My 1,500.00 1990 project

[mrvette]

Then it should be road ready and then comes another expensive bill. to register it will cost me 725.00 because of the back fee's on the car.

BACK FEES??

:bonkers:

 

[JeffP1167]

Then it should be road ready and then comes another expensive bill. to register it will cost me 725.00 because of the back fee's on the car.

BACK FEES??

:bonkers:

Yes 3 years behind on registration and no PNO was ever put on the car.

 

[mrvette]

Then it should be road ready and then comes another expensive bill. to register it will cost me 725.00 because of the back fee's on the car.

BACK FEES??

:bonkers:

Yes 3 years behind on registration and no PNO was ever put on the car.

PNO, ? seems like Kalifornia is really desperate for money, funny how they seem to hate cars in that state, but yet it's CARS that brought them all the prosperity .....as with the rest of the country....

 

[JeffP1167]

Then it should be road ready and then comes another expensive bill. to register it will cost me 725.00 because of the back fee's on the car.

BACK FEES??

:bonkers:

Yes 3 years behind on registration and no PNO was ever put on the car.

PNO, ? seems like Kalifornia is really desperate for money, funny how they seem to hate cars in that state, but yet it's CARS that brought them all the prosperity .....as with the rest of the country....

PNO planned non operation ... previous owner never filled one out. California doesn't hate cars, after all they get double the registration fee's now. I would move out of this state since I work for a large company that is everywhere but have to stay because of my son. California is one way or another going to get old cars off the road and you can bet other states will follow californias lead. I saw something about Arny wanting some high speed train system yet they complain the state is broke. They even go as far as keeping lot full of new cars for government employees from the public eye. A truly pathetic state!

I see state employees driving around in there new prius's and ask myself why they can't drive a 5 y/o car. The auto industries beg for bailouts and this state buys import cars. Wheres the logic in that one LOL.

 

[mrvette]

Then it should be road ready and then comes another expensive bill. to register it will cost me 725.00 because of the back fee's on the car.

BACK FEES??

:bonkers:

Yes 3 years behind on registration and no PNO was ever put on the car.

PNO, ? seems like Kalifornia is really desperate for money, funny how they seem to hate cars in that state, but yet it's CARS that brought them all the prosperity .....as with the rest of the country....

PNO planned non operation ... previous owner never filled one out. California doesn't hate cars, after all they get double the registration fee's now. I would move out of this state since I work for a large company that is everywhere but have to stay because of my son. California is one way or another going to get old cars off the road and you can bet other states will follow californias lead. I saw something about Arny wanting some high speed train system yet they complain the state is broke. They even go as far as keeping lot full of new cars for government employees from the public eye. A truly pathetic state!

I see state employees driving around in there new prius's and ask myself why they can't drive a 5 y/o car. The auto industries beg for bailouts and this state buys import cars. Wheres the logic in that one LOL.

The Feds' supported Gm/Ch because of the fleet purchases...no other real reason, except .mil gear, maybe....

:beer:

 

[JeffP1167]

The new foam I purchased for my seats seems to be a nightmare to work with. Where the factory foam has reinforcement strands imbedded into the foam this after market stuff doesn't so basically when you stretch the foam and try to secure it with hogrings this foam instantly tears. This problem makes securing the sides impossible.

I'm thinking maybe if I insert some wire into the foam for the hogrings to clamp onto will do the trick.

 

[mrvette]

The new foam I purchased for my seats seems to be a nightmare to work with. Where the factory foam has reinforcement strands imbedded into the foam this after market stuff doesn't so basically when you stretch the foam and try to secure it with hogrings this foam instantly tears. This problem makes securing the sides impossible.

I'm thinking maybe if I insert some wire into the foam for the hogrings to clamp onto will do the trick.

NO, the guy that did my '70 Lemans convertible seats/interior/top years ago, showed me a trick of his on that....

take a garbage bag, preferable a new one.., and lay it over the foam, that allows the covers to slide over the foam right into place, and then use TIE WRAPS to secure it all down the way you like, with that overstuffed foam concept, the seats are fine for that puffy show car look, but in reality I have sent new foam back because of that, and I like a LO seat anyway because of my height.....the tie wraps allow some adjustment there, and are so much easier to lay in place, feed through and dont go krazy trying to fight the world over that crap.....**** all other techniques.....I have had tie wraps last over ten years in that use, and that's FLORIDA SUN.....

:shocking::trumpet:

 

[JeffP1167]

Well I am almost finished with this sport seat. My switch bezels are cracked so thats why it doesn't look good around them. All I have to do know is take them to my upholstery guy and he will heat and shrink the vinyl so it is nice and tight.

 

[JeffP1167]

I started assembling the second seat today. Obviously have some wrinkles to work out but no more then the other seat. Next weekend they should be done and I am going to start putting the interior back in the car.

 

[JeffP1167]

My camera phone really sucks but I armor-alled one of the seatbacks and took a quik picture. The covers are really good quality and fit overall is good.

 

[SmokinBBC]

Looks really nice.

Are the seat covers leather or vinyl?

 

[JeffP1167]

Looks really nice.

Are the seat covers leather or vinyl?

Vinyl .... I chose Vinyl since I will have my son in the car alot & he is at the brutal age where he can destroy a steel ball and I figured leather would be doomed. I also hate conditioning leather and how easy it stains. The leatherlike looks better then I thought it would and I know leather quality isn't what it was ten years ago.

I bought these from willcox vette parts, think I paid like 330.00 for them, very good quality in my opinion and match the original leather covers very nicely. I went with new foam so there is very little "baggy" looking areas and for the most part it is skin tight fit everywhere. I've never done upholstery work but installing C4 covers isn't all that hard.

I'm not really a big fan of the sport seats though for a few reasons and eventually plan on buying mounted leather standard seats when I have the time. The major downside to sport seats is the cost of replacement parts for them of which these ones needed everything LOL. The other is ( NO ) supplier offers mounted seat covers for them.

 

[mrvette]

Looks really nice.

Are the seat covers leather or vinyl?

Vinyl .... I chose Vinyl since I will have my son in the car alot & he is at the brutal age where he can destroy a steel ball and I figured leather would be doomed. I also hate conditioning leather and how easy it stains. The leatherlike looks better then I thought it would and I know leather quality isn't what it was ten years ago.

I bought these from willcox vette parts, think I paid like 330.00 for them, very good quality in my opinion and match the original leather covers very nicely. I went with new foam so there is very little "baggy" looking areas and for the most part it is skin tight fit everywhere. I've never done upholstery work but installing C4 covers isn't all that hard.

I'm not really a big fan of the sport seats though for a few reasons and eventually plan on buying mounted leather standard seats when I have the time. The major downside to sport seats is the cost of replacement parts for them of which these ones needed everything LOL. The other is ( NO ) supplier offers mounted seat covers for them.

I have a son, wife has two sons, I read her that, and she just grinned from ear to ear....methinks something in common....

:rofl::rofl::cussing:

 

[JeffP1167]

Just a small update, since I am rushing to get this car done and get it one color again since it is an eyesore. I purchased so white headlight lids, mirrors and lower rocker panels. These all came from a different 90 vette but seem to match my other white parts very closely. So my plan is this get the nice white doors on along with the other white parts and have from the back of the doors back repainted white and blended in. This will get the car all one color as fast as possible and get it looking less like a pick-a-part car.

I had originally wanted it polo green again but it is so dusty in California especially where I work that polo green would be a nightmare to keep clean. So think is what I will do when I have more money is have it completely re-painted white with a black GS stripe and dark tinted windows and call the project done.



The hood is dusty here thats why the shade of white looks different in this picture. Aside from some scratches all these white parts still shine and should buff out real nice and make the blending process easier.

 

[JeffP1167]

Here is the lid in the shade and the hood cleaned a bit. So far like I said all my white parts are a very close match

 

[JeffP1167]

I just received nearly flawless white rocker panels (45.00 shipped) new willcox outter window sweeps (excellent quality) Power window motors ....

If nothing else all these nice white panels will save me a bunch of time and money on prep work needed verses what was on the car.

So far I have about 380.00 into replacement body parts so the only real major prep work needed before paint is the rear 1/4 panels and the halo. The paint on all this white stuff is still really nice so it shouldn't need much sanding before priming verses the orinal parts needing to be stripped to bare glass and then tons of body work.

 

[saudivette]

Good job mate. I'm enjoying your clever budget rebuild :thumbs:

 

[Arthur Brown]

me too. Keep the pics coming :thumbs:

 

[JeffP1167]

Here is what the rear 1/4's look like now. If I could somehow just blend the whole back of the car & the door jambs to match the doors I think the car would look okay as a driver till I can afford a complete repaint.

I'm sure the white parts could easily be buffed and shine even more then they do. The camera phone pics suck unless your at the right angle and in the right sunlight. However these white parts are all glossy and aside from scratches and nicks here and there are in great shape.

Quest is how is blending acheived and would I take a door in to have paint mixed to be as close as possible to them?

Once my mirrors arrive I will begin assembling the white doors however might try and spray the jambs and 1/4 panels prior to them going on. The roof on the car is glass so (even thought it looks like a painted top) so thats one less part to blend into.

 

[JeffP1167]

This is the best shot of the door I could get. As you can see it does shine and in darker light you can see reflections. Most of my pictures make it look like these white parts are dull which isn't the case. Many have said too hard to blend white but if all the white parts are buffed out so they shine even better what is the problem with blending the back of the car.

when all the white parts are on I have about 350.00 tied up into these body parts For a nice paint job I think they would just need to be sanded quik for the primer to adhere. The most they need is a spot of filler here and there but compared to the original body panels which were a lost cause in my eyes and would have required probably about 1500 in prep work and repair if they could even be repaired 350.00 is a bargain.

from the misalignment of the bumper the original hoods edges were ground down to where gaps were seen near the beltline molding. Both mirror housings are bent, rear bumper was cracked and had holes drilled in it for a spoiler of immense size. One door has cracking near the hinge, the other has ****** repair work.... In my eyes the headlight lids were the only good part on the whole car that needed no work and still had a decent shine to them.

Yes if I had to pay to rediculous going rate on vette parts it would have killed this project or bankrupt me in the process ..... So in my eyes any white part put on this car is an improvement and makes it look like a vette verses a pick-a-part car.

 

[JeffP1167]

I received the white mirrors today, they are just a shade off but that is no biggie. Compared to the hassles of all the body work needed to the original body parts, 375.00 was a bargain and now to actually refinish the whole car except for the 1/4 panels only minimal sanding is needed.

 

[saudivette]

I'm looking forward to seeing all together. How far away are you?

 

[JeffP1167]

I'm looking forward to seeing all together. How far away are you?

Projected completetion date about 2011 summertime

 

[JeffP1167]

Really though the only mechanical work I see that it needs now is exhaust system, brakes, shocks, maybe wheel bearings.

Interior just basically reassemble everything

A normal person could probably finish the car in a week or so, but I'm lazy and unmotivated 6 days out of the week. The 7th day is reserved for rest though.

I've been thinking about painting everything though, right now would be the best time since all the parts are not bolted up and can be removed in a hour or so.

By this time next year I want both my vettes ready actually. Sick and tired of the 82 being in my garage, I figure I can use the 90 for paint practice and do the 82 in white over silver with a silver interior.

 

[JeffP1167]

Ok I removed the passenger door to swap out for one of the white ones I got and also out the white mirror on as well. The paint match is pretty close but keep in mind there are scratches and some fading but I think everything can be buffed out fine to resemble just a weathered white car till I can have it all repainted. The car is coming along fine though and all of these parts can be prepped very easily for new paint. well worth the work involved changing these parts.

 

[JeffP1167]

Oh and because I am extremely lazy, I found a way to fix my window motor issue without removing it. Basically I didn't want to deal with finding the pop rivets LOL

So I took apart the old and the new motor and put the electrical guts from the new motor onto the old motor transmission. Takes about a 1/2 hour to do this and can probably be done without removing the regulator.



Here is the old motors transmission with all the new parts put on it. Works perfectly now .....

 

[JeffP1167]

While all of you were enjoying your 4th of july BBQ's I did a little bit more to the car. I got the window in the door, added new outer window sweep, added the mirror wind deflector.

A test of the motor was successful, I cycled it about 20 times and it did not do anything but work excellent. UP times are at about 3 1/2 seconds, Down a little bit slower (maybe the tension spring on the regulator) but at any rate this window is very fast compared to the drivers door glass. I will change the drivers door motor internals as well.

The window sweeps are from willcox corvette, very very good quality and perfect fit, just align the clips & push down, then add two pop rivets and they are installed. Identical to how the factory ones are.

The mirror deflectors are GM parts and the fit was excellent! Just press them against the mirror drill a pilot hole, then install 1 rivet and tighten it while still leaving it just a tad loose to make a final adjustment. Then drill the other holes and pop riveted them down. No template needed at all, a perfect fit in all aspects. Not sure what the reproduction ones are like, I got these off ebay for 60.00 shipped.

I also re-wrapped the entire door harness. I still have to do a very minor door alignment then a window alignment & buy new clips that secure those rods in the door. I also have to replace the door handle since I broke it. Next weekend will probably put the drivers door on it.

I decide not to paint the jamb since white may not end having it white when it is repainted, leaving my options open.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

LOL, you just love taking stuff apart don't you?

 

[JeffP1167]

LOL, you just love taking stuff apart don't you?

IMPROVING :nuts::nuts::nuts: This dam car has been a learning experience though ... 1st lesson learned never buy another 1 :cussing::cussing::cussing:

You rip them apart way more then I ever have LOL ... It's just every panel was in such lousy shape the white parts seemed like the fastest way to get it at least looking nice, the doors were actually easy to swap out. I can do a quik ass single stage white on the back of the car just to make it all white till I can afford a nice new paint job.

Just sick and tired of the car all different colors is all. and peeling clearcoat all over the place

 

[JeffP1167]

I just took rubbing compound to the passenger side of the car and it really shined up nice. I think if I machine buff from the doors forward the doors back can be blended easily. Anything done to this car is an improvement lol ..... The car will make a comeback. I just couldn't stand looking at it anymore but now with the white parts cleaned up it's looking much better.