Just got the air compressor, blaster cabinet, oven and will be getting a few chemicals tomorrow, and hopefully, by the end of the week I'll begin posting pictures of my progress. I took the heads, turbo (exhaust side), a few brackets and the alternator apart to clean them for powder coating. The rims are next.

 

Very nice looking build

 

Great progress - can't wait to see the final product!

 

wish i could do this to my Monte as well, very nice, i need to know more about cars, i would love to build up mine, nothing crazy, but something nice like this, cant wait to see the ending!! *thunbs up*

 

I went through a few cars until I finally learned how to do maintenance on them. The hardest jobs, like rebuilding engines and transmissions, came later as I would take the engines or trans apart and put them back together as a hobby, lol! I asked a lot of ? but most of the time I read the car's manual (Chilton/Haynes) and learned from my mistakes. I'm far from being a mechanic and when I get stuck I have friends who are mechanics that, after telling me how much I suck at it, help me. The trans in this car was rebuilt by me with the help of the AT manual and the engine is being redone because I want to powder coat a few things but it is being rebuild by me as well. Keep in mind that you'll have to spend $$$$$ on tools and the like, and there are a few that aren't cheap! I'd suggest to read on the subject and experiment with a junked engine/trans if you can find one, and go from there. It's fun for me!!!

 

Well spoken Wilco! I've learned to go my wrench work mostly from my father (it was an effort to save money, I have also found it is a plus to not be at the mercy of a shop for when they can service your car). To date, I have not done anything transmission related except change fluid/filter.
My biggest pride moment was when I could change the LIM gaskets on my Grand Am in my own driveway and I think I had to borrow ONE tool from my dad's garage. The LIM job was somewhat involved and I had finally accumulated enough tools to begin handling involved jobs in my own driveway and not his. There are still tools I don't have, but to be successful in my vehicle maintenance and repair, that list is getting smaller.

 

Everything takes time. You start by changing your own oil, then you do other fluids, then you tackle other jobs like Spark Plugs or O2 sensors, you build up a tool set, and you learn the engine, and you just keep doing small jobs.

Eventually you get the courage to do crazier stuff haha.

 

I've NEVER done anything crazy with cars in my life!!
I've never a throttle body or LIM

Seriously, that is how it starts.... Begin with simple tasks, build a knowledge base and experience and slowly learn and do more.

I take a lot of pride in my work and it makes me feel good that I CAN do these things.

 

Well, ran into another set back! My left hip is still painfully sore from my Walmart fall and I aggravated it as I stripped/cleaned a few parts for the blaster. Since there isn't much I can do until the pain subsides, I decided to empty the air compressor and re-seal it 'cause it's leaking pretty good and install a pressure regulated drain plug on the bottom. Tomorrow I'll be stripping the wheels again since the clear is giving me a tough time coming out and two need to be slightly sanded due to cosmetic damage, polish them and powder coat them Black Chrome 2/Candy Red with acrylic clear. The turbo exhaust side will be next in line! I'll post pics tomorrow of the stripped parts.

 

OK, here are pics of some powder coated parts including the turbo exhaust side, caliper brackets and engine, trans brackets. Also the T-stat housing!
All mirror black, tomorrow I'll be doing candy red and black chrome 2.
02 Rebuild pictures by wilcopc1 - Photobucket