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March 1, 2018March 7, 2018

10 Years under a tree

Just when we thought we were going hard with the Mighty Starlet sitting in a front yard for 9 years we go one step further here with this 91 model Mazda 626 which sat in a front yard under a tree for 10 years.

The car came from a deceased estate and was inherited by one of the family members who had no interest in Mazdas.

We came across this car on a drive around and cold called the owner about what they wanted to do with the car. They were very happy to have someone take interest. We came to an agreement and started to photo log the car in situation.

What we found.

The car was sitting on small lino type tiles to stop flat-spotting. (good thinking on whoever parked the car)

The grass creepers had grown the entire length of the underside of the car

Passenger window was down

Steering wheel had a hole in grip

The car was serviced before it was parked

Clear coat was gone off the horizontal surfaces.

Parts needed

Master window switch
Right taillight
Filters
Drive belts
Rear muffler
Paint
Steering wheel cover

Starting the car

We diluted the stale fuel by adding some fresh fuel into the tank
Connected the Jumper leads
Cranked with the coil lead earthed to get oil pressure then reconnected the coil lead and attempted to start the engine.
The engine took a while to come to life and once again “Start Ya Bastard” was used to get a pulse which worked and the engine came to life
The brake pedal was close to the floor so the rear brakes were the only ones working.
We drove the car under it’s own power from under the tree for the first time in the 10 years.
We towed the car to our driveway workshop to get into the NDG DIY process.

Step one

Removed all the grass from inside and under the car
Pressure cleaned the car
Wash the car in Mega Gloss wash & Claybar to take a look at the condition of the car.

Before work shots

Midway shots

Clear Coat on and ready for the Hyperseal finish

Finishing touches.

Replaced the master window switch
Refitted the passenger window regulator to the door mounts
Replaced muffler and drive belts
Changed oil and filter
Reapplied clearcoat
Installed a stitch on leather steering wheel cover

Applied NDG products

Odour Neutraliser
Instant detailer
Shield 120
Hyperseal
Mega Gloss wash
Clay bar and NDG Lubricant
Long life tyre shine
Bio Crystal Magic
Instant Gloss Engine lacquer

After Shots

The Happy New Owner.

We call that this was a major success.

Taking what was an abandoned car from out of the grip of nature and bring it back to showroom condition in a matter of a week is sensational. The car really did look showroom condition. With NDG Automotive products you can get these results using simple DIY techniques. This is what makes our products stand out, and our prices are well positioned to make a driveway reco. feasible..

We look forward to receiving images of your project car soon.

March 1, 2018

Classic Bike reforms for the better

BSA Motorcycles were a common sight in the height of their production in the UK and were mostly sold, and loved in the British Commonwealth countries.

Nowadays the remaining ones are in the hands of enthusiasts who in most cases don’t just have one but several and they scour the web for parts for sale and for that every more elusive classic barn find. When they do it is cause for huge celebration within their clubs and amongst their friends and peers.

This bike is a 1950’s model BSA 500 Goldstar that usually sits in line with others of similar vintage BSA’s in dusty workshop in Australia.

We did the NDG coating service on this bike during a sunny winter’s day so it gave a strong feel of England’s spring or summer weather setting the stage for what we wanted to achieve.

The results were excellent. It is very hard to capture the results on camera but we can put in a comment from the owner when he returned to see the bike ” Is that the same bike?” That says it all.

NDG products are excellent for all bikes but are finding the greatest traction in the classic & custom bikes, tourers and adventurer type bikes. They are easy to apply and to re-apply without any special preparation.

Order on line from our dropdown menus.

What we did.

Dusted the bike off with compressed air.
Mega Gloss washed the bike
Claybar cleaned all accessible parts
Carried out Hyperseal process
Photographed the sensational results

February 27, 2018March 7, 2018

NDG’s Hyperseal takes to the cycle track

Track cyclists look for any advantage they can find as they are at the very pointy end of their game. We had been demoing NDG Hyperseal for some months with a few different riders and with 100% positive response back with some expected and unexpected comments.

Hyperseal

Bike feels better at high speed
Less drag with coming out of a slipstream to kick (power past the rider in front)
Bike looks and feels better generally
Easier to keep clean and doesn’t seem to get as dirty
More scratch resistant
A must have accessory on the bike
Junior riders just like the way it makes their bikes look

Shop for Hyperseal here

February 26, 2018March 7, 2018

Tutankhamun’s Chopper resurrection

Tutankhamun would not be rolling in his tomb after we finished this bike. We think he would have his servants hand him his matching gold helmet so he could cruise the Nile boulevard at sunset.

We came across this bike in Dubai where we were looking to do a demo on a custom bike. We were given this bike which was an early 90’s bike that had some oxidisation and just dulled off in every way.

The real gold paper motifs were certainly dull and the chrome didn’t have any shine at all.

We got to work and gave it the NDG restoration process which takes some time as bikes are a lot harder than cars with all the exposed areas and tight spots to access. Everything is viewable to the beholder.

Three days later the bike is finished complete with NDG Self Healing coating on the painted surfaces and NDG Hyperseal on all the other surfaces for restoration and sealing in the goodness.

It kind of reminds us of the ancient embalming process where a lot of care and skill are used to restore and preserve for the future to come.

The results were beyond what anyone expected.

A true Showroom new look was achieved, once again.

The bike was taken to a auto show in Abu Dhabi and it won Custom bike of the show! This was against all new comers from all corners of the world.

Tutankhamun would be well pleased.

February 26, 2018March 7, 2018

Lost, but still very worthy

We were alerted to a car that was iconic as the fleet car of choice in the long country and city roads of Australia. In their day you would be hard pressed not to see at least 1 of these Australian built Mitsubishi Magna’s on any drive anywhere.

Here we have a wagon version of this car. Super versatile with being a very reliable 3.5ltr v6 and fold down flat rear seat made it excellent for travelling sales people to securely transport their samples to show clients.

The cars were good for well over 500,000kms of hammering without more than the normal service items which in this case were very cheap in comparison to other vehicles.

Enough of the preamble and into what we found.

Lost, but still very worthy — Been a long time since these were cleaned

We found an excellent low milage example of one of these 2001 Australian produced Mitsubishi Magna that had been sitting in the spot we found it for 8 years and was owned by an elderly couple of almost all it’s life. Before coming to rest here the car was a daily commuter and didn’t leave the city of 50,000 population so it idled along.

The DIY work begins

First thing to do was check the oil and coolant levels and put in a fresh battery to see if it would start. It had a full tank of fuel which would be stale but enough to start the engine.

A few cranks to get the oil pressure up and then we went at a proper start which it did just like it was driven the day before.

4 washes later we had something we could move to the DIY driveway and get on with seeing if we could get the showroom new look using our NDG products.

https://ndgproducts.com/lost-but-still-very-worthy/ — 4 Mega Gloss Washes later

6 hours were spent on the car to detail it inside and out but it turned out looking brand new. A sensational result!!

The Before & After Images

The car will head to it’s new owner soon enough and will be a good solid workhorse.

We are tempted to keep this one as a low cost reliable, useful car.

February 25, 2018March 7, 2018

9 Years in the baking Sun

The Mighty Toyota Starlet

9 Years in the baking Sun.

Here, we go deep. Deeper than we have ever taken our products before, just to see what we can achieve using just normal DIY tools and techniques just to prove that our NDG Automotive products are truly DIY products and that great results can be achieved, at home, in your driveway.

This project was a huge success with the car looking close to showroom condition in every way. NDG Automotive Specialty surface coatings are true DIY superhero’s.

The Project

We found this 1997 Toyota Starlet sitting in a front yard where it had sat for 9 long years in the Harsh Australian climate. What happened before it arrived in the front yard it’s owner cannot recall so it’s history is lost to the mist of time.

So after negotiating removing the car and completing the relevant paperwork we asked for the keys. We were handed a big bag of keys and told that the keys were in that bag. 30 minutes and 87 keys later we had no luck finding the car keys or the wheel locks. We then broke into the car and removed the door lock to get the key code and crossed our fingers that this was not a chip enabled key system and got a key cut at the local locksmith.

Next day we went back to the car armed with “Start ya Bastard” spray and a spare battery to see if we could start the engine, so we were lucky with the key. (see video of this process).

We got the car to start after a bit of clutch encouragement using Start ya Bastard but something was wrong with the fuel system.

We removed the fuel sender and pump from the tank and found it completely crystallised. So we know that the engine runs and the clutch is operational so we left this for the moment.

We removed the wheels and fitted another temporary set and moved to the car to our driveway where the DIY process of restoration would begin.

So far so good.

We went to the local wreckers in search of a donor car and we found one so we were in luck.

We took off the mechanicals we needed and the windscreen and go to work on our project. So far we spent $200 on the parts we needed. All the tyres were buried in the dirt and dry rotted.

First thing we needed to do was to get the car running so we cleaned the inside of the fuel tank with the donor fuel sender, fuel pump unit, fuel filter and some fresh fuel, and got the engine to fie up straight away. So we took it for a short drive to check out whether it drove ok or not.

Outside of a noisy front wheel bearing we were solid as it drove great once we got the brake discs to burn the surface rust off the brake discs. Back to the wreckers to get the wheel bearing and brake discs.

Wheel bearing and Brake discs and pads replacement

Next steps

To start the DIY process while the new tyres were being fitted. as
Wash and claybar the body using NDG Mega Gloss Wash and NDG Claybar lubricant and remove the pin strips off the body.
Remove a couple of dents
We got our resident artist to produce son JDM Toyota stickers to cover the baked in stickers and to make the car look a little more appealing.
Replaced the windscreen

We then we cleaned out the interior using:

NDG Nil Odour
NDG Instant Detailer
NDG Bio Crystal Magic
NDG IPA
Applied Shield 120 to the windscreen

The results made the abandoned wreck look completely showroom new.

The abandoned wreck look before we started

Showroom New results!

We needed to re-trim some of the side panels where the vinyl was lifting.

Fitted a genuine radio system and sorted out some hack job wiring that someone had done in the past.

Down to the final touches.

We then carried out the NDG Hyperseal process in true DIY fashion driveway style which brought back the original shine to the paintwork and added the new decals and serviced the AC system.

The car passed roadworthiness inspection so the project comes to an end.

This Toyota Starlet turned out to be a really nice car.

A GREAT SUCCESS.

The end result was we advertised the car on the local car mart website and it sold within the first week to the first buyer.

Before and after shots

November 10, 2017March 7, 2018

From $50 car to a Gold Bar

The answer is always, Not Much.

We are going to have a red hot go at getting this early Mazda 323 and get it back on the road and looking ok. It has been sitting under a tree for a few years and has all the marking of nature taking over, but it had not been subject to hack repairs so, it is a good start to this project.

What have we got here.

Early model 4 door Auto with cloth seats and 16 valve engine. 125,000kms on the speedometer. Service books confirm that is about right. Battery is ok and the car started without any valve train rattles or bottom end knocks.

The body is very straight with no scraps or dents and no signs of repairs
Headlights lenses and reflectors are in good condition and still sealed
The paint is completely gone from the bonnet and front guard upper surfaces
the front tyres are worn and may not pass rego. spare tyre is almost as bad
CV joints are slightly noisy but the boots are ok
Seats are dirty but not threadbare or sun damaged
We can’t tell what the roof paint is like as it is completely covered in dried out dust and lichens
exhaust system is not leaking
engine is not leaking oil
Before images

Clear Coat completely burn’t off

Midway through the project.

De-craped the car and pressure cleaned everything
Used NDG’s Bio Crystal Magic to clean the seats
Installed hubcaps and resprayed the rims Black
Aggressive Clay Bar process using Mega Gloss wash as the lubricant
Sort out small mechanical roadworthy elements
Car ready for Registration inspection
Looking a lot better

Final stage of the project

Register the car for street driving
Remove drive shafts and re-grease CV joint
Respray Bonnet and Roof
Hyperseal the exterior
Clean the stains off the carpet
Remove dent from door
NDG Fabcare the interior
Shield 120 all the glass and wing mirrors
Looking a lot better

Final stage of the project

Register the car
Replaced both drive shafts
Respray Bonnet and Roof
Hyperseal the exterior
Clean the stains off the carpet
Remove dent from door
NDG Fabcare the interior
Shield 120 all the glass and wing mirrors
Before and After Hyperseal application.

Summary

What a great project.

The Mazda was so good it was kept as a company run-about and is currently being used for some of our young drivers to get their hours up before they sit for their drivers license test.

It has been renamed the “Gold Bar”. Very suiting.

July 23, 2017November 10, 2017

Outback Desert Testing

With all our products we like to test them in the most extreme environments and there is no better place than Outback Australia.

The outback is an area that is known for a very sparse population, including animals that extends for thousands of Kms and miles in all directions.

Basically you are on your own.

Our testing was our Hyperseal on a 1014 Toyota Prado that was one of 6 other cars that ventured into the outback.

The timing was not great as the outback had seen a lot of rain which turns a normally ultra dry desert into a series of many thousands of delta type water canals and mud, mud that seems to not end.

This was a great proving ground for our testing which in this car was our hyperseal polish and 2 weeks of punishment.

The test was a success.

After 2 weeks in test the Prado was basically clean. The most noticable part was the windows that were not treated and had turned the typical red dust coating that is so typical of any trip outback.

The owner said” that the mid just beaded up the surface and when it rained just dropped off” and ” none of the others knew of any test coating on his car but all asked why his car seemed so clean” and that ” after driving through the salt bush dunes and being the lead car the typical pinstripes were not there but were on all the other cars, amazing”

Hyperseal was tested with the objective of seeing how the product can withstand the rigours of offroad driving.

We didn’t anticipate the extreme weather but we are more than pleased with the results of this test.

Since this time we have seen a good progressive take-up of Hyperseal being used for SUV body work and their accessories.

July 22, 2017July 23, 2017

Barn Find restoration

For this Barn Find restoration we found an old 1974 Mercedes 230.6 in a shed covered in a vine and spider webs. The challenge was to take the car from the spiders and using only NDG Nano products bring the car to roadworthy levels in 1 day.

First was to drag the car from the abyss and have a look at what it will take.

The Chosen treatments were.

NDG Mega Gloss Car Wash (scented in Old Leather)
NDG Clay Bar
NDG IPA
NDG Genesis Compound
NDG Instant detailer
NDG Hyperseal
NDG Vinyl & Leather treatments
NDG Long life Tire Shine
Shield 120

The end results

At the 24hour mark the finished product rolled out onto the streets to go for Registration/Title testing. It passed first go and a street cruise was a mandatory conclusion.

Before

After

First Event invitation

There are many cars that could have been asked to attend a photoshoot for the reopening of a long ago closed Drive-in. The Mercedes balanced the mix of predominately US classics.

July 22, 2017March 4, 2018

Bling my Lawn Mower

Bling my Mower Challenge

Without sounding a bit Top Gear we are handed these challenges and don’t get a lot of say in what they will be but Bling my Mower is the only way to say this. In all honesty we were thinking something classic as this is what we were told and, our minds went automatically to pre-80’s something but none of us were thinking, LAWN MOWER.

Ok here we go.

This is a 4 year old Honda Mower that has seen it share of lawn hours and it’s share of neglect from the day it was bought. We are going to “Nano the Hell out of it“, just because we can. Our job is to take it from it’s current condition and make it look new, and remain looking new.

What is needed:

Deep clean with NDG Bio crystal Magic
Hyperseal treatment
Time & effort

The results

Well we were all surprised with what we achieved. It really looks new and in fact the owner walked past it thinking it was a new mower that someone else owned. Not such a stupid idea after-all but we are all thinking that a washing machine will come along soon enough.

Here are the photo results:

Before After

What we found.

Parts needed

Step one

Before work shots

Midway shots

Finishing touches.

Applied NDG products

After Shots

The Happy New Owner.

Order on line from our dropdown menus.

What we did.

NDG’s Hyperseal takes to the cycle track

The results were beyond what anyone expected.

A true Showroom new look was achieved, once again.

Tutankhamun would be well pleased.

Enough of the preamble and into what we found.

The DIY work begins

The Before & After Images

The Mighty Toyota Starlet

The Project

We then we cleaned out the interior using:

The abandoned wreck look before we started

Showroom New results!

Down to the final touches.

This Toyota Starlet turned out to be a really nice car.

A GREAT SUCCESS.

Before and after shots

The answer is always, Not Much.

What have we got here.

Before images

Midway through the project.

Looking a lot better

Final stage of the project

Final stage of the project

Summary

Basically you are on your own.

The test was a success.

First was to drag the car from the abyss and have a look at what it will take.

The end results

Before

After

First Event invitation

Bling my Mower Challenge

Ok here we go.

What is needed:

The results

Here are the photo results: