Refurbishing Stuff (and knowing when to stop)

thanatu55 · Mar 26, 2018

I've got tons of Zed related stuff lying around but a lot of it isn't in the best condition, so while I'm only going to sell them on eventually I thought I'd prettify them up before moving them on.

My hesitation is with the word 'refurbished'. Now I know that technically anything restored to a good condition from a once bad condition is therefore refurbished. However, when someone sells something and labels it as 'refurbished', the customer expects a certain level of quality beyond a quick clean up, I know I do. So this has been far more labour intensive than I had hoped, and suffering from OCD I have a tendency to go a bit too far and you could say I'm impossible to please.... there's always something that can be improved upon!

So really while I'm tarting up an old set of rear calipers I guess really I'm just after a bit of critique/advice on how far to go before I lose my mind. The following photos are a comparison of a caliper I'm currently working on next to it's crusty ex twin brother. I've also ordered a set of new seals etc to replace the originals on both.

Also I have a bunch of tatty dash pieces lying about, enough to make two complete sets (and one spare dash piece). I was pretty pleased with my old gunmetal interior before I replaced it for carbon leather, and I've never been a fan of the brushed aluminium, so I thought I'd have a go at ironing out the kinks and replicating my old setup hopefully for a couple of people with a similar view as mine. In these pics the dash piece was still drying and soon after I completely ballsed it up so I'm having to redo it, but I could get used to this theme of collating tatty junk and trying to turn it into a swan. Hopefully I can claw back a little bit of the vast amounts of wasted cash over the past year.

Marlon · Mar 26, 2018

So really while I'm tarting up an old set of rear calipers I guess really I'm just after a bit of critique/advice on how far to go before I lose my mind.

Go as far as you like, if you enjoying doing it and aren't bothered about time/cost benefits where's the problem?
Good work by the way

thanatu55 · Mar 26, 2018

Thanks

The only problem is me believing these calipers aren't tidy enough yet I can't get much more out of them. If you had sent off a set of calipers to be refurbed would you be happy with them coming back like the one in the photo (unpainted)? I could keep going over and over on it when maybe there's no need to.

Marlon · Mar 26, 2018

That's a different question. I've never paid to have mine refurbished so will let someone else answer.

buzyg · Mar 26, 2018

They can never be too shiny.

Stop when they work, :wink: they will be covered in dirt again in no time.

thanatu55 · Mar 26, 2018

buzyg said:
They can never be too shiny.

Stop when they work, :wink: they will be covered in dirt again in no time.

Agree with both statements lol

Zoomer · Mar 26, 2018

Are you painting the trim or cleaning it. I don't think I'm on the same page. Calipers look good but I guess they would look better painted say black or silver if you want to sell them. If you are selling the trim what would you be after for it.

Anmarube · Mar 26, 2018

Ever time I look at your posts you are up to something. You must have a great mancave.
I detail cars for a living and know about how OCD you can get by doing a job. I can spend 4 hours under the front wheel arch before I'm happy. Got to be perfect etc but in all fairness that caliper looks great considering where it's going to sit. Are you prepping for paint or polish?

PS, where do I send my calipers too?... :rofl:

Russ.

Anonymous · Mar 26, 2018

Anmarube said:
Ever time I look at your posts you are up to something. You must have a great mancave.
I detail cars for a living and know about how OCD you can get by doing a job. I can spend 4 hours under the front wheel arch before I'm happy. Got to be perfect etc but in all fairness that caliper looks great considering where it's going to sit. Are you prepping for paint or polish?

PS, where do I send my calipers too?...

Russ.

And mine, but painted

firebobby · Mar 26, 2018

When you send calipers away, they will be stripped and shot blasted, then given a nice coat of paint. Your calipers should look great if you paint them, with new rubbers and fittings.

thanatu55 · Mar 26, 2018

Zoomer said:
Are you painting the trim or cleaning it. I don't think I'm on the same page. Calipers look good but I guess they would look better painted say black or silver if you want to sell them. If you are selling the trim what would you be after for it.

Sorry yeah I didn't really explain that bit very well. The trims were full of little dents and scratches so I've sanded them all down, sprayed them with a metallic gunmetal finish and lacquered, though I need to repeat the dash trims as the lacquer reacted. I hadn't really got as far as price yet I'd have to have a think on it. I'll have one with pedals to match and one without.

Anmarube said:
Ever time I look at your posts you are up to something. You must have a great mancave.
I detail cars for a living and know about how OCD you can get by doing a job. I can spend 4 hours under the front wheel arch before I'm happy. Got to be perfect etc but in all fairness that caliper looks great considering where it's going to sit. Are you prepping for paint or polish?

PS, where do I send my calipers too?...

Russ.

Ha that's another one I haven't quite thought through to the end, I think really they'll want painting. I don't know whether to leave that down to whoever buys them or do it on request once I'm done. I've also got a set of fronts to do, it's one of those things that seemed a good idea at the time but now feels like a monumental effort lol :lol:

Mr Tidy · Mar 26, 2018

thanatu55 said:
Ha that's another one I haven't quite thought through to the end, I think really they'll want painting. I don't know whether to leave that down to whoever buys them or do it on request once I'm done. I've also got a set of fronts to do, it's one of those things that seemed a good idea at the time but now feels like a monumental effort lol

Your finished caliper looks great to me - I wouldn't paint them even if you seem to have a buyer. You never know, they may ask for red then disappear leaving you with red calipers that someone else might want in yellow, blue, or whatever.

After all if you supply them in that condition how hard would it be for the buyer to do the paint?

Good luck getting some money back - then you can buy that hardtop. :lol:

LittleZ4 · Mar 31, 2018

Love the dash bits. I keep toying with the idea of getting a spare set to do (might just see what you price yours at yet :wink: )

thanatu55 · Mar 31, 2018

LittleZ4 said:
Love the dash bits. I keep toying with the idea of getting a spare set to do (might just see what you price yours at yet )

I took a little break waiting for more paint and lacquer to arrive but I'll get back on it tomorrow

GAZA62 · Mar 31, 2018

Calipers looking good I thought about the bare metal look just pop on a coat of clear and a set of high gloss black powder coated clips to finish

Vanne · Apr 2, 2018

Jay, calliper looks great mate, but as said before, unless your time isn't important (and i know it IS mate

its probably not worth your while going to town on callipers your going to be selling/giving away to someone else.

Anyways, back to the calliper, looks great, I second just clear coating it!, looks awesome the way it is

Anonymous · Apr 2, 2018

thanatu55 said:
LittleZ4 said:

Love the dash bits. I keep toying with the idea of getting a spare set to do (might just see what you price yours at yet )

Click to expand...

I took a little break waiting for more paint and lacquer to arrive but I'll get back on it tomorrow

can't wait to see these finished. Looks amazing as is! Would love them on my car

thanatu55 · Apr 2, 2018

Vanne said:
Jay, calliper looks great mate, but as said before, unless your time isn't important (and i know it IS mate its probably not worth your while going to town on callipers your going to be selling/giving away to someone else.

Anyways, back to the calliper, looks great, I second just clear coating it!, looks awesome the way it is

Yeah I think you're right about the calipers, it's a whole load of bother for very little return. I've put it on the back burner in favour of other deeds but I think I'll just shine them up a bit and be done with it. The interior parts on the other hand are coming along nicely now

thanatu55 · Apr 2, 2018

One dash piece done and sitting to cure. Tomorrow I want to redo the center console, leave that overnight and then on Wednesday I should have one completed set with matching pedals. It's actually a fair bit darker than it appears on camera.