Okay Chris i say get the rear all blacked out, it will give it that sinister look when people drive up on you!! Paint it on don't use vinyl!

Tim that was my next thing planned! Im going with vinyl for now just incase I get tired of it (doubt I will but I change my mind at times). If I end up really liking it paint would be the next step :thumbsup:

:word:

Looks awesome Chris!!

Thanks Kevin, slowly coming together :D

Update:
Did this a few weeks ago and forgot to include this. Found numerous scratches and marks on the car I had to correct. Pretty much a novice at correcting paint but id say I did a really good job with it.

This what my write up on it :)

I probably should have done a video but i think pictures work just as good. After I corrected my paint couple of days ago a few people asked if i could show the process..

Heres a look at how it works. Im not a pro at any kind of body work so for me to get the paint corrected this well means that anyone can do this.

I had a scratch that went right across the top of the wheel well by the hood. Note: all the scratches ive fixed where from either sitting on the dealers lot of from the previous owner since i purchased this used.
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2163.jpg

You first want to clean the area well, getting all the dirt and grime off before you start the wet sand process.

Next you take pad #1 which is the most coarse and spray the lubricant spray on both the pad and the area you are going to wet sand.
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2164.jpg
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2165.jpg

Its recommended that after 30 passes you should stop and wipe off the spray to see what it looks like after the first pass with #1. If its still pretty deep you can re spray and go for another 30 passes. Also make sure to not press hard on the paint, you need some to very little pressure when moving the pad back and fourth. This is what mine looked like after 30 passes with pad #1, 3x
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2166.jpg

Next you will follow to pad #2 which is a finer grade wet sand. Again like pad #1, you will spray both the area and pad before you start attacking the area.
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2167.jpg
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2168.jpg

Next you move the pad #3 and repeat the process and use and even finer pad
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2169.jpg
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2170.jpg

Lastly, you use the last grade pad #4 which is the finest of them all and repeat.
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2171.jpg
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2172.jpg

As you can see, after using all 4 pads the scratch has went from looking really deep to almost flush with the paint/clear coat. The paint is going to look dull and scratched up pretty good but thats where the next step comes in.
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2173.jpg

After sanding you want to use a paint clarifying compound, such as the one that was supplied in the turtlewax scratch kit i used.
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2174.jpg

You want to then shake it up well and then apply some to a micro fiber towel. In my case i didnt need alot on this one area but if you have a larger area that you sanded down you will want to use more.
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2175.jpg

Apply it over the area and then use some elbow grease and really work the compound into the paint for about a minute. You will need to do this step a few times depending on how much you sanded the surface but it does bring back the shine to the car.

As you can see here the scratch is completely gone and looks like it was never even there. I cant even find where it was on the car anymore because it fixed it up really well.
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2178.jpg

Heres another angle of it
http://i642.photobucket.com/albums/u...g/IMG_2177.jpg

Hope this helps anyone who might have any kind of scratches or marks that they might want to try fixing themselves. I got the kit online from autobarn for about 13$ and received it within 3 days time. Im sure any local auto part place will have something similar or the same product since its made by turtle wax.

Thanks :thumbsup:

you did a great job on that scratch. I would never have taken sand paper to my paint....I would let someone else professionally do it and I couldn't be there to watch.

looks awesome! i love the seats...i wish mine were like those aside from all black. keep it up!!

Great build man! I was hoping you would start a build thread.

Thanks!, yeah i normally dont get to involved in doing automotive paint correction since im not a pro, but ive seen plenty of videos on youtube of others who have done the same thing and made me feel a little more confortable about taking sandpaper to the paint.

Thanks! i love the IOM/black combo seats. My old 2lt/rs was black/grey and as much as i like it.. it was a pain to keep clean since you could always see the dirt.
Thanks man!

Awesome start. That CGM looked awesome. Glad you got to upgrade, I had wanted to do the same but I've gone too far in mods that there's no turning back. haha. I'll be watching this thread.

Great write up Chris for folks who don't know how to do this, maybe more people will get into all phases of working on their car including paint correction!

Good looking Car! You had me worried when I saw the pics of you going to put sandpaper on your car! I was saying to myself, no, oh no!:facepalm: But it turned out really good! Good job!:thumbsup:

Thanks! Yeah I was really liking my look of the CGM. Luckily I wasn't to deep into mods, mainly it was minor cosmetic. I think if I was engine deep I wouldn't have made the upgrade.


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