Those frame rails are a tight fit, and will likely scrape some of your freshly applied undercoating as you press them flush.

While the frame rails are off, make sure the drain holes in the car's rails are open.

One thing I did not like about the FM rails is that the mounting studs for the fuel/brake line clips are on the bottom. I've had off-track excursions where the frame rails got scraped. In fact, the main reason I put frame rails on my car was to act as a skid plate. I'm working on a safer track solution for the line clips. I'll let you know what I come up with. (In other words, I'm fully expecting you to race ahead of me and solve this problem for me ).

Remind me on the door card material you used . . . ABS?

 

Nice one on the alternator! Glad I could inspire.

It really isn't that bad. Just don't be a fool like me and assemble the case backwards. Then after that don't forget to remove the brush holder pin before you re-install...

 

Undo the long bolts, then hit the philips screw heads with some penetrating spray(liquid wrench) and find a screwdriver that fits PERFECTLY. Then put it on the floor and with all your weight on top of the screw slowly loosen them, hell it may even help to tap the screw heads with a hammer a couple times. Mine were very seized and I stripped one head puling them out. Luckily I had a dremmel and recut the philips pattern and used a big-*** screwdriver to remove it.

Then after that is removed you'll think to try to pull the casing apart but first take out the middle assembly to reveal 4 more screws. Remove those and then you can separate the bottom of the housing from the alternator assembly.

Very easy, just need to be delicate

That you did! I'll blame my young age and less experience on that one!

Thanks for the info rleete! Props!

I did it right this time and massaged, I.E hit with a big hammer, the rails so that they would go on really easily so that when I sprayed the undercoating it wouldn't cheese grate the protection off it.

I'm thinking of drilling a hole in the side of the rail and using my tap and die to match the bolt threads and relocate it to the factory mount locations. Or a simpler way would be to buy electrician stainless steel zip ties and zip tie it higher.

The door cards were abs plastic. Speaking of which I'm not too happy with the door pulls. They work yes but by protecting the exposed metal of the door from rattling via the door latch rod it binds a bit and doesn't give it a solid feel, I think I might just go back to the regular door handles. Especially since Revlimiter sent me his Leather door pulls for free in my order!



Yeah I'm going to approach this one slowly. Is it worth buying electrical contact cleaner over say brake cleaner to clean it up a little?

 

Also here are some color options I'm considering for the intake manifold.



I'm going for the far right, easier to clean since it is a smooth texture plus it matches the VHT wrinkle finish better.

 

Agree. A glossy finish is always more resistant to dirt/easier to clean.

 

A vote for the far right here. Moving right along, this has been a fun thread to follow!

 

do it in an aluminum color imo.

black im's I have personally never liked.

 

I agree, aluminum is good looking.

 

Personally agree with alum, i'd just brush the alum and call it a day though. That way, no matter how many times I pull and replace the engine (read: too many damn times), i cant scratch it and mess up the finish (LOL).

 

+1 on brushing the manifold. It lets the black valve cover stand out more and no chips.

 

Well the problem is, it is currently being sandblasted at the powdercoaters. Should I just have them do a clear coat of some sort?(not sure if you can do that with powdercoating) or maybe even an "aluminum" color.

 

TorqueZombie is a badass, sent this to me for free since he knows me to well and didn't want me to have a cracked diff spacer. Major thanks.

 

And as we all know you - that thing is going to be sandblasted, 24k goldplated and polished... ;-)))))

 

what I was suggesting was to p/c it in an aluminum color.

 

Come on Jeff. Ball hard.

 

.
.
.
.
.



That is insanity

 

Like you aren't?

 

As for the IM, I actually did what they're suggesting: sandblasted it then clear coated it in VHT satin clear. Check my thread for visual, I think it came out pretty nice, and looks "natural".

I too don't think an IM looks all that great in black.

 

Oh I am, but in the words of spinal tap, "that one goes to 11!".

You guys didn't have me convinced on a natural look until I started looking at painted manifolds. It looks, as you said, just wrong. Not bad mind you, just doesn't look good. Called the powder coater and he recommended an actual aluminum Powdercoating color that comes off pretty exact, after researching issues with just clear coating I think I'll go with that.

 

Sweetness! Just sold my 18" wheels/tires for $1100 off my Jetta, now I can start looking for a hard top. I want to get the one in Sacramento but I honestly for the life of me can't think of when I'd get a chance to make a 20 hour round trip drive to grab it. Unless Vlad, you want to ship it via Greyhound for me!