wurlycorner's UKDM 4th gen

[wurlycorner]

Ok, finally getting round to copying over the profile thread of my UKDM from PUK;


(Originally posted Aug 24th 2011)
Hi all,

Been a member on here for yonks and had 2 cars over that time, but never got round to posting anything about either of them particularly.

Anyway, finally taken the plunge to get some serious bodywork repairs done to my current lude, so thought it was about time!!!

Had this one about 4 years. It's a UK vtec with 4WS and air-con, colour is Brittany Blue Green Metallic or Bright Blue Green Metallic (seen it called both?) anyway, paint code BG-23M!

I've done bits to it over the last few years to sort out minor niggles on the bodywork (replacement boot lid, replacement spoiler, cheapo metal repair the arches, one side resprayed after some stupid cow drove down the length of it etc) but there were other bits on the shell that were really approaching the point where it either needed work now, or it was gonna have to be binned.

Major problems were the usual suspects (top arches which were bubbling again, bottom of the arches near the sills, sunroof etc). What I was most worried about was bubbling around the front screen though. I knew about a few dents, but the bodyshop found about 20 in all, plus some that had previously been repaired but not very well.

'Before' pics now added at last!

This side has the arch repair kit in and first welded up - more weld to add before grinding back and filling to smooth in









Arch repair kit is just being offered up here - the rust at the bottom will get cut out before it's properly fitted and welded...









These from my second visit to see progress after it's been in for a week and half, with them solely working on my car...



Numerous odd dents in the bonnet and a long ripple of them along the passenger side bonnet coach line...











Previous dent repair on the boot lid that I thought looked ok but they weren't happy with, so re-did!





The bodyshop reckoned the inner arches were too far gone too, so they cut out bits of them and repaired too (each side at different stages as pictured).





Some of the windscreen bubbling in the process of being cleaned up





Replacement sunroof panel and old spoiler prepped



Original front bumper ripple straightened (heat and reshape rather than filled) and prepped



Still lots to do before I get it back, lots more bits for me to be buy and then lots for me to rebuild ready for JAE!!!

[wurlycorner]

(Originally posted 5th Sept 2011)


Not up to date (it was in final primer coat being rubbed down on Friday - not downloaded pics from camera yet), but progress between last post and around Thursday last week...





They really went to town on the bonnet



And the pass front wing and door...





Not much original paint passed muster on the rear of drivers side either, lol!



Really lovely re-shaping on the repairs...



Pass side wasn't as bad as the drivers for rust, strangely...



Etch primer goes on









Then normal primer (this was first coats, it ended up with 3 on most bits)















Bumpers ready for primer





Replacement sunroof in primer



Spoiler primer coated



I'll try and get the earlier and later pics up soon.

Car's looking fantastic and I can't wait to see it and show it off. Timing-wise it's not looking great for JAE though...
When I get it back, I've got to give it a real good rust cavity rust proofing, swap the tyres onto the new alloys (and then swap them) and fit back all the external trim, before I even think about sorting the dodgy alarm wiring I found, fixing the abs and re-fitting the interior and stereo...

I think at best, if it makes it, it'll be going to JAE minus the last 3 items, let alone the other mods I've mentioned earlier!!!

(That'll be a nice noisy drive to Kettering without an interior lol)

[wurlycorner]

(Originally posted 7th Sept 2011)


Final primer coat being flatted off

















Then first top coat being blown over




Quite like this effect actually, lol!





Looks quite dark and sinister before lacquering!











Shiny shiny shiny!!!

[wurlycorner]

(Originally posted 8th Sept 2011)


Yep, it's looking great and I can't wait to get it back together in all its glory!

Only one major problem now... It's not going to be ready for JAE!

Screen's not going in till tomorrow, let alone bumpers, lights etc to get it driveable.

So I'm faced with going in my girlfriends Volvo and letting down the club I was going with, with no car for their stand



(unless there's anyone out there with a car but no driver??! lol)

[wurlycorner]

(Originally posted 9th Sept 2011)


Getting all polished up, but now with no-where to go...

[wurlycorner]

(Originally posted 13th Sept 2011)


Just got home with it.

Looks great!!!

Drive home was interesting, with the car full of fumes from the gallons of Dinitrol I sprayed into the arches and sills before I left the shop!

Hopefully get some pics up later today, then all the re-building starts...

[wurlycorner]

Originally posted Sept 20th 2011)


Finally got pics up from when I picked it up last Monday night...

First sighting of her


Still got old plates on it atm, as temporary measure. Front nostrils also not fitted quite right - will sort that out myself.


No more ripples in that bonnet!


Or that door!

(also, spot the big can of Dinitrol and air gun I've just finished using to liberally coat the arches and inside sills before venturing out even once!)



Look, no rust!






And the morning after, glinting in the sun (minus a wipe over to remove all the dust it picked up in the bodyshop)




Now for tons of work re-building her.

Found so many little things I don't like whilst taking apart (where the alarm wiring's been run, how that's been soldered in, etc) so now's the time to sort that too...

[wurlycorner]

(Originally posted Nov 26th 2011)


Long long time since I updated this!!!

These pics from the beginning of October, morning of the South Mimms meet. Still lot of bits of trim not fitted (including the interior!!!) but most of the external stuff is back on, the refurbished wheels are fitted and that new paintwork has its first coat of Autoglym...



Before the chin spoiler was back-to-blacked (Lisa working her way round the car doing that!)


Glinting in the sun



Shiny shiny!



Chin spoiler sorted



Then it was a mad rush to get the new plates on and off to the pre-meet, meet!

[wurlycorner]

(Originally posted 4th April 2012)


Ok, so I haven't got round to putting any of these 'in between' pics up yet (rust proofing and started fitting some CLD tiles...).

It's been quiet over the winter - off the road away from the salt

Needs some luvin' again now. MOT due to expire and needs back brakes unsiezing again and my powerflow back box sorting (corroded on the seam and blowing! )

However, the glorious weekend just gone saw a few hours on it. Aside from investigating the main relay (see other post) she got a new battery (been needed for about a year - amazed the old one limped on that long!)



(need to trace and see what those extra 2 fused wires feed inside the car... The positive has been disconnected the whole time I've had it and everything seems to work ok, so assume it must be more of the car phone I've been gradually ripping out as I come across the bits of it scattered all round the place!!!)

And...

Some of the interior is back in at last!



Ok, only the boot, but it's a start!

[wurlycorner]

(Originally posted 8th April 2012)


Back to stuff for the MOT, back brakes stripped and cleaned etc and both my lude's have developed an annoying problem with the bonnet catch, whereby it doesn't spring back properly after you've released it, so a prod with the screwdriver is required to reset it (otherwise the bonnet doesn't latch closed). My ex's Sol had exactly the same problem and I never bothered looking into it...

So I thought I'd whip it off, degrease it and see what I could see.

Before

(Disgusting!)

After spray degreasing, wiping over, prodding with screwdriver and blasting with the hose.



Discovered that all the grease over the years had stopped it from corroding nicely, but had also sucked in absolutely tons of grit and sand. Not surprising it didn't work properly!

Now works absolutely fine again
It could be cleaner, so I may well take it off again and give it a proper going over in the degreasing tank at work.