What have you done to your non-mazda today?

Here's a video (click to view) of her being trucked off to the mechanic. I know, I'd get more pride in doing the work myself but with a lack of proper equipment (air compressor, torque wrench, etc) as well as knowledge on how to deal with gasoline that's been stagnant for over a year, it's best to let the pro's fix her to a running state and then I'll mess with the fun stuff like springs, wheels, intake. Springs I'll obviously need somewhere to go but I'd like to do that myself.

I was going to go with Enkei Apache II's but I'm leaning more towards Konig Rewinds. Any thoughts? I want a more 80's or retro feel to it. Perhaps a nice set of mesh wheels.

 
The battery died in the Pathfinder today. I was genuinely surprised that it survived the winter, as it was showing signs that it was on the way out for months now, but I thought maybe if it survived the cold season, it would survive the spring / summer. Nope! Oh well, threw a new one in and it fired right up.
 
So the headlight assembly was a little more tasking than I thought. So that was post-poned. However, I did wake up at 5:30 like I always do and got a few hours in before work to work on her. So, I masked off the C-Pillars to paint. I used a rattle can primer and top coat. I don't have an air compressor nor do I have a paint booth so for me, this did exactly what it needed to. It doesn't look uber professional and I don't care because as I said, this is just for me and it looks WAY better than the faded out C-Pillar it was yesterday. I didn't use a clear coat which I might regret later but we'll see how it turns out and if I feel a clear is needed, I'll remask, clean it up and throw a clear coat on.

This is cleaned and prepped.
IMG_4963_zpse4285734.jpg


Two coats of primer, first coat of paint.
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Can't remember if this was 2nd or 3rd coat but still...
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4th and final coat.
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Unmasked and drying in the garage (the mowers are coming today so I don't want grass clippings all up in my paint.
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For a comparison of the difference, look at the window trim on the back door. That's up next to paint when more time is available.

Oh and the appointment for tint is Monday so she'll be nice and stealthy looking come next week.
 
So after some research and a few scattered answers (all contradicting themselves), I've decided a clear coat is gonna happen. The contradictions started when talking about timing. I've seen some say wait weeks (WTF... ?) and some say while the basecoat is still tacky. So I'm doing what I think is best and applying it hours after the initial application (because I can't get off work sooner). I know this will probably not end well but the beauty is, the Colt's c-pillars were hideous anyhow so not like I'm doing much worse. Plus, I can always sand the s*** out of it and remove all the paint and start over... don't want to have to do that but whatever.

Wish me luck.


***EDIT***

So I wound up spraying the rattle can clear coat on hours later. After some remask and the use of frogtape to get some of the annoying dust particles that had accumulated on the areas of concern, 4 coats of clear later... I'm golden. It's obviously got some orange peel but truth be told, I really couldn't give a s***. The passenger side might need some touch up respraying in a few weeks once the clear has cured fully. It still feels a little rough to the touch going from bottom to the top.

Also, finally figured out how to get the damned headlight surround off... thank God. Come to find that one of the rusted screws holding the headlight in was rusted and the pattern stripped so I get to go acquire myself one of those bits that removes stripped screws (forget the name). Depending on how soon Home Depot opens, I'll get it in the morning.

The Vista she is making progress. I've also found a manufacturer that can make custom springs, which is a huge sigh of relief because no one seemingly makes any parts for this car.

Side note, this place is in California so if you know a place in Georgia that makes custom springs, please let me know.
 
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Silverstars in. Getting tinted tomorrow! Going legal but as low as I can.

Changed my mind on wheels a dozen times already. Went from Enkei Apache II's to Konig Rewinds then to Konig Candy's to Enkei92's.

Not sure what I want now. My brother said replica Corvette sawblades... I have no clue. I just don't want "tuner" ish wheels. I want something retro classic looking.
 
So... does anyone else see this thread as showing "Page 34 of 36" with no additional posts after this?
 
I got some air under the front tire this morning. Some dick wad in an Escalade decided he needed to make a left turn from the right-hand "go-straight" lane, then stopped right in front of me when he suddenly realized that "Holy s***, there's other people on the road!? What is this nonsense?" I'd just started moving forward from a stop (ie: in 1st gear), gave it a fist-full and up she came (evil)
 
So much for not modding the STi until I finish all my plans for the Miata... I just ordered RCE sway bars and Whiteline rear sway bar mount supports, because it was a really good deal. :)
 
Icon Compound Mesh Long :)
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And bought about $100 worth of oil & filters for the 3 non-Mazdas, and the 1 mazda. They're all getting oil changes this weekend.
 
Got a new rear view mirror. The donor car was a 1997 Honda Accord :D.

My stock one was cracked with a hole and disintegrating before my eyes. Most cars are window mounted these days and since mine was roof mounted, it was harder to find but a quick trip to Honda Parts Connection cured that.
 
New horn. Driving around my VW Jetta the other day, I honked at someone who cut me off and realized the horn is about the 1 thing I actually like about that over-engineered German POS and thought it would be nice to have something like that on the SV because the stock horn sucks balls.

On a whim, I hopped on RockAuto and ordered a random VW Horn (RockAuto part# HN17T) for a few bucks just to see.

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As it was way bigger than the stock pancake horn, it didn't exactly fit in the stock location so I got creative. I'm not sure that's my final solution (we'll see how it holds up to the SV's vibrations), but as far as a proof on concept it's not bad. The bracket came with it, I put a 90 deg. bend in it to get it tucked in behind the rad, used the stock bolt that held the original horn bracket to mount it to the rad:

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Stock horn. Sounds a bit louder than usual due to being inside my garage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzJkjgLw33o

VW Jetta horn:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OiDC_wWZG0


Again, due to it being inside it doesn't sound much better on the camera, but in person it's a lot more of an imposing sound than the stocker.


The connectors on the horn are a little further apart than on the stocker, however the stock SV connector is flexible and fits right on. Gully reversible without any wiring work ftw :D
 
So I finally added some fog lights to the Colt Vista. Not where I had originally intended on placing them but since they're bracketed into steel and not plastic, I think this works better. Big shout out to my brother in law for letting me use his place of work (Bavarian Motorworks off Howell Mill Road in Atlanta). The use the shop lift helped tremendously.

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And then here's me running out of fuel on the ride home. Long story short, the gauge inside the gas tank has gone all wonky and made reading the fuel gauge more of a suggestion than actually what's in it. Apparently, just above "E" is actually sipping fumes. Oh well... lesson learned. Thank God for helpful friends!

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I think that thing would be the coolest WRC style car in the history of the world. Do it up with Rota Tarmac wheels, Rally Armor flaps and a humongous rack of driving lights all over the front end. Jack it up on high rate springs so you could get some air under it on back roads etc etc etc. Thats just me though, i'm a little weird.
 
Secondtyme said:
I think that thing would be the coolest WRC style car in the history of the world. Do it up with Rota Tarmac wheels, Rally Armor flaps and a humongous rack of driving lights all over the front end. Jack it up on high rate springs so you could get some air under it on back roads etc etc etc. Thats just me though, i'm a little weird.
Click to expand...

This car has very deep emotional ties (I rode in this very car when I was 2 years old). So it'll never be rallied but that's a cool idea. This is sort of where I'd like to go with it but obviously this is the Mitsu Nimbus from Australia (the same car) and the fogs are in the grille. Otherwise, I like this guy's style. Springs are impossible to come by though.

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This is SORT OF what you're saying (same car different time)

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picked this up over the weekend. 99 EK, auto, 219k miles. front brakes are done. waiting for tires to be mounted then it should be good to go. oh and have to recharge the ac

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EKs make great daily drivers. I've been using mine as a DD since 2001.
 
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