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Old 3rd January 2010, 06:20 PM
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Default Upgrading to an S8 backbox

Hi,

I've always been amazed that our (D2) cars never came with chrome exhaust tips aside from the S8 and have felt that the standard 'black' tips don't look all that exciting.

I saw that the guys at A8parts had a spare S8 exhaust that i thought i'd try and get my hands on as i really like keeping with the OEM look (Thanks Ian, Dave & Dave...it arrived super quick!)...it's been sat in my house for over a month as i haven't found the time to take a first stab at it but finally started it today...

I haven't finished it yet as it's been a bit harder to clean that i first thought but we're going in the right direction.

This is how it looked when it arrived:









As you can see...it needs a bit of TLC

I started with a basic kit of tools...



and after about 1 1/2 hrs of blood, sweet and tears I had the following (mediocre) result:







The results i'm aiming for is this:



I have now left it to soak up with some serious grime remover and have unconventionally used 'Oven Pride' which worked really well on all my kitchen wear...it's a little harsh but I think it may require another 2 hrs of scrubbing at this rate.



I'll hopefully show what the result is of it tomorrow but if anyone has any other ideas, please feel free to share them ...

-Oli
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CURRENT: 2006 Audi A8 D3 4.2 Tdi QS - CLICK HERE FOR PROJECT THREAD: Audi Exclusive Azure Blue, Amaretto brown interior, facelift rear lights, S8 mirrors, B&O, ACC, Digital TV, glass sunroof, Fridge, Extended Leather Pack 2, wooden steering wheel & gearknob, keyless entry, keyless start, electric boot, softclose doors

SOLD : 2000 FL Silver D2 4.2 QS - Solar sunroof, Bose, Blinds, NavPlus, Playstation, DVD, wireless headphones, iPhone AV connection, RS6 steering wheel, chrome mirrors, phone prep, xenons, servotronic steering, Rear screen, TV-in-motion, NavPlus Alu rings, S8 exhaust, S8 bonnet grille, 385mm D3 S8 brakes, rubber winter mats, De-badged rear, US rear indicator clusters, 20" Final Edition diamond cut wheels, 15mm Eibach Pro spacers (front), 20mm H&R hubcentric spacers (rear).

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Last edited by Oli18; 3rd January 2010 at 06:37 PM.
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  #2  
Old 6th January 2010, 12:52 PM
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Slowly getting there...the brilliant polish works really well!

There is still quite a bit of it on the inside area of the tips ... thinking of ordering a dremel to tackle this potentially but at least there is progress...

Testing Brilliant Polish on right tip:






Putting it in more 'oven pride ' to see if we can breakdown more of the dirt in the tips...


-Oli
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CURRENT: 2006 Audi A8 D3 4.2 Tdi QS - CLICK HERE FOR PROJECT THREAD: Audi Exclusive Azure Blue, Amaretto brown interior, facelift rear lights, S8 mirrors, B&O, ACC, Digital TV, glass sunroof, Fridge, Extended Leather Pack 2, wooden steering wheel & gearknob, keyless entry, keyless start, electric boot, softclose doors

SOLD : 2000 FL Silver D2 4.2 QS - Solar sunroof, Bose, Blinds, NavPlus, Playstation, DVD, wireless headphones, iPhone AV connection, RS6 steering wheel, chrome mirrors, phone prep, xenons, servotronic steering, Rear screen, TV-in-motion, NavPlus Alu rings, S8 exhaust, S8 bonnet grille, 385mm D3 S8 brakes, rubber winter mats, De-badged rear, US rear indicator clusters, 20" Final Edition diamond cut wheels, 15mm Eibach Pro spacers (front), 20mm H&R hubcentric spacers (rear).

Audi A8/S8 D2 Flickr Group

Last edited by Oli18; 6th January 2010 at 12:55 PM.
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Old 8th January 2010, 01:53 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oli18 View Post

Putting it in more 'oven pride ' to see if we can breakdown more of the dirt in the tips...

-Oli
LOL Your oven must be either spotless. . . or really bad as youve used all the oven pride on your exhaust! Excellent work Oli!
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  #4  
Old 9th January 2010, 04:50 PM
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haha...thanks Neil!

Well, as the gf wasn't around this weekend, i thought i'd persevere with this little project...

So i took some advice from the guys on detailingworld and also got myself some wire wool and autosol.

I must admit that despite a lot of effort, it only improved it marginally and the grime on the inner tips just wouldn't come off.

I also tried using 1000, 800 and 400 grit....It's really taken me by surprise how stuborn exhaust gunk can be when left untouched for years.

In the end, i bough a very light sandstone head to slowly grind away at the areas i wasn't able to clean. Even with this, it still took me 2 hrs to get the finish i have now and there are still some areas that I haven't been able to get off.



I just totalled the hrs that i've spent on this so far and it's looking like almost 6 hrs so I'm going to leave it there....i pretty pleased but was hoping the inner tips would come up a bit better. I may give it another go in the summer when it's not so frickin' cold!

All i gotta do now is fit it...if it would only stop snowing! lol!

-Oli

PS - apologies for out of focus pics...crummy iphone camera tends to focus on the background.







The bit i'm less pleased with...but I can live with

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CURRENT: 2006 Audi A8 D3 4.2 Tdi QS - CLICK HERE FOR PROJECT THREAD: Audi Exclusive Azure Blue, Amaretto brown interior, facelift rear lights, S8 mirrors, B&O, ACC, Digital TV, glass sunroof, Fridge, Extended Leather Pack 2, wooden steering wheel & gearknob, keyless entry, keyless start, electric boot, softclose doors

SOLD : 2000 FL Silver D2 4.2 QS - Solar sunroof, Bose, Blinds, NavPlus, Playstation, DVD, wireless headphones, iPhone AV connection, RS6 steering wheel, chrome mirrors, phone prep, xenons, servotronic steering, Rear screen, TV-in-motion, NavPlus Alu rings, S8 exhaust, S8 bonnet grille, 385mm D3 S8 brakes, rubber winter mats, De-badged rear, US rear indicator clusters, 20" Final Edition diamond cut wheels, 15mm Eibach Pro spacers (front), 20mm H&R hubcentric spacers (rear).

Audi A8/S8 D2 Flickr Group

Last edited by Oli18; 25th February 2010 at 04:51 PM.
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Old 9th January 2010, 04:57 PM
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Mate, that is a lot of commitment.

I think that puts you neck and neck with Mike in the 'Who's got the most OCD' competition.

Steve
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Old 9th January 2010, 05:45 PM
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Mate, that is a lot of commitment.

I think that puts you neck and neck with Mike in the 'Who's got the most OCD' competition.

Steve
WHAT!!!! Right I'm off to polish the inside of my rocker covers! :P

Oli,

I reckon what you are looking at on the inside of those tips is actually where the exhaust gases and liquid has corroded the steel. Get a flap wheel and give it a good bash then use a milder wheel and go on to polish it up.
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Currently,
2000 S8, Merlin Purple, Leather Pack 1, Winter Pack 1, SPAX adjustable suspension, AP Racing 6 pot front caliper, 385mm fully floating disks, EBC Yellow Stuff Pads, Black Diamond grooved rear disks and predetor pads, D2 Doctors Brake Block.
1997 4.2 A8SQ - the Projekt. 12 years and ongoing!
1997 4.2 A8SQ - Ming Blue. Restoration sat waiting; saved from the Scrapyard
2003 C5 Allroad 4.2Q - Cobolt Blue. Towing car. Laid up awaiting manual conversion.
2005 C5 Allroad 2.5TDi FE - Grey - Workhorse.
2015 Q3QS SLine - Daytona Grey. Lots of extras! Long Haired Admirals cutter.

Previously
2003 C5 A6 1.9TDI FWD - Loaner from D2 Doctor Lifex
1997 S8 - Ming Blue. Loaned out and written off. I loved that car. My first engine swap after cambelt failure.
1996 4.2 A8SQ - Ming Blue. 178k on a cambelt! Trader's 8. Delivered to A8Parts at Lifex.
2003 2.8 A8SQ - powder blueish. Fill in for a while. Sold on.
1998 1.8T A4 Avant FWD. Ming Blue (there's a theme here), PEX for the 97 S8.
And a list of non VAG going back 40 years before I saw the light.
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  #7  
Old 9th January 2010, 10:50 PM
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Oli18 Oli18 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Conan_the_Librarian View Post
WHAT!!!! Right I'm off to polish the inside of my rocker covers! :P

Oli,

I reckon what you are looking at on the inside of those tips is actually where the exhaust gases and liquid has corroded the steel. Get a flap wheel and give it a good bash then use a milder wheel and go on to polish it up.
Hey Mike!

what's a 'flap wheel'

Whatever it is...what a brilliant name!

-Oli
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CURRENT: 2006 Audi A8 D3 4.2 Tdi QS - CLICK HERE FOR PROJECT THREAD: Audi Exclusive Azure Blue, Amaretto brown interior, facelift rear lights, S8 mirrors, B&O, ACC, Digital TV, glass sunroof, Fridge, Extended Leather Pack 2, wooden steering wheel & gearknob, keyless entry, keyless start, electric boot, softclose doors

SOLD : 2000 FL Silver D2 4.2 QS - Solar sunroof, Bose, Blinds, NavPlus, Playstation, DVD, wireless headphones, iPhone AV connection, RS6 steering wheel, chrome mirrors, phone prep, xenons, servotronic steering, Rear screen, TV-in-motion, NavPlus Alu rings, S8 exhaust, S8 bonnet grille, 385mm D3 S8 brakes, rubber winter mats, De-badged rear, US rear indicator clusters, 20" Final Edition diamond cut wheels, 15mm Eibach Pro spacers (front), 20mm H&R hubcentric spacers (rear).

Audi A8/S8 D2 Flickr Group
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  #8  
Old 10th January 2010, 09:09 AM
PsYcHe PsYcHe is offline
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Go to B&Q and look in the tool corral. It'll be under the drill accessories.

Imagine it like a pole with sandpaper flaps coming off it like spokes.

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.js...&isSearch=true

Just like that one^^^.
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Old 10th January 2010, 10:18 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Oli18 View Post
Hey Mike!

what's a 'flap wheel'

Whatever it is...what a brilliant name!

-Oli
Crazy Dutch!
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Conan (the Librarian)

Watch it if you dare

Currently,
2000 S8, Merlin Purple, Leather Pack 1, Winter Pack 1, SPAX adjustable suspension, AP Racing 6 pot front caliper, 385mm fully floating disks, EBC Yellow Stuff Pads, Black Diamond grooved rear disks and predetor pads, D2 Doctors Brake Block.
1997 4.2 A8SQ - the Projekt. 12 years and ongoing!
1997 4.2 A8SQ - Ming Blue. Restoration sat waiting; saved from the Scrapyard
2003 C5 Allroad 4.2Q - Cobolt Blue. Towing car. Laid up awaiting manual conversion.
2005 C5 Allroad 2.5TDi FE - Grey - Workhorse.
2015 Q3QS SLine - Daytona Grey. Lots of extras! Long Haired Admirals cutter.

Previously
2003 C5 A6 1.9TDI FWD - Loaner from D2 Doctor Lifex
1997 S8 - Ming Blue. Loaned out and written off. I loved that car. My first engine swap after cambelt failure.
1996 4.2 A8SQ - Ming Blue. 178k on a cambelt! Trader's 8. Delivered to A8Parts at Lifex.
2003 2.8 A8SQ - powder blueish. Fill in for a while. Sold on.
1998 1.8T A4 Avant FWD. Ming Blue (there's a theme here), PEX for the 97 S8.
And a list of non VAG going back 40 years before I saw the light.
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  #10  
Old 10th January 2010, 10:29 AM
guinea
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well done you..seems a lot of work though just for the end tips...when i was up at MIJ performance exhaust to have my back box replaced with a sport one they have a cabinet full of twin exhaust tips,,,£20-£25 and there are loads to choose from
Just a thought,,,,you must have spent that on the back box and the polishing kit,,,,,does look good though
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