DABUZZ'z 1971 Mazda Capella RE + New 74 RX4

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Some filling/blocking priming underway, coming out way better than I imagined

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Car came home a while back, until I organise a time with the painter. Was hoping to go straight to paint but didnt work out, this has actually been a blessing as now with lockdown I can do a few small things on it.

Have sanded back and re-epoxied inside the boot, filled where necessary and I'm currently sanding all that back, I fkn hate sanding......

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Still busy prepping boot  have re-epoxied, seam sealed, and filler primer, all ready for top coat. Have also cleaned up cabin, ready for some colour to seal it off.

Dash and boot lid filler primer applied also.

Purchased a new elcheapo spray gun for top coating inside car, and settled on Blak Mat for sound deadening. Full kit of 2x packs, roller, and tape was $375, still cheaper than 1x dynamat pack so I'm happy

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Fuck yes- after something like 9 1/2 years its finally got some colour on it, just a home job in the garage, but it's not seen so thought I'd just hit it.

Majorly stoked 

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Boot all painted up now too, for a complete novice like me, it was pretty tricky getting into all the tight areas , but came out pretty good overall imo.

 

 

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No photo, just a rant, at myself, decided to start fitting a few parts up inside starting with the wiring that runs front to back, the very first part to actually go into the car permanently.....and ive ficking lost it, searched twice, wtf, if this is a sign of things to come I'm screwed ffs.......

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Just got sent these pics from the late 90s. Was bought in Chch and driven up to Auckland, pretty sure it had a piston motor in it by then, as the rotary had been replaced after it died. Probably one of the last drives it ever went on!

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Dash painted matt black, originally did it satin but was too shiny still, so had to rub it back and redo, far better now.

Car fully sound deadened, and have also made a new parcel tray 

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Have been prepping smaller jobs inside  underfelt cut for floor and hoodlining, plus foams, spent ridiculous amount of time trying to get seat mechs to work correctly(still not 100%). 

Major part is its now finally at the painters, spent a day yesterday helping prep underside, good things to come 

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Just been to dashboard restorations to collect the repaired and rare T-Dash my car came equipped with.

They did a killer job on it, but the $2k invoice definitely hurt a bit, had to be done right though as it's the first thing seen when you sit in the car., also bought new repro chrome dash trims to finish it off nicely

 

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Underside fully prepped, texture coated  and colour laid down, getting excited!

Came out fairly good after being pretty punched in and rusty when I first got it

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Bay finished now too, very happy with progress.

 

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Those pics were crap- better one to show colour

 

 

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No more progress on the shell atm, been held up as after test fitting the boot lid again, found it wasn't fitting right to the body, awaiting panel beater to redo it, can't progress until then.

Picked up these rare optioned rx3/4 factory jdm mazda alloys recently. Not sure if I'll use them, but I've only ever seen a few sets, so had to jump on them, might rotate them with the other 3 sets of wheels I also have for the car.

 

 

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Had to repaint a majority of suspension/brake/steering etc parts, after sitting around for 5 years, some of it had chips from storage,other parts like front suspension had been knocked around, and had over spray from being in the panel shop, much better now

Also have had all suspension springs powder coated black, decided the red I had them painted in didn't suit anymore

 

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Slow progress, still waiting for boot lid to be finished before painting.

Have reassembled all suspension/brakes, will take pics once fitted to car.

Frustratingly, it turns out Capella piston engined cars have axles that don't have the little threads for attaching the hub centre cap boss screws to, so had to drill and tap some. Axles are hardened so took many hours  and I even broke my tap handle,  I must of grabbed one wrong axle when assembling diff, lucky other side was ok.

Also pulled radiator out of storage, the rad shop did a great job of the recore, but painted it in shitty as paint, with no etch primer so needed fully stripping back, looking at options, it seemed the only way was to hand strip the whole thing, once again throwing tons of hours into mundane jobs 

 

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Poats from now on might be a mix of  good or mundane. As the build gains momentum, I need to document down to the small parts, how much has gone into the build.

This week, tidied up under dash tray, made a new firewall board as original one was poor. Complete set of new lock barrels, rekeyed to some fancy aftermarket rotor shaped keys.

 

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Panelbeater has finished the boot, and body opening, so the painter is underway now, all reprimed, and he's done a small repair on front crossbar, all nice and straight now

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Front guard inners are texture coated, and colour laid down too