It's been a week off. Busy around here with other more pressing issues plus some dental surgery this week. Finally felt better enough to go to the garage and piddle a little this evening. I re-inforced my front lip with some beefy stiffeners, before it was just zip-tyed up. Permanently fixed and filled in the gap! I also installed the bullbar bracket which required more than bargained for. The license plate bolts were rusted in place and when I torqued on them the brackets on the backside ripped out of the bumper. This required complete disassembly of the bumper and drilling out the bolts from the backside. Awesome! Another 2 minute project turned 2 hour job. Never knew disassembling the bumper was so involved. If you haven't done it yet, Have fun!
Fixed now! Note the custom nameplate hidden inside the bumper!
Also while I was down & out, I ordered some POR-15 to treat the inside rust areas where I will not be adding new metal. My brother-in-law, an avid VW guy and all his buddys swear by this stuff.
I looked it up and did some research, I'm sold! I'll give it a try. at $30 a pint, it better be good! Maybe I'll give it a try tomorrow.
Applied the POR-15 to the drivers side rusty area today. Yep, this is some good stuff. It dries hard as steel. Real runny though kinda a PITA to apply. This is it after three coats.
Probably going to add another tomorrow as there is still a little brown rusty showing through. After the new metal gets welded in on the passenger side, I'll apply some there as well just as a
security measure. It says this stuff can be top coated but no need in this area, as long as it keeps my metal safe from rusting through I'm happy. Won't be seen behind the panels anyways.
Forgot a before pic. Can says no need to remove rust, But I hit it with a grinder and cleaned it up nice before applying. Also stripped away the seam sealer and made a nice clean area
for application. Washed down with acetone before painting.
Today saw the most progress of the past week or so. I have most all the body work wrapped up with the exception of the welding of the rusty area. Everything needs a final sand, prime etc.... but I'm getting there. Dents are gone! Except for the ones I find when I spray on the paint. Always miss one or two, but I'm not concerned. I didn't set out to do this much body work in the first place. But that's how it goes. I know the pictures look similar to my previous ones, but F_it I like posting pics of my progress, a lot really has gone down.
Also wrapped up the POR-15 experiment on the drivers side. About 6 coats, but I'm pleased with the results. This stuff is rock hard! If it ever rots out, I'll be very surprised. Found a little rot under the hatch seal, so I treated that too while I was at it!
I'm going to have to get some of that POR 15 the same stuff is happening to my wago. Also you think your lip will fit when you hook up the bull bar? You could try something like this if it doesn't fit.
Please tell me what you used to restore the valve cover. I watched RoRo's video on the valve cover restore, but their valve cover, although beautifully done, didn't seem to have the crinkle effect of factory that yours does. I know this is a very old post and I'm new here, but I loved the restore and attention to detail here. Thanks,
Kirk
So...Way back a couple of years ago I stopped at the gas station & parked by a Mugen CRX. I waited for the guy to come out and introduced myself and chatted for a bit. We then went our separate ways. I friended him on Facebook and he likes most of the Honda pics I post but that has been the extent of our contact. I get a message out of the blue two days ago. He says he has a friend looking for a wagon. (This was while I was out wetsanding the wagon in the above post btw) He tells me he does body & paint work for a living. I say "Buddy, come on by, lets chat, I'm out sanding my wagon." He does! Turns out he just lives about six miles from me. We chatted about all things Honda for quite a while. He says he would gladly swing by and help me weld up the wagon. Today he came to do just that! Before he came I made up some patch pieces to weld in.
Then he showed up and got right on it!
Then we filled it in with some fiberglass resin. Quit there for the day.
Me so happy Got my rust welded up & made a new Honda buddy! Great Day!
Happy 4th of July! What better way to spend a day off than in the garage working on the wagon. Sanded down the fiberglass and added in some glazing putty.
Sand again!
Added some seam sealer (JB Weld )To the patch panels.
Lookie what I just got home with! :cool: GR33K's HKS exhaust! The one tip is a little bent from his crash, but I'll beat on it a bit to see if i can get a little straighter. If not, It doesn't bother me that much. Finally I'll have dual tips on my wagon & quite possibly the only Auto 4WD wagon in the world with a custom HKS. Thanks to Josh and Chase for meeting up with him at ECHM to get this for me!
I just read through 14+ pages of your build over the last hour and a half... great progress over time. Can't wait to see it painted up! (subscribing now)
Comments
Fixed now! Note the custom nameplate hidden inside the bumper!
Also while I was down & out, I ordered some POR-15 to treat the inside rust areas where I will not be adding new metal. My brother-in-law, an avid VW guy and all his buddys swear by this stuff.
I looked it up and did some research, I'm sold! I'll give it a try. at $30 a pint, it better be good! Maybe I'll give it a try tomorrow.
http://www.por15.com
Probably going to add another tomorrow as there is still a little brown rusty showing through. After the new metal gets welded in on the passenger side, I'll apply some there as well just as a
security measure. It says this stuff can be top coated but no need in this area, as long as it keeps my metal safe from rusting through I'm happy. Won't be seen behind the panels anyways.
Forgot a before pic. Can says no need to remove rust, But I hit it with a grinder and cleaned it up nice before applying. Also stripped away the seam sealer and made a nice clean area
for application. Washed down with acetone before painting.
Also wrapped up the POR-15 experiment on the drivers side. About 6 coats, but I'm pleased with the results. This stuff is rock hard! If it ever rots out, I'll be very surprised. Found a little rot under the hatch seal, so I treated that too while I was at it!
BTW, it's not wet, its just really that shiny.
Let me know when you're ready to start another, i have a few that need attention!
Do you have to treat both sides of the rust or does it "soak" through the rust to nuetralize it?
Kirk
Then he showed up and got right on it!
Then we filled it in with some fiberglass resin. Quit there for the day.
Me so happy
Here is his CRX. Pretty sweet!
Great to see there are still people who are willing to get their hands dirty for someone else. I really like where this wagon is going!
Sand again!
Added some seam sealer (JB Weld
Time for POR-15 again!
Rust through now bitch!
Now just work in the tail light area & we should be good!
Was going to post one more finished POR-15 pic, but you got the idea.
And After:
Time to paint this baby! Hopefully by the weekend!
mine rusted in the EXACT same way.
That makes two of us!