Fingerpie's Very Slow Refurb

[fingerpie]

Right here's my S14a, bought just over 3 years ago. It's at Stage 2 but as you can see from the picture is more like a 4x4 :D.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/HPIM0110.jpg

I've had the coilovers and other suspension parts for a while and the plan was to just fit these. One day at a scrapyard I noticed a 300ZX so I got the rear calipers and MBC off this to do the Z32 conversion - this is where things went sideways. While under the car planning the fitting of these I couldn't believe the amount of rust on the underside so work began.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/DSC00046.jpg

Stripped the rear suspension and removed the rear subframe along with the rear brake lines which had seen better days and also the fuel tank. Ordered some parts from Perfectrun for the rear brakes Have spent the winter months cleaning/refurbing everything up for the parts that I could take off the car - have got quite a few bits ready to go on :eek:. Work begins at the weekend on the underside of the car. After suspension/brakes/underneath of car is sorted car will be having a rebuilt engine, then a respray, then a strengthened gearbox then finally mapping :)

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/DSC00045.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/DSC00043.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/DSC00051.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/000_0003.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/000_0004.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/000_0001.jpg

[200jim]

lots of bits . bet apex love you

[fingerpie]

Car will be half Nissan half Apex when finished.... :)

I blame Bren for sorting group buys out - just can't say no :)
Those parts have gathered over the past 18 months or so so it's not that bad :D

Looking forward to getting things done, been without the car for the past 5 months and I still have loads to do before I can drive it again :cry:

[xborninthefight]

ohhh lots of shiny parts mmmeeee like:)

[200jim]

lol its nice getting all them parts jus gotta find time to fit it all

[fingerpie]

A couple of pics of the underside
Nissan definitely don't build them to last :rolleyes:

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/000_0015.jpg
http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/000_0016.jpg

[Petrol]

Nice job :nod: :thumbs: There's a bit of work in the shell though. It will be worth it though when it's done :)

[rick150sri]

Looking good :nod:.
Out of interest, what have you used to paint the subframe and other parts?

[fingerpie]

Been stripping everything back, treating the rust then applying 2 coats of the POR15 anti-rust paint then 2 coats of the POR15 chassis paint. Hopefully it should last, want to keep the car for a long time so that's the reason i'm doing this.

It is going to take ages to do, the weather at the moment is stopping progress, need to start on the underside now as all the parts that are off the car are ready to go back on.

[xborninthefight]

Been stripping everything back, treating the rust then applying 2 coats of the POR15 anti-rust paint then 2 coats of the POR15 chassis paint. Hopefully it should last, want to keep the car for a long time so that's the reason i'm doing this.


May give this a try, got a subframe that im trying to clean up and paint
Cheers:thumbs:

[fingerpie]

A little bit of progress today. Had already removed the rear bumper, stripped parts down & repainted everything.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/Rear_Bumper_Paint3.jpg

Yesterday I removed the rear lights, centre garnish and cleaned the rear panel. Today I have attacked/treated the rust and put 2 coats of POR15 anti-rust paint on. Will put 2 coats of chassis black paint on tomorrow and put bumper back on.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/Rear_Bumper_Paint2.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/Rear_Bumper_Paint1.jpg

Still waiting for better weather before I can really attack underside of car :)

[Martin...]

Oh i'm liking this thread...

Thankfully my car on a 98' reg doesn;t have this floor rust underneath that people seem to suffer with...

[kingj]

looking good mate.keep up the pics:thumbs:

[fingerpie]

Starting to make some progress now. The weather so far hasn't helped much as the car is outside and work has meant I haven't had the time I wanted to spend on it. Anyway here's how the car is at the moment, I have a small section to do across the width of the car around the midpoint of the car then I will start putting all the new bit's back onto the rear and hopefully swap the car round to work on the front area over winter. It's harder than I thought it was going to be to get the area's stripped back to metal and treated. :rolleyes:


http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/DSC00100.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/DSC00102.jpg

[blue boy]

Looking good. I'm surprised cos your underside has more surface rust then my 95 car. How were the rear inner arches round by the sill?

[fingerpie]

Luckily (fingers crossed) I've managed to catch it in time and almost everything so far has been surface rust. I have a couple of area's on each side to work on where the Nissan rear mudflaps were. I think they accumulate mud and just rot away in that area - it's worth taking the the mudflaps off to check for corrosion, for anyone that has them. The sill area wasn't too bad, but the whole rear of the car has area's to accumulate mud/moisture and start to rust.

A few people have said mine was worse than older cars....

[xborninthefight]

what sort of paint did you use for the hubs and brakes.

[fingerpie]

Bit of an update again.

Managed to get time to sort new copper brake lines for rear brakes, have the long run that runs from rear to front to fit. Then had a mate help me out, pressing the Nismo diff mount bushes into the rear subframe and diff. Then i fitted the rear subframe and uprated driveshafts :)

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/100_0046.jpg

Then I spent yesterday fitting the coilovers/suspension arms and rear knuckle. The car won't be driven until after all the suspension has been set up properly - it's just so I can get the car back onto it's wheels and turned round to start on the front. Have decided not to run the diff cooler as it looked like it had never run when removed and was a ball of rust :rolleyes:. Need to do some work on the area's round the arch and behind where the sideskirts were before I attack the front

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/100_0048.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/100_0052.jpg

[blue boy]

Good job there:thumbs:

[kingj]

looking very good mate,certainly clean:eek: keep it up to the high standard:thumbs:

[murray]

that looks super good and well clean. some nice parts as well

[the specialist]

verry good!!

have you try fitted the z-edition lip?

is this the same as on ebay from poland?

gr rik

[JDK]

Looks really good,:thumbs: I wish I had the space and another car to drive to be able to do it too:(

[pdh 14a]

Wow! you are doing a cracking job on this! :notworthy :clap:

[dougal200]

keep up the good work mate, i know exactly how you feel, it seems to take ages to sort out all the rust patches and they are always in the hardest to reach places. i have spent my weekend doing the same.

the front should be a bit better though

[fingerpie]

Update time again.

Have spent today sorting the Z32 handbrake mechanism out, fitting discs and calipers and finally getting the rear wheels back onto the car. Took some piccies before I go and cover the wheels over to stop discs corroding.

You wouldn't believe how good it feels to see it looking something like a car again :)

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/100_0055.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/100_0057.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/100_0063.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/100_0065.jpg

[Scougar]

Wow! Top quality job there my friend. Worthy of the 'Petrol' Award :)

Looks so mint now, the sills look like they'll be needing some of your love soon though.

[Daz]

quality work, its just a shame that you can't see it all once the wheels are on.

[TomK]

You've put a lot of effort in there mate :thumbs:
Keep up the good work

[TM_S13]

those wheels are awsome, and it looks really nice and clean.
good job

[marcus23]

looks really good mate !

[leitchey]

looks well

[fingerpie]

Cheers for the comments guys :)

It's been a hard slog and there's still lots to do. I've tried my best but I would never be able to get it to the standard of Petrol. Hopefully will get the car flipped round next weekend so I can sort the remaining areas of rust on the rear of the car hopefully before winter sets in.

[Paulpen]

OMG that looks so clean and tidy :eek:

[fingerpie]

Bit of an update :)

Not been able to spend as much time as I wanted to this year due to work.

Early in year removed engine and gearbox and started work on the front half of car and sills. It doesn't look like much but it's taken me an age to do.

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/100_0144.jpg

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/100_0147.jpg

Have got the bay and behind front bumper to do next year and the front subframe and a few other bits to keep me busy over winter. As the car gets covered in crap where it's sat I decided to buy a cover for it. The paintwork was in a right state as the car has not been waxed in two years. It's the first time I've tried a clay bar and it came up really well considering how it was :)

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/100_0150.jpg

And the final piccy of how it's going to stay over winter until it get's warm again :D

http://i91.photobucket.com/albums/k306/fingerpie/100_0151.jpg

[adamc3]

really good mate, can't wait to see it when its finished! Keep up the good work:thumbs:

[200jim]

looking good wish i had patients to do that

[Clouder_sx]

Awesome refurb and big :notworthy to sticking at it :nod:

Just make sure you don't spend too much longer on it as the bits you've refurb'd will start to rust again :wack:

Will be minty mint wen done :cool:

[Aj82]

Awesome work mate, im just about to start rust preventing mine, been spending the last 2 weekends de-rusting with wire brushes etc. Hard going work so i appreciate what you have done.

How did you apply the por15? Brush on?


Cheers Aj

[royellison]

wowzers, cleeannnn.

good work mate.

[D1 RWD]

thats minty fresh, great work mate:nod:

[kingj]

Nice work dude,that looks mint:thumbs:

[fingerpie]

Cheers for the comments guys :)

It's going to be a while yet, there are times before when I was a bit down with how it looked with the amount of time spent on it but after the clean yesterday and the painting done this year it's starting to get somewhere now

Aj82 - yep paint is applied with brush, found it can help thinning the paints out slightly with their thinners so it goes on better.

[Aj82]

Great thanks mate. Keep your chin up and keep going! It will be worth it in the end and look fantastic.


Cheers Aj