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This tutorial is to show you how to prepare your vehicle for a respray. This is just the bodywork involved in "preparing your canvas" for lucious shiney to be applied.

DISCLAIMER:
This tutorial is written by myself using knowledge I have gained by doin this to my own vehicle. I have absolutely no formal training. This knowledge was gained through asking questions, Google research, and just giving it a go.
Screwing it up is a perfectly acceptable result. You can learn from it and know not to do it that way again.

Step 1: Decision time
Many decisions must be made before you venture into it. Once you have started along this road, many professionals you may turn to if you give up will charge you extra to "undo" the work you have begun.
Some decisions could be:
- Will it be a bare metal respray? (Hardly necessary on a vehicle under 40 years old.)
- Will I be using a primer filler? (Thoroughly recommended for a little extra price, it's much more forgiving for amateurs.)
- Any areas you won't be painting? (Trust me, you do not want to sand an area by accident you didn't want painted.)

Step 2: Inspection
Take your time with this step. You need to find any imperfection on the body that will need repairing BEFORE the paint flys. Nothing is more aggrevating than finding a dent after you have applied the product.
Grab a flashlight and get on your knees at the corner of the car. Moving the beam very slowly down the side of the vehicle will show the little blighters that need filling.

Repeat for each panel from various angles and circle them with a marker of some sort. Then take a photo of them all as you will be sanding the circle off when you go about repairing.
If you have a fetish like myself, you can also turn off all light sources and run your hand down the side. Without visibility, the imperfections are very obvious to the touch.

Step 3: Paint rape!!
This bit actually hurts me a tad just to think about.
It's sanding time *shudder*
Grab yourself some harsh sandpaper. 60-120 grit as you will want that paint absolutely annihilated for the bog to bond with.

Be sure to sand a good sized area around the dent as well and you do not have to be pedantic about sanding direction for this. That comes later.
Give it a bloody good wipedown with some Wax and Grease Remover and consider this step complete.


Step 4: Filling the dent
Mix your bog as per the manufacturer's directions. If you think the weather may affect setting times, adjust your time rather than the mix.

Video rental cards are great for mixing it due to flexibility. You must fold the 2 compounds together, not stir them. Stirring creates air bubbles in the bog that appear as voids once dry.
Smear the mix into the hole. Start a couple of inches ooutside the dent and work it in with quite a bit of force to ensure it gets into all the scratches from sanding.

Once you have filled the dent, use your "scraper" to work it well in. This means considerable pressure when smearing left to right, then right to left. Same again up and down and vice versa.



Step 5: Finishing the repair
Allow the bog to dry. I prefer overnight as I am usually drunk as an Irishman by now.
Then grab your block of wood (if dent on flat panel)and your savage 120 grit. Rub that patch like a teen who just found Brazzers.com. When it is approaching flat, switch to a smoother grit, ie 240. Then a 320, 500, etc.


OR You could just make sure it's flat and shaped and choose to use a primer filler. This means it doesn't have to be perfect as the thicker primer gives some "forgiveness".

If the patch is on a curved panel, a thick piece of rubber gasket available from a machinery engineering shop is ace.

Step 6: Rest of the vehicle
You are now ready to sand the rest of the vehicle.
To get through the tough clearcoat, start with 80 grit on an electric or DA sander. You can then follow up with 320 grit straight away.

If using primer filler, wash that baby down with dish washing liquid and a high pressure hose and you are now ready to fire up the compressor for painting.

If you are using a standard primer, you need to follow up the 320 with 500, 800, then 1500 before paint can be applied. (It's about now that you wish you had gone for the primer filler. )

Thus concludes the tutorial for body prep. Get a few brews, a few mates, and some filthy epic mixes on the speakers; and enjoy it. Sanding does feel like an uber-drag but once you fire up that gun, a real sense of achievement comes over you and it's all worth it.

I hope this helps you out. Any questions, feel free to ask and I will try to answer them. No promises though, as you can see from my first attempt, I'm not a pro.

Just checking that I've got the forum set up correctly, and that you guys have noticed this feature:

At the bottom right of EVERY post on the forum, you should see little + and - buttons (red and green); click the green to vote up, the red to vote down. This should eventually create a heirarchy of very helpful posts, and crap we should ignore (not that we need to click that one much these days).

In short, if someone posts something you think is helpful, insightful or something you found useful, give it a vote if you feel that way inclined. Reward good posting Also works if someone is posting unhelpful crap that doesn't quite deserve a warning or report.

Note that you can also vote people on their profiles. Think someone is a star member? Give 'em five stars.

(As an extra bonus, I'm sure everyone's spotted that you can add 'friends' on the forum - once it gets big, it's a good way to keep track of the people you get along with the most.)

While you're changing the fuel pump, you may also want to consider this simple mod:

Anyone running extensive mods in their normally stock standard wrx or upgrading their fuel pump to the ever popular Walbro 550hp pumps should consider this simple mod

The factory fuel pump feed wires have a voltage drop of 0.2 - 0.3V from the relay to the fuel pump, losses also occur between the two or so connector plugs: one behind the kickpanel and the other under the rear seat - this is more a problem in older V1/2 WRX and BC legacys. Even Link ECU have identified this problem, and there is a suggested fix in their instruction manuals for the possumlinks.

Step 1: locate the relay and the feed line, usually black with either a yellow or red stripe, cut as close as possible to relay plug and attach a 8 gauge or 10 gauge wire. It wouldn't hurt to also obtain a clean power feed straight from battery to relay (fused about 30A or so).

Step 2: cut the factory pump feed wires after the plug so as to minimise the connections and the length of the higher resistance factory wiring. i have used bullet terminals here for ease of connection, butt connectors are just as good - i do not recommend soldering 8 gauge wire, unless you have a blowtorch or similar - dry joints do not conduct as well. Run the ground wire to a clean metal point and keep as short as possible - it is ok for the ground to be slightly thicker than power (but not vice versa).

From this simple mod (about $5 in cables & connectors), the fuel pump gets a clean 13.56V feed. Prior to this i was only getting about 12.83V - sometimes less. This voltage should be at least 13.5V. But in some cases this isn't always possible.

The factory fuel pump draws about 4 amps continously, but having thicker wires can't hurt.

Note how thin the factory wires are in comparison




Meter the voltage at this plug end where I have put the red and black wires, before & after - you may be surprised.

Here's our yearly refresh of things you can do on DOBC aside from post. IPB is bloody awesome forum software, and there are a lot of features newer members may not yet be aware of.

1) Add friends. Members you talk to a lot, really like or otherwise want to watch closely can be added as friends; you will see a list of these on your profile as you add them.

2) Report a member. The opposite of a friend. If you feel someone is truly not behaving as part of the community, or is actually a spammer rather than a genuine member, you can report their account rather than just their posts.

3) Add a profile picture. This is bigger than your little user image; most people make it a wee bit more personal.

4) Post status updates on your profile. Works in a similar way to Facebook.

5) Add comments to someone's profile. Kinda like a PM, but viewable by everyone (and hence public).

6) Add or subtract reputation points on posts. This is a big one! If you think someone made a useful, insightful or otherwise brilliant post, you have the power to give them a + (note the little + and - marks on the bottom right of posts?)... if you think they've made an incorrect, abusive or otherwise unhelpful post that brings down conversation, you can vote the post down. Each vote contributes to a member's reputation.

7) Become a paid member. This year the annual fee will be $15, and 100% of that goes back into supporting the site with things like hosting, domain registration, software upgrades for the forums, pre-ordering DOBC apparel, etc. The advantage is pretty blue rank pips and access to new forums, and when they come, access to DOBC car stickers.

There are plenty more features here, but that should cover it for now. There are many more in the pipeline as the site grows too, so stay tuned and enjoy The Brown Side

So I decided to change the fuel pump in the wagon, after having experienced fuel-pump failure previously...these pics are taken when I did the coupe, but the basic concepts are the same.

Here goes:

Tools required:
No.2 philips screwdriver
6mm blade screwdriver
long nosed pliers
8mm socket, 1/4" is best
side cutters, butt crimp terminals, crimping tool
cable ties

Step 1.
Locate factory fuel pump location, usually in the boot drivers side. Remove the cover by taking out the 4 philips No.2 screws



Step 2.
Use the long nose pliers to remove the clips holding the hoses on and push them aside, the fuel feed line is usually a clip-lock fitting; use pliers to hold clip and wedge with flat screwdriver. Use the screwdriver to wedge the plug clip and unplug also. The middle hose is fuel return (to tank) and top is fuel tank breather.
These differ on the older model BC legacys: the bottom is the return, middle is feed (screw type hose clamp used), and top is breather. And all are push-in fuel hoses.


Step 3.
Remove the 8mm bolts being careful not to drop them. Lift the pump out adn tilt it slightly to the side so the level float does not get caught


Step 4.
Take complete assembly and work outside. It is a good idea to use the metal cover over the tank to stop dust getting in. Use pliers and move clips aside and slide off stock pump - the aftermarket ones fit on in the same manner. For the Ver 3/4 WRX and earlier models with the fatter style pump you need to cut the wires and crimp them to the aftermarket pump. Ver 5/6 WRX and above the factory plug fits straight into a Walbro pump (not sure if other pumps are the same, but Walbro seem a popular aftermarket choice). Use cable ties to hold the wiring in place and stop it rubbing against the sharp edges of the mounting bracket. I used a large cable tie at the base as wel to hold in place as the stock rubber bung was too big.


Here is a picture of size comparison between the stock V3/4 pump and the aftermarket one:


Step 5.
Drop the pump back in. Put the 8mm bolts in first and then the hoses and clips, the feed line should lock in place with a click - give it a few pulls to ensure a tight fit (the earlier models V1/2 use a scew type hose clip for this - and the feed line is the middle one). Make sure it's plugged in and put the cover back on... and seats back in

use a smaller dai steering wheel.............instant quick rack lol

As my wheel nuts were not the easiest to wind on I decided to hit them with a tap and die,

What you need:

M12 x 1.25 tap
M12 x 1.25 die
Some form of lube/ greese, I would use a greese base over crc or wd40.
Socket to the size of your wheel nuts



Remove wheel an spray studs with your lube and CAREFULLY wind your die onto the studs, wind it about 1/4 to 1/2 way down and back off to prevent the die clogging up, ( may have to do this a few times depending how bad they are.) becarful not to cross thread it,





Next is the wheel nuts.

Place your wheel nut into your socket and spray with greese,



Insert the tap into the nut ( this is easy to cross thread so be very careful doing it,) with the same process wind it in 1/4 to 1/2 way in and reverse, my nuts were full of paint so I took it right out and cleaned the tap .



Continue to wind it all the way through as far as you can.



I did this a couple of times spraying new grease in each time to make it clean,

Before doin this I would be lucky to hand wind them on half way, now I can get them all on the whole way.

If your in Auckland and wish for me to do this we could arrange something at some point.

So while one person loosened the nipple, another got a turn sitting in the seat just doing slow gradual depressions of the pedal (as opposed to hard stomping, holding and releasing the nipple)......maybe 8 -12 of these for each corner and when the person at the hub end thought the new fluid was thru, the driver would hold the pedal down while the nipple was nipped up. We repeated that process until we all had a turn doing both.











so once that was done...........it was wheels back on and torqued up



Compulsory bevy and shite talking time



Overall a damn good session and we all came away with some practical useful tips that we didn't have before! ...........Big ups to Ichi again. If I've missed anything feel free to post up

I'll be inviting ideas for the next workshop soon

Piston material development has come a lot further than this thread suggests eg: Piston noise on start up.

The Germans have brought better materials for Forged pistons (to allow a higher silicon rate) for quite some time now. As many of their top level engines utilize Forged pistons.

My own MAHLE forged pistons have little or no sound on cold starts. And (by opinion) some of the quietest available. These by silicon content are considered a Eutectic piston (over 12% silicon)

The popular opinion of forged pistons as they will resist detonation better than a Cast/Hyper-eutectic piston. I would argue that you should not have any detonation in your tune at all.

Weight was a consideration for my choice as the MAHLE's were a 100 grams lighter than the RS type RA forged pistons that they were replacing.

Lighter reciprocating mass as well as piston design has many benefits to longevity and engine response.

With an 80hp increase over stock engine output, you could look into Forged pistons. But there is no reason a properly tuned engine could do these numbers with a cast piston.

Hyper-eutectic pistons contains even more silicon in its composition; something like 16-18% making them brittle in strength but allow a lighter piston and reduced piston ring groove wear.

I just wanted to publicly acknowledge that Ryan (boostin) is an absolute legend.

Not only did he let us stay at his place last week, but he put up with 3 nights of us rebuilding the rally car in the driveway, stealing his parts, making a big mess and pissing off his neighbours....

I doubt we would have made it back into the event on the 2nd day without all your help, we really do appreciate it mate. If theres anything I can ever do in return, just sing out.

The worst part is I of course had to go and biff the car on the last day and undo everyones hard work.

Vivian

I've re-registered two dead cars in the last few years, both of them Gen 1 Legacys. The process for the BF wagon was painful, considering I'd owned it for five years and driven it for two years before giving it to my son. He let the rego lapse in spite of my reminding him to put it on hold. Grrr.

Anyhooo, I booked it into the local VTNZ after talking to the manager about the VIN process. I should perhaps mention that I'd dealt with these guys for several years. I should also mention that it didn't help me one iota. He explained that the test for pre-1990 cars is essentially just a more detailed WOF, whereas the test for post-1990 cars involves stripping the interior, pulling the inner guard liners out, and pulling the brakes apart. Any evidence of corrosion or previous repairs are referred to a specialist independent inspector, who then determines what is required to bring the car up to an acceptable standard. He may also determine that the car is beyond reinstatement and refuse to pass the car.

In the case of the BF7, the VTNZ guy picked up on a previous repair to the front r/h corner, and referred me to an inspector, even though It was obvious that the repairs had been done years earlier. It's all fair game to these guys. So, I contacted an inspector and had a chat to him (This all costs extra, of course!). We arranged to meet at a local garage with a hoist, and he took one look at the chassis rail and said, "this won't ever be going back on the road!" When I pointed out that the same VTNZ had happily issued WOFs for the same car for the previous few years, he just fobbed that off and told me that a VIN inspection was a whole different ballgame. He was convinced that the chassis was bent, and almost as an afterthought got his measuring gear out to check it. He was shocked when it measured millimeter-perfect. He agreed to allow a local panelbeater to tidy the offending chassis rail up a bit, after which the car was passed. Ironically, this is the car I subsequently wrote off a few months later.

When we got the VIN for the BC Crowesport, we found a more reasonable VIN guy on the recommendation of a friend in the car importing business. That car was considerably easier to get through the process, and only required a new pair of brakepads 'cos they were too worn. Piece of cake by comparson . . . .

On my BL, I found road pads ok with slotted discs. Basically when pads get hot, the materials inside the pad expel gas. Its this gas that gives you the firm pedal but little or no response from the brakes. Its because the pad is literally floating on a layer of gas between the pad and disc. The slots give the gas somewhere to go.

Also make sure your cooling system is in top notch condition, as its going to take a beating on the track.