Re: 944 Turbo Respray - Progress Log
Posted: Fri Mar 15, 2024 12:41 pm
Shorter update for today. As with anything in life and cars, not everything works out perfectly.
When I bought the car, the sunroof had a few chunks taken out of it. I ended up purchasing a Saratoga top and thought "I don't need this anymore" and threw out the old sunroof panel. Luckily I stripped off the interior panel, hinges and all hardware first. Saratoga tops are very nice. However, they have their flaws, such as squeaking, wind noise and in the NC summer, they let in A LOT of heat (even after having them tinted). So, I bought a used sunroof panel online, knowing I would have the car resprayed someday. Unfortunately, after prepping for primer, Ron found a crack. Thankfully, this crack was easily repairable and Ron is confident it will hold up and not be an issue. This sunroof panel will only be used for a few hottest months in the summer anyway.
All fixed! For uh-oh number 2. Backstory - the car must have been tapped in the rear at some point in it's life. Both of the rear bumper end caps were deformed and bulging from the sides. I purchased 2 used caps online. Unfortunately, one had a crack after sanding. Ron could very well fix this, but he is worried that this might show a few years down the road. I was able to quickly order a new one from Plyhammer's parts and Mark is sending directly to Ron for me. Yes - I did think about going with a Euro bumper....for about 30 seconds. Let's face it, people don't know how to drive these days - mainly because people insist on phone usage while driving. While the Euro bumpers do look better than the US bumpers (in my opinion), there's no doubt that they would offer much less protection from a 5mph tap. That could end up bending the frame of the car from the slightest tap. No thanks - I'll stick with the US bumper, bumper shocks and pads.
After 170K miles, the mirrors looked like the surface of the moon. Now they are all sanded down smooth and ready for primer. Lastly - bumper is ready for primer! Ron is moving to the body next. More to come soon!
When I bought the car, the sunroof had a few chunks taken out of it. I ended up purchasing a Saratoga top and thought "I don't need this anymore" and threw out the old sunroof panel. Luckily I stripped off the interior panel, hinges and all hardware first. Saratoga tops are very nice. However, they have their flaws, such as squeaking, wind noise and in the NC summer, they let in A LOT of heat (even after having them tinted). So, I bought a used sunroof panel online, knowing I would have the car resprayed someday. Unfortunately, after prepping for primer, Ron found a crack. Thankfully, this crack was easily repairable and Ron is confident it will hold up and not be an issue. This sunroof panel will only be used for a few hottest months in the summer anyway.
All fixed! For uh-oh number 2. Backstory - the car must have been tapped in the rear at some point in it's life. Both of the rear bumper end caps were deformed and bulging from the sides. I purchased 2 used caps online. Unfortunately, one had a crack after sanding. Ron could very well fix this, but he is worried that this might show a few years down the road. I was able to quickly order a new one from Plyhammer's parts and Mark is sending directly to Ron for me. Yes - I did think about going with a Euro bumper....for about 30 seconds. Let's face it, people don't know how to drive these days - mainly because people insist on phone usage while driving. While the Euro bumpers do look better than the US bumpers (in my opinion), there's no doubt that they would offer much less protection from a 5mph tap. That could end up bending the frame of the car from the slightest tap. No thanks - I'll stick with the US bumper, bumper shocks and pads.
After 170K miles, the mirrors looked like the surface of the moon. Now they are all sanded down smooth and ready for primer. Lastly - bumper is ready for primer! Ron is moving to the body next. More to come soon!