Mishi's Blog: Making 701 great again
Posted: November 27th, 2017, 2:19 am
Well you know Uncle Mishi been lil absent off the forums these days with life and stuff, but I say lemme put a lil part story time for allyuh.
Now as most of you all know (and if you ent know, now you know) I own a rather "famous" known evo in the country by the title 701. If the number familiar, it should be: it was once owned by Mr Autosport himself: Rawle Mahabir.
Now I have owned the car for almost 10 years now... lots of ups and some downs... some days I thought of selling and then asked myself: "to buy what?"
Now being parked in the elements for years (say bout 12 years after it's first respray) and a couple drag and wind competitions, the car was in need of a lot of love. the exterior was so bad that I'd tell everyone it was "custom faded": you had to come close to see the condition. Bumper peeling of paint, carbon items flaking, a little rust spot (was a little but more on that later), my fender losing to a dog escaping a Chinese restaurant (Yes.. that happened.) and with a failed power steering pump and leaking engine seals etc, it was time for a revamp.
Luckily at that point I was able to undertake the task at hand... as I really didn't know if (or when) I would have if I didn't have the opportunity.
So after doing new timing belts, seals, a faulty wheel bearing and a power steering pump (which to this day I can't stop thanking "Swami" Dave for) it was time to get 701 looking great again
(I ent Republican eh... I just tief the joker phrase)
So first off, I needed to get the fender that was cracked years ago by my escaping Chinese dog repaired. My good friend at Aries Air Conditioning, Tobago offered to take on the task:
Doh mind the silver bomb spray... I know I wutless regardless but that was just to cover the aluminum from any oxidation at that point. Besides... it was about to go to the beautician that it would spend it's next few weeks:
If you watch it carefully, you'll see how bad it was... time to start the process:
This is when I came to the realization that my car was an aging 16 year old and not no spring assembly line chicken: There was more rust than I had seen or even noticed... the door drains rotted... the driver sill panel... and then I saw this hole in the light and rusted bumper tab. I also had small holes where the bottom rear windshield weatherstrip attached to the car.
Shocked? Heck yeah I was... but Terri (my painter) assured me that even though they were there, she could do a bang up job on them.
Yes.. I said "she"... as in a Lady.
As that was going on I decided to try something different in the looks department. Now this is going to divide the masses but I saw this lip on an evo on instagram... and I instantly wanted to try the look:
Anywayyyyyyy as work continued... you could see how bad this paint was after 12 years of sun and rain:
literal powder. But with that and washing down lil fiber glassing the areas too thin to brass or weld, it was masked and epoxy primed:
Our only real problem at this point was the vortex generator. Unfortunately, 3M is a VEEERRRYY good product and no matter what we did, we could not remove it... even with string technique. In fact, it started to cut into the thing and rather it break, I opted to leave it on. Now I really would have liked to get the whole roof done, but considering the issues to remove, I will leave it so until one day the thing breaks off completely... if it ever does. The oem paint is hidden and the roof is sound. That is all that matters.
Now... a lot of people asked: "Mishi, you going back in same blue?" Yes, blue.... no, not the same. I always wanted to go with the Blue from the Audi RS7: "nogaro blue".
Now this iteration of it was to come with a pearl, however I wasn't too keen on adding the types of other colors... I just wanted blue. So Terri said she had a surprise and that she'd show it after the other coats were applied:
Yes... SHE... is... a.... boss.
This was just base coat... I believe about 5 coats at the time. Then it was time to do some sealing clear:
Now... at this point, I "thought" it was all done. I really did. After the 3 coats of clear it looks brilliant. So brilliant I don't think I wanted to even have the thing buffed.
Buuut... she said: "I'm not done you know.... there's more:
This... is where the surprise came: "SBX7":
Hooooooryyy sheeeeettt!!!!!!!! HOOORRYYY SHEEEET!!!!!!! LOOK AT EEET!!!!!!
SBX7 was essentially just a pearl tinter paint in a metallic blue shade. the thing glitters like crazy. And AGAIN... I thought: "well that's it and I am MOOORE than happy... but she STILL ain't done... There was at least 3 layers of clear to go on AGAIN as a sealer.
Now mind you, Uncle Mishi mind blown like a crackhead overdosed on quality powder... but while that was going on, some goodies arrived:
Now for some time, I believed my suspension was in need on replacing: the struts and the bushings. And in doing those checks, i realized that I needed some rear slotted rotors... and for the heck of it, I'd just get a set cause... well, you know: rear slots might kinda look stupid with blanks in front.
And thankfully, I was able to purchase some fortune auto 500 coilovers compliments of DRL Performance... (743-3328) and these awesome DBA rotors from Teknet (625 8638). Many thanks to them by the way for the assistance given.
Now, while I would like to change the bushings, (superpro being the choice) it's way out of my budget for this time. next year though around this time, a new set will be installed. But anyway, onwards:
We decided that in the interim, the calipers would of course be repainted. Can't have the car looking good and those damn things looking so crappy. So after a few hours installing the new suspension (and good thing too: 3 of the 4 shocks were shockingly dead), Terri worked her magic on the calipers:
And when that was done, she got to work on wet sanding the car again for the final layers of clear.
Before you ask: She's married. behave allyuhself... right. and juuuuuuust in case you dunno what she can do, THIS is her ride:
C33 RB26DETT painted in midnight purple. And yes, she loves to race, ride bikes etc too. (Refer to the "she already married" part above)
I SAY ALLYUH BEHAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well... with all this looong journey the car is just about 80% completed paint wise. As we speak it's being buttoned up and allowed to bake in the sun a couple days before final reassembly and setting final ride height etc. Now I was banned from posting any other pictures of the car until it's complete... so when it's done completely, I will edit the post and allow the new ones.
But hold this... (allyuh do NOT tell her I post it eh... she will KILL me. Allyuh keep Uncle Mishi alive to drive)
701's come a long way and while many of the other well known evos... much less cars in this nation have gotten a lot of makeovers, this one was LOOONG overdue.
Wanna just thank importantly:
Terri-Lee (TN MODIFIERS https://www.facebook.com/groups/1609213236037225 )
Jerome Atkins for the repair works to the car
Mark Guppy (Aries Air conditioning: 687 0535)
Daniel Lee (DRL Performance https://www.facebook.com/DrlPerformanceAuto/?ref=br_rs )
Gerrard Maraj "W2J" (Teknet Performance https://www.facebook.com/teknetperformance/?ref=br_rs )
Dave (Swami... THANK YOU!!!!)
Jon Marc Arnold and Kevern Jack (Fras) for bringing the stuff up for me
Perfect Tint.( https://www.facebook.com/Perfectint.Shaun )
Noel Washington for the decals
Anyway, with that... laters!
Now as most of you all know (and if you ent know, now you know) I own a rather "famous" known evo in the country by the title 701. If the number familiar, it should be: it was once owned by Mr Autosport himself: Rawle Mahabir.
Now I have owned the car for almost 10 years now... lots of ups and some downs... some days I thought of selling and then asked myself: "to buy what?"
Now being parked in the elements for years (say bout 12 years after it's first respray) and a couple drag and wind competitions, the car was in need of a lot of love. the exterior was so bad that I'd tell everyone it was "custom faded": you had to come close to see the condition. Bumper peeling of paint, carbon items flaking, a little rust spot (was a little but more on that later), my fender losing to a dog escaping a Chinese restaurant (Yes.. that happened.) and with a failed power steering pump and leaking engine seals etc, it was time for a revamp.
Luckily at that point I was able to undertake the task at hand... as I really didn't know if (or when) I would have if I didn't have the opportunity.
So after doing new timing belts, seals, a faulty wheel bearing and a power steering pump (which to this day I can't stop thanking "Swami" Dave for) it was time to get 701 looking great again
(I ent Republican eh... I just tief the joker phrase)
So first off, I needed to get the fender that was cracked years ago by my escaping Chinese dog repaired. My good friend at Aries Air Conditioning, Tobago offered to take on the task:
Doh mind the silver bomb spray... I know I wutless regardless but that was just to cover the aluminum from any oxidation at that point. Besides... it was about to go to the beautician that it would spend it's next few weeks:
If you watch it carefully, you'll see how bad it was... time to start the process:
This is when I came to the realization that my car was an aging 16 year old and not no spring assembly line chicken: There was more rust than I had seen or even noticed... the door drains rotted... the driver sill panel... and then I saw this hole in the light and rusted bumper tab. I also had small holes where the bottom rear windshield weatherstrip attached to the car.
Shocked? Heck yeah I was... but Terri (my painter) assured me that even though they were there, she could do a bang up job on them.
Yes.. I said "she"... as in a Lady.
As that was going on I decided to try something different in the looks department. Now this is going to divide the masses but I saw this lip on an evo on instagram... and I instantly wanted to try the look:
Anywayyyyyyy as work continued... you could see how bad this paint was after 12 years of sun and rain:
literal powder. But with that and washing down lil fiber glassing the areas too thin to brass or weld, it was masked and epoxy primed:
Our only real problem at this point was the vortex generator. Unfortunately, 3M is a VEEERRRYY good product and no matter what we did, we could not remove it... even with string technique. In fact, it started to cut into the thing and rather it break, I opted to leave it on. Now I really would have liked to get the whole roof done, but considering the issues to remove, I will leave it so until one day the thing breaks off completely... if it ever does. The oem paint is hidden and the roof is sound. That is all that matters.
Now... a lot of people asked: "Mishi, you going back in same blue?" Yes, blue.... no, not the same. I always wanted to go with the Blue from the Audi RS7: "nogaro blue".
Now this iteration of it was to come with a pearl, however I wasn't too keen on adding the types of other colors... I just wanted blue. So Terri said she had a surprise and that she'd show it after the other coats were applied:
Yes... SHE... is... a.... boss.
This was just base coat... I believe about 5 coats at the time. Then it was time to do some sealing clear:
Now... at this point, I "thought" it was all done. I really did. After the 3 coats of clear it looks brilliant. So brilliant I don't think I wanted to even have the thing buffed.
Buuut... she said: "I'm not done you know.... there's more:
This... is where the surprise came: "SBX7":
Hooooooryyy sheeeeettt!!!!!!!! HOOORRYYY SHEEEET!!!!!!! LOOK AT EEET!!!!!!
SBX7 was essentially just a pearl tinter paint in a metallic blue shade. the thing glitters like crazy. And AGAIN... I thought: "well that's it and I am MOOORE than happy... but she STILL ain't done... There was at least 3 layers of clear to go on AGAIN as a sealer.
Now mind you, Uncle Mishi mind blown like a crackhead overdosed on quality powder... but while that was going on, some goodies arrived:
Now for some time, I believed my suspension was in need on replacing: the struts and the bushings. And in doing those checks, i realized that I needed some rear slotted rotors... and for the heck of it, I'd just get a set cause... well, you know: rear slots might kinda look stupid with blanks in front.
And thankfully, I was able to purchase some fortune auto 500 coilovers compliments of DRL Performance... (743-3328) and these awesome DBA rotors from Teknet (625 8638). Many thanks to them by the way for the assistance given.
Now, while I would like to change the bushings, (superpro being the choice) it's way out of my budget for this time. next year though around this time, a new set will be installed. But anyway, onwards:
We decided that in the interim, the calipers would of course be repainted. Can't have the car looking good and those damn things looking so crappy. So after a few hours installing the new suspension (and good thing too: 3 of the 4 shocks were shockingly dead), Terri worked her magic on the calipers:
And when that was done, she got to work on wet sanding the car again for the final layers of clear.
Before you ask: She's married. behave allyuhself... right. and juuuuuuust in case you dunno what she can do, THIS is her ride:
C33 RB26DETT painted in midnight purple. And yes, she loves to race, ride bikes etc too. (Refer to the "she already married" part above)
I SAY ALLYUH BEHAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well... with all this looong journey the car is just about 80% completed paint wise. As we speak it's being buttoned up and allowed to bake in the sun a couple days before final reassembly and setting final ride height etc. Now I was banned from posting any other pictures of the car until it's complete... so when it's done completely, I will edit the post and allow the new ones.
But hold this... (allyuh do NOT tell her I post it eh... she will KILL me. Allyuh keep Uncle Mishi alive to drive)
701's come a long way and while many of the other well known evos... much less cars in this nation have gotten a lot of makeovers, this one was LOOONG overdue.
Wanna just thank importantly:
Terri-Lee (TN MODIFIERS https://www.facebook.com/groups/1609213236037225 )
Jerome Atkins for the repair works to the car
Mark Guppy (Aries Air conditioning: 687 0535)
Daniel Lee (DRL Performance https://www.facebook.com/DrlPerformanceAuto/?ref=br_rs )
Gerrard Maraj "W2J" (Teknet Performance https://www.facebook.com/teknetperformance/?ref=br_rs )
Dave (Swami... THANK YOU!!!!)
Jon Marc Arnold and Kevern Jack (Fras) for bringing the stuff up for me
Perfect Tint.( https://www.facebook.com/Perfectint.Shaun )
Noel Washington for the decals
Anyway, with that... laters!
