Project 88 Z51 'gtu'

[Mr. Beefy]

So today I sanded, painted and cleared the rear gtu peices. They came out pretty good. There are some runs in one of them after I did the clearcoat. I'll just sand that out when it dries then polish it. I used duplicolor primer and color, and I used Rustoleum clear(mainly cause the store ONLY had that in clear). It came out well I think.







They are going on the car tomorrow and I will start working on the sides.

[3X00-Modified]

Is that a metallic black?

[Mr. Beefy]

Is that a metallic black?

Yep, the car is black metallic. I LOVE the color cause in the sun it really pops. Eventually down the road I will have it repainted the same color but for now this works well(and looks pretty good too )

[Cliff8928]

Metallic Black (WA8767) was used from 87-89 if I remember right.. Then it switched to non-metallic (WA8555?)

[Mr. Beefy]

Alright guys I FINALLY had the time to get the rears on. It was pretty simple. The clearcoat looked really nice in the pics that I posted up before but after fully drying it dulled out. <_< No big deal though cause eventually the car will be repainted. This is more or less just to get it the same color as the rest of the car. Pics tell it all.













So after doing this and looking at it for a couple minutes..... I'm definately thinking spoiler-less! Tint will be another thing that will be done as well, and I want headlight covers. The only thing that wont be black on the outside of the car will be the rims.

[Money pit Beretta]

What are you going to work on next?

[Mr. Beefy]

Well work kind of stopped on the GT for now cause my van is up on Jack stands (GT is the DD right now) getting new struts and ball joints. I also have to replace the drivers axle I just replaced about a month ago(vibrating again). Then I have to put new control arms and tie rod ends in my wife's Saturn....... then the GT gets more love. I have plugs and wires that need to go in first, then I'm finishing the body kit. I'm hoping I'll have a little time soon to tint the rear windows in the GT as well. Lots to do and little time to do it......

[Money pit Beretta]

All kinds of work there! Yea, one thing at a time is the only way. If the air box is the same as a 90GT I have a K&N that I'm not using if you want it. You could use it and then send it back if you get a CAI later(no charge).

[Mr. Beefy]

The air filter is a circular one not the square one that's on teh 90GT but thanks for the offer

[Money pit Beretta]

Ah, the great engine photo,and it is that by the way. Too bad I'm too dumb to go back and look at it before I post. Time to use this: and this

[3X00-Modified]

Spoiler less ftw!

[Mr. Beefy]

I'm definately going to leave it spoilerless now. I've also been debating on painting the fillers black metallic to match the car. I think it would look good because of it being black. My lower filler looks like crap but the upper one looks ok.

[Mr. Beefy]

So I'm back on the GT, as all my other cars (in my driveway) are complete. I power washed the engine bay to get it clean. I'm satisified with the results. Today I cut and modded the solid grille so I didnt have to cut the stock lip on the bumper. This way I can use either/or the solid or eggcrate grille. Tomorrow I'm going to scuff and paint that up.

I also today got tired of looking at ty spraypaint in spots that spray paint was not necessary. The guy who had it spray painted the passanger door for some unknown reason. So I broke out the sandpaper, and wetsanded with 800/1500/2000 paper then compound and hand polished. All I have to say is DAMN. the door looks like it came off of another car. I need to get another polishing pad and some better compound to make it REALLY REALLY nice. Now that I did that to the door I can see that I can rescue most of the paint on the car and make it look really nice again. I just need the time because it took a little bit of time to get that to look good.I'll snap pics tomorrow, cause I finished it late today.


With a little work in photoshop last night I came up with what I wanted to do with the car, minus the GTU kit. That is going to get started on tomorrow.



It will look like this with the addition of the GTU kit once I'm done. Tinted rear window(5%), headlight covers, clear marker lights, body colored Z51 rims with the chrome beauty covers and Z51 centers.

I also wanted to see if the AC works on the GT... not to my suprise it didnt, just like EVERY other beretta that I have owned. I checked to see if the compressor was not siezed..... it moved freely..... good sign. So I go out and grab a can of freon and start pumping. Took a little bit because my ##### charge line wasnt working right, but the compressor kicked on. Took the whole can, then I added another can with freon, oil, o ring conditioner, stop leak, nad a UV leak finder. Took that whole can. Sat in the car and it was like an Eskimo sitting on your face. Icey icey!! As soon as that happened and the AC was working right, I gave teh van teh finger and said F-U. The GT is what I'm going to drive on hot days till the van is gone.

Which lead me to clean it out. Since I bought it I have not really cleaned out the inside. It was pretty nasty cause the dude smoked who owned it. So I decided to clean teh crap out of the interior. Got a good vacuuming, then, I used an all natrual Arm and Hammer all purpose cleaner/degreaser, cleaned all the surfaces I could right down to the carpet stays, then hit it all with some Formula 2001. It looks like a new car now...... well..... not really new, but damn nice!. The carpet could use a steam cleaning in certian areas though. Not horrible, but 'could use improvement'.

If you didnt know.... I have another car that I bought and am working on as well. 1996 Thunderbird 4.6L. I have a couple things to do to that, and a parts pile sitting here but the car is still at my parents place. This will end up being my "family/DD" car, and the beretta will be the fun/toy/extra car.

[Mr. Beefy]

Rim painting commenced! I have one wheel complete and the other needing one more coat of color then that one is completed. Krylon FTW! I also took off the beauty rings and cleaned them up good as wel as the center cap. The old owner went spray paint happy and got it all over the ##### place 1500 grit wetsand took care of that easily.

So right now I'm eating lunch then I'm finishing the last coat on the one rim, waiting for that to dry(do the oilchange in the meantime while the front end is in the air) and start on the rear rims later if I have the time. I have to go and pick up my new glasses... wh00t!! Being blind and having a broken pair of glasses is definately FTMFL!! Tomorrow I should have a pic of the car with all black rims but here's a teaser for now....





The drivers side is still up and that is why I have some wicked wheel gap. ROFL. If you look at the passanger door you can also see what I did the other day sanding and polishing it. Compare the door to my sig pic and you'll see. It's been ty and raining for like 2-3 days now so the whole car is dirty on the outside.

I also cut and painted the solid grille that I had from my old GTZ. I cut it so I didnt have to cut the lip on the bumper keeping my options open for a solid grille or eggcrate.

[Mr. Beefy]

So after a little time went by....

Here's a few more updates.

This is what I did to the Solid Grille to make it work, and yes I did cut the center of the bowtie out like I did with my GTZ...



Ready to go in....



Installed...








STILL more to come......