Something more Imaginative?
#202
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So, given the prospects of me buying a home, I figured it was in my best interest to make the at least a 'roller'. I'm sure my father would appreciate use of his jack stands as well.
But, being who I am, I simply could not bolt in rusty control arms. So, I pissed away a beautiful New England fall day in my employers shop obsessively refinishing parts no one will see or care about.
Originally I was going to sand blast the parts; however, a coworker seems to have indefinitely 'borrowed' the blast cabinet. So instead, I got to spend a lovely 3 hours with a grinder wire wheeling the scaling off the arms. Fun. The results:
![Name: bJVdmPi.jpg
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Once prepped and masked, it was time to move to the booth. I hope to never have to mask bushings again ... what a tedious task.
![Name: HVVrbaT.jpg
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Given the fact that I couldn't completely rid the arms of oxidation and I had a ton of the paint left over from a prior chassis painting effort, I decided to use SEM Rustshield which is 1000 hour salt spray tested (not that the car will see winters).
The paint is on the thicker side (think POR-15) so I cut it with some Enamel Reducer (per SEMs suggestion).
![Name: OoJNXoD.jpg
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Size: 662.4 KB](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/build-threads-57/238866d1683055991-something-more-imaginative-oojnxod.jpg)
...and the part all painted.
![Name: UVPmDL1.jpg
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Size: 469.6 KB](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/build-threads-57/238867d1683055991-something-more-imaginative-uvpmdl1.jpg)
And a friendly reminder: Guns don't lay killer paint jobs, people do.
![Name: DfMMp3s.jpg
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Size: 198.8 KB](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/build-threads-57/238869d1683055991-something-more-imaginative-dfmmp3s.jpg)
-Zach
But, being who I am, I simply could not bolt in rusty control arms. So, I pissed away a beautiful New England fall day in my employers shop obsessively refinishing parts no one will see or care about.
Originally I was going to sand blast the parts; however, a coworker seems to have indefinitely 'borrowed' the blast cabinet. So instead, I got to spend a lovely 3 hours with a grinder wire wheeling the scaling off the arms. Fun. The results:
![Name: bJVdmPi.jpg
Views: 14
Size: 709.8 KB](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/build-threads-57/238864d1683055991-something-more-imaginative-bjvdmpi.jpg)
Once prepped and masked, it was time to move to the booth. I hope to never have to mask bushings again ... what a tedious task.
![Name: HVVrbaT.jpg
Views: 13
Size: 651.9 KB](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/build-threads-57/238865d1683055991-something-more-imaginative-hvvrbat.jpg)
Given the fact that I couldn't completely rid the arms of oxidation and I had a ton of the paint left over from a prior chassis painting effort, I decided to use SEM Rustshield which is 1000 hour salt spray tested (not that the car will see winters).
The paint is on the thicker side (think POR-15) so I cut it with some Enamel Reducer (per SEMs suggestion).
![Name: OoJNXoD.jpg
Views: 12
Size: 662.4 KB](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/build-threads-57/238866d1683055991-something-more-imaginative-oojnxod.jpg)
...and the part all painted.
![Name: UVPmDL1.jpg
Views: 12
Size: 469.6 KB](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/build-threads-57/238867d1683055991-something-more-imaginative-uvpmdl1.jpg)
![Name: PdBPyOH.jpg
Views: 12
Size: 648.9 KB](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/build-threads-57/238868d1683055991-something-more-imaginative-pdbpyoh.jpg)
And a friendly reminder: Guns don't lay killer paint jobs, people do.
![Name: DfMMp3s.jpg
Views: 13
Size: 198.8 KB](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/build-threads-57/238869d1683055991-something-more-imaginative-dfmmp3s.jpg)
-Zach
#206
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Without a sandblast cabinet, removing the oxidation around all the gnarly mig welds, in the corners where the bushing barrels meet, and on the concave surfaces is truly tedious and required a combination of wire wheels, wire brushes, scotch pads, and various dremel bits.
After I was done, I questioned whether avoiding bushing removal really saved me any time. Had I removed them I could of 'dipped' the parts and sent them to the powdercoater. More money, but more valuable than my time? Perhaps not.
-Zach
Last edited by thasac; 09-22-2014 at 03:58 PM.
#207
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Minor/boring update (as a visual person, anything auto related without pictures is lame)
Front suspension is mostly n - all new hardware, Tein Monoflex cleaned up and installed, LE/R package tie-rods, RB hollow core bar with support blocks, etc. etc.
Ordered but not shipped:
- 1.8 caliper brackets
- 1.8 Centric Premium e-coated rotors
- 90-93 CarboTech XP8 pads (I paid the premium to avoid Hawks caustic dust)
- Timken wheel hubs
Should be a roller within the next week or so.
-Zach
Front suspension is mostly n - all new hardware, Tein Monoflex cleaned up and installed, LE/R package tie-rods, RB hollow core bar with support blocks, etc. etc.
Ordered but not shipped:
- 1.8 caliper brackets
- 1.8 Centric Premium e-coated rotors
- 90-93 CarboTech XP8 pads (I paid the premium to avoid Hawks caustic dust)
- Timken wheel hubs
Should be a roller within the next week or so.
-Zach
#211
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No significant updates as it is a balmy 16 degrees in the garage right now, but ... a few boxes of shiny goodness were waiting for me at my employers lobby this AM.
Glad I went with the "tungsten" finish as it, uh, ****! Huge thank you to Emilio (and team) for a delivering a killer product at an incredibly fair price. Obligatory money shots.
![Name: MsI1EY3.jpg
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Hopefully come May these shiny hunks of aluminum will be clad in r compound and bolted up to a (semi)functioning car. A man can dream.
Glad I went with the "tungsten" finish as it, uh, ****! Huge thank you to Emilio (and team) for a delivering a killer product at an incredibly fair price. Obligatory money shots.
![Name: MsI1EY3.jpg
Views: 14
Size: 606.0 KB](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/build-threads-57/238504d1683055875-something-more-imaginative-msi1ey3.jpg)
![Name: 3cSAhRK.jpg
Views: 13
Size: 571.8 KB](https://www.miataturbo.net/attachments/build-threads-57/238505d1683055875-something-more-imaginative-3csahrk.jpg)
Hopefully come May these shiny hunks of aluminum will be clad in r compound and bolted up to a (semi)functioning car. A man can dream.
#217
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Seriously, guys. That's some harsh *****. I lived in some cold places but it is a choice. You can live anywhere.
74 degrees today and 81 tomorrow. I'm going to the drag strip Saturday night an the track on January 25.
74 degrees today and 81 tomorrow. I'm going to the drag strip Saturday night an the track on January 25.