


Rodent feces. Lots of it.


Step 1. Remove excrement.

Post Shop-Vac; Pre hand shampoo/purple power.


Dear Bmw,
This is what happens when you don't include OEM cup-holders in USDM cars. See what Hans can cook up in the lab, thanks.
sincerely the 90's.


Unfortunately I didn't take a very good 'After' picture yet - in the works.

One of the daily for shits and giggles:


Tits for your thoughts?

[a2coupe2a]

My experiences have always been great pressure washing. I have only done it with black carpet but if it stays black im sure tan would stay tan.

[1mz]

Yeah - I'm not worried about washing out the color, just whether or not the stains come will come out.

- ps. sorry for the random pic boxes everywhere, I published this last night on my netbook - it was a little tedious.

[1mz]

anyone else want to weigh in on this? Again - Will power washing remove long set in coffee stains?

[bimmershark]

your gonna laugh but hear me out..if ya pull the carpet out to power wash it buy a cheap spray bottle and make a water and dawn dish soap mix (just the basic blue shit ) spray it on lightly maybe a light scrubbing on the harder stains then pressure wash..

never done it on auto carpet but back when i cleaned oriental rugs (the high end real ones not the plastic woven cheap ones) dawn is what we used to clean them , for odors we soaked them in odo-ban..so i asume if its safe enough for a 10k dollar rug its ok for your carpet

[CHIF8008]

black carpet will be a good contrast. Do IT

[jizo]

Get a rug doctor at any local hardware or supermarket, its about $25 for 24hrs. Get it with the upholstery tool and steam clean your carpet with out having to take it out. For the stains...use heavy traffic spray treatment before you vac.
Being that it is a tan carpet, i would go that route, you wont be disappointed!!

[1mz]

Bimmershark - appreciate the dawn tip, but i have a feeling that there is enough residual purple power in the carpet from my first 'hand shampoo' attempt that it will already create a ton of suds. Noted though - if purple doesn't work, ill go blue.

jizo - also a viable option, if the stains don't come out via power wash, I will definately look into a steam cleaner. I didn't realize that rug doctors had an upholtery tool... my roomates and I used to rent them back in the day to clean the floor after we had parties, but never the sofas.


-- seeing as how it is damn near perfect weather outside today and 98% of my interior is already removed, I'm just going to pull the bitch out today and hit it with the pressure washer.

pics of progress posted either later tonight or tomorrow. stay posted.

[1mz]

N00b...


In all, I broke something like 6 white plastic tabs... Is there some key to removing them that I just didn't get? the ones that didn't break were removed slowly and kinda wiggled out... then again so were the ones that DID break..



Suddenly, I'm happy with my car again... no signs of leakage/rust what-so-ever.



Post hand scrub/purple power/shop vac - PRE pressure wash


Cheap little wonky thing - works pretty well though. And my grandfather let me barrow it for free so you cant beat the price!



After some more purple power, scrubbing, vacuuming, pressure washing etc.






As you can see -pretty good results. However... as I've come this far. Screw it... going to dye it since its prepped anyways. Just deciding on what to use now. I'm thinking black carpet and black door handles/pockets - tan seats and tan door cards. Dunno if this is gonna look goofy all two toned - but I'll give it a shot.

if anyone wants to check out my picasa progress albums -

https://picasaweb.google.com/nelso2sd/20110419?authkey=Gv1sRgCOa19qDy2ObqTw&feat=directlink

[StereoInstaller1]

Looking great. Same exact pressure washer I had, until someone swiped it.

Don't forget to brush repeatedly between coats, the goal is to do it while still wet.

[StereoInstaller1]

edit: had that washer until I broke it...I remember now.

[1mz]

Teaser of things to come...


other things i did tonight..

clean my wrench set... ashamed to say its the first time since I bought them 5 + years ago



fixed the door sill.. sort of. The broken part doesn't look like it will bear much stress and its at the side of the seat so it won't be very noticeable. I'm thinking sand it with fine grit and hit all 4 of them with some of duplicolor trim paint I picked up - or maybe the interior stuff?





more to come when the tornado warnings and thunderstorms cease and the humidity drops below 60%.

[Todd Black 88]

Get new door sills, they are cheap.

[1mz]

Get new door sills, they are cheap.

should I order from real OEM or what?

[1mz]

Today's progress...


pile o'crap


before

final prep:


almost there...


ran out of paint. hunting more down tomorrow and finishing up :o


I took Luke's advice and prepped the shit outta the carpet first, then worked this stuff in using a brush while I painted.


aiming to be done this weekend, still need to pick up a few odds and ends like a new drivers side door handle and a rear window motor (pm me if you've got the window motor and happen to read this) .. silly old car parts.

Cleaned up and set to fix up my glovebox. It was saggier than my grandfathers balls and upon further investigation I discovered why...


someone had the bright idea to 'fix it' before - and dont quote me on this because this is my first time taking apart this bracket, but it would make a MUCH better idea to me to put the metal backing plate for the bracket on the INSIDE of the plastic... ESPECIALLY IF ITS BROKEN....


so thats what I did. Hello Plastiweld.:idea:


close up of bracket


If this shit is 'ideal to plug gas tanks' - it ought to be strong enough to hold that bracket in place. Time will tell.