coldturkey Posted December 10, 2012 Share Posted December 10, 2012 Other notable things done: Coated the sills and roof cavities in Cavity wax. Bought a couple of these cans and a long extension hose thingy, got pretty good coverage I reckon. Also, sprayed some of my schoolbus yellow underneath where the kick panels go. Was a bit of surface rust going on, there was some primer there which the rust was starting to peek through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldturkey Posted December 16, 2012 Share Posted December 16, 2012 Boring update. First decent weekend of summer down here, went for a drive round to curio bay and some of the Catlins. Wagon went magically. Actually amazing how well it goes really... As you can see its missing the trim around the windscreen. Wired up a stereo quickly beforehand with some boxed 6x9's. Someone had already done all the hard work by running 12V and switched 12V wires. Things to do list: Install windscreen trim and sun visor Fix drivers inside door lever (the spring has worked its way through it's mounting hole), if you dont manually push the lever back in then you can lock yourself out of the car >.< Install soundproofing in the boot and in the doors. Spray some deadener in the wheel arches Re-Install the dickie seat Get some new black vinyl for the boot and the backs of the seats New Headlining Get the front seat recovered/refilled? Fix awful paint ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldturkey Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 WOF time. Reasons for rejection: Overspray Paint to be removed from Windscreen Dark Overlay on Windscreen to be removed Stickers to be removed on left rear window Which is pretty good but also pretty gay. I tried to argue with him regarding the stickers on the back left window, he kept saying that they were in my blind spot etc, to which I replied "if it was a sedan it wouldnt have that window..." and im pretty sure you are allowed to 100% tint that window or paint it if you like (on wagons). Anyway, I figured he could have scrutinised other aspects of the car quite a bit more and seeing as they werent my stickers and I dont really have an emotional attachment to them I ended up conceeding and getting rid of them. So here is a tribute to the previous life of the wagon: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldturkey Posted February 9, 2013 Share Posted February 9, 2013 Got WOF all sweet after tidying up all that stuff, another 6 months of (hopefully) problem free motoring awaits. Cleaned up my garage today in anticipation of some motivation to work on the wagon again. Had a brief dig at some dodgy looking spots and found this. And goodbye to any potential motivation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coldturkey Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Fixed that patch up about a month or more ago. Most awkward place to try and weld, My normal welds are tidier then that I swear Yuck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coldturkey Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 So I made this random decision about a month ago one day that I was going to paint this thing over easter. I was determined to not let it snowball into a total restoration and decided to paint overtop the original paint. So here it goes. Note, I do not claim to be an expert at all and please dont use this as a guide. I wanted maximum result for minimum time. Trim removed, most stuff just masked and Guide coat over the whole thing: After the WHOLE car blocked back with 320 grit (took 2 whole days of sanding pretty much). Spot prime This was my number 1 thing to rage at throughout this. Reactions. Number 2 being that the top coat of paint was not keyed into the original paint very well and flaked off a lot. I think the Primer Filler I used just really didnt like one of the several layers of paint on this thing. Reactions and flaking set me back probably 2-3 whole days. You're lucky you didnt see my reaction to this reaction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coldturkey Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 More sanding and guide coats and filling. Probably repeated these steps about 3-4 times over, and at this point it was starting to take ages and I couldnt see the light at the end of the tunnel but I persisted. Ok so here is where I threw in the towel and decided it was good enough. I knew it wasnt going to be perfect but honestly didnt care anymore. I think everyone that does this (preps their own car) reaches this stage, and sooner or later you either make the call or you lose motivation forever. So this is what it looked like at the final point before paint... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coldturkey Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 So spent most of Easter Saturday making sure all the dust was out of the garage and gave the wagon a good scrub over with detergent first and then plain water and a microfibre cloth. Then I set about erecting my temporary spray booth. I found some ace drop sheet plastic stuff that was pefect and just the right height for walls. I know how much dust kills a paint job and I put it on all four walls and the floor to stop dust coming out of the concrete, then anything I had left I put on the roof. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coldturkey Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Will post some better pics of my temporary booth when I open up the garage tommorrow cause its impressive and im real proud of it Its been 6 hours since I painted it and the paint is still tacky so im not risking dust contamination and will leave it over night Its hard to tell how it turned out without being outside in the sun, but I am pretty stoked with what I can tell so far. My only major issues were: There wasnt bugger all room to paint in. The front sheet of plastic was just too close and got stuck to the front of the bonnet in a gush of air, but I think I saved it enough (may have to touch it up slightly). Holy crap I was sweating bad, and a couple places I leaked drips onto the paint. Though I resisted the urge to touch it and I think the effects will be minimal Anyway, the suspense is probably killing you almost as much as me (I really want to open up the garage and have a good perve!) but pics will come tommorrow! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coldturkey Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 Ok so here goes. Much to some people's digust (who shall remain nameless ).... I painted it with this stuff. Hear me out, the long term plan would be to go for a lighter colour, but the reasons I did it are as follows: This paint is readily available in spray cans so I can continue to do bodywork/rust repairs/ touchups easily The paint will be available as a standard colour for time to come You can paint directly over rust and bare metal. Particularly useful as I rubbed through in several places I have found it very forgiving and it doesnt run as easily as other paints despite going on thick Its really just a high gloss enamel, any "killrust" property is likely just a sales pitch Its actually a lot closer to the original colour then you think, what it was before was quite a different shade (will show pic at some stage of how it compares) Its in one colour now and I can keep it that way until I decide to go the whole distance and paint in another (period correct) colour. The drawbacks: I'll agree the colour is quite unconventional Being that its not a specialised automotive paint it will probably get owned by the sun at a faster rate then normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coldturkey Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 By the way WOW it looks amazing. I am absolutely stoked with how it came out. This outcome is the sumtotal of the following: $120 worth of paint $50 worth of sandpaper about 100 hours of work (sanding, priming, filling, etc) a $40 spray gun from repco a $220 compressor from super cheap auto (2.5hp) Not fucken bad for a ~$500 paint job including all the tools required. Its actually pissing down outside at the moment so it has to remain in the garage for the time being. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coldturkey Posted March 31, 2013 Share Posted March 31, 2013 And I will leave you with this as a teaser for things to come Discuss: http://oldschool.co....60#entry1048938 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coldturkey Posted April 1, 2013 Share Posted April 1, 2013 So getting it out in the sun reveals a few very minor runs, and other tiny imperfections and some places where the paint went on a litttttttttle bit too thin A hangover from painting in minimal lighting. But all in all im stoked 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coldturkey Posted April 20, 2013 Share Posted April 20, 2013 Not the best pictures, but have put all the trim back on (bumpers and windows do need a wash though!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest coldturkey Posted April 20, 2013 Share Posted April 20, 2013 Need to do something wheel wise. The fake whitewalls look scruffy.. and its kinda impossible to get it off without damaging the tyres. So i'd either have to get new tyres or whitewall them again. These showed up down here for reasonably cheap so I picked em up (dont get much in the way of trademe listings for wheels down here). Yeah they are hotwires...boo hoo, add it to the list of wierd stuff I have done to the car. But im certainly not set on them, and if I had known what I know now I wouldn't have gone 14x8. Anyway I need to sort out tyres if I do decide to use them. Picked them up...they needed some serious tidy up. Eagers on the rears for maximum lols Painted and did a rough polish job. Trial fit. So yeah, I think they would be an improvement, despite not being deep dish JDM spec. Not really ken to spend thousands on that kinda thing though Back wheels look a bit small on the wag though. Could be just the fact that they are 14s but I know that i'd atleast have to run meatier tyres. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldturkey Posted May 13, 2013 Share Posted May 13, 2013 So as some of you know I bought some (more) wheels... after much debate over tyre sizes I went with 195/65/R15 rears and 195/60/R15 fronts.... Results as follows... Discussion Thread Here 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldturkey Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 Well, i'd love to say theres been a lot going on interior/exterior/mechanical/anythingwise but I'd be lying. The winter months are pretty terrible down here for finding motivation to do anything outdoors, but there was one idea that I have been playing with for a while. Among my many weird qualities, I have this strange love affair with cruise control.... So a quick enquiry to the LVVTA: Hi Lawrence Cruise only affects the accelerator and so should not be subject to LVV certification (if it somehow has a braking operation then it will require certification). Therefore it will only be subject to in-service general safety requirements - it should be a properly installed system in good working condition. Any switches in the interior need to meet these requirements: must be mounted flush with, or protected by, the dashboard surface; or fitted forward of the steering wheel, or between the steering wheel and the nearest door; or fitted between and forward of the front seats [where no centre seat exists] and within 140mm either side of the vehicle centreline. Regards ### ##### Low Volume Vehicle Technical Association T: (04) 238 4343 F: (04) 238 4383 E: ###@lvvta.org.nz W: www.lvvta.org.nz This email is intended to be read by the named recipient only . It may contain information which is confidential, proprietary or the subject of legal privilege. If you are not the intended recipient you must delete this email and may not use any information contained in it. Legal privilege is not waived because you have read this email. Ok brilliant, so aftermarket cruise control is not illegal, all I have to worry about is not putting the controls in silly places! Oh and it has to be installed properly and work properly. Err... ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldturkey Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 Because I am a bit of a nerd I gave myself the challenge of designing and building it myself. Sure you can get kits, but they cost shitloads and to fit it to a car without an ECU, or other electronic gadgetry would be a lot of fucking about. Plus I wanted to be able to customize the algorithim that ran the control. Things needed working out: How do I get a continous speed measurement out of a car with no ECU? How do I modify the position of the throttle? How do I turn it on and off? How can I make it safe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldturkey Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 How do I get a continous speed measurement out of a car with no ECU? Righto, so it just happens to be that one of the pleasant chaps that owned this car before me installed an MSD ignition. Why is this important you ask? Well the MSD ignition has a 12V square wave tachometer output, i.e it gives a pulse every RPM. Funnily enough, if you take the gears and slipping clutch out of the equation, the RPM is proportional to the speed in a Manual Vehicle. And infact what I need is not to know what the speed is, but rather to keep it constant. If I can keep the rev's constant, then I can keep the speed constant. And because this thing only has 3 gears, you basically never change gear once you are up and moving. And under any situation I would want to "cruise" I would be in 3rd gear the whole time. So I began investigating with a microprocessor and got it reading the Revs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldturkey Posted July 15, 2013 Share Posted July 15, 2013 How do I modify the position of the throttle?The only way to do this on an old car (without fly by wire etc) is via some kind of motor.So I began playing with an RC servo to make sure I could control it to how I wanted it, with the intention of moving to a bigger servo eventually.Funny thing was, it actually worked really well and was able to pull the throttle without any issues. It's like a 13kg/cm servo so it is plenty grunty and if it dies then oh well it only cost like $18 bucks.Here is a vid of it setup pulling on the throttle with a string, dont worry I have since upgraded the string (it is now running a cable tie ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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