I took this today when going to get pictures of the pcv location. If I can find any other ones already on the computer, I'll edit this post.
Currently completely stock 5.0 with 180,000 miles with exception of a replacement TC wheel (got tired of the wheel melting on hot days)
(http://home.comcast.net/~s.g.s/tbird/driveway.jpg)
nice, verry clean. seeing all these clean cars makes me wish my paint was in better condition
oh, my paint is far from great condition. While I've sanded and resprayed the spots that had clearcoat starting to chip up, the paint's starting to show its age. For some reason, the roof of my car has gotten really bad over the last year. Areas are getting lighter in spots and I have no idea whats causing the sudden color change. It looks like its below the clearcoat and damaged from the sun, but I don't see what would make it damage so quickly. Plus, its ONLY appearing on the roof. The trunklid and hood are fine.
Nothing last forever though :)
mirror image of mine
lookin good
If you think your cars paint is bad, when sanding down mine to get rid of some rust I uncovered fron 2-4 layers of primer and spraypaint. Then I adde another layer on top of that :)
btw car looks great in the pic I would be lucky to find a car half its age in that condition around here, and those 8 holes look good on anything IMO
Looks good! Exactly like mine except I have silver pinstripes and I have gray interior . But mine even has right at 180,000 miles too!
Not sure which pictures were up here (I'll try to dig them up), but here's the car as it sits before its second paint job. This was painted last August with urethane...the urethane didn't like to smooth out (whats worse than an orange's peel? Alligator skin?), so it was sanded down again and sprayed with Enamel. Now that the car's all one color, plan is to take it one panel at a time, and get it perfect. Paint hasn't been cut or buffed, but there's some type of small flaw on almost every panel so this summer it'll slowly get redone, starting from the front (Drivers side fender washiznit shortly after being painted. Typical, right?) where the largest problems exist.
Up to 213,000 miles now I believe. Trim and molding around the car is still off. I'd like to get the stuff off my old door and put on this one (old had its lock pried out), but I can't get the trim off of it. Had it off years ago to repaint it flat black, but it won't come off again!
Finally, the first pictures I've taken of the car being black. I've procrastinated too long.
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/tbirdfront.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/tbirdpass.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/tbirdrear.jpg)
One word: smooth.
Only old picture I can find on here. The rear picture above makes me realize I need to try realigning the trunk lid again. The drivers side won't move down anymore though :(
Was the first time I washed it since it was painted...trying to hide the bashed-in fender with dirt! No polish/wax or anything though since it makes the flaws jump out and I don't feel like de-waxing the car again. Two weeks, 17 hours a day, of body work isn't fun. Whatever I can do to make it easier next time, I will.
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/tbirdgrey.jpg)
ah man i love how that looks without the trim!!!!! looks so clean and smooth
You are going to install the front and rear trim aren't you?
It'll all be reinstalled after being repainted. I don't like dents any more than anyone else. For now, the holes are covered with the same tape thats been over them (from the inside) for the last 2 years (yes, two...one year in sealer, one in this paint).
Wow! was this one of the first posts on this forum ever? heh
I like it a lot! Makes me want to get my ass in gear and get my TC together. Its black too :D
I want to try reupholstering the thing myself...it needs it. I figure practicing on a spare back seat would be a good start. That or I can just dye the seats black until I can get them reupholstered.
I'm re-doing my car as well,and my trim pieces between the wheelwells will be gone as well.Only the trim from the bumper covers to the wheels will be installed.
I plan on all the molding going back on, sides and all. Its WAY too easy to get dents without the stuff. Not too bad for my first paint job though (well technically second, since the urethane didn't work out too well). It'll all be taken down to near-metal again before being resprayed in enamel. I did like the urethane's strength though. My door jambs are still urethane only. I can try scratching it with keys and nothing happens. Good stuff, but I think it needs to be baked on for proper finish.
edit: It also costs much more. Supplies were $750 for DuPont Urethane paints and primers. Black/clear enamel was less than half the price of the urethane. Of course, another $500 was spent on a compressor/tank and some more on the hvlp gun.
i think that looks pretty good! im hoping to get some fiberglass bumper covers, and smooth them out. i really like the way the car looks without the mouldings.
The bumper covers are probably the biggest pain to prep for paint...filling them in would help quite a bit. I'll probably spend most of the time on the front bumper cover next prep, to make sure the paint will stick as close to factory as possible. I have a nasty rock chip up there that could have been minimized with more sanding...I think its the same rock that cracked my front license plate holder in the corner.
After a long pause over the cold winter, I'm resuming the HID retrofit on the car. Clear lenses should be finished in a little over a week...the most difficult part. After trying everything short of buying my own vacuum-molding parts, I found someone to do a polycarbonate pair for a simple $100. Simple, quick, and I don't have to worry about the lenses any longer. Now I just need to figure out where I put my second ballast/igniter.
Clear lenses are complete, now I just need to find another set of reflectors for cheap for cutting up. The one side I have I chopped up more than I think I needed to, so searching for another pair. Even a melted headlight (where the bulb fits) would work perfect. Then its just jbwelding around some aluminum foil where the projectors stick out the back to mount it and make it waterproof, covering the inside with some sort of painted bezel, grinding the header panel holes out larger, and mounting the things...and retrofit complete. Of course, clear marker lights may have to follow in order for the headlights to look right...but maybe not since half the corner lights are already clear.
As for the lenses, the guy is keeping my molds in case any other t-bird owners want a set of clear lenses vacuum formed at $100/pair (lenses only). After I get pictures taken, he'll add them to his site for order.
Here's where the headlights were left off. I need to make some type of shroud that can cover the top portion/lens clip of the projector, without getting in the way of the headlight lens going on. Perhaps something elastic to apply some fiberglass over, then paint? Pictures can be enlarged.
(http://home.comcast.net/~s.g.s4/retrothumb.jpg) (http://home.comcast.net/~s.g.s4/retro.jpg)(http://home.comcast.net/~s.g.s4/retro2thumb.jpg) (http://home.comcast.net/~s.g.s4/retro2.jpg)(http://home.comcast.net/~s.g.s4/retro3thumb.jpg) (http://home.comcast.net/~s.g.s4/retro3.jpg)
It needs to be trimmed and polished up, but here's the lenses as I received then. Top picture, the lens being slightly crooked was the only way to get it to get it to stay in place for the shot.
(http://home.comcast.net/~s.g.s4/clearlens.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~s.g.s4/clearlenses.jpg)
Making progress in them, now that I have a set of reflectors. Kinda feel bad about chopping up one of the two since its reflector is in near perfect condition, but whatever.
Same side as above, but with precise cuts for the projector. Header panel's hole is ground a bit larger also. I think that after I pick up some abs plastic and give that a try to create a shroud inside, it'll be perfect. Then its just bolting it together, sealing it up, wiring it together, and it'll be done
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/hidprogress1.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/hidprogress2.jpg)
that's gonna look so sick. :)
That's pretty cool. Can't wait to see the finished product.
Hopefully it'll be soon. I have plenty of abs plastic here now, along with stainless steel 10-32 bolts (perfect fit for factory TL projector holes). Sadly, I still don't have my second ballast/igniter back yet, so I can't finish it 100% wiring-wise.
Switched over to fiberglass mode. Using non-hardening modeling clay as the template, I'm thinking something like this. Its basically the layout, just needs some final touches before fiberglass. Any other ideas for shroud design?
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/hidprogress3.jpg)
dude, nice and black. Love it. Amazing how new paint makes an almost 20 year old car look brand new.
And the projectors only adds to the "Off the Factory Floor" look. Can't wait to see an end result.
Few steps closer. Dremel helps a LOT on these things, makes hand sanding needed much less often. Need to get some primer and paint today
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/hidprogress5.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/hidprogress6.jpg)
aww man, that looks like eye boogers! LOL!
seriously, awesome progress!
Really nice !!!Needs a smaller light down lower in the corner,like a fog/driving light,to fill in the void.Awesome talent you have !! Two pats on the back ol' boy.
talent? First time using fiberglass really. Last December doesn't count as it took a week to dry and that was only to fill in the flutes to make molds.
On a related note, people always want to get clear lenses for their stock lights. Here's the perfect reason not to use our reflectors with a clear lens...it'll hot spot/glare exactly like this, just with half the light output and less annoyingly blue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXdn_4vjisE&NR=1
Basically, NOT GOOD.
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/CLEARSTOCK1.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/CLEARSTOCK2.jpg)
Primered/sanded them 3 times now and they're getting close to perfect. Just hitting the problem spot thats deep (to the left of the projector in the previous picture). Perhaps I should have tried body filler or putty, but I think it'll come along soon enough. A metal flake color could hide any imperfections (that I'd like to disappear altogether though), or I can go ahead with a solid black/silver. Ideas? Maybe a semi-flat black?
Where did you get those lenses?
Check out post #20 good sir.
http://foxtbirdcougarforums.com/showpost.php?p=152687&postcount=20
BTW Seek, nice work!
Joshua over at izntrbl.com vacuum formed them for me. I just made the molds, sent them to him, and he formed the 1/16" polycarbonate over what I gave him. I got the molds back to perfect them some more for future lenses (need to prime and sand them down a couple times to get rid of a couple dimples, and fill in the flutes a bit thicker). The difficulty on these and cougars' is about the same as the sunfire lenses, so he priced them equal.
Getting there. Its so close to being perfect, that I'm about to start forming the edges of the lenses for better fitment. Although the projectors look crooked in the picture, they're aimed correctly. Lenses are dusty, as can be seen.
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/hidprogress7.jpg)
Going to give silver a try, black looks kinda off between the other two lights.
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/hidprogress8.jpg)
photoshop greatness...silver
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/hidprogress9.jpg)
Whenever you are ready to sell lenses let me know :)
Sure, if you guys want to chip in enough to build a vacuum forming table (~$100), I will, otherwise have izntrbl.com make them (send molds to him exactly how you want the lexan formed over, minus the wax, I still haven't touched the tbird molds I plan on sending back to him). I'd love to build a setup, but don't have the money to spare at the moment, money's going out the same rate as its coming in. Outdoor electric grill, $10, decent-powered shopvac, $50+, aluminum, glass, wiring, etc for enclosure, $50. Then its just taking 2-3 hours to build the darn thing, and practicing a few times (it doesn't just work).
You have links to build threads on these things?
http://www.hidplanet.com/forums/index.php
Everybody there has it easy though...already clear headlights, plenty of depth, and room all around for cut up stainless steel bowls for shrouds. We're not so lucky. What you see here is all made up as I go along. If I used smaller projectors (TL's are one of the largest and have the best output, but many others come in close, especially with swapped lenses), it may have been slightly easier.
Silver looks much better, although the camera makes it look gray. Reflects a bit of light in person, no flash was used here.
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/hidprogress10.jpg)
Hey man thats some great work you've got going on there..
Think he would deal with tail lights at all?
All I want is the light to be the same texture throughout its length.
You know how they have that cougar emblem that is clear?
That is what I want to eliminate and just have it be red throughout and find someway to show my reverse lights.
I think he has trouble doing more than 2" of bent area, not enough vacuum to pull it tight. The sides of the taillights may not work - the part that wraps around the quarter panel. The rest is very easy though, so you never know. Just email him with a picture and ask, or even call and chat for a few minutes (or hours!).
Of course, it'll pick up any details on the front of the lens, and where it begins to wrap inward, which can be both a good and bad thing (needs to be a perfect mold).
---------
I got the lights aimed tonight, and it looks great from a distance. Both lights change color/flicker at the same eye level and were already perfectly horizontal (did that aiming last week) with the cutoff. My foglights added nothing to the road, just lots of glare up high where the headlights didn't shine. Now its just finishing up and trying to make it look decent where the fiberglass meets the housing.
night road pics?!?!
I'm about to seal them up from the front, so just hold on. Its nearing its conclusion!
Didn't work on them at all today.
Mold for rear enclosure/water guard is from a couple food cans - perfect size. Waiting for fiberglass to dry to finish them up, then I'll be enclosing the rear where the solenoid sticks out. The rest will be gooped up, front shroud is getting goop along the edges, then all will be painted over a final time (supposedly Goop can be painted, we'll see how that turns out). I'll run into a few issues along the way with attaching the lenses as the bottoms weren't bent in far enough, but it shouldn't be too bad. I think ballast mounting will be easy, although they do need to mounted away from water splash. Igniter is completely epoxied so no issue there. All should be fine with removing the airbox/battery during mounting.
rear covers complete and painted. I'm to the point of closing up the fronts. The lens on one side fits perfectly now, its just attaching everything.
I'd be done if the lens had better fitment on the bottom. Doing last minute fiberglass on the one edge. Cut the projector and its mount from the rear so I can easily pull it out and mount it back into place when needed (makes final painting much easier, now that the shroud is permanently attached to the housing). I can ALMOST fit the ballast inside the headlight itself.
Should all be finished tomorrow, if not later tonight. I need to find a huge empty lot with a long building to take comparison shots with the stock headlights (they're a year old, so still new). Ran into a problem with heat curing Friday's final primer coat outside before it was ready - the sun bubbled it.
Finished shots, just waiting for the paint to fully dry before driving in the dark/running longer than 10 minutes. Don't want any heat bubbles!
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/HID1.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/HID2.jpg)
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/HID3.jpg)
That looks good Matt!
I'm finally unique!
I'd like to get daylight pictures but its raining this second (where'd it come from?!). Its not much different than the earlier picture with the electrical tape holding the lenses on though. I'd "like" to make the rest of the lights clear, but it actually doesn't look terrible as it sits. We all know the corner lights are halfway clear/non-fresneled so going fluted, clear, fluted, clear on the front lights somewhat works.
Highbeams hooked up now; I had to do more painful wiring, with diodes and such. Found a drip of resin that got in the back when I was fiberglassing over the rear of the solenoids - it was making it stick. Alls back together now and drying ;)
My lowbeam wires and plugs for the 9004 bulbs are still hooked up so I can still do a comparison when weather allows. Highs got their relay snipped, when it turned out to be a different one I was going after (thought my lowbeam was one of my Bosch relays, but it was still the that came with the summit harness I bought long ago). May not bother doing a highbeam comparison, or I'll just wire a switch in straight from my fuse block to the headlights for the test.
Now just light up the bird and the front end will look really unique.
I don't think that'd look too great. Didn't someone do that before?
(http://home.comcast.net/~seekproj/HID4.jpg)
got a pic with the lights off?
wow that looks insane, makes it look so bad ass! now lower it and it will be sinister looking!
Not this second and its now dark. Use your imagination!
im tryin, but the fluted/smooth/fluted thing keeps killin my mental images :punchballs:
o man
That is sooo cool.