Hello, Ok I think I read about this a while ago, but I searched and could not find anything.
Well, about a year ago I started messing around with an 88 SE. the car was my first car bought almost 9 years ago to the day july 4, 1995. . My sister took it after her car broke down and I bought another one. Well she drove it until 1998. then she pretty much abandoned it until I started messing with it in 2003. well against pretty much what everyone on this forum was telling me I started pumping it full of cash. I knew they were right and I should have stripped it or sold it, but I am stupid.
So now it has a TII conversion, rebuilt and streetported. 5 lug conversion with crossdrilled slotted rotors. FMIC, new injectors…removal of rats nest… and so on. I also threw some 17’s on there nothing flashy, some nice 5 spokes with polished lip.

Its starting to run pretty good, I think for now I can move on from performance. I know I want to get the Racing beat turbo-back and definitely need suspension work. But the car runs good, too good, compared to how it looks. It is in desperate need of interior and exterior work. Should I restore it after I am done with performance? should I do interior first and then exterior? Thanks.

Basically I am working on it as my budget allows. I just don’t know in what order to do things.
thanks and sorry if its been covered i will continue to search.

 

the interior and exterior i am speaking of is to restore it to how it looked stock...mostly stock.

 

Whatever order you want. I'm restoring and modding a TII. I did the interior first...ripped out all grey carpet/plastic trim, installed new black carpet, painted the trim black, reupholstered the headliner, new black seats, etc. Then dents are being removed, body kit is going on with new wheels, springs, and its getting a fresh paint job. You will probably also want to replace any cracked plastic pieces inside. I also added a 2.5" TID/cone filter, custom stainless 2.5" dual exhaust, ported wastegate, walbro fuel pump, manual boost controller, bigger secondary injectors soon, and a Microtech stand alone. Eventually it'll have a hybrid turbo as well. Its ALOT of work to restore a car. If you don't have lots of time, and tons of money to put into it, don't bother. But if you can do it, its the most rewarding thing in the world to be able to drive around in something you love and know that you made the whole thing happen.

-Joe

 

Take a look at the featured car. Maybe search under his user name and see how he did it.

 

If you are not painting the car yourself exterior wise, I would have that done first. Incase you happen to take it to a not so great spray place and they do some crappy prep work. Or they get some overspray on places they shoulden't.

I restored my interior first myself only becuase I had a great opertunity to get my hands on a mint interior. I would have done the exterior first had I that kind of cash.

Well thats just what I did/going to do anyways...

 

Usually I would restore the interior/exterior before modding a car. Sure it can go like stink and look bad on the outside but I guarantee that when you freshen up and restore your car, you'll feel a lot better about it.

 

thanks for the info, i need to learn to be patient with this car. i want it all now,