The good the bad and the ugly

[stamar]

Ive been going through a bunch of different asthetic projects trying to improve the looks of my car.

I got it about 9 months ago, it was a head on colision.

The po replaced the hood and the fender with another cars, and got an mtech 2 type of front body kit.
All of which could be painted,

the seats look good but could use dying and conditioning, having some cracks. Esp drivers seat.





[IMG][/IMG]

coffee cup holder and....

peeling clearcoat on the rear quater panels to at least take off..

[stamar]

[stamar]

Ive already completed a couple of these projects but I encourage any advice, especially on taking the clear off the back quarter panel

heres a couple more brand new products.



Obviously hand glaze is a ways off. Ive got to say the best e30 picture Ive ever seen uses it.

I used up those two bottle of spray stuff.

This lexol version is basically the same stuff as those other two, but seems a touch less watered down.


basically im looking at stripping down that silver hood

taking off the clear coat ont he rear quarter panels and spraying it again.

[stamar]

so heres seat dying. Notice the black duct tape. Mostly there to keep a rip from getting worse.



once its mostly done, it blends in better. Happy with the color but still seeing the cracks. I have the mink oil to put on, and more conditioner but really thats the end of this project. I have a full resotoration project from leatherique I have pencilled in where I will dye filler, fill the cracks, and then sand. With e30 seats which have no grain, it makes them look new. Thats not on the table here , these seats are almost done.

Also, my back seats dont really look like anyone ever sat in them. I did condition them a lot, it makes no difference. But they have splits right on top from the sun.

As opposed to using filler etc on that, I just want to find some black head rests and install them.

Heres the coffee cup holder to the right of the ashtray in black


and open



it blocks the glove box when open. but i prefer it higher up than lower. I just wont drink coffee and open the glove box Ill remember.

Overall I think it looks great closed blends in perfectly. I cant think about where Id put one for the passenger. But I did buy one for my nissan truck.

[stamar]

Im goint to paint the front body kit rustoleum red like the fender.



but im thinking about just primering the hood black. I think a hood is a bit too large to get away with spray paint.

Well see how I can sand the fender down and also brighten up the rest of the paint before I decide.

I think it will look better in primer, which seems to dry even. Also, black.

anyhow the hood is 2 stage delphini just wnat to strip the clear off then primer over the paint.

i will eventually just get a red hood that looks nice in a junk yard. so the hood is just temporary whether i try to paint it red or not. Im probably keeping the front body kit and the passenger fender rustoleum red.






again before sanding. in fact my roomate moved my sandpaper somewhere and i dont know where or i would have done about 3 more steps by now.

[Court M3]

You my man, have a lot of work ahead of you. I'd just save up till I could afford to do it once.

[stamar]

you mean a whole paint job?

Sure but then im driving around something thats too ugly for me.

When i got the car it ran perfect and i drove it abusively. i put my money into like a new stereo tires whatever broke on it which is a lot really guibo and motor mounts and stuff.

so i thought why do anything, the body is straight, just one day get a sanding circle and sand it all the frk off at once, spray primer all over it ( and leave it like that for while is fine til ) throw a full maaco job on there.

the fender and body kit is already primered and ready to paint, so its just taking it off and painting it. those cans are 350 apeice. just have it be red while im waiting as opposed to black I figured.

and while I was clearcoating the fender, i figured I try some re clearcoating the rear body too.

So it looks more even at least.

[stamar]

Look at it this way, i think the interior is pimpin. Its about really a 9 compared to other e30s, 8 or 9.

I didnt reuppolster it i just basically gave it a shoe shine. It has new tires, new shocks and springs, tuned up. New stereo and 4 new speakers. Probably race your tired e30 to death.

So why go around letting it look like shit? throw some rustoleum, which is a perfect color match, and some clear coat on.

im not going to spend 1000 on paint anytime soon and probably ever. If I sold it Id just say hey ready to paint.
there arent a lot of people that would buy it for 5k with new paint.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MsVWj3fGkY&feature=related

heres the guide i followed. I dont know most people are just too doubtful to get stuff done. In the internet age where I can see it in action as opposed to just reading about it its easy. The next time I spray paint a car it will turn out way better though I learned one super important point, and that painting is all about drying. theres no hard part to painting its easy, how it turns out is all about how it drys.
That is it and all, that is what paint shops charge you for, is the drying.
if I were going to do the hood, i would actually buy a battery powered hairdryer, Im serious.

When Im getting to the real polish stages its gonna look great. Not perfect but great.

i worked in a used car lot once, I know how to detail it will suprise you with its drama.

the main thing is getting the clear off hte rear quarter panels, taping them up, and then reclearing them. However that turns out is all that matters. The other parts are removable lol I can find zinno fenders and hoods. the doors and trunk are fine.... if the hood looks bad Ill chuck it. Whether or not I have to repaint it is all the rear quarter panels so Im reading as much as i can about it and doing practice on the fender and hood.

[AndrewBird]

First, start by throwing that mink oil away, then see my post here:

http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showpost.php?p=2370490&postcount=11

[stamar]

thats very interesting.

my seats had been cracking so it seems oil was very positive at preventing more.

obviously being convertible they see more sun that many do.

Leather conditioner just resurected 2 pairs of boots to near new condition other than their dye. basically ruined without it.

All sources actually say to oil leather. I can see there could be over oiling. leather does not last long without oil that is certain. Every nice interior Ive ever seen in my life was regularly oiled. Every cracked one was never oiled. Im not going to even go on, but the internet explains the chemistry involved, the additives. For vegetable tanned oils this is what you need to do. Its amazing what a difference it makes too, just saw it before my eyes.

After reading more about leather, leather care and oil my doubt has now reached 0

That said of the leather products I used, which is mink oil, 3 kinds of conditioner all of which were basically the same thing, and neatsfoot oil, I would throw away the mink oil. For some reason I thought it would be the fur like lanolin, a wax. but its just lard.

I gave it a review of 3 stars but I would never buy it again. it is for hiking boots, and even for that purpose under performs per cost.

im looking for a leather filler product can you direct link me to one?

[stamar]

well I have to find some filler first but I do have black shoe polish, and I am looking for some straight lanolin, which is a wax.

shoe polish also has wax, and oil. sometimes mink oil actually. usually carnuba. So wax is what is missing other than crack filler.

[stamar]

Im actually in the process of taking off the duct tape, and taping the tear from the inside.

Unfortunately because i dyed over it it now has a square that is un dyed . when I have the filler set up i will take a picture then I will dye over the whole new um.... adventure.

Because its a bolster, I have no idea if it will be tough enough to stay. Cant be any worse though ill duct tape it again.

I am most looking into how to take the clear coat off some easier way than sanding. Not really coming off that quickly.

any help please, anytihng to spray on it or what?

sandpaper goes right through to the paint.

[stamar]

the mink oil leaves a white residue that looks terrible.

wipe it off, it looks good, bit greasy. Ok next day.... white crap is back.

looks like baking soda powder. I cant even understand what chemistry is happening.


Ok straight up, do not use it. Im putting the rest on shoes. It is an enduring grease but as it sits it gets all white.

[stamar]

Well one of these bottles has to be a miracle worker ;o)
I got the hand glaze based on a real detailers advice. The wax I got a huge discount on it seems like what i want.


just an assload of stuff to do. Full synthetic oil change, redline mt oil change and new coolant and hoses.

also Im taking the grey paint off the hood. I havent taken any pictures of it cause it kind of is too much of an ass pain to finish.