** Acme [Akagi] bought a pink estate car - E30 325i project log! **

Invest yourself in a compressor. Managed to score a ABAC a39b for just £250 off marketplace. Made a little air dryer with some copper pipe and bought a couple of cheap spray guns to play about with. Bought some 2K primer, paint (for both Saab and Celica) and some 2k Lacquer. I would say I was £500 all in. The amount I have spent on spray cans over the years it makes sense as the paint by itself is cheap when compared to cans. I can also do a proper job when I come to underseal later.

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My Celica is starting to go the same way as your E30 although the colour is still good a lot of crazing and cracking in the lacquer. I am planning to spray all the individual panels in the garage and then get myself a Gazebo to do the rear quarters and roof.
 
Left hand side has as many shades as it does panels :D

I really like the E30 Touring, I know a spray is a big investment but it will transform the car

It looks like you've done a decent enough job on that quarter panel, have you considered doing the whole car a panel at a time?
 
I actually have a compressor but in this instance I just wanted to tidy up that one panel because it annoyed me, and I already had a few cans left over!

The finish doesn't stand up to closer scrutiny, it was a fairly lazy attempt. The pictures definitely make it look better! But thanks. :)

I've pondered painting the whole thing myself a few times, but I'm really not sure I have the focus or determination to do that. :p

Before a professional respray it will need a few bits of major welding re-doing, but it's still planned for "someday". It will definitely transform it.

I worry that DIY spraying the whole thing will make a professional respray considerably more expensive because of the additional prep that would be required?

I'm not sure what is in the arches, it was a long while ago. I have a feeling the front ones are just the factory stonechip which was cleaned and painted over. If not, it will be tetrosyl underguard. Which I cannot recommend.
 
Acme said:
I actually have a compressor but in this instance I just wanted to tidy up that one panel because it annoyed me, and I already had a few cans left over!

The finish doesn't stand up to closer scrutiny, it was a fairly lazy attempt. The pictures definitely make it look better! But thanks. :)

I've pondered painting the whole thing myself a few times, but I'm really not sure I have the focus or determination to do that. :p

Before a professional respray it will need a few bits of major welding re-doing, but it's still planned for "someday". It will definitely transform it.

I worry that DIY spraying the whole thing will make a professional respray considerably more expensive because of the additional prep that would be required?

I'm not sure what is in the arches, it was a long while ago. I have a feeling the front ones are just the factory stonechip which was cleaned and painted over. If not, it will be tetrosyl underguard. Which I cannot recommend.
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You can always do it in sections. I have done a bumper and a couple of wheels so far. As my Celica is off the road if I can do a panel a weekend. It will be done in time for the end of August.

I never thought in a million years to do proper spraying but practiced a bit on some scrap wings to get the settings right and it is really easy. A lot easier than using rattle cans tbh as lacquer will harden in a few hours with a heater in a garage and less chance of runs when set up good.
 
I shall continue to ponder, thanks. The other thing I hate about cans is the tendency for them to spatter near the end of the can (or sometimes, whenever...) which if you're doing basecoat, causes big problems... Lots of swearing lol. :D

I don't have a garage though, any painting gets done outside... The masking paper gets rained on, and I have to re-do some of the masking whenever I return to it...

Honestly, I recon if I had a garage big enough to work on the car, it would have been "finished" long ago. Because I would just go out and do little bits and pieces at night. :p

Lopéz said:
Left hand side has as many shades as it does panels :D
Click to expand...

The passenger door is the only original panel... :p
 
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It failed, but honestly, I'm really happy with the short list.

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Took it on a slightly longer route back from the centre, got stuck in traffic a little, it didn't even think about overheating. It is much improved. Also drives pretty much perfectly.

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CO was over by 0.16% which I attributed to the fact that the fuel is 2 or 3 years old, the tester agreed that would almost definitely be the issue, because, as we know, modern fuel doesn't stay good for long.

So I sucked it all out.

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(I have the back of the seat, I just keep forgetting to put it on)

Headlight adjusters are mostly all seized up. The one that controls height for the dipped beam on the drivers side was actually free though, but even after winding it up to the maximum, it was too low...

So I shimmed it.

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I'll call and book it for re-test tomorrow.
 
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