My 1980, Rx 323 restoration. Finished pics pg 9

RestoreMaz · **Posted:** Mon Nov 23, 2009 3:47 am

First drive.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieuxvG1IdE4

The two door i recently bought, which i will start as soon as this 4 door is finished.

gypsy · **Posted:** Mon Nov 23, 2009 1:48 pm

Hey Dave do you need an apprentice, you make it look so easy :lol:

Will you be painting it yourself ?

RestoreMaz · **Posted:** Wed Nov 25, 2009 5:31 am

No, im too scared ill get runs in the clear... :shock:

Im paying a painter to paint the car for me.

F3ared · **Posted:** Wed Nov 25, 2009 6:25 pm

Hey mate,

Completely off topic but was it you that was after a 626 2door? Theres currently one at pick a part in cambelfield, pretty rust free/solid, minor damage to the rear beaver from memory.

Rx271 · **Posted:** Sat Nov 28, 2009 3:38 pm

Looks fantastic Dave!! Love the engine bay detail..

RestoreMaz · **Posted:** Sun Dec 06, 2009 1:59 am

nah i gave up looking for a 626 two door....

Spent thursday and friday night and most of the weekend on the 323.....

Bare metaled the gaurds , trimed the edges, because the car is lowered, and repaired them...

Etch primer before polyestor....

Polyestored here....

After i bloked the polyestor, i then primered them....

I then chip coated the insides to proctect them...

I then edged them out with colour, so they are ready to bolt onto the car...

next i repaired the bonett....striped back some sections that had rust on the inside...and cleaned them up.....got it in primer, and repaired the out side...polyestor, hi fill etc...

Put colour on the inside, so its ready to bolt on the car...

Striped the bonnett hindges back to metal, primered them and painted them...

Head light mounting panels were next...

I striped the headlights and brackets....cleaned up everything so it looks neat...i probably could have got new head lights, but ive got a few of these, and decided i should use them...they cleaned up pretty good.

All the surrounds, clips screws etc...

Cleaned here with the wire buff, and done in a base coat silver so they look clean...

Dirty old head lights....

Cleaned up sweet....and yes i did test them they work fine...

head light mounts painted so they can be fitted to the car...

Head lights fitted...

Sorry about the crappy photos...my camera died, and im useing a 200 dollar nokia phone....

Im going to line up all the panels this weekend coming...ill use my brothers camera for some better photos....

cars getting painted in january

gypsy · **Posted:** Sun Dec 06, 2009 6:59 pm

Dave you make it look so easy, I only wish I was at a similar stage to yourself. My enthusiasm for the Rx goes up and and down for what appears to be a basket case. I sometimes wonder how people build old cars so fast, they cant all be good clean shells. I must be the only one who owns a rusty car !

I noticed orange peel on the underside of the bonnet after the polyester was sprayed. Does the orange peel flatten out as the thinners evaporate or did you block the underside of the bonnet ? You do great work and it shows

RestoreMaz · **Posted:** Mon Dec 07, 2009 3:27 am

Thats hi fill primer on the under side of the bonett...not polyestor...theres no need to polyestor the inside of the bonett...

That orange peel rubbed out before i put the colour on...I rubbed it with 400 paper, and then 800 paper, but i did it dry, as i wouldnt want to let water get inside the bonett skin....i dont care how much paper i use, i cant stand getting water in panels, its the worst thing you could possibly do...

purchased some jap familia badges and grille for it....

RestoreMaz · **Posted:** Sun Dec 13, 2009 5:36 am

Lined up all the panels today...My brother and a mate helped me...
Lined up the doors ,from the rear door first, then the gaurds..

We got the door lines pretty spot on, ive tryed to show it in the pic but its hard to get a good photo.

Then onto the gaurd.

head light panels...

Bonett...

All new bolts, and re zinc coated bonett stay..

All front end panels on here...grille also test fitted.

Next update i make, will be when the car is all rubbed down and getting painted....

few weeks.

gypsy · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 1:45 am

Nice work... Im surprised you went for a jail bar grill, I thought you never liked them. What are you planning for the interior ?

Do you always apply filler to bare metal ? Some guys do it this way others apply filler over epoxy primer. Is there any advantage doing it one way over the other ?

Beware · **Posted:** Mon Dec 14, 2009 5:21 pm

Looking good....very nice work!

RestoreMaz · **Posted:** Tue Dec 15, 2009 2:13 am

i bought the gaol bar grille , to use on my two door. but ill leave it on this car till the two door is ready...Im not a huge fan of them, but because i have the familia badges, i thought id better add something else jap spec to it.

No, you shouldnt put filler over epoxy...filler needs to be put over metal, ground by a 36 or 40 grade disc sander, other wise it wont stick properly.

I dont use epoxy primer at all, i prefer red etch...i can weld through it easy, its thin and effective to protect metal for long periods, or to protect the rest of the panel when your working on it...IE: from sweat on your hands etc....its a traditional method, one that has stood the test of time...i dont know any restoration places in sydney that use epoxy ...its more of an overseas thing from what i can gather.

RestoreMaz · **Posted:** Sun Dec 27, 2009 3:09 am

I know i said i wouldnt post an update untill the car was painted...but christmas bores me to tears, so i had to escape it and work on my car for the last three days.

I figured i may aswell start getting parts ready for when its painted, so they can go straight on.

My head light surounds were weathered crapy 30 year old items, so i got stuck into them...repaired any small chips and cracks, and primered them.

Rubbed and primered here...(sorry about poor photos..still useing a phone)

NOS indicator lenses...

painted up...

I also striped the stainless steel off the grille, rubbed it and did it in the grey, and polished up the moulds and refitted them and detailed the mazda badge.

heres the car sitting out side...

These 626 wheel centre caps im useing will be sent for rechroming soon, so ive had new stickers made up for them...

test fitted the bumper bars to, they are ready for rechroming... and ill take the wheels off and get them sand blasted and re paint them and fit the white wall tyres over the next few days..

More updates soon.

rx_007 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 27, 2009 4:30 am

whoa this is mint .. lots of time and effort has gone into this I only wish I could have the tools and knowledge to do this to my car but I dont so I wish I have the money to ship mine over and get you to do it for me !!!

RestoreMaz · **Posted:** Thu Feb 11, 2010 2:49 am

Wheels sandblasted and repainted.

Got all the wheel studs re- silver zinc coated..the centre caps are chromed now, and ive put on the new centre stickers...

Fixed up the bumper ends, rechromed the bars and reassembled....

Im rubbing the car back and getting it ready for paint , when i could be bothered after hours...

Should only be a month or so away from paint now.

jdmrx2 · **Posted:** Thu Feb 11, 2010 3:37 am

Getting close now Restoremaz

This is going to be a beautiful car when its finished.
I wish i was at the same stage as you......you can almost taste it......

mfroble · **Posted:** Mon Feb 15, 2010 4:22 pm

Hey mate,

What brand of chipcoat did you use?

bruce

RestoreMaz · **Posted:** Tue Feb 16, 2010 4:01 am

The brand is "sprint"

Hudsonpie · **Posted:** Fri Feb 26, 2010 3:30 am

Nice work mate , will look awsome when done

mfroble · **Posted:** Mon Mar 01, 2010 9:33 pm

hey mate,

Just stripped the front suspension out of my 323 and was having a look at your lovely new control arms

[img]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~restoremaz/photos/build27.jpg
[/img]
[img]http://members.optusnet.com.au/~restoremaz/photos/build28.jpg
[/img]

firstly did you replace the ball joints, as mine are nackered and was wandering where you sourced yours from.

also it looks like you have replaced the main pivot bush, and this appears different to standard. Where did you source that from?

bruce

My 1980, Rx 323 restoration. Finished pics pg 9

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