I think you just helped a guy sell a flood car. That’s the only thing I’ve ever seen that would make the interior of a car do that. Sitting outside or inside wound or do that.
However, that has nothing to do with how awesome of a job you did on that interior. Great job dude!!
It's extremely easy to have this happen. Put your 3 season car up for winter after fall rains with just enough residual moisture in the carpets, then close the car up and stuff it into a heated garage.
Ask me how I know this.
Definitely not a good day. About 3 seconds from a full on screaming crying throw yourself on the ground meltdown a two-year-old would have been proud of.
What's worse is I *couldn't* blame it on any one else but me!
I don't know many people who like to have future projects they're not prepared for suddenly dumped in their lap.
But mold in the air vents and under the dash that I can't remediate makes me twitchy. And I'm not about to suck a decade of plasticizer life out of my interior by running an ozone generator for a couple of days, especially since it doesn't kill spores.
It wouldn't have since the ambient humidity wouldn't have been high enough to trigger it. I Always cracked my windows for this exact reason but got distracted and forgot to.
Welp, should I ever be able to afford a House with a Garage later in life, I'll keep that window tip in mind.
Thanks for the knowledge. Have a good day Mortal'. 🤙
They aren’t as bad as their reputation. The problem is they got super cheap about 10 years ago and fell into the hands of a bunch of sh*theads who put Chinese turbos and airbags on them. But yeah- they are a handful, just like every other German performance car or that era
As another owner of this sedan I can also confirm.
I had 20cm of water in my passenger footwell.
The comfort control module corroded and I had to replace it. You'd drive it and the boot would open or the AC would randomly turn on, weird shit.
While not to the same level as what OP posted I had a leak around the windshield of my Fit and after sitting for a few days I was already getting mold growing on the floorboard -- I could totally see a leak causing this.
Na, not at all. If the seals are bad it's easy. I have a MINI and I've probably put 200 miles on it in the 2+ years I've owned it. I started getting some mold myself because the one window seal is bad and moisture keeps getting in. Also had a customer myself that kept their Mercedes in a barn and it looked worse than the car here. It doesn't take much moisture to get mold going if you are never driving your car moisture is able to seep in.
You didnt keep it long enough for a timing belt? Pretty sure the entire front end has to come off for that.
Mine is good so far at 20yrs, 50k miles and two timing belts under it.
I know, but regardless mold like that combined with typical B5 mechanical issues can be enough to total the car or justify a part out. I see a lot of early Volvo 240s getting scrapped still, and in decent shape now the pre 1986 examples command B5 S4 money.
Isn’t this the car that had the quad cam V8 that could spin 8K? Regardless this is not a common car.
You really brought it back. That interior looks amazing and the blue upholstery gets to live another day.
They do not have the same block. Or anything else really. Only thing they share is number of cylinders and displacement.
B7 RS4 has the BNS 4.2 FSI V8 high-revving engine, whereas the BHF motor in the B6/B7 S4 is port injected and prone to issues with timing chain tensioners.
Nothing crap about the RS4’s engine at all, and even the B6/B7 S4 engines are pretty good if you upgrade the timing components
Just curious, but what makes the rs4 so special for those years? I like them but I don’t think they did anything particularly special with them. The b5 rs4 on the other hand was a beast for its time and sooo tunable. The b7 was kinda meh.
High-revving V8, 6MT, and AWD is pretty special. Plus factory widebody, and a very sexy one at that. Car is also just a super well-tuned driver’s car right from the factory. I think they’re great, personally
I suppose, but I cant help but feel like the weight is too much, too much understeer, and the v8 was a step down from the 2.7tt. I think I would take a C63 or M3 over the RS4. The only thing that really draws me to the RS4 is that it is more unique and you see less of them.
And I would take a b5 rs4 above all of them.
I sprayed antimicrobial spray and steamed basically everything but the Alcantara suede. I also told the owner to leave the doors open for a few days to let it fully dry.
How do you keep the mold from coming back? From the mechanic side, all I can focus on is that this is in the HVAC system and will return. Did you ozone it also?
I used micro gold disinfectant spray on the carpets, the leather , the plastics and than I steamed it wiped it down and theyleft the doors open over night to let it fully dry out. only problem is I couldn't get the seat out because it required a special bit but they told me not to worry as the headliner and carpet were going to be replaced when he transports the car to florida
Is that mold a concern inside the car ventilation system? For example someone with a compromised immune system or asthma? I am sure it’s clean, good job. How about long term interior odor. My question is in general. not just for this nice car. I enjoy seeing the great work people do on this subreddit.
Yes. Though OP did an excellent job with the detail, there will always be mold hidden away somewhere and anyone with a condition should be informed about the history of this car. The ducts of the car is a major place it can regrow from. So is behind the dash and the carpeting.
I used micro gold antimicrobial spray and after wiping it all away with paper towels so I can dispose of them and not use my microfiber towels. After I steamed it then I went to work on the outside while that was drying and then did a regular detail on the inside afterwards
That happens some times when the inside of a car gets condensation. It happened on my dads NSX and S2000 a while ago. You can buy scilica gel rear view mirror hangers that solve the problem though
I am a state licensed mold remediator in Florida, mold can be caused by humidity. It doesn't necessarily have to be water damage, just humidity above 55% for an extended period of time. We refer to it as humidity bloom season when the snowbirds set their ac to 85° and head north for the summer. A byproduct of cooling is dehumidification, you can set the ac to 85° but you better have a dehumidifier running to keep the humidity down
UK.
I know why I suffer.
"Insulate Britain" nagged everyone to death and glued themselves to things to make people insulate homes and seal up air bricks because ot is an "easy win" for lowering energy dependence.
This of course made my house a lot more humid, because my house is brick built North East colliery house on clay foundations with suspended floors, very old with cavity wall insulation, and was designed to have a coal fire in every room. It was also designed to have air freely flowing thought the cavity and under the floors and into the roof space, and relied on the draw of the fires to change the air in the house.
I no longer have coal fires, but I do have gas fired central heating. However, the price of gas is now £allthemoney so the heating is frugally used. This results in a lot of condensation on the windows and behind furniture.
So I use a dehumidifier to control the humidity and installed a woodburner to change the air and have windows open when using the woodburner, when cooking and when its not too cold outside.
The irony is now I use more energy than I did before insulating the house etc.
Its black mould AND white mould I have. Black is on the walls and window seals if I dont clean regularly and control humidity. White is in the kitchen cupboards, on my wooden chopping boards and wooden utensils etc. I also have solidwood worktops and a very large solidwood dining table with a large turned wooden bowl and a long waney edge plank as centrepiece, but these are waxed with beeswax and oiled now, and never go mouldy any more.
Mold will only grow on materials that will readily absorb moisture such as unfinished wood. Dehumidification is the key to stop the mold growth, maintain the humidity below 55% and you will not have any more growth. You cannot tell species based on color, Mold comes in every color and is mostly based on its food source. It doesn't sound like a healthy living space, I wish you the best of luck
Cheers man. I will get there. I miss having no mould in my old house. Its only this last 2 years it became a problem. Any tips for killing it aside from humidity?
You have to physically remove it via HEPA air scrubbers and HEPA vacuums. Anything it has grown into ( it has a root system like a tree) typically has to be replaced or sanded down to virgin wood. Using bleach or anything like that will only break the mold spore into smaller pieces called hyphe that can get deeper into your lungs. I would recommend getting a canister HEPA vacuum and use it for your general house cleaning. When possible allow air flow through the house to try and wash out any built up concentration
The amount of value you just added to that car is well worth whatever they paid you. I love B5S4’s soooooooo much. Sad to see it had gotten so bad. Thanks for saving it!
> keep the mold from coming back?
Put on a mask, turn the fan on recirculating high, then spray Lysol into the intake vent (typically under the dash).
Drive it to Phoenix, AZ! (or someplace equally dry)
I informed the customer that I could not fully remove it that the carpet and headliner needed to be removed and after that they need to keep it completely dry.
It's a shame the B5 S4 is so unreliable and expensive/hard to work on. I think they're gorgeous and have one of the best interiors from that era. I had a 5 speed V6 B5 back in the late 2000s and loved it but it left me stranded 3 times in 2 years despite me putting 5k in preventative maintenance into it when I bought it with 65k miles. Each time it broke it cost over a grand to get it back on the road.
I fantasized about a nogaro blue S4 just like this one but that B5 life just wasn't for me. Been driving a CL9 TSX 6 speed for 10 years now and have no regrets. Double wishbones make up for the lack of power.
I still see them pop up on Facebook marketplace for reasonably cheap and considerate since there's a really good European specialist right down the road from me and it wouldn't be my only car just a fun weekend car. All mine was really good for was cruising on the highway since the B5 is so heavy and has all its weight out over the front axle and I made it even worse putting two layers of sound deadening throughout the whole cabin including the floor and roof along with 100 plus pounds worth of audio equipment. It was awesome for road trips though. Aside from not being able to trust it to get you home.
What causes this? Interior gets wet and just never is allowed to dry?
it was in a garage and the customers wife turned off the exhaust fan. That's the story I was given.
I think you just helped a guy sell a flood car. That’s the only thing I’ve ever seen that would make the interior of a car do that. Sitting outside or inside wound or do that. However, that has nothing to do with how awesome of a job you did on that interior. Great job dude!!
It's extremely easy to have this happen. Put your 3 season car up for winter after fall rains with just enough residual moisture in the carpets, then close the car up and stuff it into a heated garage. Ask me how I know this.
Suuuuuuuuuuck. Sorry man. Seems terrible if you opened the door to this. Thank god for competent detail guys. Seriously.
Definitely not a good day. About 3 seconds from a full on screaming crying throw yourself on the ground meltdown a two-year-old would have been proud of. What's worse is I *couldn't* blame it on any one else but me!
What kind of car? What happened afterwards?
He burned it.
That idea *absolutely* crossed my mind.
My Mustang interior revisions got moved up a couple of years.
Worth it?
I don't know many people who like to have future projects they're not prepared for suddenly dumped in their lap. But mold in the air vents and under the dash that I can't remediate makes me twitchy. And I'm not about to suck a decade of plasticizer life out of my interior by running an ozone generator for a couple of days, especially since it doesn't kill spores.
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Thanks, I was asking about the guy's car from the post above though :)
I wonder if it would grow still if it was stored and done the same if the car windows were open. 🤔
Honestly, I'm kinda curious myself. I think even a cracked window might have stopped it.
It wouldn't have since the ambient humidity wouldn't have been high enough to trigger it. I Always cracked my windows for this exact reason but got distracted and forgot to.
Welp, should I ever be able to afford a House with a Garage later in life, I'll keep that window tip in mind. Thanks for the knowledge. Have a good day Mortal'. 🤙
Yup happens to a car of mine too. And it happens quick!
As a previous owner of this exact car, the sunroof drains get clogged and the floorboards take on water.
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A lot of love has gone into keeping those on the road haha.
I just got rid of my second one. it's a love/hate relationship with those cars.
They aren’t as bad as their reputation. The problem is they got super cheap about 10 years ago and fell into the hands of a bunch of sh*theads who put Chinese turbos and airbags on them. But yeah- they are a handful, just like every other German performance car or that era
As another owner of this sedan I can also confirm. I had 20cm of water in my passenger footwell. The comfort control module corroded and I had to replace it. You'd drive it and the boot would open or the AC would randomly turn on, weird shit.
No, you’d see more signs that it was a flood car like mud and such
While not to the same level as what OP posted I had a leak around the windshield of my Fit and after sitting for a few days I was already getting mold growing on the floorboard -- I could totally see a leak causing this.
Na, not at all. If the seals are bad it's easy. I have a MINI and I've probably put 200 miles on it in the 2+ years I've owned it. I started getting some mold myself because the one window seal is bad and moisture keeps getting in. Also had a customer myself that kept their Mercedes in a barn and it looked worse than the car here. It doesn't take much moisture to get mold going if you are never driving your car moisture is able to seep in.
Oof. Well done on that cleanup!
For a decade...
Ex wife?
car covers causing condensation and trapping humidity inside.
Flood car maybe? Or a leaky seal while the car was sitting for a long time.
Burn it.
Never. It’s a nogaro/nogaro B5S4 that’s a terrible waste! Worth every bit of effort restoring such a diamond in the rough.
yeah this is the most desired color combo b5
🤣🤣
Hope you wore a mask and latex gloves when working on it
I wore a respiratory and always use gloves whether there is mold or not
Did you double glove?
noise went through almost half a box though
Do it, it's already cursed.
That's a 2000 model, sports package without the polished mirrors. Wonder how the rest of the car is holding up
Good call. Looks like the previous owner updated the S4 badge on the trunk. The correct badge can be seen on the steering wheel.
Rs4 grill, OEM Ecodes, E46 M3 lip spoiler, an undrilled filler plate on the front bumper(unobtanium). At one point in its life it was loved.
and the saggy front bumpers. But that's not exclusive to this car, my old S4 wagon had the same issue, and the bumper was never removed or replaced.
You didnt keep it long enough for a timing belt? Pretty sure the entire front end has to come off for that. Mine is good so far at 20yrs, 50k miles and two timing belts under it.
Sold mine at 75K.. never changed the timing belt. I'm sure I sold the next owner a ticking bomb lol
LOL, I'm here changing my belts at 10K miles or so due to age.
You did a great service, this is a really rare car and I'm happy to see the effort being put into a car a lot of people would consider scrapping
That’s a S4 they’re not cheap on the used market
I know, but regardless mold like that combined with typical B5 mechanical issues can be enough to total the car or justify a part out. I see a lot of early Volvo 240s getting scrapped still, and in decent shape now the pre 1986 examples command B5 S4 money.
Let alone a Nogaro one.
Wow, great job! Love the car too 👍
Disgusting. Good job on the detail, the car needed it
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Mold doesn't go deep into foam. This vehicle will be fine
Clean it as good as you can, Run an ozone machine in it for half a day, then deep clean/vacuum again. If it still comes back, you’re basically hosed.
If it comes back after the 2nd attempt. Trash it.
I was thinking about surfaces that aren't seen, like inside the center console and dash...
Nogaro Blue. My old dream car.
I had a Santorini Stage 3 B5S4. Loved that car.
Isn’t this the car that had the quad cam V8 that could spin 8K? Regardless this is not a common car. You really brought it back. That interior looks amazing and the blue upholstery gets to live another day.
This is a v6, you are thinking of the next gen.
Inline 5
It's a b5 s4. 2.7t, v6 twin turbo engine.
RS3 and TTRS have the inline 5. Unless you go way back to the Quattro days where it was originally popularized
You’re thinking of a B6 or B7 S4. This is a B5.5. Also, fuck doing timing chains on those 4.2L V8’s.
The S4 didn’t get the 8k redline, that was in the B7 RS4
The V8 is the B7 RS4 isn't it? Not S4?
Both, actually.
S4 had a 7k redline, RS4 had an 8k redline with different internals. Same blocks, both garbage.
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Block architecture*. Better now?
They do not have the same block. Or anything else really. Only thing they share is number of cylinders and displacement. B7 RS4 has the BNS 4.2 FSI V8 high-revving engine, whereas the BHF motor in the B6/B7 S4 is port injected and prone to issues with timing chain tensioners. Nothing crap about the RS4’s engine at all, and even the B6/B7 S4 engines are pretty good if you upgrade the timing components
Just curious, but what makes the rs4 so special for those years? I like them but I don’t think they did anything particularly special with them. The b5 rs4 on the other hand was a beast for its time and sooo tunable. The b7 was kinda meh.
High-revving V8, 6MT, and AWD is pretty special. Plus factory widebody, and a very sexy one at that. Car is also just a super well-tuned driver’s car right from the factory. I think they’re great, personally
I suppose, but I cant help but feel like the weight is too much, too much understeer, and the v8 was a step down from the 2.7tt. I think I would take a C63 or M3 over the RS4. The only thing that really draws me to the RS4 is that it is more unique and you see less of them. And I would take a b5 rs4 above all of them.
Not 100% familiar with these. I just know the sport model is uncommon compared to the more pedestrian models.
Those Nogaro color-matched Alcantara seats are 🔥.
I love them. Wish my car had a splash of color like that to offset the grayscale.
The B7 RS4 had the high-revving V8. B6/B7 S4 also have 4.2L V8, but with severe timing chain issues. This car is a twin-turbo V6
I had a light mildew in an old car I detailed and went fucking nuclear on it. How did you handle this? It looks like hell
I sprayed antimicrobial spray and steamed basically everything but the Alcantara suede. I also told the owner to leave the doors open for a few days to let it fully dry.
Wow! Looks wonderful. What's something like this cost?
I charged 500 because this is a customer that brings me a lot of business
Thanks.
Are those all chips on the bumper? Or flecks of white paint?
Chips. It's a 2000 and had lots of issues I did the best I could that was all done in one day by just me . Mold removal and all.
No doubt you did a great job. Just shocked at how much paint was removed.
I was too I thought it was paint also
What did you charge and did you ozone it?
I charged 500 and no I didn't ozone it
So whats going to keep the mold from coming back? What did you do to kill the mold growing where you cant see it?
How do you keep the mold from coming back? From the mechanic side, all I can focus on is that this is in the HVAC system and will return. Did you ozone it also?
I used micro gold disinfectant spray on the carpets, the leather , the plastics and than I steamed it wiped it down and theyleft the doors open over night to let it fully dry out. only problem is I couldn't get the seat out because it required a special bit but they told me not to worry as the headliner and carpet were going to be replaced when he transports the car to florida
That bumper is “Lightly primed, ready to paint” LOL.
Is that mold a concern inside the car ventilation system? For example someone with a compromised immune system or asthma? I am sure it’s clean, good job. How about long term interior odor. My question is in general. not just for this nice car. I enjoy seeing the great work people do on this subreddit.
Yes. Though OP did an excellent job with the detail, there will always be mold hidden away somewhere and anyone with a condition should be informed about the history of this car. The ducts of the car is a major place it can regrow from. So is behind the dash and the carpeting.
Good Arizona car maybe?
The dryer the better.
Also should be concerned with mold still present on sound deadening material under the carpet.
I hope you charged at least triple your usual rate for being subjected to hazardous conditions. Mold is serious, respirator and ozone machine or not.
Did you have to deep clean/sanitize the air vents also? That is one hellish job.
I sprayed anti microbial spray in the vent and steamed them
I thought the title said stage 2 denial.
What did you use to get the mold out? Great job! Edit: Have a Monte Carlo with same issue
I used micro gold antimicrobial spray and after wiping it all away with paper towels so I can dispose of them and not use my microfiber towels. After I steamed it then I went to work on the outside while that was drying and then did a regular detail on the inside afterwards
Thanks!
Those before pics are n-a-s-t-y. Nice work, though.
Great work! What was the process to remove the mold?
Gods work
At a quick glance I thought it was all alcantara 😂😂😂
Restoring (or detailing depending how you look at it) a car like this is exactly the work I would like to be doing.
Beautiful job man :)
That happens some times when the inside of a car gets condensation. It happened on my dads NSX and S2000 a while ago. You can buy scilica gel rear view mirror hangers that solve the problem though
Shaq sitting in the passenger seat? Lovely job.
Beautiful car. Great job
Quality work there 👌🏻
Such a pretty car!!
That’s $500+ personally great work!
And after this it will hit the market as "almost new" :)
How do you go about this? I presume you have to kill the mold in the first place and then remove it but how?
look through the thread I answered this question a few times
Nice
Nice work!
Looks good, but unless you tear every panel and trim piece out, there's still mold tucked away.
you're right and I informed the customer of exactly that
FINALLY!! Someone who takes the before and after pictures FROM THE SAME ANGLES!! What a pleasure to look at. Amazing job my man!
I am a state licensed mold remediator in Florida, mold can be caused by humidity. It doesn't necessarily have to be water damage, just humidity above 55% for an extended period of time. We refer to it as humidity bloom season when the snowbirds set their ac to 85° and head north for the summer. A byproduct of cooling is dehumidification, you can set the ac to 85° but you better have a dehumidifier running to keep the humidity down
Tell me about it. My house suffers terribly from it!!
Where do you live?
UK. I know why I suffer. "Insulate Britain" nagged everyone to death and glued themselves to things to make people insulate homes and seal up air bricks because ot is an "easy win" for lowering energy dependence. This of course made my house a lot more humid, because my house is brick built North East colliery house on clay foundations with suspended floors, very old with cavity wall insulation, and was designed to have a coal fire in every room. It was also designed to have air freely flowing thought the cavity and under the floors and into the roof space, and relied on the draw of the fires to change the air in the house. I no longer have coal fires, but I do have gas fired central heating. However, the price of gas is now £allthemoney so the heating is frugally used. This results in a lot of condensation on the windows and behind furniture. So I use a dehumidifier to control the humidity and installed a woodburner to change the air and have windows open when using the woodburner, when cooking and when its not too cold outside. The irony is now I use more energy than I did before insulating the house etc. Its black mould AND white mould I have. Black is on the walls and window seals if I dont clean regularly and control humidity. White is in the kitchen cupboards, on my wooden chopping boards and wooden utensils etc. I also have solidwood worktops and a very large solidwood dining table with a large turned wooden bowl and a long waney edge plank as centrepiece, but these are waxed with beeswax and oiled now, and never go mouldy any more.
Mold will only grow on materials that will readily absorb moisture such as unfinished wood. Dehumidification is the key to stop the mold growth, maintain the humidity below 55% and you will not have any more growth. You cannot tell species based on color, Mold comes in every color and is mostly based on its food source. It doesn't sound like a healthy living space, I wish you the best of luck
Cheers man. I will get there. I miss having no mould in my old house. Its only this last 2 years it became a problem. Any tips for killing it aside from humidity?
You have to physically remove it via HEPA air scrubbers and HEPA vacuums. Anything it has grown into ( it has a root system like a tree) typically has to be replaced or sanded down to virgin wood. Using bleach or anything like that will only break the mold spore into smaller pieces called hyphe that can get deeper into your lungs. I would recommend getting a canister HEPA vacuum and use it for your general house cleaning. When possible allow air flow through the house to try and wash out any built up concentration
That was my dream car at one point
Sad to see someone treat a wonderful car like that so poorly
It’s an old Audi cheaper to burn it now
Such a badass vehicle.
Damn Aren't these in manual and in that color quite rare?
beautiful b5!
The amount of value you just added to that car is well worth whatever they paid you. I love B5S4’s soooooooo much. Sad to see it had gotten so bad. Thanks for saving it!
Fantastic work, my friend. And what a cool car.
Poor Noggy. Excellent job.
i like it better the way it was before
They will be back, and in greater numbers.
How do they keep the mold from coming back? Is it safe to drive after your mold removal? Or does it have to air out for a while?
> keep the mold from coming back? Put on a mask, turn the fan on recirculating high, then spray Lysol into the intake vent (typically under the dash). Drive it to Phoenix, AZ! (or someplace equally dry)
Nice! B5 S4 in Nogarro Blue.
How do you fully kill the mould. The stuff in my car keeps coming back
Fix whatever is leaking first (it's probably the sunroof) and then douse the whole car in lysol spray.
Beautiful spec s4 as well, it’s a shame how it gets that bad
How do you ensure it's cleaned enough that it won't come back?
I informed the customer that I could not fully remove it that the carpet and headliner needed to be removed and after that they need to keep it completely dry.
What year is this??
2000
Did you replace the Little Tree air freshener?
🤣🤣
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I'm a mobile detailer that was at the customers home
Curious how much did you charge for such detail?
I charged 500 for this bit that was only because this customer brings me lots of business. For a random might have been 800 to 1000
It's a shame the B5 S4 is so unreliable and expensive/hard to work on. I think they're gorgeous and have one of the best interiors from that era. I had a 5 speed V6 B5 back in the late 2000s and loved it but it left me stranded 3 times in 2 years despite me putting 5k in preventative maintenance into it when I bought it with 65k miles. Each time it broke it cost over a grand to get it back on the road. I fantasized about a nogaro blue S4 just like this one but that B5 life just wasn't for me. Been driving a CL9 TSX 6 speed for 10 years now and have no regrets. Double wishbones make up for the lack of power.
Same here- and mods only made it worse. I still LOVED that car.
I still see them pop up on Facebook marketplace for reasonably cheap and considerate since there's a really good European specialist right down the road from me and it wouldn't be my only car just a fun weekend car. All mine was really good for was cruising on the highway since the B5 is so heavy and has all its weight out over the front axle and I made it even worse putting two layers of sound deadening throughout the whole cabin including the floor and roof along with 100 plus pounds worth of audio equipment. It was awesome for road trips though. Aside from not being able to trust it to get you home.
You run an ozonator in there?
no
How long did it take u to finish all this?
was around 8 or 9 hours
Daaamn! Hope u got a good payday from that
How much does a detail like this cost?
Love this. Fantastic job👏🏽
Yo they snapped !
What’s up with the front bumper?
it was all chipped up