so doing this piece by piece and at different times, are you having any trouble with your colors matching? i've been told that it's best to paint all sections at one time even if they are off of the car b/c eventhough you are using the same paint, the various elements (temp, humidity, etc.) will have an affect on exact color match...i plan on painting my vehicle myself and thought i would use the same method as you... also, when sanding the roof, did you use just a DA sander or did you sand by hand? what grit paper did you use? in getting into those hard to reach spots, would it be ok to sand by hand? i also noticed that you had two guns..what is the difference in the two and what purpose does each serve?
btw, good job...car looks great.
It doesn't appear that I am having any problems with the color matching. I bet a true pro would see a very slight diffence but I don't see any. I used a DA w/ 120 grit on the roof to get the bulk off. Be very careful near the edges as you can sand right into the SMC and create flat spots. For tight areas, I just sanded by hand. 1 gun is just smaller than the other and can be used to do touch ups easier than the big gun. So far, the big gun has been my friend thru the whole paint job.
I didn't get a whole lot of anything done today because it has been raining all daum day.
After looking closely at the roof today, I decided I am not happy with the way the paint laid and I see some dark spots. I also meesed up a spot on the clear when I was un-masking. I am going to re-sand it tomorrow and re-shoot the whole roof.
For some reason I seem to be destined to not get my new windshield installed.
They came out yesterday to install the new windshield. The installer removed my old one and then dry fitted the new one. The molding he had was extremely wide to say the least. It was 1" wide and I told him that he would have to use a different molding cause that was just wayyyyy too wide. It was soo wide that it would not let the windshield sit down into it's place. He agreed with me and said he would come back today with some different molding. Today he comes with some muchhhh better molding, lays out the glue and the spacers that keep the widshield depth. He goes to his truck, pulls out the new glass, brings it into the garage and the suction cup that he was using to carry it, came off and the glass dropped and broke. He called into his supplier and they told him that that was the only one they had. Now he has to find a new piece of glass from somewhere else. It may very well be next week sometime before he gets it.
is that the TLG Sub in the center console? If so how do you like it?
I'm not sure who the manufacturer is. It has been in the car for about 5 years now. It says Thumper 350 in the front of it. As for how do I like it... It's OK I guess. I'm not overly impressed with it and I know there are much better subs out there. At the time, it was what I could afford and I plan on completely upgrading the whole sound system in the future.
For some reason I seem to be destined to not get my new windshield installed.
They came out yesterday to install the new windshield. The installer removed my old one and then dry fitted the new one. The molding he had was extremely wide to say the least. It was 1" wide and I told him that he would have to use a different molding cause that was just wayyyyy too wide. It was soo wide that it would not let the windshield sit down into it's place. He agreed with me and said he would come back today with some different molding. Today he comes with some muchhhh better molding, lays out the glue and the spacers that keep the widshield depth. He goes to his truck, pulls out the new glass, brings it into the garage and the suction cup that he was using to carry it, came off and the glass dropped and broke. He called into his supplier and they told him that that was the only one they had. Now he has to find a new piece of glass from somewhere else. It may very well be next week sometime before he gets it.
ARGGGGGHHHHHH!
My SafeLite guy didn't use no sissy suction cups!
It will get done Jim, just remember what I told you about not letting the installer jam the glass into the upper corners...
If you haven't gotten the new glass in yet, take the time to shoot your VIN plate black, then lightly sand off the paint leaving the VIN numbers silver and then shoot it with some clear to prevent rust on the numbers, (it's a steel plate)/ It's a nice detail that does get noticed later...trust me.
[This message has been edited by randye (edited 07-02-2009).]
If you haven't gotten the new glass in yet, take the time to shoot your VIN plate black, then lightly sand off the paint leaving the VIN numbers silver and then shoot it with some clear to prevent rust on the numbers, (it's a steel plate)/ It's a nice detail that does get noticed later...trust me.
That's an awesome idea! I'll have to remember that.
Originally posted by randye: It will get done Jim, just remember what I told you about not letting the installer jam the glass into the upper corners...
I'm about to have a windshield done, what do you mean by this? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The UPS guy delivered my new sunroof tracks from the Fiero Store Today.
Here is a little review of them in case some of you ever want to replace yours. They are a well made part but they do require some work before you can install them. They do not lay flat into where they need to go. You will have to bend/tweek them a bit to get them to lay flat. They also do not come with the rivet holes pre-drilled. You will have to take some careful measurements and drill them yourself. The bolt areas are there already and they lined up fine. Other than that, they are a well made part.
Also a little advice... After you drill out the rivet holes, spay some rustoleum around the new holes to help prevent future rust. I plan to lay a small bead of black silicone underneath (down the center) of each track. The stock tracks had some kind of double sided tape on the bottom but I figure the silicone will work also.
If you take the necessary rust precautions, the new tracks should last a good long time.
I'm about to have a windshield done, what do you mean by this? ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
The first windshield I had installed by Safelite, the installer jammed the glass with the molding installed on it very firmly into the upper corners at the roofline. This causes the rubber molding to buckle slightly in the corners and it will never lay down correctly. I called and complained to Safelite after the rubber didn't lay down properly after a few days in the heat, (like the first installer swore it eventually would) The second installer that came out had experience with Fieros and noted that the first guy had jammed the glass and molding too hard into the upper corners which causes the aforementioned problem. He removed the glass and reinstalled it properly... VOILA! A world of difference immediately. I was told that the "trick" is to align the glass and molding and drop in down in place leaving approx. 3/8 to 1/4 inch to move it up, and then GENTLY move it slightly upward into place, just so the molding seats in the upper corners correctly. They then tape the glass in position until the urethane sealant hardens.
[This message has been edited by randye (edited 07-02-2009).]
The UPS guy delivered my new sunroof tracks from the Fiero Store Today.
Here is a little review of them in case some of you ever want to replace yours. They are a well made part but they do require some work before you can install them. They do not lay flat into where they need to go. You will have to bend/tweek them a bit to get them to lay flat. They also do not come with the rivet holes pre-drilled. You will have to take some careful measurements and drill them yourself. The bolt areas are there already and they lined up fine. Other than that, they are a well made part.
Also a little advice... After you drill out the rivet holes, spay some rustoleum around the new holes to help prevent future rust. I plan to lay a small bead of black silicone underneath (down the center) of each track. The stock tracks had some kind of double sided tape on the bottom but I figure the silicone will work also.
If you take the necessary rust precautions, the new tracks should last a good long time.
You may want to rethink the silicone idea... it has acids in it and will corrode the sheet metal... The best bet is to use a urethane sealant as it doesnt have the acid... Chuck
I hope you all don't mind but i'm going to go off on a rant here.
I understand that all of us are always trying to get a good deal and the cheapest price possible, but like the old adage says... you get what you pay for.
First off, a bit of advice to all of you. Go with a name brand shop to have glass installed. Don't use the local fly by night company just to save a buck or two.
After the first two miss-haps with the windshield. They come out today to try for the third time. This time the owner of the company came with them and this was one of the rudest people I have ever met. If this was my boss, I would have quit and kicked his ass, all in the same punch. This guy was sloppy with his work and it seemed like he was wanting to get the glass installed as fast as possible. The other guy who came the first two time was cautious knowing that the car had fresh paint. The owner, however, was just slopping the glue everywhere. While he was walking back and forth I was using my finger the remove the glue he had gotten all over my fresh paint. His comment to me was "If you keep messing with it, you own it". My first thought was... "I do own it"!!! I wasn't even touching the glass at all. He then said "just leave it alone and let us do our job".
The whole time he was installing the glass he kept commenting on how he hates Fiero's and that they are a pain in the ass to work on. This alone was pissing me off, not to mention that I was already ticked off about the way he was speaking to me.
After the glass was in place and the molding was on, the first guy got in the car to put my rear view mirror on. The glass came with a pre-installed mount already glued onto the glass. Low and behold, my mirror don't fit the mount. The owner tried feeding me a line of bullshit like I have no clue about Fiero's. He told me they have 2 different part numbers for the glass and each used a different mirror mount. I asked him what I was supposed to do about a mirror now? He got all pissy and pulled the mirror out of his Chevy van and said "There, now you have a mirror". WHAT THE FRENCH!!! An old frigging Chevy van mirror!!! I informed him I was building a show car not some jalopy!
He then pulled out the bill and he had added $15.00 to it for the molding! I told him I wasn't paying for the molding. I booked this appointment 3 weeks ago and they should have brought the correct molding the first time. He said that they brought aftermarket molding and I "chose" not to have them use it. I told him that even his installer didn't want to use it cause it was too wide and would not allow the glass to set down into place correctly. I also told him that the lady who took my appointment assured me that the glass and molding were to OEM specs and that the glass was PPG glass. The glass they brought was not PPG glass. It is made by some company called FY. He said "That lady is my wife and she would not have said that cause she wouldn't even know what OEM means". I told him that I didn't care who the lady was and that if she doesn't know what OEM means then she has no business answering the phone!!!!!
He said "Fine, just pay the agreed upon $200.00 and be happy with the fact that you won".
Now I'm fuming mad at this guys attitude all together since the time he got out of his van. At about this time, Blueii called and I had to tell him I would call him back cause I was fighting with the glass installers. I said all of this right in front of them. After hanging up with Blueii, I was ready to throw down and I got downright nasty with the guy. I gave him his $200 and thanked him for the crappy ass van mirror and all the trouble to get a friggin windshield replaced!
He gave me my receipt and left in a huff.
If this guy is ticked at his wife for not ordering the correct molding in the first place then he needs to take it up with her. If he is ticked at his installer for breaking the first windshield, then he needs to take it up with him. I, as a consumer, don't need his bullshit attitude and problems. I also don't wanna hear him bitchin about how crappy Fiero's are. I also don't want his crappy ass van mirror. I want my pristine Fiero mirror that I bought 2 years ago.
The guy who came out the first two times was polite and courteous and I never showed him a bit of attitude or complained when he broke the glass. I was understanding of the whole situation. I was disapointed that the glass was not in but never gave the installer any **** about it.
Well I guess my rant is done. I apologize to you all for venting here on the forum but I'm just pissed off at this guy.
The good news is that the glass is finally in and I took the advice of Randye and painted the vin plate black and then sanded the black off the numbers so they would be silver. Thanks for the tip Randye. It looks great!
[This message has been edited by JimmyS (edited 07-03-2009).]
Don't worry, in an economy like this, he won't be in business too long. Just think, your tax dollars can support him him instead!
Isn't it sad when the customer has to feel like an ass to just get what he paid for? This is exactly why I started working on my own car. It's cheaper, and I usually do a better job.. Not only that, but at least when it goes wrong, I know I'm to blame.
I think that's the fiero difference, many of us tend to be "do-it-yourself"ers..
Thats why I'm going with these guys and putting in my own damned windshield. I CANNOT trust anyone with my paint job right now. At least if it gets scratched, it is my fault. This company allows you to pick up the windshield at locations close to you and it is $120 for the glass.
. . . Isn't it sad when the customer has to feel like an ass to just get what he paid for? This is exactly why I started working on my own car. It's cheaper, and I usually do a better job.. Not only that, but at least when it goes wrong, I know I'm to blame.
I think that's the fiero difference, many of us tend to be "do-it-yourself"ers..
I am finding this out to be true with just about every aspect of fiero ownership
Jimmy, I believe that you handled that better than I would have. I have no tolerance for bad customer service I can understand that things happen outside our control and I am more than willing to work with you until we reach a solution that we both can agree on. But I do not think that I could have taken someone stepping on my property with that kind of stank attitude.
[This message has been edited by BMTFIERO (edited 07-03-2009).]
i cant stand people like that. hes not a car guy. you can tell. hes just trying to get by and make the most money he can without gettin into any lawsuits. what a jerk. is your paint okay?
The paint seems to be undamaged. I removed all the glue before it set up.
This is a pic of the manufactures label on the glass. Doesn't look like it says PPG to me.
Vin Plate
Overall pic of the glass. The molding is larger than stock but it is only half the size of the first molding they brought. I can live with this size molding.
I got the whole front end completely re-assembled tonight. I had left the front fenders, wipers and wiper cowl off to make the glass installation easier and to protect as much of my paint as possible.
[This message has been edited by JimmyS (edited 07-04-2009).]
i commend your patience and ability to control your temper. I would have lost it and told the guy to take his crap and get the hell off my property. On an unrelated note, nice pressure washer, i have the same one.
------------------ 1986 Coupe w/ Duke 1987 GT w/ F355 kit & L67 Swap
I wasn't going to do this but I am overflowing with friggin rage right at the moment. So.......
Here is this pricks info:
A Plus Auto Glass 13460 Rickenbacker PKWY Unit 4 Ft. Myers, FL. 33913 Phone: 239-851-2009 Fax: 239-303-1810 Federal Tax ID: 80-0345679 E-Mail: aplusautoglass@ymail.com
Have at it CoolBlue and anyone else who cares to F%$# with this A-HOLE
Look at this way, Instead of PPG, (Pittsburg Plate Glass), you got "Peking Plate Glass" Although I do like the "Fook Yu" brand.
It would be a real shame if that new windshield got hit by a rock and cracked and had to be replaced by insurance.....with real PPG glass by somebody like, oh say, SafeLite I would NEVER advocate doing something like that on purpose, because that just be wrong...just sayin'.....
Look at this way, Instead of PPG, (Pittsburg Plate Glass), you got "Peking Plate Glass" Although I do like the "Fook Yu" brand.
It would be a real shame if that new windshield got hit by a rock and cracked and had to be replaced by insurance.....with real PPG glass by somebody like, oh say, SafeLite I would NEVER advocate doing something like that on purpose, because that just be wrong...just sayin'.....
That would be fine and dandy except for 1 thing. My insurance won't cover it cause I don't have comprehensive.
Well I took a short break from the car to clear my head.
Today I got the new sunroof tracks and weather strip installed.
Here are some pics as the car sits right now...
I was up till 1:30am last night finishing the sanding on the rear clip and side scoops. I had to sand all the black off of the side scoops cause it was just rattle can primer.
Here is the rear clip and scoops ready for primer...
Let me tell you, sanding off that many layers of clear, paint and primer is not an easy task but I know it's for the best. Putting another layer of paint on top of 6 other layers just isn't a good idea.
In about an hour, I will be priming the rear clip and side scoops. I should have some more pics later on tonight.
Very nice sir. Looks a lot like my paint build in TD & Q. I had a question regarding your sunroof assembley, I Also got new sunroof tracks from the fiero store, just curious as to what you used rivets im assuming but what size and where did you get them? I can't seem to find the right
[This message has been edited by olaf_fiero27 (edited 07-09-2009).]
