TEGGSRB18C1's 2013 2SS/RS 6MT life long build

[broshua]

Damn was I hoping this update was going to be a "finally got it home" post. That sucks you don't have your car back yet. Something holding them up from getting it in?

[TEGGSRB18C1]

Originally Posted by broshua

Damn was I hoping this update was going to be a "finally got it home" post. That sucks you don't have your car back yet. Something holding them up from getting it in?

I spoke to them last week about it. I emailed the shop manager about one of the rocker panel clear bra pieces being wrong and dropping the correct one off. I asked how the car was coming along and he responded with "ehhh, one of the cars that was supposed to be done is taking a little longer"...which I understand, I've worked in the automotive service industry, these things happen.

In that last pic you can just barely make out a blue Lexus ISF beside my car, it was fully repainted, hasn't been color sanded/buffed yet and it looks awesome. So I'm trying to be patient because I want my car to be perfect, I don't want to get rammy and then have them rush it just to get it done.

So we wait...

[TEGGSRB18C1]

Small update, work has started. The front bumper is stripped, filled, sanded and in primer. Didn't get a pic of it but they did a great job filling in those scratches on the underside. Obviously all rock chips are gone.

The fender is a good news/bad news story. The fender itself is fine, the tech I talked to had the utmost confidence he could get it straight but there is a bracket behind the fender that mounts to the body that is tweaked. To get it perfect, that needs replaced. They're also going to do some paintless dent removal on two different spots from the original owner.

[TEGGSRB18C1]

Another small update, OE replacement bracket installed. PDR is finished as well, there were two small dings on the passenger side door when I bought the car and one on the driver side quarter panel arch. Both are gone now. This thing should be pretty close to day 1 when it's finally assembled.

Shop manager said they would do a full detail on the car when it's done due to how long it's been there, plan is to never see it this dirty ever again.

[TEGGSRB18C1]

The shop manager sent me these and said the heritage grille turned out fine, they got whatever it was from the factory off of it. Like I said, it was some kind of weird "dust" for lack of a better term. This thing really needs a front splitter. I'd like to find an OEM 1LE splitter but they’re getting pretty hard to find, might just pick up the SLP version to match the rear spoiler.

[TEGGSRB18C1]

She’s almost done. Visited the shop today, the car is fully assembled and they were working on buffing out some of the wet sanding marks. They left a little bit of orange peel in the new paint so it matches the factory. They said it was going to be done by tomorrow but it’s supposed to rain for the next 4 days, so she comes home Monday evening.

[TEGGSRB18C1]

Finally finished. Overall, I'm pretty happy. They did clean it up but after spending 6 weeks there, I told them to skip the paint correction. The plan is to let the paint set up for a few weeks, then it's heading to a legit detail shop for a top down paint correction. It also needs inspected as it ran out while sitting at the body shop.

[TEGGSRB18C1]

Not really much of an update but just some pics I've taken over the past month or so since I've had it back.

Actually left work on time for once, came home and gave her the first wash since letting the paint cure.

[CamaroFan63]

Looking good, keep it going.... !

[TEGGSRB18C1]

Originally Posted by CamaroFan63

Looking good, keep it going.... !

Thank you and will do!

Here's my project for this month, I tried to get my old Pennsylvania DARE plate put on the car last year but I was told it wasn't possible. Fast forward to now and I spoke with a local notary who said it shouldn't be a problem, just have to fill out a form and present it along with the plate to the DMV, have it notarized and I should be good to go. So we'll see how it pans out but this plate belongs on this car. The standard PA plate is crap.

[TEGGSRB18C1]

So the plan was to have a legit detailer go over the car but I spoke to 3 different shops and none of them really seemed that interested in the work. So, I decided to take on the job myself. I’m a huge Obsessed Garage fan so I’m following their paint correction process start to finish.

These pics were pretty far along in the process. At this point the car was strip washed, soaked in iron remover, washed again, then clay sponged. Taped off all the chrome and trim, them started cutting the paint with Jescar correction compound and my old Porter Cable buffer. I’ll post pics of all the products I used later on.

[TEGGSRB18C1]

Coming along slowly but surely. I’ve had to get creative doing this paint correction, as I finish panels I have to seal them off from the rest of the car because the dust from cutting gets all over the finished parts. I also picked up an air compressor setup to blow the panels off in between passes.

[TEGGSRB18C1]

Picking these up next week, as I posted before, I was looking at the Nitto NT555 G2’s and I think these will do well for what I do with the car. I don’t race and I don’t want a lint roller kicking up every rock on the road onto the paint. My regular trips to the gym and around town cruising at stock power level doesn’t require Mickey Thompson’s.

Front: 285/35ZR20
Rear: 305/35ZR20

[TEGGSRB18C1]

I found these on eBay and I couldn’t pass on them. MRR FS05’s in ZL1/1LE specs. According to the description in the auction these were used for a photo shoot and put right back in the box. Shipped to my house $620.

Unfortunately one of the wheels was damaged in shipping but not badly, a chip on the backside of one the front wheels. I’ll have a local rim repair place take a look at it and hash the bill out with the carrier but again it’s not that bad.

Front 20x10 +23MM
Rear 20x11 +43MM