My Car project

haggi961 · June 19, 2016

Haven't updated this for a while but the car is having a full body change.

Update time. This is my favourite update as it means the car is entering the final stages of looking like a 2010 cup Exige.

Right where do I start. I started talking to the Alastair on Facebook messenger after he posted pictures of spraying his car on Facebook. Must admit it is one sexy looking vx and one of my favourites out there. Anyway after chatting to him for a while he agreed to do the body work and spraying of the car with his Wife (not girlfriend)

After the car passed the Mot I set about making my way down to Dorset to drop the car off and bits. They very kindly let me stay at their house for the weekend where we discussed what's happening with the car and also made a start of stripping bits off. Which lead to filling their spare room.

They also took me to the spray workshop where all the magic is going to happen. What a setup that place is and the biggest spray booth I've ever seen.

I then went back Yorkshire leaving my car with someone I have only met once lol.

Over the next couple of months I got updates from Alistair of pictures and framed videos of the progress they both made. These pictures and videos were an awesome boost every time he sent me a new one.

I then set about ordering all the primer, paint, lacquer that they needed for the job. The blue is a secret so no one else steals it lol

A video of them both unboxing the paint, lacquer ect. They don't half move quick lol

Also ordered my cup Exige graphics straight from lotus.

The first thing they tackled was the fitting of the louvres. They had to cut the front clam up and fit the vx220 louvres into the Exige clam. The vx220 louvres have never been fitted to a Exige clam before so this is a one of a kind thing. It was surprising how well they followed the Exige body lines and they did amazing job lining them up. I do have a video of them both fitting the louvres but it's to big to upload to photo bucket.

After lots of measuring and cutting they bonded the louvres in with special air craft type glue and then riveted until the glue sets. Mega strong stuff that glue is.

Video to show how strong

Rivets drilled out and filled in.

Alistair kindly said he would make me a badge from cf for the rear so he sent me a few designs over and this is the one I liked the best.

Plans for the Titanium spring bracket that Alistair came up with to mount on the clam and keep the oem plastic tunnel in place. I wanted to use the tunnel to direct cold air to the inlet manifold to help with inlet temps.

Video to show it working

Next they stripped the car down completely which consisted of filling their garage and there spare room with some more car parts.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/F2ADE3FF-E393-4EC3-A837-9EC35AB1236D_zpsehlisarf.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/7C9BF2CF-EEB0-4CE3-AE10-581C1C1FB81D_zps7wgjw2bl.jpg

Stripping doors down to bare shell and the removal of the bonded door handles which I hear wasn't an easy job to remove.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/F51C0C06-96F4-4411-90CA-131D2178CCC2_zpsv3hoon3y.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/9FD599FE-4DB4-4578-8CF0-48E7D41A8330_zpss6alxayv.jpg

Next job for them both was to prep and smooth the inside of the clams as these are going black. The reason I wanted them black was so when the rear clam was flipped up at shows it looked nice and tidy against the engine and Alastair insisted that everything else must go black as well lol

Front clam first

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/A483C649-CA03-4194-A974-82B96A1FE881_zps4taa4r5y.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/C85FECFC-F3B7-4693-AC01-39A5ACD29078_zpskbp1inz1.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/703ABC06-117B-4538-8BB7-D11671A2E648_zpsbhwoqqie.jpg

Front clam louvres smoothed in and primed

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/D477CA76-8445-4050-8C3C-B149948F56E1_zps4zl5zzpv.jpg

The rear needed a few repairs which was sorted and then primed and painted black. Looking really good I must admit.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/39022599-EDFF-4615-9D46-B9CD031128B1_zpsyyrrocsq.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/7FBE50B1-751B-4E00-91A3-213C089AA7E5_zpslwv4oou0.jpg

I then changed the project slightly as I was going to get all the bits that's on the cup Exige painted black, but instead I bought a oem carbon fibre roof and engine cover along with lots of other carbon fibre parts. The roof and engine cover have saved me about 12kg in weight so overall a good saving.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/AF1A8AF4-F858-4AFE-B380-30CFCA3CC9DE_zpskbimd32l.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/AAB2088E-59B7-4C6A-9231-28F536A119AF_zpsvwejcpvp.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/9C0059E4-69D0-49ED-AF46-FD82829FD841_zpsp9nowqmf.jpg

The other little bits are front access panels, side vents, front clam pieces and radiator shroud.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/AB226845-683B-46CB-8B60-4DF55CE1123B_zpsdonesj4o.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/11A79240-D8D4-40DF-A176-4737D3462F18_zps2h3x6bx7.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/A5C6E540-3828-43A7-B7F6-1618F6BAF9DC_zpsnksipg9j.png

Sanding off the paint on the roof to reveal the carbon fibre which had been covered in layers of paint for some reason. The paint is coming off as the roof is getting done in the cup Exige style.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/12FEB64E-E43C-45FC-93CC-409F2AF7B897_zpsmgrgpsvp.jpg

Next was wheels to be stripped and blasted and some minor repairs as these are getting painted as well.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/2D3ABFFF-D9CA-4511-AB64-7AB766DC6911_zps4jpyenzj.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/83CCBA6F-A5BD-4610-840C-0F33CBA0F8C0_zpswvidjbca.jpg

The vxige sitting back on oem wheels, was years ago that it last seen NA wheels.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/F02FB8C8-2917-4DBC-A953-72226D9B9559_zpslkq8xkpf.jpg

Little bits and pieces sanded and prepped ready for primer. Ignore the side vents as the plans had changed to the carbon fibre ones.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/CEFAB81F-83D0-42DE-81CE-CCDA362A528D_zpsq6ppw58t.jpg

Wheels in primer along with the other little bits and pieces like splitter, spoiler ect

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/832BBB5E-0B50-42B4-9232-640DE92D03CE_zpsbqcrya2f.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/07D2D141-2C12-4CA5-913C-99504EFBC71B_zpsrlippvza.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/4FA25A76-F395-4DF3-8A04-4EEA6C8E8162_zpsrzq79kju.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/28B174C3-618D-49E9-93F3-FC0512F15E75_zpsuxgwvtcq.jpg[/url

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/905BE028-544C-4934-93E9-055FA7C65BA8_zpslg0wvwm5.jpg

Video priming the spoiler

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/th_33922EFE-A7F7-4493-B357-B0B459072C84_zpsdj8gydsb.jpg

Masking up the front access panels ready to be painted like the cup Exige style. Hours of masking went into this to get it right so thanks again to you both for going that extra mile.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/61B64BA8-B381-467F-A1AC-6AC77D97BF97_zpsjjmqyrgm.jpg

Now time for painting the first lot of bits.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/FF683DD9-CD90-42A4-A521-C1D91910C5E0_zpscvhhcxdd.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/A9930FEE-723E-446E-9942-CA605E5AEEEF_zpsitv1it6z.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/27F59980-AA7C-4A93-84B4-F382C0B347C1_zpsajlwbkws.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/5F209BD2-A26B-4FCC-B101-D95F1A943D3A_zps2kzvkpt2.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/C226DD3E-9895-42AC-9DE7-DE2E91A72D3C_zpsfte05zh2.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/CE31A4FC-C1AB-4F74-8C28-F7DEC6485761_zpsge1lmzev.jpg

Videos of spraying parts

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/th_BC35F3EA-8B4C-4F9C-AD9B-78343AB3E60E_zpst6x0fbjm.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/th_C94CFCF8-31D3-4A4F-A347-C9A81D833CF2_zpsaikfczme.jpg

Side vents lacquered

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/E9C68894-05B4-470D-8C93-2BA86F5319F7_zpsitkksxvd.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/BC30B897-1597-4295-AC17-0AFD37B47AF0_zps8qpemlb1.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/04478305-DC1F-42D4-AE85-645F705A81A6_zpsb37nra9i.jpg

Video of side vents lacquering

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/th_D6252939-C5A7-4433-B316-D0BFB8994BFD_zpsg6fab2ru.jpg

Exige center console lacquered

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/143A3B30-2E87-4B17-90EE-76EB066FA7D1_zpsjkbse6uo.jpg

Video of lacquer on the Center console

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/th_FF51B115-F277-41EA-8DFC-282CBB7DA7B4_zps2pvynzig.jpg

Next was masking the roof and engine cover ready for primer.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/683E07E9-EB66-4FEE-BF60-CED9BEFFC0C4_zpsp4h8rqrq.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/E4CEEBF9-8C43-4623-A763-B785CC2DD49A_zps8mzzra2g.jpg

The wheels sprayed in there final colour

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/E6AC062D-4DEE-40D8-8528-2E5CC30E1602_zps6vhreuv7.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/674EC6E5-6CB5-44C4-B55B-9A8E0BFC7F66_zpsh3gj2ds3.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/1A1AF970-A33D-4EF1-BDD3-542F42C667D6_zpsinfgxcgr.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/85E3B46E-634C-4E6A-AAE5-78E3FCA9B9B1_zpsfrulpop8.jpg

Engine cover, roof, front access panels and other little bits primed. It looks amazing in just primer let alone paint. The shiny look is from being wet sanded not lacquer.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/29459991-E8A6-426C-8220-E9BFB151B74E_zpsrlnldknv.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/BB43B1D5-554D-4228-A916-4B8706AB6AF4_zps9vavzfjj.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/8EAC22BB-1DC1-47C2-8B2A-7AE59FE00DBA_zpsr1lfieee.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/FD1784EC-CBB1-48BF-9470-53A9067E4849_zpso1gcsnrw.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/A080E3EB-E6C0-4DDF-B9EA-E29BD76393B1_zps62m0cpny.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/4579984C-7D37-4AE6-ADC4-9614281B25FF_zpsnxr9ujc9.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/1C3FBCEA-E21E-4C63-9494-168F40C580EA_zpsotk4wnww.jpg

Then bits needed re masking for as he wanted to smooth the edge out a bit so there wasn't a ridge in the paint.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/1164A3EF-7FEE-4AB0-84B0-8EA938FD45EF_zpsv7gshtrm.jpg

First look of the colour I choose with no lacquer on in a Matt finish.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/369A839C-4579-40FE-B73C-5DB1FF786550_zpsjotdp2l8.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/1BF049F7-38BF-4CF4-8FA5-43E51F990519_zpsgxndurwp.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/E3D5E2A4-022F-4FF6-AAE9-D2F3CD36D307_zpshpv56985.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/4ECCA80F-2487-4BE5-9E3A-0D0BEAE4CB16_zps0rggp8no.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/3D157E59-408D-48A7-9F97-EC7BC928EB01_zpsxvi10zlm.jpg

Then all the bits lacquered and they look better then I can ever imagined

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/AC4E54FC-3062-47C8-AEE3-8B8666B6C681_zps9mzua1np.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/8A7FE983-8330-45AC-944B-FE19BCF11632_zpsjompsdvy.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/1F0E81D9-479A-46E5-B177-C55C94AD5060_zpsnxeptufl.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/955CE5A9-6BB0-4BAB-BD1E-7BEDD7A58AEC_zps4ndaed29.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/D2BE6327-55FD-428A-8318-099C859368A6_zpsk32mzvda.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/1F1EAA54-FE17-4045-9BE6-15A08FD89D37_zpsvn9wpbxw.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/396F363D-3E4E-428C-BB96-C4F54B974587_zpsl05jcwse.jpg

Parts back in the room and they look different again in a different light.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/6BA3E741-8669-4FB8-B3C8-45B17541E9CA_zpskghvvg8u.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/2D43DB66-5832-4EFA-8776-1EC1DA41B5AB_zpssnbxr64b.jpg

Time for the front and rear clam to have the magic worked on them.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/12E47003-2537-469B-9EDB-13C320BAB8C6_zpsxer8rm5m.jpg

More sanding and filling of the louvres to get a perfect finish

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/3DC63DD1-B66D-4DA4-AD59-335FA600338C_zpstqrswycp.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/76F5307B-C23B-4182-8BD1-0057358DCB90_zpsilo4mq5m.jpg

Louvres and clam all smoothed now and the clam looks like they come out of a mould with the louvres

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/AD014682-6937-4BC8-95AB-B8152B9CF6EC_zpslowrbpmx.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/D5BEFD82-05D6-45EF-9C8E-3BF1601797F5_zpsygz09b06.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/E857B68A-F2F3-4178-A62D-C2FFA1C734DC_zps6sgvomzf.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/B8A2975A-8F52-4BC6-AD2C-F804C9153DD1_zpsjemk5dpp.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/E19AA1A1-E0AE-4326-81B0-F5F00916E6EA_zpsnqlgkwq7.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/DAE225D0-8E09-456E-9B48-13D66F75F0FA_zpssbcvhyx4.jpg

With the cup Exige style I'm going for they had a carbon fibre insert on the top of the clam. Trying to get hold of a clam with this bit on is impossible and I wasn't buying new. So to keep with the design Alastair said he can vaccum a piece of carbon fibre over the clam similar to what lotus did. It came out amazing and once it's got paint and lacquer over you will never know.

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/54865438-F2B4-41F4-A9C1-F4DC10D69E47_zpsoq9iiip1.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/413041F8-11B6-4649-B5AC-3831F8730A46_zpsrz5qopv6.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/C5AB656C-5781-4EDD-84CF-B59BA233B7CB_zpsqlyakjcv.jpg

He welded up a frame to hold the spoiler plinths

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/AA31FC17-A2C8-4642-8CE5-6EB344A2ED3A_zpsq4ilpwgc.jpg

Louvres cut out

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/0CC86C7E-6C5B-418D-9573-5FF35F7EADC3_zpsygt7r5wa.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/433387B6-2513-4C2B-98C4-30A458D1EF69_zpsagzybn9p.jpg

Front clam and doors primed

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/430450CF-9E50-4BAA-8D66-E5F6426892C9_zpsbsprybv9.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/606FEAC4-A9B4-4B97-B701-09B83642D588_zps6ci8s5el.jpg

http://i1174.photobucket.com/albums/r614/haggi96/34AAA2C1-0CCE-43AB-A070-4EE2364F2C9A_zpslve3u81t.jpg