RoadRage's Progression, Big news coming! Options

[RoadRage]

Hello 6GC'ers

My name's Tom, called Tj by friends and family, and after owning my 6gc for almost 2 months now and being part of these forums, I have decided to create my own progress thread.

I like reading up member's stories and how their cars came to be in the My Project section, so I thought I could contribute my own story, and I'd like to keep a collection of what I've done. [Long story ahead]
Every since I was little I always had an obsession with Celica's and I probably annoyed the hell out of my parents about how much I talked about them,
Come Christmas when I was 16 (Currently 19) A family friend was getting rid of his car and offered it to my parents as a Christmas present for me, it was a pretty big surprise for me to receive a car for Christmas, but I couldn't drive it independently until 1.5 years later, when I got my probationary license, not the greatest or safest car but it took me places and taught me a lot about car maintenance and care.

That was until November 2013, when on a rainy morning driving to work on a gravel road, I hit some pothole and lost control and managed to flip the car.
Car was wrecked and I was lucky to be even alive, let alone walk away unscratched.


I came back the next day to collect and sell the car to a junkyard, but someone stole all the wheels

This however gave me the opportunity to search the car I've been obsessing since childhood,

After constant search to find the 'perfect one' and feeling frustration that I was stuck inside the house, because here in Australia, its basically a 15 min drive just to the shopping store, or 30 min drive to a friends house, I think I was coming down with cabin fever, or just really really starting to hate public transport,

Until I was rummaging through newspapers at the girlfriends house, where I came across an ad of a celica for sale,
I saw it the next day and thought it was perfect, however the sunroof was completely wrecked, and the dealer that was selling took 3 weeks to fix it.
I cannot tell you the anticipation I was feeling then..
Finally came the day where I got my baby, and 1 year warranty


First night I got it.

I loved the car so much that since I've owned it, I've driven 7000 km (~4500 miles) in under 2 months already,
It came with missing parts where the cigarette lighter is, the dash has been drilled into for some phone holder, and all the panels for the driver's side were missing, so my first mod's were to make sure the car ran good, meaning do an oil flush because the amount of sludge I found was shocking) and change air filter, and usual maintenance, then get onto getting those panels.

Finding parts at yards was a bit difficult because there weren't many 6gc's anymore, until I got lucky and found 3 in one spot (even tho it was sad to see wrecked 6gc's )

My first proper mod was a full sound system upgrade. After receiving the car, and not playing the radio during the test drive, found out 3 speakers were blown, So I got myself this nice package



I did spoil myself, I decided since the car is red to go with a red theme, meaning get a head unit that has a red display, but then after seeing one of special that changes colours I had to get it.

Going from a cassette player and non working CD player (with missing buttons of course):


To:



I also cut out some of my own lovely mounts , turned out pretty well



For the sub wiring, had to rip out the back seats, but gave me a good chance to clean whatever dirt was there



The sub seemed to fit well in the back, (noticed I have no pics of sub, will take soon)

The weekend I spent installing all the audio, I reversed the car all the way back, because I choose the perfect day of 43 degrees weather, and theres no way I wanted to roast in the sun



Following the red theme, I put in some footwell LED's, that are door activated



During the night time when I open my doors people say 'wow that looks great' and now I've gone to install LED's in 2 of my friends cars

I have also whipped out my fancy camera, and tried taking some artsy photos,


Im hoping my camera skills will improve with time haha

I had the idea to plastidip my badges, I screwed up the back and couldn't get all the stuff off so I had to take the back badge off and the next day, either someone stole my front badge or it fell off, So I've been contemplating..


looks a bit ridiculous, so in the meantime I've gone badgeless, but I have put in so much effort in trying to rub off the glue residue, and theres still damn glue there

Some more photography while driving in the countryside



I do have to say the mod bug has bitten, and I am looking to do a bunch of things, im just waiting until my budget allows me,
For now I am waiting on new armest cover and trying to get headlight seals for the lowbeams.

My most recent photo, (and favorite so far) taken on the weekend



I think I'll stop typing now and head off to bed, and update later tomorrow with even more photos
I didn't realize I typed this much, but I feel so much passion for this car, Feels like I'm already driving my dream car and it feels great every time I walk out to the driveway to know that the car right there is mine, and how it great it feels to drive, I love working on it and If i'm not, I'm on these forums at least twice a day

And even if I'm not doing that, Playing Forza 5, guess what car I have?

Yup.. (taken when I glitched out of the showroom)



Thanks if you took time time to actually read all this, lol
Tj

This post has been edited by RoadRage: Sep 25, 2016 - 1:36 AM

[RoadRage]

Alrighty here we go

Day Two of Six

Started out with cleaning up and putting the mirrors back together neatly and make sure everything seems to be in the right spot


The screws were eff'd on the drivers mirror so I tried to drilled them out and and they weren't budging so intead I made the hole big enough to fit self tapper screws to use as a replacement, haha it does the job


That was it for the mirrors, they are ready for wiring, but they are last on the list so they have been put away and will get back to them when other bits are done


Now this part I done goofed, The night before i forgot to put resin in the cracks of the splitter, so i did that and while waiting for them to dry I sanded down the other splitter,
Ready to start the primer on the good splitter, I started to spray and after 1 coat I realized the primer i bought isn't sticking to the splitter at all and it just runs down..
Worked perfectly fine on a bumper that was done for my friend but obviously not on these splitters (its some plastic, clear primer), So i swapped the primer can with my friend for clearcoat can and went out and bought some proper primer.
Got home and sanded down the old runny primer and started sanding the cracked splitter, only to be too rough and make the recently dried fibgrelass snap off!



Re-applied the resin on the splitter and let it dry, while i finished sanding the good one. By this point I had enough of sanding and my Carbon fibre wrap arrived, so I thought lets get started on that

Pulled out some chunks of the car and started simple

The cigarette ashtray thing

2 HOURS LATER

FINALLY! something


Followed by


Most time consuming thing ever.. I've long lost count of how much time I have spent on this trying to perfect every corner,
this is pretty damn difficult lol, or maybe i am retarded or too much of a perfectionist

But lastly, the most rage inducing piece (so far)


I'd also like to thanks for my GF letting me use her hair dryer haha

By this time it was late late night and i was tired, so I installed the bits I've done so far


Looks good but I went through plenty of rage haha,
thats my wrap up for Day two,
Barely any paint, so tomorrow will be focused on getting on all bits primered

To be continued!