A little background with my project, some not autobody related. I purchased this car back in 2003 and then sold it in 2010. I then found it again, and bought it back in May of 2014. To say the least, it was not in the same condition it was when i sold it. I have been slowly restoring all aspects of the car since I purchased it back. Probably way more money and time than should be put into this kind of car, but I'm doing it.
To start off, here is a pic or 2 when I last owned it.
And how I bought it back....
Not pretty..
Non Auto-Body wise, i've basically replaced everything except for transmission and motor internals at this point. Might sound like an exaggeration, but it's not. The parts people at Acura know me very well now lol.
Just a couple pics of that process:
So my plans are 2-phase for the body. Phase 1 would be repair the rust, shave the mouldings off the door, and paint match a new hood, front bumper, and where i repair the rust. I'm not going to be very picky if it matches perfectly.
Phase 2 will be a complete re-spray of the same OEM color (which is why I'm not picky if it doesn't match in the meantime).
Phase 1 will be between now and June hopefully and Phase 2 will start over the winter into 2017 with hopefully painting next Spring.
I started some of the shaving of the mouldings. I cut small squares of 18 or 20 gauge metal, i can't recall off the top of my head, and i used 3M panel adhesive to glue them in place on the backside of the doors. This upcoming weekend hopefully I can finish the work on the outside of the doors.
Hard to tell in the pics, but the holes are plugged.
also plugged the antenna hole. Don't worry, the front will be addressed.
This was my first time messing with panel adhesive, I like how it works. On to the engine bay, it looked like hell after 5 years of neglect. I did not want to pull the motor, so this was a simple aerosol job, but it made a hell of a difference.
As for the rear quarters, here is the issue I am dealing with.
After some grinding.
it looks like my cutting area should be minimal. I have 2 donor panels to replace the bad metal on both sides. They are near complete rear quarter panels, not just arch replacements. I'm not sold on exactly how I want to do this task. If I can 3M adhesive in a patch panel, or if I should use my flux welder with better wire and a lower heat range. All I have is my flux welder, I don't have access to anything with gas and my garage is wired for it either. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks I will really start digging into the body work.
I decided to start this thread for 2 reasons. 1. To keep track of my work and my methods, whether they work or not lol. And 2. To get feedback, help, and advice from the more knowledgeable members on here. I have never completed this level of body work myself yet, but this is my DIY project. I'm no stranger to prepping for paint, pulling dents, and other minor body work, but this will be my first plunge into serious work.
Looking forward to making my car presentable again and looking forward to any advice or tips from the members more knowledgeable than myself!
1996 Acura Integra GSR Sedan Restoration (Rookie Work!)
10 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Settled In
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 12:49 pm Location: Vandergrift, PA Country: USA |
|
Settled In
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2016 9:50 pm Location: Cincinnati, OH Country: USA |
Glad to see another Integra. Looks like another labor of love! Too bad the bodies don't keep up with the mechanicals...
|
Settled In
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 12:49 pm Location: Vandergrift, PA Country: USA |
not up in our neck of the woods they sure dont! |
Nice car, think I have seen it before...
Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
|
|
Settled In
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 12:49 pm Location: Vandergrift, PA Country: USA |
oh yeah? On my other thread here or on Honda-tech or Team-integra? |
I saw it on HT a while ago.
Fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
|
|
Settled In
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Jan 29, 2016 12:49 pm Location: Vandergrift, PA Country: USA |
so i'm looking or a little input/advice/insight on how to start my rear quarters. i'm obviously cutting out as little as possible, but i definitely see me cutting into the wheel arch as it travels under the rear doors on both sides. i'm thinking an inch or less. so this would make using the body panel adhesive for the entire repair pretty difficult, correct? here is my latest thinking on how to tackle this and i would appreciate any help anyone can throw at me.
1. cut the bad metal out, match up on the donor panels and cut those out. 2. obviously then check for fitment and make any adjustments necessary. 3. then, in the wheel lip area, use panel adhesive for that lip only. 4. let that dry, then weld the remainder of the panel in place. obviously for a rookie like myself, gluing the whole thing in would be easiest but i dont think that is going to be possible. i'm concerned with welding around that glued area....is that stuff flammable after it dries? i was thinking of welding first, but if i do that i do not think i will have the movement necessary to glue the wheel lip. and i definitely like the idea of gluing the lip as it will act like a sealer as well. thoughts? |
10 posts
• Page 1 of 1
Return to Completed & In Progress Member Projects
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 46 guests