75wagon's GD sedan, now wagon project...

[Tj.]

They do sit nice. Decent amount of lip too.

[VGJONO]

Looking good dave, gave me a nudge to tidy up and test out some wheels on my cars

[75wagon]

Well, the first wheel came apart real easy. Every bolt undid, and the rim de & re-assembled with no issues. The second rim is a completely different story, and so it seems the third is starting to be (I haven't even touched the forth yet).


De gutter rashed and rubbed back on the left, and untouched on the right.


De gutter rashed and rubbed back on the left (as above pic), polished on the right (before centre removal).


As they currently sit, centre bottom is the only rim so far to have the centre removed and the rim polished behind (still need to paint the centres obviously)


So on discovery that I was damaging bolt heads on removal, I have spent quite a bit of time researching where I can get new ones from.
The best I have found for replacements are these (the centres are going to be painted in a charcoal grey or similar)


For those that are interested how I go about rubbing back and polishing rims.




More info on the process I use here http://www.sigma-galant.com/viewtopic.php?f=93&t=3024 plus some other members methods as well.

Dave...

[geezer101]

Nice work dave - as always. Good luck with cracking the other rims apart.

[75wagon]

I've damaged some of the heads of the bolts, and as much as I like originality (with certain things) you can't buy original replacements for these bolts. So I ended up picking up some high tensile bolts today for the rims. After some serious consideration about the newer style bling rim screws (as pictured above), I just couldn't do it.
I ended up buying some socket head bolts similar to the originals with a tensile rating of 12.9 (original rating only needed 10.9, so I have exceeded the original specs), and nuts to suit that have a tensile rating of 10.9.
These are what they look like sitting in the rim.

I'll have to paint them, but that's fine, because I want black headed bolts anyway.

Anyway, now I can cut the nuts off the back of the bolts that I can't remove and finish polishing the outers. And then repaint the centres to suit the car I'm building. They'll end up being charcoal grey metallic.

Dave...

[75wagon]

I got all of the outers polished. I've still got the inners (or back sides) to clean up, then to paint the centres




I thought I'd try them on the Brown shell (while it's still relatively in one piece) to see what they look like against the darker body colour, and I wanted to see how they sat for offset on the front with the GH struts (which is what the finished build will be running).


The cap on the GH Sigma hub just sticks out the centre hole, this will make it a little more difficult for me to make centre caps.






Dave...

[75wagon]

Got some stripper out, and got into the centres.


I'm pretty happy with the result with 1 application of stripper (left side of pic).


Just about time to commit to paint colours

Dave...

[Sigmaproject]

You have 3 choices. Gold...Gold or Gold.

[75wagon]

You have 3 choices. Gold...Gold or Gold.

LOL, fair enough.

I've seen plenty of Gold, Silver and Black ones, and I'm pretty confident that wont be the way I'll go (just because I like to be different).
Here's a few something differents.

All painted black/grey including outer lip.


Polished spoke faces


Gunmetal Grey Metallic 99% of the way I'm leaning.


White (I'm not doing white again, too hard to keep clean)


Body colour (makes them look too much like Simmons IMO) and no before I get asked, I'm not painting my wagon blue.


Gold. Tried and true, I know it'll look good, but will clash with the body colour I'll be running.


Silver.



Dave...

[bruggz351]

I'm liking the Gunmetal grey...

[75wagon]

I thought I'd try the rims on my GC wagon to get a better idea of fitment (and just because I'm curious what it'd look like with them).






Thought these pics help other visualize fitment as well.

Dave...

[gaPhil]

Gold does look good, but is body colour dependent.

I'd like to see gun metal grey with polished spoke faces...

[Scorpma82]

I like polished alloy and body colour

Ur right about the body colour making the wheel a lot like simmons......but that's also a tried and tested setup (and was very successful....just like the gold)


Another thing I like is to leave the face (and the rim section) of the wheel polished alloy....and paint just the sides of the spokes either black, grey or body coloured


Food for thought

[geezer101]

IMO I wouldn't go for the polished face mesh centres, it will be too blingy and detract from the stainless body trim. Plain silver centres will look too understated. I would be leaning towards either colour matched centres or gunmetal. Decisions, decisions...

[Nath76LA]

I've always been a fan of gunmetal wheels with polished lip.

[Superscan811]

Gunmetal gray centers with polished spokes, polished lip. FTW...



Cheers.

[75wagon]

Finally after hours upon hours of searching, and plenty of research, and then approaching a total stranger to ask for the vin number off their car, I have the paint code. Now all I need is the paint code for the trim colour (rims, grille and rear tailgate strip), time to bail up another stranger to look under their bonnet

Dave...

[75wagon]

Interesting find just now.
I'm stripping the modded wiring loom out of the brown shell in preparation for transfer into the green shell, and I have noticed it does not have the green wire for the factory tacho (that all of my other GC/D's have had).
So it makes me wonder, did it never come with one, or, did a previous owner remove it (but the factory loom tape doesn't appear to have been fiddled with, not in that area anyway)?

I've had slow progress with the car the last month or so (been doing lots of overtime at work).

I do have the paint codes for body and trim, I just haven't bought it yet.

Dave...

[75wagon]

Been quiet on this for a while (due to other little side projects and work).
I've been working on this recently http://www.sigma-galant.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=12585

Putting that aside though, I've had a good couple of hours sitting, staring, pondering and generally just walking past this wagon in my garage.
I took some pics of it just this week to inspire the actual build.
Make's me wonder what's stopping me from making any decent progress?

Front spoiler fitted with the Volk Mesh rims.










I picked the best of my front aprons to start working on the spoiler I'm making, they were all bent, they just varied on how much and where. The one I picked (originally from this wagon) wasn't the straightest, but it was the easiest to fix (retained the most original shape around the mounting points).


Dave...

[75wagon]

Been way to long since I added to this, and to make it worse I resorted my albums on facebook, so now the links don't work

Anyway, I finally go my rims painted today.
Etch primer


Straight black






Clear coat with a small amount of silver flake to finish off.



Just using up paint that I have in the garage.

[75wagon]

Next is wheel centres.
I've just ordered a big chuck of alloy for the job.

[ozdusterdave]

Finally after hours upon hours of searching, and plenty of research, and then approaching a total stranger to ask for the vin number off their car, I have the paint code. Now all I need is the paint code for the trim colour (rims, grille and rear tailgate strip), time to bail up another stranger to look under their bonnet

Dave...

Definatley Sherwood Green Metallic.Same as on a VJ valiant.

[75wagon]

I've just ordered a big chuck of alloy for the job.

What the hell is a chuck?
I meant to say 'chunk'.
80mm diameter x 200mm length to be precise.

Definatley Sherwood Green Metallic.Same as on a VJ valiant.

I just googled that colour.
It's pretty much the same as what's on it now if not exactly the same.
This is what google search found me with that colour name.


Problem is I don't want to go green again, I've had too many cars that I have painted green (I'm starting to think it's my favourite colour or something).

I'm trying really hard to get this build going, but I'm working all the overtime work is throwing at me of late (doesn't help getting a car build going).
I'm still confident on my colour choice which I will reveal after I buy the paint.

Here's something else I bought for it recently from the US.






Dave...

[crystalmeths]

Hi Dave the steering wheel is bloody beautiful should look perfect on your build mate and as for slow builds I understand where your coming from what with work , overtime , family doesnt leave much time for cars , I havent touch my sigma for about six months but thats the way it is cheers mate regards Chris

[75wagon]

Thanks for the positive feedback Chris

Here's the lastest I'm up to, I just started this last night.

80mm x 200mm Round aluminium bar.


Here's the first centre roughed out.


Still to do:
1. Make 3 more
2. Bore out the rear of the centre (to clear the GH Sigma strut hub cover that sticks out 5mm past the face of the rim).
3. Clean up the sizing of the back of the centres so it fits flush to the face of the rim in the centre bore (it's currently 1/4mm to big).
4. Make a retainer that bolts to the back of the centres so they don't fall out
5. Design and make a logo for the centres so it looks like they're meant to be there.

Dave...

[75wagon]

I am actually getting though this, bit by bit.

3 made at this point, 1 more to go.


4th one now made, and the boring of the rear started on the 1st.


Sitting flush up to the rim face.


Rear shot.


Dave...

[bruggz351]

Those center caps look sweet Dave.
Whats the plan for retainment?

cheers

[75wagon]

Thanks, they would be done now already if I hadn't snapped the belt on my lathe, but what do you do?

As for retaining them, I have a few ideas, but haven't decided which one yet.
1. drill holes and tap through the sides and use grub screws to lock onto the inside of the bore on the rim.
2. machine a lip and fit an o-ring so they are a friction fit
3. make a backing plate (that has the centre bored out so it looks like a big washer)that fits tight to the bore, then bolt it to the back on the centre.

options 1 and 2 are my favoured options atm. option 3 was my original idea.

Dave...

[ddt]

Nice caps, Dave

As for retaining them, I have a few ideas, but haven't decided which one yet.
Dave...

Have you considered simply using silicon to hold them in place?

[Scorpma82]

nah i like the "caliper piston seal" setup....if u silicone the caps, ull have to pry them off with some form of tool...risking damage

The rubber sear wouldnt require such methods of remove or refit

but since you have mastered the alloy wheel caps.....the sky (well actually...the money) is the limit with dress up kits

bolt caps, radiator cap cover, shocker tower caps, rocker cover cap etc etc etc etc etc etc



There's a blue Ford Escort panel van that has done the exact same thing as that and he reeped in some big results at car shows for detailing