Xaisks 1988 Hatch Thread

[Xaisk]

Well its about time I got to post here =D

Anyway im going to start with undocumented things I did before 3geez.

New brake rotors
New Calipers
New Drums
New pads
New Alternator
New Master Cyl
New Water pipe (the one that runs under the intake behind the block.) THat SUCKED to replace.

New Radiator
New Radiator cap
New Radiator hoses
New vacuum lines
New Belts (all belts)
New intake gasket
New exhaust gasket
New power steering pump
New power steering hoses
New Fuel/Air Filters

I think thats everything PRE weber swap.. but I might have forgot something

Now for the Weber swap...

http://www.myspace.com/the_trooper12/photos/albums/weber-carb-and-clear-engine/2092271

Im sure you guys have seen it but I want to fill this up with pictures so.

I rebuilt my Air Conditioning System, EVERY part on it.

New compressor
New evaporator
New condensor
New lines
New Canister

I dont have pics of that but in later pics you can see the new compressor and lines.

I forgot to tuck the drain pipe back through the firewall and it caused my car to have moldy gross brown water in the carpet the next day so I removed my sound deafing and carpet.

Removed Sound Deafening
Removed Carpet

My starter took a shit so I replaced the starter and Battery, replacing the positive and negative ground cables.

New Starter
New Battery

Replaced my upper control arms and ball joints... I did my lower ball joints.. and the bushings for the lower control arm.. which SUCKED. The rubber bushing fused with the bolt so we had to hacksaw it off and pay 33 bucks for a kit with a new bolt. Outer Tie Rods..

New Upper control arm
New upper ball joint
New lower ball joint
New lower control arm bushings
New outer tie rods

No pics again.. im bad at catalogging my work.. ><

I rebuilt the inside of my hatch since I was sick of that cardboard like support that came factory.

Here are the pics.

http://www.myspace.com/the_trooper12/photos/albums/hatch-remodeling/2138640

I put in a Pioneer DEH-3200UB Deck. With some Boss Chaos eXXtreme speakers. Normal size speakers in the doors, but the back ones I had to remove the metal bracket and fab one out of wood. I put 6.5s in the back.
I wouldnt recommend the wood as at high volumes it vibrates causing it to sound kind of bad. The front ones sound amazing though.

Ive since removed the subwoofers since they quit working.

New Pioneer DEH-3200UB Deck
New Boss chaos eXXtreme speakers x4

Anyway.. I have done some repainting on my trim...and restoration on my bumper useing the heat gun.

I used a heat gun to melt off the rubber on the metal portions of the trim then I painted it useing black enamel acrylic paint. Its very durable after it hardens but if you drive without letting it fully harden it likes to chip...

Here are some pictures.

http://www.myspace.com/the_trooper12/photos/albums/bumper-and-trim-restoration/2161953?page=2

I recently cleaned out my engine bay, but due to water pump failure that caused water to go everywhere I lost the wax coating. Did reclean it though.

http://www.myspace.com/the_trooper12/photos/albums/cleaned-engine-bay/2164831

New Water Pump

Now we are up to more recent times.

I added a custom exhaust. I used the LXI 4-2-1 OEM exhaust manifold and downpipe with 2 1/4 piping, Magnaflow Hi-flo cat, and Delta 40 Series muffler.

Welders did a shit tastic job letting my pipe hang long so when I hit a big bump it scrapes the ground.

Heres a video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VMASLhnG_k

New 2 1/4 Inch piping
New Magnaflow Hi-flo cat
New Delta 40 series muffler

Ive put in an MSD SS blaster coil in place of the stock iggy coil, and hooked it up with NGK wires and Iridium Lazer Plugs.

New MSD SS Blaster Coil
New NGK wires
New Iridium Lazer Plugs

Lately I have been doing ALOT of aesthetic small things work.

I replaced the dash clock and now it works.. also I replaced the controls for the heater slider.. the thing that lights up since none of the lights worked, and now it lights up! im so happy because of those changes. I added in a power mirror and cruise switch. Also power antenna switch. My cruise switch I pulled from the junkyard wouldnt fit on the steering will so I only have the dash one. They dont do anything right now but look nice, but soon that will be changed. Ive recently modified my timing and am getting a bit better acceleration which makes me happy too. I went to a junkyard and seen a B18 in the junkyard. The owners before it used the Red silicone gasket maker to create a headgasket and it apparently failed. What a bunch of jackasses.. I found it sad but funny because of how dumb they were. I made a ground wire for engine block to frame out of 4 Gauge wire. I also started sanding my rims down. Im going to use my stock rims instead of replace them. I like the way they look, They are Magesium Alloy so already really light. Im not going to paint the sanded part. Im just going to polish it and paint the holes inbetween the spokes black. Then im going to apply that protective plastic coating to them. Sanding them is taking ALOT of time and its harder than it should be. Having a circular sander would help with that. I am buying some SEI cupholders and armrest so soon those goodies will be added to my car. Im VERY VERY happy about that because I hate holding my drinks, and it feels empty without the armrest inbetween the seats. Oh I also got the little levers to make the seats bend forward and back, they are that red brown color not black, but I aint complaining. Ill repaint them eventually.

Here are some pictures I just took today of all these little goodies. You cant see the lights working because it is daytime but they work.

http://www.myspace.com/the_trooper12/photos/albums/car-updates/2171702#mssrc=SitesPhotos_SP_AlbumCover_ViewAlbum

New Power window control
New Cruise Control module (not transducer yet)
New Power Antenna control
New In-dash clock
New Seat levels
New Heater/Air slider faceplate

[Rainacide]

Thas some good stuff man. I recently got a project hatch too. I like what you've done. But hey I noticed the cover that goes over your trunk area is plastic material, is that custom or does that come for some hatches? My cover has some clothey material on it.

[Xaisk]

Just finished both of my drivers side rims for the restoration. Just gotta polish and paint the inside of the spokes black.

To answer your question Rainacide, Mine is actually made of wood with cloth-like upholstry on it. Im going to be redesiging the thing to be made out of lighter wood and to repair the latchs on it. It is warped and I want it to look nice and level all the way through.

Once I get to doing that I will post a how to for anyone interested.

Ive got soo much planned and so little funding its taking so long to get stuff done.

[Rainacide]

THanks!

Yeah, it's true it's time & money. Takes everyone forever to finish these sorta projects, especially with older cars with less support you know.

[Xaisk]

Yep Yep


Today I decided to rip off my door panel and reupholsterize the top portion of the panel. Idk how its turning out. My damn staple gun couldnt penetrate the plastic so im forced to use ~shudder~ glue....................

I hate useing glue. Staples can easier be reversed.. but if I screw up I will just resand the door part and try again.

(I hate glue because I dont wanna use cheap shit thatll peel, so I went and bought some heavy ass duty glue that stinks like hell and I have a headache from smelling it for 5 minutes or so. With staples you dont have to be exposed to some shitty chemical.)

[Xaisk]

OK!!!

I finally finished my first reupholsterization project!

It turned out ok.............

I found out im going to have to pull a new door panel because mine was cracked in a few places making it very difficult to make the upholstry line up as I wanted.

I used Vinyl stuff I got from Hobby Lobby along with some glue called 9001.

The glue worked AMAZING. Held pretty tight and I am shocked.

I took it off, sanded the foam off of the plastic to get it nice and smooth.

Then I cleaned it with a damn napkin and dried it off.

I next cut a rough draft out of the sheet of vinyl, and slowly cut closer and closer until I had just enough to glue down to the panel.

I Began to glue the panel down, the glues instant bonding ability was low but if you held it down for about 4 minutes it bonded VERY tight. I had trouble peeling it back when I was trying to redo one part. The vinyl felt like it was going to rip.

Anyway I glued it down and put it back on. Here are the pictures.

Its kind of ghetto so dont laugh but its better than it used to be by FAR!!

It had ripped near the window all the way down from the vent to the seatbelt piece and nothing but yellow was there.

http://s129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Interior%20Reupholsterization/

Also theres a little goodie in there for Halo fans. I created it years ago and had forgotten about it. I think its fucking hilarious.

[Xaisk]

So does anybody know how to do the corner in the L like bend with the vinyl? Ive seen a few other people redo their's without having to cut and paste at that spot.

[Xaisk]

UPDATE!!!

I got my armrest and cupholders in from RobT. Thanks man you kick ass!

I took my armrest and reupholstered it. My girlfriend showed me how to sew for the replacement vinyl. I spent 2-3 hours sewing it together to get this...

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Armrest%20and%20Cupholders/DSCN0656.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Armrest%20and%20Cupholders/DSCN0653.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Armrest%20and%20Cupholders/DSCN0652.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Armrest%20and%20Cupholders/DSCN0651.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Armrest%20and%20Cupholders/DSCN0654.jpg

I havent got the plastic piece that mounts my cupholders so I cant install them till I get the piece.

Anyone have the piece that the cupholders go in? the plastic piece that surrounds the shift console. Prefrebly in black....

Also, why the heck does my parking brake slant at an angle? its very annoying haha,

[stat1K]

it's probably bent from the inward pull preference when people pull up on it. if you take the console off you'd be able to tell for sure. it also looks like it needs adjusted since it's up so high.

it took you 2-3 hours to sew that? was it by hand?

[Xaisk]

Yeah. 100% by hand. It takes so much concentration to go by hand it gave me a headache.

[Dr_Snooz]

Looks great for a first attempt. Especially if you did it by hand. Upholstery is HARD work. It's all art and no science. I'd try it, but I'd be so unhappy with anything until about my 400th try, that it isn't worth it for me. I'd just be angry and frustrated. Looks like you're doing some honest to god, old-school restoration to that car. Nice work!

[Xaisk]

Thanks man!

I was pretty nervous about what it was going to look like when I was done sewing it. It turned out REALLY good though. As you can see my seats are ripped. Im about adventurous enough to try it, but I dont have a job anymore so no money.

put in like 30 applications and not a call =(

[Xaisk]

Heres some pictures of my custom ground wire. Im doing "The Big 3" upgrade.

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/The%20big%203/DSCN0661.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/The%20big%203/DSCN0663.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/The%20big%203/DSCN0659.jpg

Ive had that one done for about 3 weeks and its worked great. Just never got around to uploading the pictures.

Where are the other 2 ground wires I need to do? Mine is carbed and always has been. Just useing Weber now.

I need to solder them down. I have a high power solder gun, just no solder.
If I yank on that shit as hard as I can it wont pull apart. I hammered them down hard.

[Xaisk]

Well my starter solenoid is dead. Was going to replace just the solenoid but its a special order part.. none at the junkyard because 3geez in Mississippi is a myth!

[2oodoor]

What are you using to crimp that wire lug? they don't look crimped too well is all.. ive crimped those better with klein sta cons but prefer the hammer press crimp on those big ones.
The E brake for sure looks pulled up too far, you shouldnt be able to pull it up quite that far unless is speghetti loose :hs: You probably can bend that lever straight if needed but really you wont need to if it is adjusted better.

Very nice job on the upholstry project! That thick stuff is very hard to deal with so I think you did good. It is straight. You can use a hair dryer to soften up vinyl on those turns but you only get one shot at it because it stretches but doesnt shrink normally.

[Xaisk]

What are you using to crimp that wire lug? they don't look crimped too well is all.. ive crimped those better with klein sta cons but prefer the hammer press crimp on those big ones.
The E brake for sure looks pulled up too far, you shouldnt be able to pull it up quite that far unless is speghetti loose :hs: You probably can bend that lever straight if needed but really you wont need to if it is adjusted better.

Very nice job on the upholstry project! That thick stuff is very hard to deal with so I think you did good. It is straight. You can use a hair dryer to soften up vinyl on those turns but you only get one shot at it because it stretches but doesnt shrink normally.

I thought about using a heat gun on light mode to soften it up for the turns, but my Dad and girlfriend told me it was a dumb idea. ~grumble~

How do I adjust the Ebrake? Im gunna look through my Haynes real quick to see if it says anything.

And I did something kind of ghetto for the crimping. Try hammering the metal connector down onto the wire. I got it to were I cant pull it apart at full strength. I can probally use the chisel and put it in the center to hammer the middle down. Im going to solder it on better to ensure it stays on permanatly.

Thanks for the compliment on the armrest. Im pretty proud of it. Turned out REALLY well haha.

[2oodoor]

e brake usually dont get that far out unless something has bent, broken, or corroded ok. It is best to start at the back brakes to make sure everything is in good working order there, then check the e brake cables, mounting points, hardware and lubrication. Then adjust the cable tension.

Yes there are circumstances where just plain wear can get it that loose. Those areas would be drum thickness, shoe hold down springs, shoes of course but usually in combination with any of the other items mentioned, star wheel self adjuster could be frozen, and the cable could just be stretched from years of use.

[Xaisk]

Got it back running. Crappy starter busted after 7 months... fuck autozone. Went with an Ultima from O reillys.

[wh1skea]

7 months? Don't they have a 1 year warranty?

[Xaisk]

They do, but they gave me a starter, and the stud that the positive cord goes on was chewed up. When I went and took it back they looked at me like I was some jackass and broke it, and told me they wouldnt give me another after this one.

[stat1K]

i hate to be a dick but what happened to your thumb?

[Xaisk]

My thumb in the first picture is tucked underneath the rest of my hand..

I have both of my thumbs! Dont think I could live without em!

Anyway...

Post "Idiot accident"

I posted in the general section about my girlfriends dumbass family crashing my car because they drove it without brakes. No ebrake or nothing.

I remedied the damage useing a junkyard trim piece and some magic on the hood. I had to go a bit further out to a new junkyard in Mobile, AL, before I could find what I needed, but boy did I find what I needed!

I found a new trim piece.. it is cracked and ugly but its not ripped up.
I also found the final piece to get my cupholders installed! So I did!

Im happy to have the SE-I cupholders installed and the armest. I will be taking pics tommorow. The damage is not noticeable except the bumper sag....

[Xaisk]

Picture time...

Ill start with the cupholders..

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Wreckage%20and%20Cupholders/DSCN0773.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Wreckage%20and%20Cupholders/DSCN0774.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Wreckage%20and%20Cupholders/DSCN0772.jpg

I managed to get the hood fixed to where it is almost completely unnoticeable, but the trim piece is toast...

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Wreckage%20and%20Cupholders/DSCN0771.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Wreckage%20and%20Cupholders/DSCN0776-1.jpg
http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Wreckage%20and%20Cupholders/DSCN0775.jpg

[Xaisk]

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/UPLOADER_PRIME/Wreckage%20and%20Cupholders/DSCN0770.jpg

That trim piece used to be in mint condition, not a scratch or chip on it.. I curse those morons.............

(edit) damn copy and paste didnt work haha.. repeat image fixed.

Also, that chrome silvery trim bar used to be black...

[Xaisk]

The day of the accident prior to it, I took apart my blower motor and cleaned out about a 3 milimeter layer of dust and gunk that had built up in the motor. Pulled the entire box out, washed the foamy type pieces in the wash, and hid an air freshner in the motor. Piece looked brand spanking new. The air quality in the car is SOOO much better, and it actually smells good now. No longer does it smell stagnant!

So to those with smell problems in their car, take a look at the blower motor and vents.

[scars_of_carma]

Nice work man kudo's. I'd like to feel what the Webers like. I used to have a weber'd Mazda RX3 and later I put the same engine in an RX7. Best part of a carb is no rev limiter! :)

I thought you said you removed the sound deadening though? I see it in all the pics...

[Xaisk]

I removed about 95% of it. The sound deafening stuff was that foamy stuff that was underneath the carpet. It was vomit colored and sponge like...
When I pulled my carpet out the car got MUUCH noisier.. and so did the outside world haha.

[scars_of_carma]

I removed about 95% of it. The sound deafening stuff was that foamy stuff that was underneath the carpet. It was vomit colored and sponge like...
Removing the carpet will help, but to get all the sound-deadening you have to remove that hard tar off of the interior sheetmetal. Easiest way to do it is with dry ice.

[Xaisk]

Oh, ok. I was wondering what that stuff was. I wasn't removing it because I want it gone, When I rebuilt my AC system, I forgot to stick that rubber drain tube back through the firewall, so the condensation leaaked in after running the system. In one night, my passenger side floor had 1 inch of water soaked into all of the carpet. It was mildewy and nasty so I ripped it out. I miss the carpet. It makes the interior feel empty without it.

[Xaisk]

So I got aggravated with my speakers intermittantly stopping working, so I went and removed the stock wires from my cars speaker system and fully added custom ones. I dont have any pictures because that shit is tucked away good.

I used 16 Gauge wire and some platinum plated connectors for the speaker tabs.

It works great. No sound issues and they dont seem to fuzz out anymore at loud volume, however, the only way the setup would work was if I put the drivers side speaker on the passenger side and vice versa, I dont know what the hell was up with that.

Im glad to replace the stock shit with some newer wiring.