- Thread starter
- #21
haphazardly polished the truck up. Poor prep and chemical guys v38 with an orange pad. Came out great for the minimal effort.
Build One out, one in — still can’t park in my own garage- Alex builds an 80.
- Thread starter HemiAlex
- Start date
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- Thread starter
- #22
It’s not my 60 but I still really like it.
- Thread starter
- #23
I don’t know why the deep cleaning phase is so exciting for me.
- Thread starter
- #24
Driveway restoration complete. Ready for field use.
Added a new used driveshaft with no wobble thanks to @samc2447
New grille from FBM used, gold emblem upgrade.
Painted the bumper with rustoleum flat black. No prep and it came out nice.
Took a blow torch to the rear fender flaps.
New chinesium intake boot while I wait for an oem. $44 on Amazon.
Finished the detail of the truck and threw some gloss polish in it. Can’t believe how all the dead purplish paint came off.
Needs an aux fan upgrade asap. Ac has a hard time at idle.
Added a new used driveshaft with no wobble thanks to @samc2447
New grille from FBM used, gold emblem upgrade.
Painted the bumper with rustoleum flat black. No prep and it came out nice.
Took a blow torch to the rear fender flaps.
New chinesium intake boot while I wait for an oem. $44 on Amazon.
Finished the detail of the truck and threw some gloss polish in it. Can’t believe how all the dead purplish paint came off.
Needs an aux fan upgrade asap. Ac has a hard time at idle.
Did the bumper paint take well? Looks great.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #26
Amazingly yes. I did nothing but spray it on an impulse. You have to get really close to see the defects. Solid 5 footer.
I couldn’t bring myself to pay $200-400 for a used oem when I know I’ll have a real bumper at some point.
Same. I am going to get an ARB after I get everything sorted mechanically - but would like to tidy mine up until then. I did my grille a while back and it came out great.
- Thread starter
- #28
Fun stuff. I noticed that the AC would not get below 62° and then would start falling off pretty quickly when you would sit still so today I bypassed the heater control valve to ensure full engagement and I noticed a 10° temp drop at idle.
I’m still going to add the rest of the system for this auxiliary fan and controller. I also ordered some 30K fluid from Amazon for the fan clutch.
My buddy the PO replaced the condenser, evaporater, expansion valve, drier, compressor. All denso parts except the evaporater.
I was expecting it to be nasty like my 60.
I’m still going to add the rest of the system for this auxiliary fan and controller. I also ordered some 30K fluid from Amazon for the fan clutch.
My buddy the PO replaced the condenser, evaporater, expansion valve, drier, compressor. All denso parts except the evaporater.
I was expecting it to be nasty like my 60.
- Thread starter
- #29
I may have fixed it. The pressure switch and plug are weird. I move it ever so slightly and the compressor kicks on and off randomly.
I jumped the switch and it ran at 58* for 10 mins without falling off.
New switch, connector body and the controller for my 10” spal aux fan inbound.
I jumped the switch and it ran at 58* for 10 mins without falling off.
New switch, connector body and the controller for my 10” spal aux fan inbound.
- Thread starter
- #30
May be overkill but summer just started here in Texas and is miserable.
nice e55. At least they are so cheap you can pick one up for the price of a honda civic...
- Thread starter
- #32
Thanks. I love it. Very fair priced car to buy any own, but honestly I just like the engine.
Ecliff5
SILVER Star
Another blue 80! 
Nice job cleaning it up, looks good! My paint is beyond shot and peeling, I kinda dig the blurple vibes though.
Nice job cleaning it up, looks good! My paint is beyond shot and peeling, I kinda dig the blurple vibes though.
- Thread starter
- #36
I had baked paint, faded clear but nothing actually peeling or delaminating.Another blue 80!
Ecliff5
SILVER Star
Yeah I’m pretty sure my peeling is from a partial respray on the hood and driver fender. The rest is cooked from its previous life on the west coast.
Bypassed the heater control valve? Make sure when the cable that controls the heater control valve is actually closing the valve completely when full "COLD" is selected on the HVAC control. There are a few posts where people have adjusted that cable and it made a difference.
- Thread starter
- #39
I took the cable off and made sure it was all the way to cool. Didn’t seem to have slack or lack extension but I want to keep it consistent til I get it right.
- Thread starter
- #40
Had some wins today.
Ac operation was very weird. It would get extremely cold and then seemingly not cool at all. Charge pressures on both sides were good and there were no leaks.
While wiring in my aux fan module I noticed that I bumped the pressure switch and the ac turned off. Pretty much an ah ha moment.
Vacuumed down the system, swapped to an aftermarket sensor (fastest I could get one from Amazon) and it works lovely. 58* at idle on a 92* day.
I’m still adding my aux fan module and controller but for now we’re good.
Also, the truck had a bad wind down vibration at 70 mph that got marginally better with the addition of a new used driveshaft, but the real win came today from the front driveshaft being replaced. Zero vibration and noise. Feels amazingly quiet. I’m trying to make a habit of taking a torque wrench to all I touch and using torque paint when I can remember. Huge win.
List of things happening now:
Getting the icon progressive springs tomeorrow.
Have bilstein 5100’s in hand
Ordered slee extended brake lines for the axle and calipers. I’d bet my current ones are all original. Huge no go for me.
My dobinsons dealer is getting all the frame drop brackets for the sway bars and such
I have two 30mm spacers from dobinsons incase it leans (they said it will)
Just got some 33” 16’s went with 285/75-16 Falken wild peak RT’s.
Snagged a set of powder coated oem wheels from a friend.
LS400 grey sun visors from eBay on the way.
Elmkeith panhard bracket ordered today.
I need some oem trim pieces for a better working window switch, a radio that’s from this last few years and maybe a new hatch nameplate.
It’s coming together fast. I love easy projects.
Ac operation was very weird. It would get extremely cold and then seemingly not cool at all. Charge pressures on both sides were good and there were no leaks.
While wiring in my aux fan module I noticed that I bumped the pressure switch and the ac turned off. Pretty much an ah ha moment.
Vacuumed down the system, swapped to an aftermarket sensor (fastest I could get one from Amazon) and it works lovely. 58* at idle on a 92* day.
I’m still adding my aux fan module and controller but for now we’re good.
Also, the truck had a bad wind down vibration at 70 mph that got marginally better with the addition of a new used driveshaft, but the real win came today from the front driveshaft being replaced. Zero vibration and noise. Feels amazingly quiet. I’m trying to make a habit of taking a torque wrench to all I touch and using torque paint when I can remember. Huge win.
List of things happening now:
Getting the icon progressive springs tomeorrow.
Have bilstein 5100’s in hand
Ordered slee extended brake lines for the axle and calipers. I’d bet my current ones are all original. Huge no go for me.
My dobinsons dealer is getting all the frame drop brackets for the sway bars and such
I have two 30mm spacers from dobinsons incase it leans (they said it will)
Just got some 33” 16’s went with 285/75-16 Falken wild peak RT’s.
Snagged a set of powder coated oem wheels from a friend.
LS400 grey sun visors from eBay on the way.
Elmkeith panhard bracket ordered today.
I need some oem trim pieces for a better working window switch, a radio that’s from this last few years and maybe a new hatch nameplate.
It’s coming together fast. I love easy projects.