Thought i should post a build thread on this, seeing as i tend to do more work on this, than on either of the Supras!
This has become part of my 'collection' just before christmas, thanks to a friend of mine. It was abandoned by his ex-wifes brothers girlfriend, and she washed her hands of it, and my friend was given the task of junking it, however, it's too good to just chuck out. So I said 'i'll take it if you don't mind, I could use a daily driver!'
It wasn't badly specced - power steering, electric windows, electric mirrors, a sunroof (not electric though), split fold rear seats and a rev counter - so not the average bargain basement model either!
Was parked in a hedge for almost the last three months, turning the trim that lovely putrescent green moss effect i'm sure we're all familiar with.
All it needed was a jump start and it fired into life first time, drove like a champ. It's only got 60 horsies, but its nippy enough as a daily driver and it doesn't wander all over the road or anything terminally worrying.
There were, however, a few niggles though, and i'll list them:
1) Electric window regulator on Passenger Side broke the clips holding the glass to the regulator - ANNOYING, but easily fixed.
2) Electric window on Drivers side seemingly posessed by a stroppy woman, opens only if/when it wants to.
3) Radio doesn't work (hardly important)
4) Exhaust front silencer needed replacing
5) Needed a new hubcap (still needs it, too)
6) Parcel Shelf is AWOL - eBay time!
7) Faded paint on the bonnet & roof
8) Front Drivers Side headlamp has a stonechip in it - breakers yard, anyone?
9) Rust on the outer sills - somewhat ominous :/
So as you can see, it's not actually that badly off - I reckon...£100 in bits ought to have it properly running.
Here - have some more pictures:
Clean, isn't it?
PHWOAR! Check out the POWERRRRRRR
So...my intentions were to just get it running as a daily, and leave it alone - not hitting it with alloys, banded steelies, a lowering stick, matt black paint, rat look - nothing like that, just keeping it standard and after a few months.
All the paperwork seems to be coming together (Isle of Man is actually pretty damn efficient!), and i've fixed all but three problems on it now.
The sidelight is all fixed (turned out to be a bulb issue, solved with a new Xenon White one I had laying around from doing the dash illumination on the Supra).
The exhaust front silencer has been confirmed as the culprit (10p sized hole in it - replacement one is £25 off eBay), and was ordered the other day. Overnight parts from Germany, yo.
Then it's just the electric windows to sort out.
Anyway, it's about time I posted a few more pictures...
Seeing as the weather the last two days has been absolutely lovely, warm, light breeze, not a cloud in the sky or threat of rain, I thought it was about time to get some bodywork done.
Now, I was dreading this, as whenever I see paint bubbles, I assume the worst, and have mental images of the paint holding the bodypanel together - i'm sure you know what I mean!
Anyway, out came the 80 grit grinder wheel and I stripped the sections of the drivers side that most urgently needed attention. To my surprise, it looked mostly like it was just the paint that had lifted off. Bit more of the sander, and a few taps with the screwdriver and the sill and arch were 95% sound. No pinholes in the sill, just a crusty surface in the sill/arch gap, and at the rear arch. Filler would be more than enough on this side, I think!
The french use mostly the same sort of body filler you get in the UK - Sintofer branded stuff. Aaaah the smell of styrene & dibenzoyl peroxide, that takes me back! This stuff mixes like porridge at first, but sets VERY quickly, it took me a little by surprise. Had to do two coats in the end (and possibly a third quick skim tomorrow).
This is what it looked like after the filler went on:
Sanded it all back with 80 grit, then wet & dry in 120, 240 and finally 400 grit for now - although i'll probably go to 800 or so later on, the light was starting to fade, and it was starting to show signs of getting colder, and I don't want to spray when it's cold!
End results here:
Then came the masking up and the painting - the only bit I actually dislike, but I was determined to give it as good a go as I could.
Here - the end result, and how it all sits now - don't judge me too harshly, i've not done any bodywork since I was 14! (I'm 29 now)
Happy with this one - nothing more needed on this I think, once painted up, you'd never know it had been done!
Only about 85% happy with this one though, you can still just about see the small dinks down the bottom that didn't sand out.
This one felt perfectly smooth to my fingers, but after spraying, you can see it needs another skim of filler and some more sanding, before it's re-primed.
Question is - can I fill over a primed surface, or do I have to sand back and start again?
Now you see why I hate bodywork!
This has become part of my 'collection' just before christmas, thanks to a friend of mine. It was abandoned by his ex-wifes brothers girlfriend, and she washed her hands of it, and my friend was given the task of junking it, however, it's too good to just chuck out. So I said 'i'll take it if you don't mind, I could use a daily driver!'
It wasn't badly specced - power steering, electric windows, electric mirrors, a sunroof (not electric though), split fold rear seats and a rev counter - so not the average bargain basement model either!
Was parked in a hedge for almost the last three months, turning the trim that lovely putrescent green moss effect i'm sure we're all familiar with.
All it needed was a jump start and it fired into life first time, drove like a champ. It's only got 60 horsies, but its nippy enough as a daily driver and it doesn't wander all over the road or anything terminally worrying.
There were, however, a few niggles though, and i'll list them:
1) Electric window regulator on Passenger Side broke the clips holding the glass to the regulator - ANNOYING, but easily fixed.
2) Electric window on Drivers side seemingly posessed by a stroppy woman, opens only if/when it wants to.
3) Radio doesn't work (hardly important)
4) Exhaust front silencer needed replacing
5) Needed a new hubcap (still needs it, too)
6) Parcel Shelf is AWOL - eBay time!
7) Faded paint on the bonnet & roof
8) Front Drivers Side headlamp has a stonechip in it - breakers yard, anyone?
9) Rust on the outer sills - somewhat ominous :/
So as you can see, it's not actually that badly off - I reckon...£100 in bits ought to have it properly running.
Here - have some more pictures:
Clean, isn't it?
PHWOAR! Check out the POWERRRRRRR
So...my intentions were to just get it running as a daily, and leave it alone - not hitting it with alloys, banded steelies, a lowering stick, matt black paint, rat look - nothing like that, just keeping it standard and after a few months.
All the paperwork seems to be coming together (Isle of Man is actually pretty damn efficient!), and i've fixed all but three problems on it now.
The sidelight is all fixed (turned out to be a bulb issue, solved with a new Xenon White one I had laying around from doing the dash illumination on the Supra).
The exhaust front silencer has been confirmed as the culprit (10p sized hole in it - replacement one is £25 off eBay), and was ordered the other day. Overnight parts from Germany, yo.
Then it's just the electric windows to sort out.
Anyway, it's about time I posted a few more pictures...
Seeing as the weather the last two days has been absolutely lovely, warm, light breeze, not a cloud in the sky or threat of rain, I thought it was about time to get some bodywork done.
Now, I was dreading this, as whenever I see paint bubbles, I assume the worst, and have mental images of the paint holding the bodypanel together - i'm sure you know what I mean!
Anyway, out came the 80 grit grinder wheel and I stripped the sections of the drivers side that most urgently needed attention. To my surprise, it looked mostly like it was just the paint that had lifted off. Bit more of the sander, and a few taps with the screwdriver and the sill and arch were 95% sound. No pinholes in the sill, just a crusty surface in the sill/arch gap, and at the rear arch. Filler would be more than enough on this side, I think!
The french use mostly the same sort of body filler you get in the UK - Sintofer branded stuff. Aaaah the smell of styrene & dibenzoyl peroxide, that takes me back! This stuff mixes like porridge at first, but sets VERY quickly, it took me a little by surprise. Had to do two coats in the end (and possibly a third quick skim tomorrow).
This is what it looked like after the filler went on:
Sanded it all back with 80 grit, then wet & dry in 120, 240 and finally 400 grit for now - although i'll probably go to 800 or so later on, the light was starting to fade, and it was starting to show signs of getting colder, and I don't want to spray when it's cold!
End results here:
Then came the masking up and the painting - the only bit I actually dislike, but I was determined to give it as good a go as I could.
Here - the end result, and how it all sits now - don't judge me too harshly, i've not done any bodywork since I was 14! (I'm 29 now)
Happy with this one - nothing more needed on this I think, once painted up, you'd never know it had been done!
Only about 85% happy with this one though, you can still just about see the small dinks down the bottom that didn't sand out.
This one felt perfectly smooth to my fingers, but after spraying, you can see it needs another skim of filler and some more sanding, before it's re-primed.
Question is - can I fill over a primed surface, or do I have to sand back and start again?
Now you see why I hate bodywork!
