ZeroChad's Log -- Parting out this weekend.

[ZeroChad]

Window Trim 5-14-09

For a long time the window trim has looked pretty crappy on my car, its pretty much my car's sore thumb. A lot was due to sun bleaching, but buffing & polishing my last paint job did a number on it too. So I've went around trying to make it look better.

Duplicolor Flat Black Trim Paint works wonders. All I've done for prep work is remove the trim and wash it with dawn soap. No ruffing or sanding.

Here are a few more pics since it is still a work in progress. You basically have to take off the interior of the door to unbolt the moldings.

Here is the freshly painted C-pillar to the old trim


The rear passenger Trim getting painted.


Comparing painted on the right to old on the left. (There is some pollen on the new stuff)


I still have to do the drivers side. I have the passenger's side completely done along with repainting the mirrors black as well. My picture of it didn't turn out, so you'll have to wait for the finished product. So, here's a picture of the tree that's been dumping pollen everywhere!

[JeffM]

Your car looks sexy in that last picture. How long did that whole side take you?

[ZeroChad]

Your car looks sexy in that last picture. How long did that whole side take you?

Thanks!
Well I've been doing one window a day. It probably has taken me about an hour to get the trim and all door off, then another 30min to paint and an 45min to cure. I plan on doing the drivers side all at once since I know how to take it off now.

[SOKADAO954]

is it just me or your car is 2 diff colors of red???
home painted = FAIL


trims looks sick dude, i mite do it to my car, it always gets me mad clean car faded trim.
great job on it.

[contagious18]

my trim is heavily faded too, ima have to do this

[theTeejmiester]

my trim is perfect,thanks to weekly rub downs with back to black and careful cleaning since new lol,i am picky.


loooks great though man

[ZeroChad]

Danny - Unfortunately it looks like that. The paint color matches pefectly, but we used a different clear, and it buffed out kinda hazy like that. You can't really notice it unless the car is in super bright, direct sunlight and you're less than 5 feet away. I'm kind getting sick of flame red though; I'll probably do the rustoleum paint job next year and go to a darker red.

contagious18 - Yeah dude, the hardest part is getting the trim off. Well worth it.

theTeejmiester - Thanks! I was starting to run low on Back to Black, and I was kinda sick of having to apply it all the time, so I thought this was a pretty good solution.

[LilSparkPlug]

An easier solution would have been scratching off the white film with some 00 grade steel wool then reapplying the back to black. The "milkiness" scratches off the belt moldings. Though they did come out good, but the not sanding part will eventually come back to bite you in the ass.

[Paul56]

I used rubbing compound on mine two years ago and they came out sufficiently good enough for me to leave it at that.

[MyNeonSaysHi]

Not to hijack but check this out:

I used peanut butter on the right. Compare and contrast.

[SOKADAO954]

Danny - Unfortunately it looks like that. The paint color matches pefectly, but we used a different clear, and it buffed out kinda hazy like that. You can't really notice it unless the car is in super bright, direct sunlight and you're less than 5 feet away. I'm kind getting sick of flame red though; I'll probably do the rustoleum paint job next year and go to a darker red.

contagious18 - Yeah dude, the hardest part is getting the trim off. Well worth it.

theTeejmiester - Thanks! I was starting to run low on Back to Black, and I was kinda sick of having to apply it all the time, so I thought this was a pretty good solution.

thAt would be nice. what color is on your mind???

[ZeroChad]

I'm thinking of a deeper red I haven't looked at their colors yet though. I don't want to change it too much since I wouldn't want to redo the door jams ect. if I went to a completely different color. It would all probably happen next year though along with skirts and lips. Probably black the roof too.

Yeah I've heard of that peanut butter thing. IIRC they said its due to the oil in it kinda dying the trim for a while.

Yeah, I'll probably sand the driver's side when I do it this week. I was mostly experimenting on the passenger's side. I was worried about the reinstallation since that plastic was so flexible, but it seems like this paint was made for just that. I decided to go the paint route since that trim was seriously messed up. Polishing compound + sun fading + carb cleaner (don't ask I was retarded) = horrible.

On a side note, I just spent 2 days at an awesome Beer Expo. So much fun!

[SOKADAO954]

black roof = sexy.
but a roof rack would be cool too. LOL
beer expo??? how drunk did u get.

[ZeroChad]

The Beer Expo was awesome. Pretty much a dollar for a 4oz taster. They had a 19% stout there that was unbelievable. I was a little buzzed towards the end. lol

Did a few maintenance items today. Replaced the PCV valve. I think I still had the original one. Rock Auto has replacements for pretty cheap. Also, I replaced my alternator belt. It had too much tension on it, and was starting to fray. Hopefully tommorow I'll be able to finish the driver's side trim, and start extracting those sway bar bracket bolts.

Completed Summer Projects
Fogs - Done
Brakes - Done
Horn - Done I might reconnet my factory horn too just for grins.
PCV - Ordered new valve, installed. I think the original one was still no there lol.
Alt Belt - Torn up from being too tight. Replaced it. Drove around and retensioned.
Red Lugs - Installed
Center Console LED - Done. Fun weekend inside project.

Current Summer Projects - Prioritized
* [55%] Restore Trim - Need to work on Driver's side now
* [20%] Front Sway - Purchased a drill bit extractor. Possilby tomorrow!
* [0%] LCA Bushings - Holy shit they are like gone! Driver's side is clunking over bumps now….lame
* [60%] Gauges -Installed, still need to get bung installed, screw in oil sender, and t in boost.
* [10%] Megasquirt - Wishlist created, waiting for budget to allow ordering
* [15%] Black out interior - Have agate paint. Can't find Bulldog adhesive. Might just use a coat of Krylon
* [20%] DC FSTB - Ordered from Summit
* [0%] Solid MM - Considering Bwoody or AGC right now
* [0%] Clutch - Probably in July-August
* [2%] Carputer - Still Looking for a touchscreen. This project might go on hold for a little while


I think this pretty much sums up the projects I want to have completed by the end of summer. By December I should be graduated and be a full feldged engineer and be able to afford the forged internals + Turbo project. Once that is done, I'll give the outside of the car an over hall. Type R lip, mopar sides and rear. PVO spoiler. I'll probably flat black the roof and trunk, and go with a darker red paint. That's pretty much all end game stuff though, and a long time away.

[SOKADAO954]

i want to see some pics of the fogs chad!!!!

[ZeroChad]

Check out page 6 man. I took some night pics with them in action. I can't believe this is on 7 pages already.

[neonslg09]

any updates zerochad!?!?! i love this log and the car. keep it going man

[ZeroChad]

any updates zerochad!?!?! i love this log and the car. keep it going man

Thanks! Quite a few things actually. I need to take some pictures lol.

[ZeroChad]

Lots of Updates 6-12-09

Well I got quite a few things done in this past month. Not as many as i would like, but I'm making progress. First off, the window trim. I finished painting the driver's side. I used a red scuff to prep it this time. It came out about the same, but we'll see if it has better durability. The car is a little dirty, but you get the picture.


Next up, interior pillar painting. I've painted all of the interior pillars so far. Eventually I'll get to the visors and headliner too. I used the SEM Chrysler Agate paint, along with Duplicolor Adehsion Promotor. It worked great since I couldn't find the Bulldog stuff.



I did the dome light too


I have 2 of my 3 gauges installed now. I couldn't locate the right size reducing tee for the vacuum gauge, so I made my own.

The oil pressure sender was a huge bitch. I would have been so much easier if I had the correct socket right away. Its a 1.1/16in oil pressure socket btw. I think a long 6pt 1.1/16 will work too.
You can kinda see the sender in this pic.


Things that have pissed me off: Well I tried to remove one of the sway bar bracket bolts (1 of 4 broken ones) and managed to break off an easy out ....blah. I think I'm just going to drill and tap new holes for them.
Also, the freaking clear on my projectors is peeling off. So that's another project added to the list.


On the bright side, I will be ordering my Megasquirt soon.


Side Notes, I'm idling at about 14 in/hg and 50psi oil hot/cold. I think the oil is a little high due to the melling pump.

Completed Summer Projects
Fogs - Done
Brakes - Done
Horn - Done I might reconnet my factory horn too just for grins.
PCV - Ordered new valve, installed. I think the original one was still no there lol.
Alt Belt - Torn up from being too tight. Replaced it. Drove around and retensioned.
Red Lugs - Installed
Center Console LED - Done. Fun weekend inside project.
Restore Trim - came out well


Current Summer Projects - Prioritized
* [20%] Front Sway - Broke an easy-out. Going to drill new holes next week.
* [0%] LCA Bushings - Holy shit they are like gone! Driver's side is clunking over bumps now….lame
* [90%] Gauges -Need to weld 02 bung and I'm done.
* [10%] Megasquirt - Ordering soon
* [55%] Black out interior - Pillars done. Headliner Soon
* [20%] DC FSTB - Ordered from Summit
* [0%] Solid MM - Considering Bwoody or AGC right now
* [0%] Clutch - Probably in July-August
* [2%] Carputer - Still Looking for a touchscreen. This project might go on hold for a little while

[SOKADAO954]

sweet great update..
loving the interior bro.

[Tam]

Your interior is done the same way as mines lol. Except I dyed my ceiling upholstery darker.
Looks good.

And yeah, my projectors are doing the exact same thing too man.

[measy27]

Looks good. im gonna be bringing my pillars back to black soon too..

[ZeroChad]

Sokadao - Thanks dude! I've always wanted to black out those pillars. I wonder what made the designers go with the 2 tone paint scheme in the first place.

Tam - When did you change your username lol? Yeah man, dyeing the headliner is my next step. I'm gunna have to do a little research to find what the best way to strip the rest of the clear off of there is before I rear clear them. Besides that though those projectors have been great.

Measy - Do it man! That paint matches the agate interior perfectly, its awesome.

[Tam]

I changed my name a few days ago because it always gets mixed up and confused with Mat00ES (dude with the silver car)

So I just changed my name to my real name (Backwards of Mat)...lol

I think all you gotta do for the projectors is wetsand it with some light grit paper, and then buff it out.

[ZeroChad]

Possibly Hydrolocked. See post: viewtopic.php?t=42802

[Tam]

Damn that sucks man, I hope it still works again (Which I highly believe it would).

[ZeroChad]

Well since the hydrolock put out some serious damage, I might as well post it here, and update my progress log too.

Well, I officially had one of the worse days of my life yesterday. My car is currently at a gas station a few miles away, due to some insane flash flooding here in Holland, MI. So my car might be #2 to die in the club, 3 fucking months after my rebuild.

Well we were out last night shopping for a graduation present about 730. Its been close to 100% humidity all day, so we knew a storm was coming, and boy was it bad. We could hear the thunder and rain inside of Target, so we hurried as fast out as we could. I ran to get the car and was completely drenched in 5-10sec, that's what you get for picking up your GF at the door Smile .

Target is about 8 miles from our apartment. As we are driving visibility is bad. Really bad. Its almost like a tropical storm is going on. We're on the freeway for about 3miles taking it slow. Are usually road is on detour, so we get off on another one. So far, there have just been puddles, not much standing water. Its really hard to tell anymore with the wind blowing the rain sideways and the clouds making it look like night out. Suddenly I see my wheels kicking up water. Its pretty shallow maybe <6in so I'm like sweet I bet this is the worst of it, and see the light turning red ahead. We high dry land, then out of no where, a foot of water.

Shit! My car is still running, thank god, but I can tell the exhaust is submerged, and things are going to get hairy. Since the light is red, we are going to have to stop at any moment. I swing right hard, and try and pull into shell gas station. The water goes over my hood, and the car stalls.....shit.

My car was stuck half way into a flooded road, and there was nothing I could do. Cars were driving by, and waves were rolling into my car, shaking it. I opened my door, and water was about level with the bottom of it. Eventually, a guy with a minivan came over, and we hooked a tow strap to my core support, and pulled her into the gas station. During this time 3 other cars stalled out on that street too. Soon enough there must have been over 20 cars waiting it out at the gas station. I felt pretty fucking stranded since we don't really know anyone in Holland, and our apartment is exactly 3 miles away.

So we call a tow truck and wait. They say it will be an hour minimum. I'm watching people with stalled cars cranking them over trying to get them to start. I tell a few not to do it, and to just pull out their plugs, but no one listens. Well, we made time pass by people watching, eventually the rain got a little lighter, and the roads stopped having rapids lol.

My phone was almost dead, so we called the towing to change the cell #. My GF talked to them. Apparently the sheriff declared an emergency and wouldn't let any cars get towed. Next we called a taxi, and they were shut down to. Shit x2. During this time I pulled my plugs to let things dry out. So we packed up our stuff in plastic bags and started out on our 3mile walk in the rain home.

2 blocks down we ran into a downed tree across the entire road. As we continued, we crossed many lakes, and about 7 more stalled cars. We pressed on and came to a few streets where the water was above our waists. Fuck that! so we found a detour. Things are pitch black at this time too since its cloudy and most of the power is out. We see some cars pass, and turn around about 100yd up. As we approach, it looks like this little stream has become a raging river and overtaken the road. We aren't sure how deep it is but its moving pretty fucking quick. Unless we wanted to back track and walk an extra mile, it was time to ford across. We made it holding hands, but dang that water was moving quick.

We got home okay, but no power, so we used candles and passed out soon thereafter. I woke up about an hour ago and here is where I stand. The news today is saying that we got over 7in of rain. Damn. The tow company we talked to said there are over 93 stalled cars. They also said a car was swept down the road for 4 blocks!

I'm thinking I'll go back before the tow truck gets there and see if I can do anything like crank it over w/o the plugs in. Maybe turn my udp since the splash guard is off. I dunno. It sucks because even though I can use carpool with my GF for 3 weeks, I have to move across state to my last school term after that. I'm hoping I don't have bent rods, but I don't know what to think.

I pretty much have 2 options if its fucked. A. Get a beater car, maybe a 1gn. or B. Get some forged internals and go at it for 3 weeks in my apartment parking lot lol. I dunno...

What sucks is I just spent so much money rebuilding my motor and making it reliable. Not to mention I'd have to bring a freakin hoist into our carport lol! So you're saying try cranking it again with the pistons lubed in WD-40?. I'm going to let it sit today once it gets towed back. We have to go across the state to a grad party. Maybe I'll remove the Bellows and the Vacuum lines and let them dry out before we go.

^Thanks for breathing hope into my situation. I'm dedicating tomorrow to trying to fully dry it out.

Here's a pic a mile north of where we got stuck.

Well, my car is finally back. 25hr later. $85 for the tow. I guess it could be worse. Here's a link about this crazy flooding http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/ ... _mich.html My car was pretty close to 3 on the map, and our apartment is next to 4. From what I've heard on the north side, there was a funnel cloud and cars were starting to move due to wind. Looking at the Thursday night storm, we had a total of 10in of rain in less than 24hr.

Taking some pics as I go. I'll update my progress log with them tomorrow. So far, I had water pooled on the filter side of the TB. Took off the bellows tube and a waterfall poured out of my intake. Cleaned out a few vacuum lines. Pulled the plugs and now she'll turn over. Had 4 geysers shouting out of the spark plug tubes. No knocking sounds though.


Back to work.

Finally got all of the water out of the combustion chambers. Time for dinner now. Then I have a few more vacuum lines to hit and we'll try starting it up.

[ZeroChad]

End of story: Dryed everything out. Started like a champ. Multiple rod knock. Video soon. I'm dropping the oil pan tomorrow to check out the damage.

VIDEO LINK


So here are some accompanying pictures to my work today:

Water from when I took off the CAI just chilling on the TB plate. This was a horrible way to start the day.



Waterfall from when I took off the bellows tube. It went like that for about 20sec.


Zero Crying


Nasty water/oil that was left. The oil was from it backing up into my check can.


Dipstick seemed fine though


Projecters had gotten submerged


Doing work


Couldn't get a good pic of the water in the cylinders. You could see it slosh with a flashlight when you rocked the car.


My shopvac adapter to clean out the water that wouldn't crank out


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[welchspro]

=( Good luck senor.

[Tam]

Looks like lots of work to do. I'm sure it's all worth it though. Good luck with the car.