Body work
 

Ok, i can rebuild on engines, build a DIY turbo system, and about anything else mechanical i can think of. One thing i can not do, or maybe am just afraid to try is body work. Id love to be able to do small stuff but have no idea where to start. One thing i would like to do it cover the notch in the rear bumper cover for the exhaust tip of my NA, and create a new notch in the center of the bumber cover. I have no idea what tools, or materieals, or techniques are needed to do this. Any help?

VWVortex has a bodywork sub forum that has pretty decent info for stuff like that.
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zeroforum?id=148

sweet and its not block by my corporate natzi internet blocking that i have to deal with here at work :)

thanx i will check it out

Just promise me you will shave the 2 bumper sidemarkers and rear reflectors:)

hahah no problem.. do u knwo where i can see some pics of things of that nature that ppl have done to miatas?

That I don't. I really wanted to have that done on my Miata. The light are awful and look even worse when people put lenses in to draw attention to them.

I agree, i like a nice clean look, id like to get rid of the ridge that goes down the sid of the car.. as well as put some rocker panels on that go straight down.. and a front and rear lip... i think that is all DIY possible i just dont knwo how

Time and patience just like anything else body work isnt the deal so much as paint work. Good luck

well the way i had planned on doing this was body work, and primer untill i get everything the way i like it, then im either gonna try that 40 dollar paint job they have been passing around here, or just take it somewhere. But i guess i will be dribing around a primer spotted rice mobile for a while :)

get a GOOD hand sanding rig. eastwood sells some and 3M makes a different kind that's more like a long plastic plane.

it'll help you keep the panel contour instead of making high/low spots.

the front is a just a badgeless grill
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...90_39_full.jpg
but this is my first real body work attempt, and it came out good. Just take your time, and get one of those long sanding blocks, and use a guide coat.
http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...90_25_full.jpg

yeah a long sanding block is the trick..it will make the job easy.

oh, and if you use a glaze, you have to glaze the entire panel. I learned that the hard way.