Vanilla Sky's 1989 White Coupe Project Rebirth

[Vanilla Sky]

Yeah, the car really is too nice to junk.

The Ridgeline is what it is. It's a midsize SUV with a bed instead of a 3rd seat. That said, it's great. It had zero issues with towing the car. It could easily tow the car on a big honkin' steel trailer just the same.

Does anyone read that "speed limit" thing on those dollies anyway? We would have been going faster if the road were wider. That road between Palatka and Ocala isn't big enough ofr a car, much less one on a trailer.

[Civic Accord Honda]

haha we have never payed any attention to that MAX speed limit on them we have gone 95 in a 26FT uhual with one before haha

[Vanilla Sky]

The organ was successfully harvested from the donor car this afternoon at 2PM. It will be cleaned and inspected before the transplant is completed. I'll do some small stuff between now and next weekend, but I plan to have the new trans installed by next week.

I'll get a couple more pictures tomorrow. My wife left with the camera, so I can't get any pics now.

[Vanilla Sky]

The new transmission looks okay. I had to replace the rusty 5th gear cover, but that's not a big deal. Just swapped it for the one on the old trans.





The car has a few small issues I want to get taken care of. Most of it is paint overspray from an older paint job. The rest is minor adjustment work.

Overspray





Surface Rust



Things that need replacement





Needs adjustment



10 Feet away






Overall, it's small stuff. Just some elbow grease and it will look really good.

[2oodoor]

that masking job made the hair raise on my back, that was aweful work!
No way that was professional. Anyway looks like the car is coming along nicely and I hope it does not reject the organ transplant..filler up with interferon.. lol

... and CAH it has been a while since I drove a u haul but they used to be governed and it was all you could do to get 65 mph outta one empty.

[Vanilla Sky]

It was a Maaco job, I believe. At least that's what Sk8r was led to believe.

[russiankid]

That differential output seal looks chewed! May want to replace that.

[Vanilla Sky]

I will be replacing it. They're both kinda iffy, so I'll pre putting in shiny new ones.

[labeledsk8r]

that masking job made the hair raise on my back, that was aweful work!
No way that was professional. Anyway looks like the car is coming along nicely and I hope it does not reject the organ transplant..filler up with interferon.. lol

... and CAH it has been a while since I drove a u haul but they used to be governed and it was all you could do to get 65 mph outta one empty.

as sky said, i was told it was done by maco... and after seeing some of macos other work i belived the guy lol

nd one those u-hauls and trailors... i took a 18 footer filled with all my stuff and a tow dolly with my olds cuttlas towed behind it and was doing 95 easy down some back country roads on my trip to idaho... infact i drove 2 trucks on the trip an old 89 one that the rear bumper fell off of...and a 2006 truck... the old one got up to 85 easy and the new one could get to 95 easy

[SZfiftyfour]

Damn Sky, working fast on getting that car driving. I wish i was that motivated lol.

I hate driving those u-haul trucks. I took one from Tx to Fl with car in tow and the gas mileage was effin retarded. It was an older 16 or 18' with something like a 500ci big block. And it still wouldn't go over 65-70 mph.

[labeledsk8r]

oh on that rear tailight/plate holder, if your looking to replace that good luck.. i had been searching for a good one since i got the car... you can even tell that peice is missing once the plate is on.. but its one of those that you know its there, im guessing the rear pick is showing the rub marks from the mustang that you wana clean up.... damn mustangs..

awsome work though.. i wana see this thing driveing lol

[Vanilla Sky]

A clay bar will get rid of those marks. I'm planning on doing a light wetsanding of tthe whole car to even out the paint and get rid of the pinstripes.

It's funny, though. I see those centers on crappy coupes in great shape, but when I see a coupe in good shape, it's broken. It will get fixed when I can find one I don't have to ship. The junkyard here gets these cars every once in a while.

[2oodoor]

as sky said, i was told it was done by maco... and after seeing some of macos other work i belived the guy lol

nd one those u-hauls and trailors... i took a 18 footer filled with all my stuff and a tow dolly with my olds cuttlas towed behind it and was doing 95 easy down some back country roads on my trip to idaho... infact i drove 2 trucks on the trip an old 89 one that the rear bumper fell off of...and a 2006 truck... the old one got up to 85 easy and the new one could get to 95 easy

f well I havn't droved won cince oklahoma city

Looks like the same person pinstriped the car as well, OMG

[Vanilla Sky]

I just noticed that. Thanks for pointing that out.

It also looks like the car had peeling clear when it was painted and they couldn't be bothered to to any prep sanding to level it out. I'm hoping I don't sand through the color coat. I don't have to worry about sanding through the clear because this is one of Maaco's single stage paints.

[2oodoor]

We have some pretty good maaco jobs on vehicles at work, but some others are not so hot. They always say "integral" clearcoat, means they put clear in final coats... not true clear coat. I had a 96 Beretta that had Maaco paint like that and it would shine up for about half a day and then the paint just sucks up whatever you put on it. You might try to wet sand it with a little dish soap added, using a sponge block with very light pressure. That way you can get a little feathering done without a rolled edge, maybe you can sneak some fast drying primer surfacer on it with another light wet sanding then dust some sealer on it. Other wise it may have to be stripped off, believe me you know that will be a lot of work.

[Vanilla Sky]

I've thought about doing the prep work to get the car painted myself. It's just not in my budget. I figure a $500 local paint job would do wonders for the car. All I'd have to do is have it painted, I'd do all of the prep and masking myself.

[lostforawhile]

sorry wrong thread

[Civic Accord Honda]

bank just ripped me off an entire checks worth of bogus service fees, now we are fucked will probably lose the civic and the furniture. was just about to change banks too.

what dose that have to do with this thread ?

[lostforawhile]

what dose that have to do with this thread ?

sorry showed up in the wrong thread somehow

[RamThis]

I've thought about doing the prep work to get the car painted myself. It's just not in my budget. I figure a $500 local paint job would do wonders for the car. All I'd have to do is have it painted, I'd do all of the prep and masking myself.

That paint job is horrible!! I can "almost" see a shop leaving the antenna in and just taping around it just for the fact that it's a total fucking pain in the ass to deal with, I'll let them slide on that. But the lights???? Are you kidding me??? Two screws and they come right out!!!! Lazy sumbitches. And yeah, that pinstripe looks like someone did it while the car was strapped down on a moving flatbed wrecker. Holy crap.

If I were you, I'd strip that paint with some chemical stripper and get it back to bare metal, then use a good DTM 2K epoxy primer to seal it back up. Do your filler work on top of that. Then one last shot of epoxy primer to seal off the filler work and make one perfect surface for the paint shop to block out and shoot. Have them do a 2 stage paint, BC/CC, with AT LEAST 3 coats of clear with a UV protector, and a flex additive in the clear for parts on the front of the car (hood, fenders, bumper) and for the rear plastic bumper. Will keep the clear from chipping from rocks.

If I were to spend the time to prep the car, if I were you, Id at least look to spend about 1,000 for "quality" basecoat and clearcoat with a decent colorsand and polish job. It will make a world of difference.

Of course, I guess even a 500 dollar job would make a big difference on a 3G with a Maaco paintjob LOL!!!

[labeledsk8r]

f well I havn't droved won cince oklahoma city

i dont get it...

[A18A]

That paint job is horrible!! I can "almost" see a shop leaving the antenna in and just taping around it just for the fact that it's a total fucking pain in the ass to deal with, I'll let them slide on that. But the lights???? Are you kidding me??? Two screws and they come right out!!!! Lazy sumbitches. And yeah, that pinstripe looks like someone did it while the car was strapped down on a moving flatbed wrecker. Holy crap.

If I were you, I'd strip that paint with some chemical stripper and get it back to bare metal, then use a good DTM 2K epoxy primer to seal it back up. Do your filler work on top of that. Then one last shot of epoxy primer to seal off the filler work and make one perfect surface for the paint shop to block out and shoot. Have them do a 2 stage paint, BC/CC, with AT LEAST 3 coats of clear with a UV protector, and a flex additive in the clear for parts on the front of the car (hood, fenders, bumper) and for the rear plastic bumper. Will keep the clear from chipping from rocks.

If I were to spend the time to prep the car, if I were you, Id at least look to spend about 1,000 for "quality" basecoat and clearcoat with a decent colorsand and polish job. It will make a world of difference.

Of course, I guess even a 500 dollar job would make a big difference on a 3G with a Maaco paintjob LOL!!!

when i decide to get my car repainted, im coming to your place

[Vanilla Sky]

I just need the car sprayed. I'm not looking for an OE paint job. I'm staying white, and the door jambs won't need repaint. I'd like base/clear, but it's not a requirement. If I had the facilities to paint the car myself, I would. I'm not going to do the $50 paint job, though. Not my cup of tea.

[mushroom_toy]

I have that center section you need if its an 88-89 style. Its in perfect shape. $15 and shipping?

[Vanilla Sky]

Has to be from a coupe.