Took some time to refinish the heat shields, dash bar, and mounting brackets for the bumpers/fenders.
People keep asking me if this is meant to be a show car. Honestly, it's not. I'd like to blame it on my OCD, but I hate having to do things twice. I feel it's worth the extra effort to just refinish these few things while they are off the car. I don't exactly plan on rebuilding these cars every few years.
Used some original panels to compare the new finish.
This one was quick. I know you'll never see it, but I just hate how rusty it is behind the dash.
I need to buy an actual table to work outside.
I had asked the painter to mask the black trim that went around the door handle, but that didn't happen. It bothers me, but my brother was fine with it.
Mocked up the refinished bumper retainer. I love that "new" feel.
This is every last part that will be powder coated. I had my friend Jason (IG: godrifttoday) weld up the GKTech reinforcement plates on the subframe. I'll be taking detailed pictures of that as soon as I have it coated.
Part of the process in "restoring" the chassis, I would hate to run parts that look worn. These Greddy strut bars were in decent shape, but I knew a quick wet sand/polish would make them look amazing.
I also invested in a blasting cabinet from Harbor Freight. I know the earlier models leaked like crazy, but Harbor Freight's current version is actually way better than I expected. I had done a good bit of research before committing to the purchase and immediately upgraded the gun and caulked all of the inside. Other than upgrading the lighting and running a better seal on the door, this thing is great.
This will make blasting and powder coating smaller parts from home a breeze.
I have a few smaller pieces left to finish, but I'm glad the car is coming together.