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3 weeks in and loving it

C

culprit

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Evening all,

Conscious I haven't put much in since we took delivery - it has been difficult because we have hardly spent a night away from the Passion Wagon!

To say the family love it is an understatement.

This was in the Forest of Dean for a week of mountain biking with my boys - the Bus combined with a motordome coped admirably:

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The thing we love the most though? Back at work this last week after 2 cracking weeks off.....knackerd by 5pm Friday night, the good lady suggested we clear off for the night, 2 hours later we had cleared off!:

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Today was the first serious clean, the paint, although in good condition had recieved a pretty poor pre delivery polish and wax which had left the bus head to toe in holograms and wax circles. I started at 9 this morning and finished at 5.30. It started with snow foam, wash, clay and a full paint clean, then a front to back polish to lift the holograms, haze and swirls (damn back braking) and then a final coat of liquid wax.....only 1 coat this week, will rinse him down and put 3 to 4 coats on next Saturday.

The sharp ones amongst you will spot the fresh set of steels. We are going for the euro look, he will be lowered next month on a set of 40mm springs; once done we will be deciding on whether or not to band them (appreciate this is controversial but I do like a bit of controversy!)

Anyway, her he is in all his Night Blue glory:

Snowfoam action:
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Rear end shot.....also de-badged - standing on your drive pointing a hairdryer at your van attacking it with dental floss does win you some interesting looks from passers by:

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I took the bike carrier off (how heavy is that thing!) as the helicopter tape had sagged and was a nice shade of yellow where various bits of glue had lifted and dried, going to try and get hold of a new set, will apply them and leave them for a good few days to set up.

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We are loving the van look of the steels.....it isn't to everyone's taste but I like the vanness of the Cali, its one of the key reasons we went for it.

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I wasn't 100% on the colour however now I have given him a mini detail the paint just pops in the flesh, i love it now - I am going to treat him to a full pro pre-winter detail late october, get the paint properly sealed.
 
I forgot to add........a gratuitous dub shot, just because.......

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Love the dub :smile

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Looking really nice :thumb I do like the steel wheels and great colour too. Great photos
We will be looking for some for a 2014 calendar
 
Calikev said:
Looking really nice :thumb I do like the steel wheels and great colour too. Great photos
We will be looking for some for a 2014 calendar

Cheers and more than happy to contribute :thumb
 
Love the wheels, very different from the normal Cali look.


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Love the wheels too, can you get 235's on 17 inch steels?
 
Confuserated said:
Love the wheels too, can you get 235's on 17 inch steels?

If you have a 17 steel spare chances are it has a 235 on it.......I was toying with the idea of swapping but in all honesty there is little point. The cargo's are M+S whereas the Primacy's are only summers.
 
I'm sooo tempted to fit those wheels too - they look great!

You do like parking on steep hills don't you? :lol: Great pics :D
 
KernowLad said:
I'm sooo tempted to fit those wheels too - they look great!

You do like parking on steep hills don't you? :lol: Great pics :D

Staying in bed is a nightmare :smile
 
culprit said:
Confuserated said:
Love the wheels too, can you get 235's on 17 inch steels?

If you have a 17 steel spare chances are it has a 235 on it.......I was toying with the idea of swapping but in all honesty there is little point. The cargo's are M+S whereas the Primacy's are only summers.

I was wondering because the ones I've seen on ebay all seem to have 215's on.

I haven't got a spare as I don't have a Cali yet :D
 
Confuserated said:
culprit said:
Confuserated said:
Love the wheels too, can you get 235's on 17 inch steels?

If you have a 17 steel spare chances are it has a 235 on it.......I was toying with the idea of swapping but in all honesty there is little point. The cargo's are M+S whereas the Primacy's are only summers.

I was wondering because the ones I've seen on ebay all seem to have 215's on.

I haven't got a spare as I don't have a Cali yet :D

All 17's with tyres will be 215's......that is the factory T32 tyre. The only 17's with 235's are Van's with factory supplied alloys. Don't sweat it, the tread pattern of the 215's is more aggressive...I personally can't tell the difference...it's marginal in appearance.

If I band them post lowering I will be on 55's though!
 
Where did you get the banded steels BTW? I really am tempted - would suit a 4Motion far better than the fragile Thunders ours has (which seem to scratch easily despite never hitting anything!).

These with a set of M&S rated tyres would be superb!
 
MisterTea said:
Love to see pics of it lowered, please.
Not lowered it yet, however give me a few hours and I will post up a few Photoshop efforts at lowering it.....also with partially painted and fully painted steels :thumb
 
KernowLad said:
Where did you get the banded steels BTW? I really am tempted - would suit a 4Motion far better than the fragile Thunders ours has (which seem to scratch easily despite never hitting anything!).

These with a set of M&S rated tyres would be superb!

These aren't banded (yet), they are just the standard factory 17inch steels. I am planning on getting the wheels banded however this will be dictated by 4 season tyre availability for the specific sizes. I want 8.5j front 9.5j rear.....so far thought it looks as if I could be limited to 8j full stop, if that is the case I will probably leave as standard, banding to go an inch wider seems a little pointless.

I have seen a number of vans now that have simply been lowered on standard steels and I really like the look so this may end up being as far as I go; the primary objective though was to get onto a set of steels with M&S rated tyres....the set you see on the van were from a delivery miles T5 Kombi in for full conversion. I paid a few pounds more than the rims would have cost on their own from VW.....anyone doing it though should do it now; as soon as we are into October they will be like hens teeth at reasonable money. Also be careful that you don't end up with repro's.....lots about for similar money as used OEM's.
 
Nice - Don't get the debadged bit though. It all makes sense with a leased 520d that thinks its an M5 but for something as exclusive as a Cali in a world of conversions, taxis and builders vans it definitely deserves to stay IMO.

You could use a couple of levellers on those pics.
 
I quite like the de badges look. Its cool and confidently understated.
Why make a point about the exclusivity and 50k cost by slapping a badge on it.

IMO. Whilst sticking an M5 badge on a 520 bm just makes the owner look a prat (as the M5 has a completely different body and interior) Taking the badges off a Cali just makes it nicely stealthy.
 
culprit said:
KernowLad said:
Where did you get the banded steels BTW? I really am tempted - would suit a 4Motion far better than the fragile Thunders ours has (which seem to scratch easily despite never hitting anything!).

These with a set of M&S rated tyres would be superb!

These aren't banded (yet), they are just the standard factory 17inch steels. I am planning on getting the wheels banded however this will be dictated by 4 season tyre availability for the specific sizes. I want 8.5j front 9.5j rear.....so far thought it looks as if I could be limited to 8j full stop, if that is the case I will probably leave as standard, banding to go an inch wider seems a little pointless.

I have seen a number of vans now that have simply been lowered on standard steels and I really like the look so this may end up being as far as I go; the primary objective though was to get onto a set of steels with M&S rated tyres....the set you see on the van were from a delivery miles T5 Kombi in for full conversion. I paid a few pounds more than the rims would have cost on their own from VW.....anyone doing it though should do it now; as soon as we are into October they will be like hens teeth at reasonable money. Also be careful that you don't end up with repro's.....lots about for similar money as used OEM's.

Cheers - the missus has always been anti alloys (we had them on the Defender too and they were cack) on anything utilitarian and those steels also happen to look good.

I shall see what we can do...
 
Like the blue paint a lot, nice and shiny!. I put the 17 inch steels on my t30 double cab pickup and they totally transformed the look, always good to try something different.
 
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