Kev's JDM 1997 Protege

[farcryNZ]

Keep it up mate[emoji41]


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[irishkev90]

Thanks, I'm definitely trying too

So far I have the spoiler off and sanded. There's a couple small holes in the fiberglass to fill in before I can prime it. There's another crack in the hood scoop I need to fix before I can continue on that. We tried removing some dents in the last class with the hot glue/puller technique, but the glue didn't hold at all. They have some PDR picks I'd like to try, too, before we do the boring thing and just sand and fill everything. The instructor said something about getting the front bumper started next class, so I need to remove the fog lights to make that a little easier. I'll try to get some pictures up soon, though there's not much to look at.

[irishkev90]

Small photo update. Third day of auto body class. The spoiler has been sanded down to remove all the peeling paint and a few small holes in the fiberglass/resin are being filled. Still need to order a new brake light for it. The current one was cracked (probably from the trunk being slammed) and decided to fall apart when I removed it form the spoiler. Also, the wiring was fantastically done (/s). The hood scoop had a sizable crack in the side and was repaired, a couple low spots need to be filled in still. The instructor wanted to get started on the dents and scratches around the car tonight, so he had me sand them down, putty, block. That fun stuff. We only got the driver side doors tonight, but should be able to get most of the rest of the car started on Thursday.

[FE3-323]

props to you, i can't stand doing body work

[irishkev90]

I don't mind it. A little tedious at times and doesn't feel like I'm getting much done right now. Once I get all the little blemishes out and everything in primer it'll feel better. The end result is what is keeping me going right now. Today we worked on a few dents in the left rear wheel arch. There was also a small spot of rust, about the size of an average nail head, in the dog leg. Got that ground down and in primer.

There's only one instructor and 5 or 6 of us with all different projects, so I have some downtime whenever I finish a step and I'm waiting for the instructor finish up with someone else. So I took the chance tonight to take off the side skirt to see what it looked like underneath. Thankfully there's virtually no rust, just a little bit around the screw holes where he used self-tapping screws to mount the skirt. I'm debating how I want to go about repairing it now. I don't really like the idea of a metal screw in contact with the elements and in contact with the metal of the car. What I want to do is enlarge the existing holes, get them painted with the rest of the car so there's no exposed metal and use some plastic screw/push-in rivets (like what you find in the fender liners and such). I'll take a closer look at it tomorrow because I want those holes evenly spaced, damn my perfectionism. If the screw holes are too wonky, I'll see if I can weld them shut and measure out some good holes for the plastic clips. The skirts themselves are in need of repair, as well. They're both cracked right between the doors, they don't fit perfectly up top, and the bottom is as wavy as Lake Michigan. I'll get some pictures tomorrow to explain better.

(Random thoughts section, let me know what you think.) I'm also thinking about deleting the black side moldings. I've wanted to do that ever since I had my '98, but wasn't sure if it would look weird or not. Thankfully they're just stuck on and not bolted through the doors. I'm going to take them off anyway to make painting easier, so maybe I'll do that tomorrow while I'm out there even if just to make paint prep easier. Maybe now would be a good time to get the rear bumper skirts fitted, too. I want to make a mold of them first and modify the mold to fit the car since the JDM skirts don't fit the USDM bumper. Might as well also have the hole in the hood cut out for the hood scoop. Even if it's not functional for a while, at least it will be done and painted. Alright, I'm stopping there before I get carried away.

[FE3-323]

i would suggest installing some rivnuts with a bit of silicone or another sealant instead of plastic clips. the amount of abuse and forces the side skirts take is more than simple plastic could hold.
just my 2 cents worth in thoughts.

[irishkev90]

I'll have a look into that route. I don't think the skirts are going to take too much abuse, though. Even over the winter in NY I never kicked the snow off my boots by hitting the rocker/skirts. I might have looked like an idiot clapping my feet together like a seal, but save the skirts from getting beaten up. And I'm told the winters down here in NC barely get any snow, so that shouldn't be an issue anymore. They're only held in now with a few small, I think 6mm head, self-tapping screws just long enough to go through the fiberglass and into the door sill. I think once I get them repaired and fit properly, they'll be okay.

[irishkev90]

I guess I'll have to re-update this with the autobody stuff, but for now I have another idea for the intake. The biggest limiting factor in the design is the MAF housing. I was toying with the idea of cutting away the unnecessary parts, the tube, and just keep the sensor itself. I could redesign the airbox to be shallower and instead of the air going to the bottom of the box and then turn up to enter the MAF/TB, I could make it much flatter and have the tube to the TB right under the filter with the MAF glued into the new tube and could be all one piece. If you look at it from the passenger side, it would look almost triangular. Flat on top for the filter, about 8" long, straight down the back, about 4", with the outlet tube about 3/4" to 1" below the filter. The bottom would then be angled from under the filter at the front, to under the outlet tube. I thought about making the bottom flush with the outlet tube, but if water got it, it would go directly into the engine. With a small drop under the outlet I could trap and drain the water with a small hole or two. It has been raining a lot recently which brought this to my attention.

Instead of messing with the cardboard/bondo design phase, I'm just going to get some of that green floral foam and shape that to what I need then seal that with a light layer of body filler, sand it smooth, fiberglass over top. Should have just done that for the other one, but oh well.

[FE3-323]

yup, sorry about the missing posts. they didn't capture all of the data (about 2 weeks worth) when they did a database clone

[irishkev90]

Yeah, I saw the heads-up on Facebook. I'll probably consolidate all that stuff at some point after the course ends. Only two classes left until next semester. This was the first time the college has offered this type of class, so hopefully they found it successful enough to continue it next year.

[Wilyb]

My son is in a same course here in Quebec right now... it's a year and a half long...

[irishkev90]

Being a year and a half long course I'm assuming he's receiving college credit/certification? The course I'm in is just a continuing education thing, so I'm not actually enrolled in the college or getting credit for it.

[irishkev90]

Quick update to keep everyone in the know of what's going on here (since the forum move lost the most recent posts). Auto body class is over and everything is primered, need to wait for the next class to start painting. My dad sand blasted the Miata wheels, They needs to be primered and have some light scuffs repaired/sanded, then they can get painted, too. We relocated the sway bar end link tabs on the control arms, the links no longer come into contact with the bar. Still working on the airbox, but should be done soon. Debating on whether to replace the coilover springs with something softer, or get some softer helper springs to finally get rid of the annoying bouncing. I've dealt with it for too long and now living in the middle of nowhere, having to take the highway to get to town everyday is horrendous. I had the front end aligned and the tires replaced so it'll at least pass inspection now so I can finally get it registered down here (assuming nothing else goes wrong). Pictures will be uploaded when I have more time. Cheers.

[FinoBuilt]

It's a good feeling when primer is applied and covers all bondo filled spots.. it should give you the energy needed to keep on wrenching. KEEP IT UP!

[firelizard]

I'm glad this is still progressing. It makes me happy to see someone still fixing up a BH. They're getting quite rare these days.