Guest spyhunter2k Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Well I went and did it. It all started innocently enough. I took off the side moulding to paint it off the car (I have a red 90 that's about to become a pewter 90). Then I realized that I liked the car better without it. Also, all my friends commented on how much better it looked. So yesterday, I ground off all of the metal retaining tabs for the moulding. I still have to fill the small depressions left. Thing is, once you take it off the side, it has to come off the front and back as well. So off it came. I have filled in the holes left in the rear bumper and am now in the process of "smoothing" the three bumper peices together (upper plastic, chromed metal, lower plastic). When I am through, I will do the same to the front.I say "went and did it" because this decision effectively quintuples the body prep time. I don't suppose anyone else has ever done this and has a picture of a "de-moulded" Reatta to keep me encouraged through the next few long weeks of sculpting?I'll try to post some progress pics soon. Also, the custom rear lowering spring is on its way from Canada. They said it turned out nice, though they had to reuse the rubber end caps from a used spring. I won't be able to try the spring out until the paint work is done, so it will be several weeks for an update on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted January 9, 2006 Share Posted January 9, 2006 Interesting idea. Please do post pix when you can Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spyhunter2k Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 Here's the first progress pic. After some more smoothing is done, the bumper will be covered in epoxy impregnated glass fabric. Then final smoothing will be done.For the front bumper, I think I will go the stretch fabric route, as it will eliminate a few of the initial fills.More pics to come later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawja Posted January 12, 2006 Share Posted January 12, 2006 Looks cool, but we're gonna need more pics. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spyhunter2k Posted January 13, 2006 Share Posted January 13, 2006 Thanks. I'll be working on the car this weekend and will take more pics after that.No offense to any who like the stock look of a Reatta, but I personally feel the exposed metal bumpers and the way they project outwards as a flat "shelves" from the body are some of the only things that give away the cars' age. Almost all cars since the late 90's have used painted plastic bumpers which conceal the actual metal bumpers underneath. I'm going for that look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spyhunter2k Posted May 9, 2006 Share Posted May 9, 2006 Here's an updated pic of the rear in primer. I'd appreciate your honest opinions. I hope to get to the front in the next couple of weeks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vincent Vega Posted May 9, 2006 Share Posted May 9, 2006 Honest Opinion. Looks like a Civic, Hyundai, Probe, Neon, etc... with a Reatta Tailight. Nothing personal. Just my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maybe2fast Posted May 9, 2006 Share Posted May 9, 2006 I want to see the front Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89REATTAJIM Posted May 9, 2006 Share Posted May 9, 2006 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Honest Opinion. Looks like a Civic, Hyundai, Probe, Neon, etc... with a Reatta Tailight. Nothing personal. Just my opinion. </div></div> I have to agree with Vincent. The quality of your workmanship looks fine, but to paraphrase Red Skelton (a great comedian, for you younger guys), "It just don't look right to me". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rawja Posted May 9, 2006 Share Posted May 9, 2006 Looks interesting, but it's hard to say definitively when its unpainted and with the standard side mouldings are intact.You could very well end up with a cohesive whole, but at this moment the rear bumper looks like it needs some chrome accenting to match those side mouldings.I want to see the front too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MauiWowee Posted May 9, 2006 Share Posted May 9, 2006 I agree that for the full effect we need to see it painted. Personally, I would like to see someone do away with the rear "shelf", and have one continuous radius from the tail light down. Or have I been watching too much "Overhaulin'"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Songman Posted May 9, 2006 Share Posted May 9, 2006 I like it. Reminds me of the back of my Fiero a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted May 9, 2006 Share Posted May 9, 2006 We'll have to see it painted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machiner 55 Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 Let me start by saying that I really like the Reattas look as it came from the factory. Even the wheels. I know alot of guys/gals want to update them but, I find that, to me anyway, the original wheels look the best. So, let me say this now. My first mental reaction to the photo in your attachment was... "Hey, that's pretty cool!" Now that surprised even me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jchudyk Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 Nice clean look...Nice workmanship...Can't wait to see it painted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roadster90 Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 I am stictly OEM, but have to say it reflects "professional grade" workmanship .Nic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spyhunter2k Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 <div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Looks interesting, but it's hard to say definitively when its unpainted and with the standard side mouldings are intact.You could very well end up with a cohesive whole, but at this moment the rear bumper looks like it needs some chrome accenting to match those side mouldings.</div></div>The side mouldings are gone and the holes have been filled and painted. I think what you're seeing is the highlight on top of the body line.Thanks for all of the replies. I almost didn't post the update since it wasn't painted yet, but some have asked about the progress so I thought--what the heck. For those wanting to see what the revised front looks like, that makes two of us! I haven't finished it yet, and I'll need to get a bit further along to post a pic. I am glad that at least some like the new look. It would have been discouraging if it were universally regarded as ugly. You have no idea how much time it took to get the rear that way. I will probably never do this again to any future Reatta I own.For Maui, you are a man after my own heart. I wanted to do exactly that--take off the entire rear shelf, but I had to be realistic about how much time I could spend on this. The thing is, I bought the Reatta as a daily driver while my kit car project was being worked on. It has not pleased my other half to see me making major changes to this car as well, and sometimes needing to borrow her car for a day or two while paint or filler cures! Her favorite words are "How can you have three cars and still need to borrow mine?!"My next decision is regarding the rocker panels and mirrors: body color or black? We'll see...Seth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manikmekanik Posted May 10, 2006 Share Posted May 10, 2006 Great work, Seth!I can't wait to see it in color! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maybe2fast Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 more pics! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Durahansolo Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 drools.... That's hot man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 I actually wouldn't mind someday seeing a Reatta body kit. Not like a ricer/tuner kit, but something a little different. But still tasteful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spyhunter2k Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 I do have sketches for a body kit, but honestly I don't know if I will ever get around to it. It's not a ground effects kit. Its a wide body conversion where the fenders are flared out by a few inches to fit wider tires and the entire trunk surface is raised by about 3 inches. I could do it, but I would need to find a cheap car that has many problems (the reason it would be cheap) but that has a good straight body. That wouldn't be so hard to find. Finding the time to get the bodywork perfect, now that's another story.The other body project I have sketched out is a tonneau cover for convertibles that features dual headrest risers that taper back down to the trunk. With this one, the scope of the project is less than the widebody but the cost of a "buck" convertible car would be much higher.For now, though, I've got to finish the bodywork on the bumpers, finish the body-colored fiberglass A-pillar covers (oops, cat's out of the bag ), and finish the lowering project. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest F14CRAZY Posted May 11, 2006 Share Posted May 11, 2006 I was thinking more of a ground effects kit. Maybe it needs one more in the back than the front, with like a 1.5'' lower, maybe 2, but then you start having to really worry about hitting curbs and stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest maybe2fast Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 any more pics? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spyhunter2k Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 Yeah, I agree: the bottom line of the back of the car doesn't really line up with the bottom of the sides.I'll try to post some more pics of the back this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MauiWowee Posted May 12, 2006 Share Posted May 12, 2006 I do understand how difficult it is to juggle several projects at once, but....how are you coming with the new rear spring? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest spyhunter2k Posted May 14, 2006 Share Posted May 14, 2006 The spring has been sitting in my garage for several months now. I didn't anticipate the bumper smoothing project dragging out for so long. I want to finish the bumpers before I move on to lowering. I do plan to go ahead and buy two new struts in the next week or so for my mechanic to cut and reweld the sping seats 2" lower. I also will be getting a used rear Reatta leaf spring to rob the rubber mounts from, and to compare for myself how much less of an arch there is in my custom spring than the factory one. I want to have everything set up to go so that as soon as I'm done with painting, the car will be ready to be taken in to be lowered. It's going to happen; it's just a matter of a little more time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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