So lets dig into it. I have really been working on getting the body ready for paint, I bought a pressure washer (and oh my god I love this little thing), coupled with the multitude of sandpapers and scotch brites I have, this has turned into a dusty affair. I started with the engine bay, as all of you may remember it was canary yellow and ugly as sin.
It is now a better shade of black, thanks to Duplicolor (really like this stuff I’m using) as seen below.
This transformation has not only allowed me to sleep better but has gotten notice from passer by’s who have told me how much better it looks than, that eyesore yellow. Yes in the picture above there was some touch up needed, but it has been buttoned up and looks great now.
The next thing I started on was a test paint with the same Duplicolor paint (gloss black acrylic enamel) with three coats of Acrylic clear coat (same brand) and man I was surprised to see how it turned out. I mean I painted cars for a few years, so I have more than a basic knowledge on how to prep and paint a car but I was not expecting the results I was able to achieve out of rattle cans. I did the door because it was in primer and needed to be cleaned up to wrap (my eventual plan), this is why I am not worrying with a professional spray.
Stage one (I did some primer filling for some various deep scratches)
Once filled I sanded to my liking and primed the entire surface, and sanded again for color. (Just a tip, this primer is made by Duplicolor as well and would make for a really nice primer sleeper color.)
Next I sprayed the color, which took about 3/4’s of a can.
And then the color was cleared three times.
It’s not supposed to be a finished product, because I’m just doing it to add slick finish to the car to be able to be spray wrapped (also Duplicolor), but it turned out so damn nice I really wouldn’t mind rocking it on the street.
Okay now on to the LS subject.
I have done a ton of soul searching in the time that I have owned the S13 and I have come to some major conclusions.
- I really want this to be more than just a car I put back together and make fast.
- I really want this car to reflect my personality.
- I really want to drop an LS variety engine in it’s engine bay.
After some talking with my wife and some talking with other car enthusiasts, I have determined that while I love my Nissan heritage, it’s getting a bit stale, and at this point in my life does not really fit my personality. I’m a rather large and sometimes imposing person. I’m not a loud mouth but I speak my mind, and I don’t mind speaking the truth loud when necessary. This coupled with my innate power (just from being a large guy) I feel as though the Chevrolet 6.0 fits my personality to a tee. She’s loud when she needs to be, makes power all the time in any form, and god does she tell the truth!
I know this is going to be considerably more expensive, and I know that the VG33ET could make as much power as the 6.0 can cheaper, but it is not what I want anymore. I want a more modern platform, with aftermarket support, and a following that spans almost every modified RWD car made (yep even mustangs). I have a plan and I’m sticking to this one. The only deviation may be an L33 5.3 instead of a 6.0 as I have one in my possession but am actively trying to trade / sell it for the 6.0.
That’s about all I have for this week. The weather seems to be cooperating so I will hopefully be able to get more done in the near future. Tomorrow will probably see me cleaning up and painting the cross member where I can (springs are rotten and rusted as shit). Bolting the cross member back is the goal before next pay day when I have a 10×16 shed being delivered to the house for storing the front end parts currently residing in my kitchen.
Until next time,
-SCS13
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