This page is about my bumper mods and my vader side skirts. There is no Bondo involved, but rather fiberglass.
Page 1: EXTERIOR AND ENGINE
Page 2: INTERIOR AND AUDIO
Page 3: FUEL SYSTEM, EXHAUST, SUSPENSION, ETC.
Page 4: PAINTING STEPS
Page 5: BUMPER MODS AND SKIRTS
I originally wanted a Spirit ES style front bumper, but it was too expensive, so I went custom. My bumpers are simple sheets of metal wrapped around the stock bumpers.
I originally had a piece of galvanized with holes cut for my aftermarket fog lights. After about a year and a half of commuting and doing battle with salt, cinders, and coal trucks, this is what happened. Time for a new one with some fiberglass to protect it.
I had to remove the chipped metal piece, and strip the stock bumper and the grille down to the Emerald Green Pearl.
Then I sanded the grille and replaced the mesh.
Here is the stock bumper sanded and primered.
Then I primered the new metal sheet, and began pop riveting the metal in place.
Wrapped it around and made little triangle pieces to fill in the gap, then fiberglassed it smooth.
To prevent the chips from happening again, I decided to add a thin layer of fiberglass over the metal. There's my friend Fred and his daughter Kerry who always helps out.
Primer again.
Then came the paint, clear coat, putting the pieces back in, and I was done!
July brought the time when I finally had the time to make the back bumper to match. WOW old picture when Corey was on the back and I hadn't painted the stock lenses yet!
Primered and then grey. I decided to redo most of the back to match the redone front (the kind of graffiti i settled on).
Graffiti on, just waiting for it to dry.
Okay so I had to wait until this Christmas 2006 to get my sideskirts but they are finally here. They are made for a 2000+ Toyota Celica, but i was told they would fit with a bit of modification. Here they are out of the box.
I had to get my friend Fred to help, because my Dad didn't have the tools or the fiberglass to modify the skirts. Primered skirts.
December 30, 2006 Fred and I spent about 6 hours on the passenger side, holding it up, measuring, measuring again, cutting, fitting, pop-riveting, etc. We got the passenger side skirt put on and the front fiberglassed around to fit. I also removed the door trim moulding because I want a smoother look for my doors.
December 31, 2006, the skirts get done. Fred and I worked from about 12 to 8. I also got both sides repainted where the door moulding used to be. Here are some random pictures of the process.
These are pics of how we had to cut the skirts and then patch them back together to make them fit.
Fiberglass was then smoothed over all the parts. There is no seam, so it looks like they were part of the car all along.
And this is a quick picture from that night, done.
And that is pretty much it for now. Thank you for looking at my Spirit. Sign my guest book and let me know what you think, good or bad. Honesty is just fine with me.
Page 1: EXTERIOR AND ENGINE
Page 2: INTERIOR AND AUDIO
Page 3: FUEL SYSTEM, EXHAUST, SUSPENSION, ETC.
Page 4: PAINTING STEPS
Page 5: BUMPER MODS AND SKIRTS
