My insane car project

[eiriksmil]

I'm a 15 year old boy with more interests than GT4. I will just write a bit about my lousy project, and share this with you.

Mileage: 125.800 km

Plans:

X = Done
1 = High priority
2 = Medium priority
3 = Low priority
/ foran = semi-finished
B = Bought

Replace absorbers [2]
Change springs [2]
Paint interiorpanels [/3]
Sandblast inner part of body [X]
Weld in new metal in inner part of body [1]
Prime inner part of body [/1]
Paint inner part of body [1]
Sandblast under the car[1]
Weld in new metal under the car[1]
Prime under the car [1]
Paint under the car [1]
Rust-protection under the car (bodyspray) [3]
Replace alternator [/2]
Change air filter, new cold air intake [3]
Replace exhaust system [3]
Spoiler from Charade Turbo/GTti [K]
Front lip from Charade Turbo/GTti [3]
Sports seats from Charade Turbo [K]
New head lamps [3]
New rear lamps [3]
New steering wheel (Sparco) [3]
New handbrake cover (Sparco) [3]
New racing pedals [3]
Wheels, 16" ASA rims? [3]

I have probably forgotten something, and I need a lot of parts. I'm gonna go for semi-OEM look, semi my own-look. I've got a G102 1.3 litre, but using parts from the GTti/Turbo, and hopefully some custom/special parts, I hope it'll look good!


First day in garage

Alternator decided to stop, which nearly resulted in a fire. It did, however, result in much more work to the car than originally planned.

Disconnecting battery, to replace alternator. Removed air filter to get more room.

The interior stripping started

Painted interior details silver, and large interior panels matte black.

Removed the asphalt plates, to find rust.

It's more than that, but that's by the canal.

Primed parts inside the body.

Hope you like my small project

Eiriksmil

 

[Flerbizky]

Very nice !... And reminds me I seriously need to find a garage somewhere...

Keep us posted on your progreess 👍

 

[Mastasidaz]

Yo man, how do you get all that knowledge about cars? I like your project very much and would love to do the same thing but I dont have much knowledge about cars. So do you mabey know some books or something where is illustrated how cars are build etc etc?

 

[eiriksmil]

Very nice !... And reminds me I seriously need to find a garage somewhere...

Keep us posted on your progreess 👍

Haha!
I will keep you posted! Have got my project at four different places, so I'm trying to update it regularly. Working when I feel for it, might do a bit today. So I will probably come with a few pics by today.

Yo man, how do you get all that knowledge about cars? I like your project very much and would love to do the same thing but I dont have much knowledge about cars. So do you mabey know some books or something where is illustrated how cars are build etc etc?

Well, the Haynes manuals is a good thing to have. There is a chassis manual for the Charade too, but I haven't checked it out that much. It just complicates stuff. For example, I was really shocked about the rear bumper, seemed like you had to take off the whole exhaust and everything. I lied down under the car, had a look, figured that the 4 bolts under had to be for the bumper, I just removed the exhaust a bit, nothing seriously, and bam! the rear bumper was off before I knew it myself.
I haven't done anything else than washing/waxing cars before in my live. Haven't got any experience with working with cars like this. Common sense, and the will to do it, is the most important things you'll ever need! It doesn't help with skill, if you don't have any will! 👍

By the way, how cars are built? Well, I can tell you one thing.. If you start by removing one plastic clip in the boot, you are soon standing there without doors, without suspension and soon without engine. It's one part after another.
For example, the hood doesn't come off before the fenders are off, and the fenders don't come off before the front head light housing are off, and the front lights don't come off before the side lamps are off. Really simple!

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

THis is what I like to hear!! 15 year old doing all the work on their own car. Keep it up and keep us posted. 👍
Who is helping teach you or are you all on you own? If your real lucky you can find a girlfriend who is interrested in cars as much as you are. Then life becomes soo great!
Heather helped me install my driveshaft loop on the Camaro last night.
I love her soo much!

 

[eiriksmil]

THis is what I like to hear!! 15 year old doing all the work on their own car. Keep it up and keep us posted. 👍
Who is helping teach you or are you all on you own? If your real lucky you can find a girlfriend who is interrested in cars as much as you are. Then life becomes soo great!
Heather helped me install my driveshaft loop on the Camaro last night.
I love her soo much!

Haha! Great job! 👍
I'm mostly own my own, I know one guy that knows a lot about Charade, I've got plenty with advises from him, but I work alone. It's not that hard. Think I need help with the welding, though.. Time will show..

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Haha! Great job! 👍
I'm mostly own my own, I know one guy that knows a lot about Charade, I've got plenty with advises from him, but I work alone. It's not that hard. Think I need help with the welding, though.. Time will show..

You are a very intelligent kid. I have a lot of respect for you. Only 15 and already tearing your car apart to make it better.
I also learned almost everything on my own. If something had a bolt in it I figured a socket or wrench would remove it. Then before I knew it I was onto the next car swapping engines, trannies, suspension and bla bla. I also started at 15. Each car you build will be better than the previous one.
What welder do you have? Arc welder, small mig welder that runs off of flux core, or do you have a big mig welder with the tanks? Most welding is quite easy when you practice on some scrap metal first. I taught Heather how to weld within an hour or so. Now she welded in her floors on the mustang, and the rear quarter. However we use just a flux core welder so its very easy to weld bodywork with. And some 1/8" steel.
If you ever need any advice feel free to PM me. 👍

 

[niky]

Hell, I'm envious. Passed up a chance at buying a GTti a year ago, and I've been kicking myself in the pants ever since. Never could find a regular Charade in good enough condition afterwards, and I don't really have the time for that kind of work.

But heck, working on a Charade without putting a GTti or a Starlet engine on your checklist? Shame on you... ...but heck, you're fifteen, you've got all the time in the world.

P.S.: 16's will rub quite a bit on the rear fenders, won't they? I've seen Charades on 15's and they already look like a pretty tight fit.

 

[eiriksmil]

Hell, I'm envious. Passed up a chance at buying a GTti a year ago, and I've been kicking myself in the pants ever since. Never could find a regular Charade in good enough condition afterwards, and I don't really have the time for that kind of work.

But heck, working on a Charade without putting a GTti or a Starlet engine on your checklist? Shame on you... ...but heck, you're fifteen, you've got all the time in the world.

P.S.: 16's will rub quite a bit on the rear fenders, won't they? I've seen Charades on 15's and they already look like a pretty tight fit.

If the engine one day decides to pension itself, I'll probably look for a GTti engine, or a 1.6 engine with 4WD drivetrain!
Isn't the Philliphines, Malaysia, NZ, Australia and Indonesia full of Charades? At least there are some cars there for sure, I know.

Even 17" will fit with some minor modification to the wheel housing, but it also depends on the width of the tire. Say 16" with xxx/50 won't go, but xxx/30 will fit much better. I know someone in Norway riding 17" on his GTti..

 

[niky]

Damn... 17's??? can you say sloooooow?

Yeah, we're awash in Charades, but GTti's are hard to come by. They're cheap, though, and engines are only about $200.

It's the Aussies who have a lot of them.

Good luck with your project, dude. A Charade makes a pretty swell first car. 👍

 

[toyomatt84]

Love the base car. It's 100% pure sleeper. Best of luck on the project, 👍.

 

[Jay]

Isn't the Philliphines, Malaysia, NZ, Australia and Indonesia full of Charades? .

Yeah we have alot of Charades, please feel free to take as many as you can

j/k


Nice to see someone else with such a car passion at 15 👍

 

[eiriksmil]

A long time since I updated here..

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

WOW you have the car completely apart. I remember my Camaro looking very similar to those pics when I did the interior upgrade from the 69 to the 2002. I had everything out just like that. What are your next plans of attack for the car?

 

[Dave A]

Certainly not a lusy project, in fact it's a very good one and and you seem to be very capable of pulling it off. Your very right about common sence and will power being the biggest things you need, and preferebly the Haynes manual as well . Good luck with the rest of the project anyway 👍.

 

[TheCracker]

I hope you remember where all the bits go!

Modern cars are just so complex - i took my door apart the other week to try and fix the electric window and couldn't believe how much stuff was in there - i couldn't get to the part that i thought might have been at fault without fully dismantling the door. Then it started raining and i decided that water and electrics don't really go so gave up and wedged the glass up with a nice piece of wood

 

[BMWteamPTG]

damn good job mate. i only wish i had the time and dedication to do what youre doing. and im 6 years your senior. pics look good, you sound like you know wat youre doing. keep up the good work, keep us all updated, and re-build yourself a kick ass ride man.

 

[HKS-V]

Nice project , I wish that I had a garage and all the space needed to do a car build but anyway Good luck and keep us updated

 

[eiriksmil]

Yeah, well. Thanks for the comments, guys (and gals, if there are any here)!

My plans are just to find all the corrosion, and paint it dark metallic red under the carpet. Change the wheel, change suspension, and do a really proper job concerning the paint! I really hope it'll get good.
I've figured out that assemblying it is not that hard. If I finish with too few parts mounted, it's just figuring out where the parts fit.. Besides, I've made a handful of friends around here which I can get some good advises from!
If you've got a Daihatsu or a Volkswagen, it doesn't matter. They look pretty much alike under the skin, actually. It's not that hard building a car, I've found out. More people should do it!
Thanks, people! Backup and comments help really well! 👍

Best regards
Eirik

 

[Master_Yoda]

You going to keep the engine stock? or you going to do some mods, or a swap? I don't know of any swaps to fit your car, but i'm sure there is one.

 

[Appie]

awsome project and good luck

 

[eiriksmil]

You going to keep the engine stock? or you going to do some mods, or a swap? I don't know of any swaps to fit your car, but i'm sure there is one.

Well, the engine from the turboed, intercooled Charade GTti would fit perfectly. Actually a lesser engine, at 1.0, it's got around 120 bhp. You can get some goodies for that engine, too. However, no engine swap. I'm thinking basic bolt-ons, exhaust and air filter, and that ultra clean engine bay you rarely see on Japanese cars. Turbocharger means more piping, more electronics means more mess, etc. I'm gonna keep it clean and simple, with "invisible" electrics, a custom fuse-box never seen in Charade (metal outside, plastic inside, lower down than stock, etc), blue piping, and some very hard, chromed details. Dark red metallic walls, polished/chromed parts and blue piping (as the interior will get some blue details, too), it will definatly look hard and sexy! No fancy fake-NOS bottles or some other boring, add-ons, but everything that can be made invisible, will be made invisible, and the parts that must be exactly there, will be chromed.

 

[eiriksmil]

awsome project and good luck

Thanks!

 

[eiriksmil]

Update


Test mounted the spoiler, it needs a brushing, either if it's being color-coded, or painted black.

Got visited by some in the other class yesterday, took off the brake calipers up front..

After over-screwing, this happends:

Leading to this (borrowing from neighbour):

Life seen through a pipes eye..

The radiator is out

Probably an old dent, just filled over, not primed or anything. The more I sand down, the more rust I find under the filling

More sanding

And now, it has to be cleaned again

 

[xXSilencerXx]

Nice work dude keep it up. I'd just say be careful removing springs because I think it can be very dangerous when they unload.

 

[STLbarcelona5]

Kinda reminds me of all the work that I've done and am still kinda doing to my '79 Beetle. First thing was sandblast & paint the wheels. Then pull out the interior (albiet not that much), sandblast the floorpans. Put in all new side carpeting (has vinyl flooring that covers everything).

Redone everything regarding the brakes except new lines (phew), eg. new master cylinder, all wheel cylinders, drum shoes. New fuel pump & gas tank (oh what a mess, not literally, just annoying).

And then the big one, replacing the entire convertible top with my dad. That . . .was fun?! But hey, saved me probably $800 in labor, and thats on the low end, so all I payed was the $350 for parts that the actual shops use to replace old VW tops.

And it goes on and on (basically suspension crap). Andd I'll be 18 in July, so hopefully all that I want to have done (that I can) by myself will be complete by summers end.

*crosses fingers*

 

[Fyffe]

Aah, i need a garage, then I would start working on my BMW.
That project is lookin' good:tup:

 

[filthyfish]

Aah, i need a garage, then I would start working on my BMW.
That project is lookin' good:tup:

Im in that same situation, live in a condo, no garage! All my projects are parked at friends houses. But reading about your project Eiriksmil, reminds me of the fun im going to have when I get to tear in to them. In the US I dont see many Charades' any more, but I enjoy reading about yours, keep the updates comming!

 

[Rue]

I used to have a Charade GTti and it was a whole lot of fun. Sounded like a 911 Turbo (if Rick Moranis had one) and embarassed unsuspecting motorists in 'superior' cars with it's shove. If you can pick a motor up cheap I seriously recommend it!

 

[socomplayer2]

yo man u have a sweet project going on here and i am 15 as well and am saving up a few hundred dollars for and old beater and to do the same thing.... this is a great project and im routing for ya all i need more is about another $400 and some driveway space lol