GETTING CLOSER!

I got a little more done today.

Removed UIM to put in injectors in their proper locations!

Attachment 673078

Injectors OUT!

Attachment 673079

Injectors back into the correct locations this time... REMEMBER Purple = Primary!!

Attachment 673080

Alternator plug replaced.

Attachment 673081

PS and AC finally mounted:

Attachment 673082

I also made a cardboard template for the "heatshield" that is missing from my Pettit intake kit (no picture), and will cut one out of aluminum sheet some time this week.

Current TODO List
-Bleed brakes
-Get PS AC belt
-3 fuel lines from chassis to engine
-Get intercooler pipes made
-Mount AST
-Make battery tray for battery
-Fill and bleed cooling system
-Finish buttoning up ECU/kick panel area

Vince

Y U NO FINISHED?

Cardboard template traced onto sheet aluminum:

Attachment 672495

Heat shield cut out and hole made:

Attachment 672496

And finally INSTALLED! (also PS and AC belt installed)

Attachment 672497

NEW O2 sensor installed:

Attachment 672498

Fuel lines hooked up!

Attachment 672499

It's slowly getting closer to the day when it "MAY" run, still need to get the intercooler pipes made.

Vince

Computer finally installed:

Attachment 670917

And now the odometer actually works!!

Attachment 670918

Not a huge update, but it is something else done. Still waiting on getting the intercooler pipes done...

Vince

HOLY SHIT IT RUNS!!!


Still have a laundry list of crap to do to it, but this does mean all the hardwork may have been worth it!

Current TODO List
-Bleed brakes
-Get intercooler pipes made
-Mount AST
-Make battery tray for battery
-Fill and bleed cooling system
-Fix HORN and Figure out why headlights do not go up with lights on...

Vince

LOUD NOISES!!!

So, after waiting for a local to fabricate the ductwork and piping, and never coming thru... I ended up getting a Pettit Cool Charge intercooler:

Attachment 663792


The blue couplers will be changed out for black and I still have to make the duct for it myself, but I will not actually drive the car until that is done!

I did take it for its maiden voyage, and it promptly went into limp mode :icon_tup:

So, that will need to be solved as soon as I figure out why I can't pull codes.

I also need to make a battery tray for the Optima battery, do not pay any attention to the bungee strap, it is only temporary.

Also, sent my taillamps off to theorie for the 99 spec treatment and a good buffing.

Attachment 663793

Vince

Looking good man!

^Thanks for the compliment.

MINOR UPDATE!

Got my tailights back from theorie. What a difference! Highly reccomend his services if you want that 99 spec look. While the lights were out I installed Sylvania Silverstar bulbs in all locations. Supposedly they are brighter...

Attachment 662635

Also, test fit the 99 spec wing:

Attachment 662636

I'm digging it!

Tried to diagnose the inability to pull codes unsuccessfully. Will work on it again Tuesday and try again. IF it ends up being a bad PCM, I guess it will be replaced with the Power FC I already have.

Vince

UPDATE!

FIXED HEADLIGHT and TAIL LIGHT issue. TNS and RETRACTOR RELAYS were BAD!

BAD vs. GOOD RELAY:
Attachment 662325

RUSTED BAD RELAY:
Attachment 662326

Also installed the Power FC since the stock computer did not want to cooperate. It now runs as intended.

Made a Battery tray for my 51 group Optima, please don't laugh. I am not a fabricator by any means, but it thick mild stainless and it is sturdy!

Attachment 662327

And a new hold down and hardware, new positive cable to get it out of the way, and a new negative terminal!

Attachment 662328

Now, I just gotta make the intercooler duct, mount the front bumper, and button up the interior and what I have to do is done. Then it is off for alignment, inspection, tags and title.

Vince

SO CLOSE NOW!

Figured out the horn issue: The horns were bad. New horns sorted that out.

Made the intercooler duct out of thin sheet aluminum. Only took like 5 hours. I realize why I am not a fabricator...

Attachment 661247

Detail of inlet opening:

Attachment 661248

INSTALLED:
Attachment 661249

And reinstalled front bumper:
Attachment 661250

Also, buttoned up the Power FC, and installed a boost gauge.

Very close to being on the road!

CURRENT TO DO LIST:
Install undertray and R1 lip.
Adjust Idle.
Bleed brakes again.
Inspection sticker and 4 wheel alignment.
CLEAN IT!

Vince

Good job on the duct dude. Do you plan on doing a filter on the end of that air hose?

Thanks for the compliment. As far as that hose, I am going to do something with it. Not exactly sure yet, because it is the outlet for the air pump. The Pettit setup they currently sell has a 90 and then goes to a few "mufflers" to eliminate the moo sound I assume.
I will be able to deal with it more that the intercooler situation is sorted out now.

Thanks,
Vince

PROJECT UPDATE!

So, I finally got the car on the road a month ago!

Attachment 656139

And found out immediately the transmission was bad, would not stay in 5th, and bad noises from it.

Luckily, FRITZ FLYNN came thru with a clean low mileage 94 trans (which shifts like butter), and he diagnosed my intermittent NO BOOST issue by a weird sound I made, bad TCA!

FRITZ is the man!

Since then, I've been rounding up parts in preparation for paint.

99 spec wing test fit:

Attachment 656140

Plateless 99 spec bumper:

Attachment 656141

Ordered a set of these marker lights in smoke color (thanks for the idea THEORIE!)

Attachment 656142

And I sourced a hatch privacy cover and a set of mirrors to replace my messed up one from GOLD HUSH on the forum.

Still need to get a 99 spec lip.

THOUGHTS AFTER 1 MONTH ON THE ROAD

This thing is a blast to drive. The stock twins working properly in sequential are pretty fantastic. I love the VTEC like sound when the second turbo starts pulling in air.

It is not as bad on gas as I had thought it would be. 19.2MPG first fill up with no 5th gear. Last fill up was 22.6MPG with a lot of time spent in boost!

Although I had it properly aligned, the car is beginning to feel a little twitchy. I suspect something is loose somewhere.

On a similar note, when they say "SUMMER ONLY" on tires, they mean it. Almost no forward traction at 34F...

And I have NO HEAT. Will have to investigate that.

The BORLA exhaust sounds great, I will post a video soon!

And most importantly, it passed the wife test. She actually likes riding in it: Pretty good ride, comfortable leather seats, and not TOO LOUD.

Hopefully my next update will be a little more amazing, as the car will HOPEFULLY be painted.

Thanks to everyone on the board that has helped me to get to this point!

Vince

GOING BACKWARDS!!

So I've gotten it to the bodyshop and started tearing it back apart.

Lip removed.

Attachment 655544

Front bumper, fender liners and vents removed.

Attachment 655545

Taillamps, marker lamps, and backup lamps removed.

Attachment 655546

Spot sanding the hood to check for damage and assess paint thickness.

Attachment 655547

Next time I'm going to remove the rear bumper, antenna, mirrors, and door trim. Then I can start sanding/stripping it to bare metal to start completely over.

Can't wait to get a proper paint job on this thing.

Vince

Hows the fitment on that plateless front bumper and where did you purchase it from?

Not 100% yet, but the initial test fit looked good. Will need a little tweaking, but it is world's better than the fiberglass crap my buddies used to get back in the high school days. It appears to be the same mold as everyone else with the "off road" molded into the back side.

I got it off ebay and it came with the bumper lights. If you want to check it out, it is item# 110928020157. They packaged it well and it came quickly.

Thanks,
Vince

Some assembly REQUIRED!

After removing nearly the whole interior to access the bolts holding on the rear bumper:

Attachment 654142

Got the rear bumper and antenna off:

Attachment 654143

Also removed the mirrors, door handles, trim, wipers/wiper cowl, and headlamp covers!

Attachment 654144

Sanded about half the driver's door to asess the damage. Quite a few dings/dents and bondo.

Attachment 654145

First go around with aircraft stripper on the hood.

Attachment 654146

After 2 more attempts, it is nearly bare! All of the spots that are not white are the actual aluminum of the hood.

Attachment 654147


I'll be getting back on this sometime next week and hopefully have it fully stripped and primed so the body work can start!

As could be expected from a car that came from the north, quite a few fasteners died and will need to be replaced. Hopefully, they are all still available from Ray.

Vince

Making Progress!


Initial Stripping of fender and door:

Attachment 653489

Nearly bare:

Attachment 653491

End of that day:

Attachment 653492

Look at all this paint!

Attachment 653493

The next day!

I did not get as much done, because I had to work on the daily. I had to replace the starter and replace some seals in the injector pump as diesel fuel begin to seep out!

I started finishing the quarter and half the hatch and roof:

Attachment 653486

Finished this side!

Attachment 653487

Nearly finished sanding the hood.

Attachment 653488

Feel like I'm actually getting somewhere, hopefully I will be able to get the other side done today. Then I have to sand the headlight covers, rear bumper and do the door/hatch jamb areas.

Vince

Looking good Vince!

^Thanks for the compliment. It is a little odd to see it in this shape though... It looked pretty good in post #62, but you can see in these pictures what kind of disasters were hiding under the paint!

SO CLOSE TO DONE WITH THIS!

Initial stripping of passenger quarter and hatch.

Attachment 653322

Quarter and roof finished, lower portion of door started.

Attachment 653323

Paint removed from car in this step!

Attachment 653324

Tomorrow I will finish the door and fender and the stripping is completed. Then the fun of sanding the rear bumper, jamb areas, fender vents and headlight covers is next.

Vince

ALL MY PAINTS IS GONE!

Initial Stripping:

Attachment 653195

All done!

Attachment 653196

SO MUCH PAINT ON THE GROUND!

Attachment 653197

Hopefully, I'll be able to start on the actual body work in a few days.

Vince

REAFFIRMING "SLOWEST BUILD IN RX7CLUB HISTORY" STATUS

So, 3 months later, I've finally gotten a chance to get back on this car.

Hood, roof, hatch, and quarters sanded and primed!

Attachment 646791

PS Door and fended sanded.

Attachment 646792

All filler grinded off DS Fender.

Attachment 646793

Last of all, put some filler on the fender and door. Started sanding the fender. Looking better!!

Attachment 646794

Needless to say at this point, I am not a bodyman. Basically apprenticing. More or less OTJ with supervision :icon_tup:

Will revisit it this weekend to try and make more progress.

Vince

Finally finished the fender, and nearly done the door.

Attachment 644350

There is no way I could do this for money. It takes entirely too long.

Also, got a gauge cluster from Fd3BOOST to do away with the white face crap currently in the car.

Attachment 644351

Hopefully this weekend, I will be able to finish the door. Then I only have a handful of small dents to work on.

SOON....

Vince

Awesome work. I would love to see the finished product in person one day.

Glad to see your moving this along.
That's a lot of stripping!

^Thanks for the compliments.

The pace is slow, only having Saturday available to work on it "weather permitting" and the car being 1 hour away. But it is satisfying to do it all yourself.

Fender and door actually done, I think. Did a final skim coat of some type of thinner kind that fills the sanding scratches and what not with a finer grade of sandpaper.

Feels smooth as glass now!

Attachment 644059

Vince

Not that I need to tell you but make sure you block sand it all otherwise it will show in the clear coat.

I missed a fee minor spots on mine because I didn't skim the entire car with lacquer fill.

^Most definately. All of this so far has been with various sanding blocks. This is all a learning experience for me as it is my first attempt at any type of body work. Any tips and tricks are GREATLY APPRECIATED!

My buddy (the experienced body man :) ) said that once all of this is done and primed, we'll be doing extensive blocking to make sure there are no ripples hopefully. Being that the car is almost entirely made of curves it is interesting trying to do anything with it.

Vince

Are you spraying the paint too?
What about a sealer coat, are you using a sealer or going straight from primer to base color coat?

Looks good buddy. I'm always astonished about how much paint you removed from that body. It's amazing.

Looking forward to the paint pics. What color you going with?

We started with an etching primer on the bare metal and regular primer over that for what you see so far.

There will be a sealer, but I don't know when it will be put on. I'm guessing after all the major part of the body work is done. All the paint products are Valspar, supposedly very good quality:icon_tup:

I will not be spraying the car though. As much as the paint costs, I'm going to let my buddy (the experienced painter) do that part. I will be spraying another car over there that uses some CHEAP paint to get some practice though!

25G - Titanium Gray Metallic

AKA Spirit R color or here in the US it was used on a special edition Miata.

Vince

I'm familiar with the Valspar brand. I use some of their finishes in my furniture business. It's not top end but far from low end which would be Nasom.

You sold on that gray paint? I always though that color never did a 3rd gen justice. I like color on a sports car.

Anyway, sealer would be after all your body work is done. It will help keep any body filler spots from showing through the base coat.

Regardless of what color you go with the car will look awesome if you guys get the body work right.

Attachment 644016

For whatever reason, that color just does it for me. Kinda like some guys dig brunettes or gingers I guess :dunno:

I was a little indecisive at first on the color, Innocent Blue/Stormy Blue, CYM, Some version of white. I did not want RED or Black or SSM. But I kept coming back to this one. I like that it is understated, but it is not exactly boring. The paint in the can looks pretty good, a good mix of metallic and pearl effect. I expect it will look great.

IRL the color falls somewhere between Honda's Polished Metal Metallic and that dark charcoal color Toyota Magnetic Grey Metallic, best I can figure. It does look slightly darker than the one pictured above, but that probably doesn't mean much as it is still in the can.

It may not be as dramatic as some colors (your AMAZING blue for instance), but my intention is not to draw attention.

Cool site. I'm not sure if the ones he has are this brand, but the big one has those 3 rods in it just like the ones on that site. Must be a good choice then!

Vince

The correct description would be Majik blue pearl :D but what's a name anyway.
I hear what your sayin. I've seen some go overboard with paint, purple, orange etc... It will look great in the titanium grey I'm sure.

Well, after some more work on the door, fender and quarter, they finally feel done. Maybe. Closer to done. Probably not. I don't know :icon_tup:

Attachment 643335

At least they do feel really smooth now.

I thought my hood was really good. Then, I started fixing all the dents. Must have been in the same epic hail storm that got my VW long before I got it.

Attachment 643336

My VW for reference:

Attachment 643337

Then I started the other "better?" side. Fixed one dent on the door and have one more to go. Started the only dent on the PS fender. Also test fit the side skirts from my buddy Dave. They will be modified slightly, eliminating the vent that covers the fender. Basically cut them straight across the lower line of the door.

Attachment 643338

Starting to finally see the finish line as far as the body goes. Then, I have to work on the bumpers, mirrors, and spoiler.

Vince

Maybe I'll get it painted one day...

So, progress has been terribly slow lately. It has rained 6 out of the last 8 weekends. Then this last weekend, the heat and humidity were so bad I only got the hood done. Maintaining "Slowest build in 7club history" status...

Onto the progress:

A coat of filler primer and began block sanding with 400 grit!

Attachment 638803

Attachment 638804

Attachment 638805

After tirelessy blocking it with 400 grit, it is very smooth now. However it has revealed a few dings that were missed, and some minor scratches. Next visit these will be addressed and then supposedly a FINAL sanding. Then, paint?

As a change of pace, I turned my attention to the door handles:

BEFORE
Attachment 638806

AFTER
Attachment 638807

And, to try and stay motivated, I got these from JASON S group buy!

Attachment 638808

If you have not done so, do buy a set from him. Well worth the price!!

Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll have this painted before winter. Then I get to start on the interior. I swear this car will be done eventually.

Vince

SUPER UPDATE!

Here are some photos from the last 3 weekends of working on it.

All odds and ends sanding and prepped. (don't mind picture, SD card was corrupt!)

Attachment 637398

Cleaning after wetsanding with 600:

Attachment 637399

Rear bumper done:

Attachment 637400

Front bumper done:

Attachment 637401

Final check/scratch fill with spot putty:

Attachment 637402

Masking door:

Attachment 637403

Other side:

Attachment 637404

Hatch:

Attachment 637405

Hatch done:

Attachment 637406

Not pictured because the SD card died, NEW PS headlamp cover to replace damaged one.

If everything goes well, will be sprayed with sealer, then painted this week.

The next update should be good.

Vince

Lookin good man! I envy you for the space you have to do bodywork and all. I'd love to do this myself one day.

^ Luckily I have a few friends that have made this possible. Only downside is it is an hour from my house!

SOMETHING HAS HAPPENED!

Friday night was the big night!

Sealer sprayed!

Attachment 636868

Base color.

Attachment 636869

1st coat of clear.

Attachment 636870

After two more coats of clear.

Attachment 636871

Various goodies.

Attachment 636872

Down side of car to show quality of body work.

Attachment 636873

Detail of driver's door (worst damaged part of car)

Attachment 636874

Spoiler

Attachment 636875

And today after I removed the masking with some sunlight:

Attachment 636876

Headlight cover out in the overcast weather we had today:

Attachment 636877

INITIAL REACTION

Holy crap! It looks pretty awesome. I'm hugely satisfied with the color. It looks darker than the pictures show. The low light conditions last night and the overcast today seem to make the camera sad in this respect. It looks more like the color you see in the base color picture than it does in the later photos. The later photos make it seem as bright as the original SSM.

I did miss a few things in the body work and a couple small dings. There are a few inevitable gnats in the paint, but I couldn't afford a spray booth so no complaints! But, it is MILES better than it was. I'm a little impressed with myself considering I have no formal classroom or practical experience.

Once it has had a few days to properly cure, I will begin some reassembly and we will address the flaws/bugs. Will have more pictures then.

Still need to order the emblems and 99 front lip. Should be doing that Monday.

Then the next project is getting it home and cleaning the interior back up, and getting the seats recovered.

Comments welcomed!

Vince

wow great work!

Looks super awesome!!!!! Its nice to have good people around you to help get you where you want to be that's for sure!

Thanks for the compliments. Hard to believe it has taken 11 months to get to this point.

Tomorrow when I get off work, I'm going to start reassembling. We'll see how that goes :nod:

Vince

Another Update!

Got a little more done. Got the door and hatch opening weatherstripping, mirror bases, rear markers and fender vents installed.

Attachment 636643

Painted the outer mirror triangles.

Attachment 636644

Painted and installed the rear valence with all new clips and screws.

Attachment 636645

Rear bumper and back up lamps in place.

Attachment 636646

Also found out that the hatch struts gave up the ghost, must of got overspray on them. They no longer hold the hatch :)

Ordered a few more fasteners and the rear hatch glass rubber from RAY CROWE.

Vince

SO CLOSE!

Pushed it outside to see what it looks like in the sun!

Attachment 636326

It is really a difficult color to photograph. There is a lot of metallic in the paint, and whatever "paint effect" is that is listed on the can :) None of the pictures really show the actual color.

As a change of pace I cleaned up the door panels and speaker grilles.

Before:

Attachment 636327

After:

Attachment 636328

Finished installing the tail lights and painting all the plastic covers behind the tails.

Attachment 636329

Fit the front bumper and lights:

Attachment 636330

Need to repaint the mirrors and spoiler end caps due to some issues, then they can be installed!

Vince

Its getting there! I love to see the transformation of a color change.

The only thing I didnt agree with was cutting corners on not pulling the doors/glass out. But the biggest surprise was not using a down draft booth! But some flat sanding and buffing will take care of any dirt issues.

If it could have stayed inside the whole time, I probably would have pulled the doors, etc.

But this was a $0 budget paint job. I did all the labor minus the spraying. Luckily, with the amount of making I did there is no evidence of either previous color except under the interior panels where it would never be seen.

All in total between sand paper, etching primer, primer, sealer, base, clear, filler, stripper, razor blades, and tape: $600 in materials.

If it was an option to spray it in a booth, I would have, but I don't have any hook ups on that end or finances at this time. With that being said, I am satisfied with the results. For being a novice, it looks pretty good. It is by no means a show car, but it is no longer sad looking. Best of all, since it is not perfect, I will not be as sad when someone inevitably damages it.

Thanks for the comments!
Vince

IT"S NEVER GOING TO MAKE IT TO DGRR UPDATE

So, 5 month later, here's where things stand:

I had the car towed to the house so I can at least look at it. The SNOWPOCALYPSE and rain have prevented being able to do anything with it.

Still waiting on the mirrors and spoiler to be resprayed.

Started cleaning the interior up.

State of the hatch area:
Attachment 628196

Cleaning all the interior panels:
Attachment 628197

How the dash looked:
Attachment 628198

Then I pulled the gauge cluster so I could swap clusters:
Attachment 628199

I swapped the mileage chip per DALE CLARK last night. I'll have to hook it up and make sure it still works :)

The gauge hood did suffer slightly on removal, I've repaired the cracks, now I need to said and paint it.

Also plan to repaint the rest of the dash plastics at this time, but I can't decide between charcoal gray like the Spirit R or just black. Leaning towards charcoal gray.

Ideally, I should have the seats recovered in the next week and that will be a big hurdle out of the way.

Vince

What did you use to refinish the door handles?

I sanded them with 320 grit. Then Filler-primer to fill the deep scratches, and sanded again with 500 grit. Finished with SEM Trim Black.

Vince