Nissan Cedric (Y32)... The resurrection (completed pics P6)

I've been putting off this build thread for a while, since my small budget build cant hold a candle to all you big ballers in the US these days. I first completed version 1 of my Cedric in 2006, when slammed suspension and fat wheels were all it took to stand out on here. I am happy to see that now this describes most of the cars on this forum. 
 
Of course wheels/stance wasnt all i did, and as per my other members ride thread I had taken my cedric to a point where i was quite happy with it:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Bling/CIMG2781.jpg[/IMG]
 
Then one night while i was out celebrating a friend's b'day some kids set fire to some stuff in a carport near my carpark. That set the Echo next to my car on fire and damn near took out the whole apartment block. The fire brigade must have come pretty damn quick; but not before this damage:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Fire/CIMG7807.jpg[/IMG]
 
Most of the windows had smashed...
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Fire/CIMG7792.jpg[/IMG]
 
But surprisingly the interior was mostly ok (Sessions neckpads melted - other one was on my rear parcel shelf)
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Fire/CIMG7794.jpg[/IMG]
 
At this point i call my insurance company and discover the car was insured for LESS than i thought (i had been meaning to increase the insured value, but never got around to it).
 
Damage tally: paint was damaged on every panel, 3 sides of glass were smashed and pretty much all exterior plastics had melted. Hot glass had fallen inside onto the seats and carpet and passenger door trims. It looked fixable, but with the low insurance value and lack of parts (the only Cedric in Australia!), insurance called it a writeoff.
 
I started looking around to see what else i could get with the insurance money (given i would still have to mod it to keep me happy), i realised there was nothing that would make me as happy as this car has made me. So I spoke to my smash repairs.... He said that the metal hadnt been compromised so as long as i could get the necessary parts, it could be fixed. At this point i realised that in order to do this within budget i would need to import all the parts myself, direct from Japan.
 
So here begins the the journey once again. This time its a new look, which is more inline with the modern direction of vip (I know some it wont appeal to those who are fixed on a particular definition of vip, but since i am building the car for ME i'm not too fussed)
 
It will still retain the stock fenders/stock bumpers, since i couldnt find any decent kits i liked (within budget). But there will be some changes!

I can't wait to see it with the new rims and changes.  I have always been a fan of that car and your styling.

YES!  Back with a mission!!!

Thanks guys. I feel like a little fish now with all the stuff i see going around here (Guys like you Agi are making everyone else's cars look plain!), but i'mma do my best. I actually had most of this stuff typed out so next post will be another lot of pics etc....

So first step was collecting the parts. For 6 weeks i became a Yahoo Auctions addict; surfing every day for the stuff i needed, and some extra stuff i didnt. Having your own account and money in a Japanese bank account is DANGEROUS!
 
Grant (YokotaS13) was incredibly helpful in that he let me ship all the stuff to his place. In return he only asked for my Japanese negotiation skills (and the odd sexual favour).... 
 
(Ok, J/K on the last one).
 
Next step was to go to Tokyo, and organise shipping for 800lb of parts i had collected. Being large parts (doors/windows etc), i had to use freight forwarding, which required that the parts were loaded onto pallets and brought down to the docks. Plus it was just an excuse to go to Japan again - half holiday, half fun. Unfortunately no car shows this time... just car parts...
 
I bought a few sets of wheels... Nothing fancy, just medium offsets that will be easy to sell later on:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/Parts1.jpg[/IMG]
 
Pallets packed in front of Grant's house
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/Parts2.jpg[/IMG]
 
At which point i realised that we wouldnt be able to get the pallets onto the truck while packed (too heavy/too tall), so they were dismantled and loaded as best as i could fit on the little hauler i rented:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/Parts3.jpg[/IMG]
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/Parts4.jpg[/IMG]
 
Those pics were taken outside Ooi Futo near Shinagawa in Tokyo. It was a 70km drive from Grant's place, which took about 4hrs and nearly cost me my sanity. Cheap GPS's breaking in the middle of Tokyo arent fun! The truck ended up being my bed for the night, as i arrived too late to drop the parts off, and couldnt leave it anywhere with all my parts in the back (as safe as Tokyo is, there are plenty of foreigners that would love to take those wheels!)
 
So at 8am i was lining up with all the cargo trucks, and then repacking my pallets at the Nittsu holding dock:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/Parts5.jpg[/IMG]
 
All in all the entire importing process was something i dont want to do again. It was very difficult to organise, with twists and turns all along the way. Costs spiraled way out of control, and in the end i think i aged more than 10 years in that 2 weeks i spent in Japan.
 
The parts are still on their way here. They should arrive this weekend; at which point i will be hit with the REAL costs - freight ($600ish), and import duties/taxes ($1600ish?)

In the meantime, my car has been at my smash repairs, waiting for news of the parts. When i came back from Japan last month i paid the deposit and work started on preparing the car. The following week i went back there to check how its going, only to see he had pulled it completely to pieces. Every panel, the entire interior, removed. Hope he remembers how to put it back together!
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG0170.jpg[/IMG]
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG0171.jpg[/IMG]
 
Not wanting to waste an opportunity, i decided to tackle something i wanted to fix for a while... the wire harness on the drivers side front fender is kinda low, and on wide offset/low cars it tends to get hit by the wheel. So far it has done alright, but with the new wheels i want to go lower so it would need to be sorted:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/wireharnessproblem.jpg[/IMG]
 
Cut open the shielding and expose the wires
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/wireharness-cutopen.jpg[/IMG]
 
And tuck up above the 'lip' on the frame.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/wireharness-fixed.jpg[/IMG]
 
Smash repairer will hammer flat the parts of the lip that would have a chance of touching the wires, and it will all be taped again before the fender goes back on.
 
 
Anyway, the next week i come back, its mostly sanded back, imperfections filled...
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG0180.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
And this weekend just past it looked like this:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG0182.jpg[/IMG]
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG0184.jpg[/IMG]
Filled, sanded and now i believe this is the highfill? He said he wanted to let this sit for a while to ensure it comes out looking schmick. 
 
So now we are just waiting on the parts. Along with the repair parts, there were a few extras that i got; and i am still waiting on a set of wheels i got Grant to order for me. They should be the Pièce de résistance, so final pics wont be shown until they get here

Sorry to see that happen! I've always liked how simple and clean your Cedric was. At least it didn't end up like the Echo next to your car. You will come back and better than ever. =)

sucks what happened, but I am glad you are able turn it into a pheonix!!!  you still have the sessions neck pads??

Well, so far things havent gone according to my financial plan. Lets hope shipping doesnt end up costing too much!

Wow back with a vengance.  Big props for going to Tokyo and doing the exporting yourself.  That is quite an ordeal!

This promises to be a great build.  Good luck!

You told me that story but I didn't know the back of the truck was exposed like that.  Wow.  That must of been a crazy feeling

yes, yes, yes, yes........

yeah, this was a complete headache. tons of work on both out parts, but damn its gonna be worth it in the end man. so worth it.

Thanks again grant for all the help with those parts... And for the parts still coming =)
 
And in other news, our state government has just passed new laws regarding suspension modification. No changes in ride height are allowed at all without an official inspection/engineer's certificate stating the changes are within legal limits (no more than 2" drop, min height of 4" under lowest part of car.
 
How the hell am i supposed to tuck rim now?

Definitely going to be watching this thread! Good luck and can't wait to see how it turns out!!!

Thanks Dave, i'm excited too! I am purposely not doing photoshops to see the end result before it actually happens. 
 
Anyway, some of you might be questioning the quality of the workshop i am getting the work done at. True, it does look a bit dodgy, and its not exactly full of show cars but its where all the previous work has been done on my car (and about 5 people i know have had colour change resprays there). Its the outcome that counts, and this guy delivers in the end.

[SIZE=3]車にとってよく進歩するね。
時々怪しいところが最高のことをするだろう？　小さくて、効果的に車を治すのができる。
他人の意見を気にしないで、ドミニックはその店を信じるなら、それが以上ジャン。[/SIZE]

That might not have come out right. Ha.

ありがとう！ちゃんと読めたよ。実は、他人の意見は気にしてないけど、誰かが言う前に言おうと思った。
 
これは超楽しみだよ。まさか結果みたい！
 
erm, yeah i got it :)

awesome, in for the updates

Wow interesting new laws.  I don't know how they can judge whether the car has been dropped 2"?  The 4" clearance thing is a pain though.

We have some strange laws in BC Canada like that.  I am too lazy to look them up but something like the center of the headlight cannot be lower than XX cms and the alignment can not be angled so far that it is visibly altered.  Both are rarely enforced though.

Well since they are new laws they will basically crack down on anyone with a car that looks lowered. If you have no engineers certificate, you get a fine. Engineers certificate is supposed to confirm you have the right ride height and its within 2" from stock etc
 
I'm sure that after a yr or 2 they will find something else to concentrate on and it will become forgotten (unless they decide to do a blitz on modded cars). But for now its very risky to be lowered

Will be in for your build , Conservative is out the door and in for the new look. 

Sorry your car had to go through what it did but Now the time for change in is Lets see what you have cooking.

looked like 3 set of wheels Hmmmmmmmmmm

now thats ballah status right there. :giggity:

Unfortunately its still going to be somewhat conservative (when compared to the Japanese guys). I'm just going for a more modern look with a few extra parts here and there.
 
To be honest, stance was going to be the biggest change, but with these new laws i may need to hold off on that until police get over the novelty of this new ruling
 
3 Sets of wheels coming with this shipment, though one set is only 17s and is for my friend. The 4th and *proper* set of wheels is still not made yet... custom order that Grant helped me out with ;)
 
Hopefully they are done by the time the car comes out of paint. Although maybe i should space it all out so i get more enjoyment out of it... Roll on the Oltega DX32's for a bit, or the Vienna Kreis

[QUOTE=Dominik;259836]Oltega DX32[/QUOTE]
I was [  ] close to buying those before!  Haha..nice taste.

Unfortunately they arent in the greatest condition. But I'll see what they look like after a good wipedown/cleanup
 
So excited, the boat with my stuff lands tomorrow. Then probably 1 week until the parts are cleared and my wallet emptied to pay duties

damn i hope those kids got punished:(
but good to see you are getting it back on the road!!
4"??? dude oz is fucked up then, im not keen to move now haha.
weve got new bullshit laws coming out aswell, but atleast we can still lower our cars to a 100mm of the ground and even lower with a cert plate.

Tell me about it. 
 
If i hadnt put down so much money for brand new wheels i think now i would be ordering air suspension :sad:
 
 
Now i'm just biding my time until i can move to Japan

That sucks what happened, hey if you run out of cash you can always sue the fuc*ers who started the fire. Anyways good luck dude I am excited to see how this comes out!

[QUOTE=Dominik;259865]Tell me about it. 
 
If i hadnt put down so much money for brand new wheels i think now i would be ordering air suspension :sad:
 
 
Now i'm just biding my time until i can move to Japan[/QUOTE]
well if youre planning on moving to japan, why are you doing it up again?shouldve kept the money.
and yeah air wouldve been better, but who knew what that gov. will come out with in the future

Great re-build. Good for you for sticking with it.
Government sounds pretty Communistic.

Thats where a bit of attachment came into it. Had this car for 4 years now, saved it from a date with a metal crusher and took it to a car that turned heads with so many little fixes done along the way that i have lost count.
 
Would be a shame for it to end up at a metal crusher again when there is a chance to fix it! Then when it comes time to sell, i hope to find someone that will take care of it like i did.

Sounds like Australia is turning into the state of California. Maybe they will see your car and think "He is probably to caked up to make the fines stick. Let's just leave him alone." HAHA

[QUOTE=Dominik;259871]Thats where a bit of attachment came into it. Had this car for 4 years now, saved it from a date with a metal crusher and took it to a car that turned heads with so many little fixes done along the way that i have lost count.
 
Would be a shame for it to end up at a metal crusher again when there is a chance to fix it! Then when it comes time to sell, i hope to find someone that will take care of it like i did.[/QUOTE]
i understand how you feel,
im kinda the same with my sentia, its my 3rd one and i love it, i had crazy offers for it but i dont think so i will ever sell it aye, people think im stupid for not taking any of the offers, but why should i, its my "baby":)

well all the best and goodluck with it and hope you get it where you want it to be!

Well latest shock has been the freight bill. $2000 more the initial estimate, and thats provided Quarantine dont decide it needs steam cleaning/reinspection. If thats the case i could be up for an [i]additional[/i] $1700.
 
I may need to put a few things on hold while i sort this out. I am reeling at the moment. This shipment of parts could end up costing me over $5000 in shipping

dam! sucks man.

What the hell? Thought Ocean Liner freight was supposed to be way cheaper.

WOW i finally came into this thread.. im sorry to see what happened to your car, its a shame that it takes a tragedy like that to spark a full overhaul but it will come out bigger and better than it was before.. i loved the look of it before and im sure the outcome is gonna be even better.. good luck on this project.. im anxious to see how it turns out.. 

a true phoenix build from the ashes

I love the Oltega DX32, i think they are the most super exclusive wheels ever.

I have a feeling, your gonna blow this build up. Can't wait

dom, best of luck with your shipping issues. happened to me once -- customs screwed us on an air shipment of cars for a client, so not only did we pay nearly 10k per car to ship, we also got owned on taxes. lost quite a bit of money that day :(

Wow Dom, I don't know how I missed this resurrection! Things are looking up for your car, just keep pulling through!

This thread has me excited

Thanks.... I cant wait to see the outcome. Just waiting on some final parts to be ordered from Nissan, and the parts going through customs at the moment... Its getting close!

Dom your are legendary sir, It makes me happy to see your still in the game :bigok:

Nothing legendary here; just doing a minor (major?) overhall with money provided by the insurance company!
 
I seen what you are doing with those monster wheels. Now *that* has the potential to be legendary!
 
1 more week of unlimited time to do car research/prep before my gf comes back lol. Last night i pulled the wingmirrors apart (the ones that will replace the melted ones) and fed a wire through the folding mechanism so that i can have indicators on the mirrors.
 
Still waiting on the final bill from Customs/Freight :runcoold:

New update... Went to see the smash repairs and i noticed the car was looking much more 'whole'
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/IMAGE_074.jpg[/IMG]
 
Most of the car was done in primer now, but looking closer i noticed white! Yep, he has done the door jams and panel seams...
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/IMAGE_075.jpg[/IMG]
 
And the side skirts... i was over the moon, the bits of colour i could see looked incredible
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/IMAGE_071.jpg[/IMG]
As for the colour, its not a straight white, but its not a coloured pearl so its hard to spot... Will have to get some closeup shots when its done to show the detail. I am so happy i chose this colour as i can see it will look amazing in the end.
 
On Monday i am going to see about my shipment of parts. Hopefully this week it will all be cleared and the rest of the car can be painted!

I can't wait to see this on Oltega's.  Dom did you ever see the black Y32 Gloria with Oltega DX32 in VIP style cars magazine with the widebody and sick rolling shot?

Thanks mate, i dont remember that car but now i am going to go and look for it. I do remember seeing black widebody Y32s (there have been a few), but didnt notice the wheels.
 
TBH the Oltegas are only a temporary wheel. The real wheels will put them to shame (at 3x the price they had better look sick!). I am actually thinking of rolling on the Kreis for a bit until the good wheels come.

Ah fair enough!  Here you go.  I was bored and scanned the pics for ya.  

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/Touring240/VIPCARY32.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/Touring240/VIPCARY32001.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/Touring240/VIPCARY32002.jpg[/IMG]

Thanks! Funny enough thats the exact one i was thinking of! I have seen a couple of other black widebody Y32s, but none seem to look as clean as that one. Relooking at the pics you are correct they are Oltegas (18" and silver finish though)
 
That car was actually part of my colour decision; my friends all drive black cars so i considered doing black to match with them (plus it was the colour my gf  suggested). But it wasnt enough to convince me. I wanted a modern look and that would be harder to achieve with black IMO

Damn, sorry to hear man. I've subscribed looking forward to seeing the finished project.

Thanks, i am looking forward to it too ;)
 
Well a bit of an update. Parts cleared quarantine, so that was a massive relief (steamcleaning/reinspection costs were insane). Going to pick the parts up tomorrow and bring them to the smash repairs!

YAY!!! white FTW!!!

Dude, flying 10-14 hours to the motherland just to pick up aftermarket parts for your burnt ride is a true sign of VIP.  

You are a legend.

Well, its more like 10hrs, but to be honest, it was CHEAPER for me to go to Japan and pick up/pack the parts, than it was trying to get a freight forwarder to do it for me. And i wanted an excuse to go to Japan. Thinking back i really should have just ordered my stuff through a dedicated car parts importer, but its a lesson i had to learn the hard way...
 
Anyway, latest update is that the PARTS ARE HERE! Oh boy this has been an adventure. 
 
So yesterday a mate of mine (and also VIP enthusiast) came down to help me load up the rentatruck with my parts...
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/IMAGE_092.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/IMAGE_094.jpg[/IMG]
 
Compare this with how i packed it in Japan... I dont think i was completely myself when i did this:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/Parts3.jpg[/IMG]
First stop, smash repairs to drop off doors, windows, body panels and misc parts:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/IMAGE_097.jpg[/IMG]
 
The rest of the stuff was brought to my place (note the bubbled/burnt paint on the pillars - they still havent fixed it yet!):
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/IMAGE_099.jpg[/IMG]
 
So then we brought it all up to my apartment 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/IMAGE_101.jpg[/IMG]
Not sure that my gf will be happy with this arrangement...
 
 
So, the good news is its all there. Just waiting on a few more parts (cheers Grant!), and i will be done.
 
Unfortunately the Oltegas were NOT the advertised offsets. The actual sizes are 19x9 +28 and 19x10 +20. I wont be putting these on my car; probably sell them and stick with the Vienna Kreis for now.

looking good so far, will look sweet when its finished at the panel beaters
 
how much are we talkin' for the oltegas =)

Shane, sorry i missed your post. I am selling the Oltegas for $1300... I have better pics which i will post up soon...
 
Now, another weekend, another update. Not much extra work done on the car - my panel beater was just organising the parts i had delivered and getting ready to fit them to the car.
 
But i did have a better camera, so i could take a decent photo with a flash this time. This brought out the pearls in the paint and now i'm even more convinced i made the right choice:
 
[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG0903.jpg[/img]

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG0903zoom.jpg[/img]

deeeeeyaaaam

Yeah thats what i thought! I think the flash exaggerated the pearls (IRL its much more subtle - that pic looks like metal flake!), but its still definitely visible when you get close.
 
I like it because most pearls look off-white out of the sun, but this looks pure white unless you are up close...

you wanna fly me to japan? lol 
 
damm car looks like its really coming along

WOW That paint looks GLORIOUS, GLORIOUS DOM GLORIOUS!

Hmm If I get this car sold I may be interested in those wheels.

I can't wait to see your car done. I love the pearl white. What color code are you using? Or is it custom?

so excited.. its coming together!! the paint looks gleaming and amazing

Spot on! very nice colour choice!

thanks guys. the color is a factory mazda color - crystal white pearl (from their current color range). At first when I was looking it up I assumed it would be impossible for my painter to do (mazda forums talking about 3 layers of pearl or something like that) but my painter said no worries!

^ my old S13 was a 3 layer pearl (factory white) and painters used to moan about that. Then i wanted the new mazda phantom blue colour and got the same 3 layer pearl rubbish again so i went with the peacock blue colour..
 
so i'm glad your painter can man up and make it happen!

Weekly update.... Been to smash repairs and the new doors/fender have been fitted:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG0953.jpg[/IMG]
 
Unfortunately i also found out that my front bumper got damaged in the fire. It looked fine at the time but it had shrunk and therefore doesnt sit straight anymore (explains why it came off when reversing off the flatbed towtruck). I have ordered another one through an importer friend, but that wont be here until late september. In the meantime the existing bumper will be fitted temporarily. Bummer that the car will not be complete until then :(

did you purchase the same bumper or a different bumper?

I got the same bumper. if I'd known that I needed both bumpers from the start it might have been a different story but I'd already bought a rear bumper and 2 (!) front lips.
 
Plus, the only decent kit out there is way expensive and the bill for this build is getting up there! :(

Excellent job man, the car will come out looking great especially with those wheels. I had a y33 Gloria man what a car it was, still cant get over the fact that it was stolen. Keep it up man Ive gone through the entire thread and cant wait for the updates.:biggthumpup:

Thanks mate, yeah they are great cars! Mine isnt far off... just waiting on 1 or 2 parts to let me get my windows put on. No more pictures though, until its all together!

Good to see the build is progressing, always been a big fan of Dom and his cars :) Can't wait to see the finished product..

Thanks Phill. Not long now... Cant believe its been over 4 months since i drove my car. 4 months!!! Hope i remember which pedal makes it go forward.

Lookin' good Dom, I love the paint, that's a superb colour!

[QUOTE=Dominik;267937]Thanks Phill. Not long now... Cant believe its been over 4 months since i drove my car. 4 months!!! Hope i remember which pedal makes it go forward.[/QUOTE]
 
LOL now you know what I go through.  It feels like a brand new car everytime getting it back.  Makes you appreciate it more when you do :biggthumpup:

great updates so far. glad it is atleast moving forward for you!

paint looks amazing. what models from mazda run that paint?

Wow, the lengths you went through to get your parts, thats incredible lol
 Your thread reminds me of my itr project, its constant speed bumps, doing things 2-3 times and always spending a lot more than you expected lol.
  GL sir

Sorry for the lack of updates. The whole build is on hold waiting for parts from Nissan. I'm paying the price for trying to get parts cheaper than Nissan Australia wanted to charge. And with all the setbacks I've had so far  I'm putting a new ETA of before the end of this year. 

I've actually stopped being excited about the completion now... wishing I'd just bought a normal car!

yeah, this is DEFINITELY turning out to be a pita with all the shipping stuff. certain sizes have changed so we have to go different shipping routes. no fun at all. but it will be worth it in the end

Hey Dominik I have been following your build also. It looks like its coming along well. I can't wait to see the finnished result I know it will be better than expected.

in for pics!!! that thing is dope! and the color is awesome.. see, here in so cal.. its not about quality that much anymore when it comes to body shops... they just wanna make the quick buck and will screw u in anyway unless your on their ass all the time.. and i hate to be nit picky. but anyways wanna see more pics!

UPDATE OR BAN!!! hehehe

I definitly feel your pain.  I stopped being excitted about my car since last year.  Too many set backs.  It is a never ending process.  Just know that there are people out there who are looking foward to seeing the finished product.  After all, we don't get to see clean Y32's every day ;)

^^amen to that.

Thanks for the words of encouragement. Right now i am too far in financially to pull the plug. But lets just say i am not looking forward to the final bill for all this... And when i think about it; the car wont actually have that many 'extra' mods compared to last time. If i'd have planned better it would have a full kit and fender work, but its still stock bumpers.
 
I'm not even sure if the car will turn out good. I had an image in my head but i still havent done any photoshops to see the final result. It will be modern, but then it still has alot of chrome parts... Part vip, somewhat sporty.... Hopefully not 'confused'
 
I have to say one thing... Not having a car has turned me into an alcoholic. Everywhere i go with friends i end up drinking... I dont have to worry about driving home so just keep going!

LOL.  Now you know why I am always drunk.

[QUOTE=widebody_Q;271358]LOL.  Now you know why I am always drunk.[/QUOTE]

hahahahaha

:smiley-rofl:

Yay for changed postage regulations making 19" rims impossible to send any other way than EMS!
 
Yay for that adding an extra $500 to my total bill!
 
This is turning into continuous stream of FML posts.
 
At least i might get my wheels before the end of the month.

yeah, im at the point where i kinda am sympathetic to dom, like i dont drink, but id get drunk with him to cheer him up lol.

but its how it is, constantly. unfortunately

^Seriously, hopefully next has alot of things in store for you Dom. This just hasn't been a good year for ya at all.

Ok i guess its time to update the thread. Unfortunately no pics but FINALLY we have some progress.
 
My car has been sitting at the smash repairs, all painted, for the last 6 weeks waiting for the parts from Nissan. Without the rear window moulding, they couldnt put my rear window in, so it had to wait there. Well anyway, that part arrived yesterday, so things can finally start moving again.

Unfortunately the cost of the Nissan parts, and shipping for wheels etc also ended up costing close to $1000 more than was expected, but at least its back on track again.
 
Not having had the car for 5 months has somewhat dulled my excitement, but that might come back when i sit behind the wheel and start her up again (if the battery isnt completely ruined).
 
There's a small VIP cruise happening here in Sydney next weekend (10th Oct), and i am going to be working double-time to get the car ready in time for it. Its going to be cutting it reaallly fine since this weekend i am away from home, and work is extra busy at the moment, but hopefully i will have some good pics up soon.

Here's hoping for the best for you man!  good Luck.

[QUOTE=Dominik;273622]Ok i guess its time to update the thread. Unfortunately no pics but FINALLY we have some progress.
 
My car has been sitting at the smash repairs, all painted, for the last 6 weeks waiting for the parts from Nissan. Without the rear window moulding, they couldnt put my rear window in, so it had to wait there. Well anyway, that part arrived yesterday, so things can finally start moving again.
 
Unfortunately the cost of the Nissan parts, and shipping for wheels etc also ended up costing close to $1000 more than was expected, but at least its back on track again.
 
Not having had the car for 5 months has somewhat dulled my excitement, but that might come back when i sit behind the wheel and start her up again (if the battery isnt completely ruined).
 
There's a small VIP cruise happening here in Sydney next weekend (10th Oct), and i am going to be working double-time to get the car ready in time for it. Its going to be cutting it reaallly fine since this weekend i am away from home, and work is extra busy at the moment, but hopefully i will have some good pics up soon.[/QUOTE]
 
I say, from experience to not rush it for a small show like that dom. Ive rushed my car before and was not happy with the outcomes of alot of things. Just take it slow so you get the car the way you want it.

good to hear that you are able to make progress again! Can't wait for pics.

So I read you were at a VIP meet.........yet no updates to this thread.:slap:

so I heard that umm .. there was goin to be updates?
 
:dance:

Yeah, i made it to the get-together; but I got the car back the thursday before the cruise and it was far from completed (wheels, interior & stereo not done). 
 
Anyway, the reaction there was luke-warm. Probably because at this stage my car is not much more than a stock white cedric right now (shoulda listened to urmyhero4now) and because Wheels make or break a car. For that reason I decided that no more pics until the wheels are put on. No teasers. Just results.
 
Good news is that the wheels are here now, and just need to go put tyres on it. Pics should be up before this weekend.

the wheels will really set it off, looking forward to the pics!!

Dom, really glad to see you are starting to come through all the crap and get to a place that makes you happy with the car!  Can't wait to see it.

Well at least the car is running. *patiently waiting*

small budget build?? I think not... I wish I had the cash to go to japan and bring back a ton of stuff!!! Nice build and we all want updates!!

Come-on Dom! Update this thread! haha Even I have a members rides thread on here now with updated pictures of my car! :)

Cant wait to see it in the flesh again this time with the new wheels on! 
Was good to meet you at the cruise, will organise another cruise sometime soon buddy!

Breno.

Very nice Dom, this build is sick.

Ok guys i apologise for the lack of updates. I've done a few things to it now since it has come back from the painters, and i am finally ready to show you the results. But i want to get some decent pics of it first, and that wont happen until the weekend (sorry!)
 
Its now 90% done. Still waiting on a couple of things, and still gotta sort out the ride height (too practical at the moment =))
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/IMAGE_175.jpg[/IMG]

[QUOTE=Dominik;278813]...[/QUOTE]

where's the facebook like button when you need it? :)

Can't wait to see the 100% pictures. =)

Worse than a prom date faking being drunk!!!  Show us the goods!!

I've seen a picture of the whole car...looks good!

Really? Where? anyway Ok boys, here it is... the unveilling!
 
I still have a couple of things to do but they will take at least another month, and i think everyone is probably getting sick of waiting. Firstly, yes, it will go LOWER. I need to sort out some tie rod issues first, and then tuck the exhaust...
So without any further ado...
 
From this:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Fire/CIMG7792.jpg[/IMG]
 
To this:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG2307.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
New wheels... fitment is 'ok'
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG2308.jpg[/IMG]
Once this rim is tucked inside the fender i'll be happy
 
 
So yesterday afternoon i raced down to sydney's most cliche'd photo spot for some more pics:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG2320.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG2322.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG2327.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
 
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG2325.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG2321.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG2328.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG2329.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
New Clazzio seat covers... Feel great and look amazing. Alot better than the tired/damaged leather i had before!
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG2338.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
 
 
So here's a question.... The grill. What do you think? ALOT of people are telling me it looks really bad in white... it was a snap decision at the time (painter called to tell me the chrome was chipping and asking what to do about it). I still have the old black/chrome lip grille with the Gloria badge on it, and i am also considering either painting this one black (no chrome), or just putting crhome edging around the white centre...
 
Opinions?

WOW!!!
Looks great Dom.
Love the black roof!!!
As far as the grille, leave the horizontal bars white 
paint the small vertical bars black.:shrug:

looks dope, i like the white theme, even the grill

very nice. im gonna use some as wallpaper.

are the wheels completely white on one side and partially white on the other or are my eyes playing tricks on me?

WOW!! lovin the color!!the white looks so clean!! once the stance gets dialed in it will def be killer!! +1 on the black/chrome grille or just chrome around the white!!

ooo this is saucy. What suspension components are you running? Car looks great man. Congrats on finally getting it up and running again. I wish I would have done that for my q.

[SIZE=6]FRESH...[/SIZE]

To quote ron's new plate:   SXYTIME!!!  

So awesome.  I do say paint the grill black for contrast and leave the outer rim white.

[QUOTE=carlos;279033]very nice. im gonna use some as wallpaper.
 
are the wheels completely white on one side and partially white on the other or are my eyes playing tricks on me?[/QUOTE]
 
 
Good spotting :biggthumpup:
 
I've seen a couple of cars do it in Japan, and i couldnt make up my mind between all white, or white-polished. Seems opinion is pretty well divided between the two... On the 3/4 angle its definitely the white-polished for me, but then when rolling, and on side view i prefer all-white
 
And thanks for the compliments guys. As it sits now it feels 'neat'... not crazy vip or anything, just a comfortable cruiser. Once the suspension is dumped more, i am hoping to get a bit more of the Japanese "oh thats just silly" feel :dance:
 
And i am noting down all your suggestions for the grille. 
 
 
urmyhero4now... its still the JIC coilovers; pillowball camber and toe arms... they have been comforable so far, no need to change up (though the practicality of air sometimes tempts me). Got some front caster arms to go in with the tierods next week too

holy $#!T thats hot!!!!! i agree with ame on the grill tho...

Man great job Dom. You have done a great job on building something that is clean and realistic(for now AHAHA)
 
I love the whole feel of the car. Are the wheel sizes 18s or 19s?

Thanks guys!
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/IMAGE_160.jpg[/IMG]
Shitty cell-phone pic but you get the picture. The wheels are 19x9 +10 and 19x10 +10. I still think 18s are the perfect size for this car, which is why i got the step-lips...
 
My first impression was "so thats why everyone is getting 19s!" I am a fair bit higher than i was on 18s, yet the fender-rim gap is about the same. But, i didnt get into this game for practicality; I wanted to tuck rim this time, so now i just gotta work on getting it lower.... Lose the 'neat' look for the 'damn thats low' look
 
But its good to know i can go back up to a practical height if i need to go places

Nice pictures!! It turned out great!!!

[QUOTE=Dominik;279018]

 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/CIMG2320.jpg[/IMG]
 [/QUOTE]
That's the money shot! And yes.. I would chrome the grille

pure sickness!!!!!!!

i like the polished/stainless/chrome lip.

i say paint the upper and lower grille black.

OMGOSH OMGOSH OMGOSH OMGHOSH!!! That is Sick That is Sick That is Sick!! I can't belive that it came out this good!! I have been following your build since the start and man you did the thing!!! Wow! I LOVE IT=) Great choice of wheels I always love white on Q but man you killed it and the black roof :pat: That is soooo exucutive!! Man what can I say=)=)=)=)=)=)=):biggthumpup:Wow! I knew you would pull threw great job man!

Wow, thanks man! I appreciate the kind words!
 
As shameful as it is, i fell in love with the white on white idea while looking at DUB cars and US luxury exotics :pat: But i had a feeling it could be done well on a vip car. 
I have a few little touches to go still, and i am excited to see what the FINAL result will be!
 
 
I will be playing around with grilles for a bit, i am loving the suggestions so far...

[QUOTE=20sburning;279071]That's the money shot! And yes.. I would chrome the grille[/QUOTE]
 
 
I agree wit 20sburning...That is the money shot,,Car is fabulous lookin.I think the grill would look better in chrome myself, and it would give some accent to go wit the polish on the wheels and the trim around the lower section of the car.  Thumbs up man:biggthumpup::biggthumpup::biggthumpup:

I wouldn't chrome the grill. as there is not much chrome any where else on the front. Would stand out like a sore thumb. maybe all black or something. If you do chrome throw the gloria mascot on the hood too.

holy Fcuk i got to rely pick it up ..this ride is done already ..they say money talks but i think it was shouting in this case ....
 
pure sickness...

very nice turnout dom!!! i like it!!!

The ride looks sick!  Very nicely done!

As for the Grill..........I think that the White looks very nice.  But at the same time I think that the old Grill (Black Center/Badge with Chrome Trim) would look great as well.  I think that it will "break up" the front from all the White.  Also seeing that you have the Chrome Front Lip, Chrome Door Handles, Chrome Trim going around the ride having a little Chrome on the Grill with the Black would be a nice addition also.

Either way I think that it would look sick.........can you put the Old Grill on and take photos?  Or maybe someone with Photoshop skills can assist.

Sukoshiyoshi

[COLOR=#dbdbdb][FONT=Verdana]I like the SC2s in both finishes. However, I prefer the look of the machined face with white windows over the all white center. It gives the wheels just a bit more character.[/FONT][/COLOR]
 
[COLOR=#dbdbdb][FONT=Verdana]I think the grill looks great in white. If you’re going to change anything maybe cutout every other horizontal slat/bar and all connecting verticals giving you 5 bars instead of 9 – fill/smoothen out all notches in the slats created from the vertical bars, keep the grill white and with the addition of a chrome surround... I think it’d be golden.[/FONT][/COLOR]
 
[COLOR=#dbdbdb][FONT=Verdana]Your car looks fantastic! :biggthumpup:[/FONT][/COLOR]
 
edit - typo :pat:

very well done, in addition to painting the grill black have u thought about painting the bottom grill black as well for more contrast? that would look dope. i really like the lip that goes around the car. do they make one for the rear or can you fab one up ? those finishing touches will make the car come together even better imo, but overall just sick!

Sorry for the lack of updates! Mtbr64, i will be painting the edges and vertical connectors of the bumper grill black, to give the appearance of floating bars like in the M/P aero kits. But not with this one, since this is only a temporary bumper...
 
And as for the grille, i will have to wait until i get that replacement bumper, and the sides/rear bits as i will be getting it all painted at once..
 
Now, as you might have seen, i was sky-high in the previous pics. I didnt want to go too low because i needed to replace my tie rods, and i had fender lining issues. Well i got the tie rods replaced, and also put in some aftermarket front caster rods (mmm pillowball). Unfortunately no pics of the install process (really regretting that), but at least that side of my car is now sorted.
 
So then a couple of weekends ago I fixed my front fender linings. Unfortunately i didnt take pictures of the process so i'mma show you what i did with my MS Paint skillzz.
 
 
So anyway, the passenger side lining was hanging lower than stock; since the fender lips are completely flattened, there was nothing for it to be attached to and it was just sort of sitting there. 
 
I tried a few ideas to hold it up higher, but in the end i decided to cut the top portion out, and then hold the front and rear portions of the fender lining in place using cable ties and pop-rivets (to prevent dirt/debris spraying behind the fender. So now the passenger side looks like this:
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/Fenderlining.png[/IMG]
 
The only limiting factor now for lowness is the frame above the fender line. Some of the hardcore vip guys in Japan get that notched and rewelded for strength, but i dont think i will end up needing that. Right now it doesnt hit in regular driving, and i feel comfortable in the fact that the frame will be a last resort bumpstop before the oilpan digs into the ground
 
For the drivers side, it was a bit more difficult. Remember i tucked my wire harness while the car was in pieces?
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/wireharness-fixed.jpg[/IMG]
 
Well it turns out that they couldnt put the fender back on while that was there, so they put it back to the stock location. But they DID bang the lip on the frame up, so it could now be pushed up further than before. It was just a matter of pushing it up as far as it could go and finding a way to hold it there. I came up with the idea of making a hook out of metal strapping, which is hooked over the upturned frame lip, and holds the harness securely above the frame line...
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Rebuild/Fenderlip.png[/IMG]
 
 
At this time, dinner was being served so i had to rush. The fender lining was actually sitting alot higher than the passenger side [I]was[/I], and so i decided to leave it there
Then it was time to take advantage of this new-found space in the front, and match it up with some more LOW
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/IMAGE_204.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
Rears also lowered somewhat to match
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/IMAGE_196.jpg[/IMG]
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/IMAGE_202.jpg[/IMG]
 
Now i need to do some more fender rolling as the rear tyre is about 5mm from hitting the inner fender behind the door. I will try to push out the door jam as much as i can without paint cracking
 
 
A pic my mate took... quite like this angle
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/Moneyshot.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
So now i was almost ready for our second ever aussie vip cruise.... *almost*

MAN this came out really really nice man great job i wanted to do my f50 in white until i copped a 2005 MC f50 now on the process of building ! but yours inspires me to finish my white f50 ASAP man looks clean and fresh !

White... Its the new black! 
 
Do it!!!

Damn, Looking very good Dom.

[QUOTE=Dominik;284616]White... Its the new black! 
 
Do it!!![/QUOTE]

haha hell yes.   Fitment is coming out great Dom keep it up.

[SIZE=7]5mm spacers![/SIZE]

Love it

[QUOTE=BLKonBLK98;284654][SIZE=7]5mm spacers![/SIZE][/QUOTE]
 
Spacers ya mum!
LOL
 
 
Anyway, about a year ago (when i was living in Japan) i bought this exhaust for my car. I had it shipped back in a container with my old chrome eurolines (it arrived in January this year).
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/ode_5552004-img385x600-1222815653kq.jpg[/IMG]
 
I brought it straight to a friend's place and we attempted to fit it, but soon realised that the 15yr old exhaust bolts + our lack of leverage were not going to cut it. I subsequently left it at my friends place and forgot all about it. 
 
So last week i remembered about it and had another go. I still couldnt get one of the bolts undone so i went to my mechanic to do the other one:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/IMAGE_208.jpg[/IMG]
 
Verdict: I can hear it :(
 
I was really hoping for a virtually silent exhaust, since i am not a fan of loud cars. To be fair its not really loud, but it has a drone between 2500-3500 RPM (My main driving range). Sounds quite sporty up high, and has a nice burble down low, but that drone will drive me insane soon.
 
But the way it looks on there might convince me to keep it:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/IMG_4853copy.jpg[/IMG]
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/IMG_4854copy.jpg[/IMG]
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/IMG_4865copy.jpg[/IMG]

Looks good Dom..need that rear lip action on the back bar...giturdun!

Funny you should say that.... So on Wednesday i get a call from my GF... "Were you expecting anything? You got a parcel". I hadnt heard from Grant for a while so i wasnt expecting him to send him the stuff i had at his place, but when i got home...
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/CIMG2756.jpg[/IMG]
 
Quickly made a mess of my living room unpacking it
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/CIMG2757.jpg[/IMG]
 
Its the front window moulding, a new set of chrome door visors, and the UBER RARE factory rear lip kit which i asked Grant to send me a couple of months ago...
 
 
I tried the window visors, and unfortunately they are going into the pile of spare parts i have for this car. Looked ok with the last build, but doesnt suit the modern styling i am going for now.
 
 
But then i tried the rear lip and i am pleasantly surprised:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/IMAGE_212.jpg[/IMG]
 
Comes with a little mudguard type extension, and looks all-class IMO. Unfortunately it only sits about 2cm lower than the factory bumper (so not doing much about the lack of booty this car has), but i think the fact that it comes straight down, where the factory bumpers curve in, will give more definition to the ass end.
 
 
I will be bringing this to my smash repairs, along with:
My new front bumper
Factory Sideskirts
black/chrome grille
 
Hopefully in the next couple of weeks!

Props Dominik It took alot to get things back they way they were! But let me say this I think you did a great job, the car looks total amazing I am so proud of you Congrats man your work is amazing!:biggthumpup:

I think it'll help loads on the back..also that added seam will match up with how the rockers are.  The new touches will really spruce it up.

So on Saturday i finally went and got a wheel alignment - the first one since
1) refitting the rear camber arms
2) changing the front tie rods/rod-ends
3) putting front caster rods in
4) messing with the ride height
5) and since coming back from Japan.
 
Would've done it earlier but i found out you cant get an alignment when you are tucking the top of your rim. So I raised it up a cm or so, just enough for them to get their alignment sensors on.
 
Next problem. Framerails hit the ramp... That can be fixed by rolling onto some rubber blocks
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/IMAGE_215.jpg[/IMG]
 
And the sensors fitted:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/IMAGE_217.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
So here's proof. Camber is a drug. Once you have had a taste you cant go back... You build up a tolerance, and suddenly the 2-3 degrees looks like NOTHING, and you need more.
 
I was telling people how my camber with these new wheels was alot less than it used to be. It was "Very mild camber, maybe 3 degrees?". Well, it turns out my eyes are just building up a tolerance:
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/IMAGE_218.jpg[/IMG]
Yes i was running 6 degrees on the rear left (the one with the slightly sunken fitment), and 5.38 on the right. And alot of toe in. Yet it looked fairly mild camber to me...
 
Could explain why i look at cars with 2-3 degrees and cant see any camber at all.
 
I wanted to get a final pic of the final reading, but he skipped past it too quick. I did memorise them though:
 
Front Camber 4.25/4.14 degrees with 0.4mm of toe (i.e. didnt touch the camber, just toe)
Rear Camber 5.35/5.36 degrees and 0.2mm of toe (reduce camber on passenger side, and fix toe)
 
This evened out my fitment, so now the passenger side is sitting more flush (looks identical to the drivers side). But after driving down to a local theme park (100km each way), i noticed the car felt somewhat floaty on the freeway, and there is a huge increase in tyre rubber collecting on my rear bumper.
 
So next i will do a DIY alignment. I want to try increasing toe a few MM because i seem to recall running 4mm of toe on my last setup.
 
 
Oh and i ordered a fender roller tool on the weekend. Gonna sort out my inner fenders so i can go lower without rubbing.

Hope you get the alignment sorted out man, the car loooks great though!!!

I love this build

car is looking good

Congratulations on a job well done man.  I agree with ElPresidente about the rear lip matching up to the sides now and adding just enough to the back end...looks great !

Yeah, i am just waiting on the front bar and sideskirts to come in, so i can get it all painted at once. But i'm starting to think it mihgt not happen before xmas :(

Wow Dom , I just went through and read all this again, It has been a ride and Now that everything is coming together I love the look. 

The rear lip added that much goodness to the car. and wow to the camber , esp for a daily I wonder how much tires are running over there ? 

glad I was able to go thro here and see all the new updates from the last post

Thanks man, i appreciate the comments, esp since we havent seen eye to eye on some matters. I also look forward to the new direction you take your GS; i loved it on the last set of wheels you had.
 
And tires arent very cheap here. I think i got probably the cheapest tires in Australia which ran to AUD$650 (USD$590) for all 4 fitted (the tire shop price-matched an online seller). They are complete random chinese brand tires though; and the soft compound fronts already need flipping after 1500km!!!

bananas build!!!

cant wait for that rear extension to be put on.

Nice car!

Dominik, your build is absolutely astounding! 

Motivating? your journey has been just that!!

i kinda like how u drop the car...
niceeee!!

I like your car minus the black roof.

looks nice to me

Thanks guys. 
The black roof idea is usually a hit with most people that see it. It might be different in the US since thats probably been going around for a while there now.
 
Anyway, sorry for the lack of updates; to be honest, its because there havent been any. Well, i did do a DIY alignment on the rear of the car using some planks of wood held up against my wheels and a tape measure. This revealed that the alignment i had gotten at the tyre shop was WAY out of wack. I had almost 10mm of toe out!
 
So I corrected this and then went on a 250 mile road trip. This was to be a test for my new alignment settings.
 
Results: rears were ok... I still felt a bit of rubber pilling on the tyre, but there was no noticeable wear. But i had neglected my fronts. After 250 miles the inside corner of my front tyres were bald.
 
So after grand total of about a thousand miles, it was time to flip my fronts.
 
At this point i decided that its time i stop going to these cheap alignment shops... I decided to build my own alignment rig.
 
Pics from the roadtrip will be posted later, but for now, some details on how to do a DIY alignment...

So it started with a design:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/CIMG3498.jpg[/IMG]
 
This is similar to something i saw selling on Yahoo auctions, but using locally available hardware
 
 
This turned into a little DIY construction:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/CIMG3493.jpg[/IMG]
 
For those taking notes:
4x angle brackets (usually used for shelves)
6x 90cm lengths of 19x42mm pine (tested for straightness
2x 3m/10ft tape measures
2x small angle brackets to hold tape measures
1x plastic card (or sheet plastic or anything to put under the tape measures to calibrate/measure against)

 
Now Calibrate the twin tape measures so they both measure the same distance against the edge of an old BIC Camera points card
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/CIMG3494.jpg[/IMG]
 
 
Now put it up against the car and see what my toe settings are!
(Disregard the temporary front bumper which is all but falling off, and the general dirtyness of the car!)
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/CIMG3495.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/CIMG3496.jpg[/IMG]
 
Result: Fronts had about 20mm of toe in! Rears had about 5mm toe in; but that was from my last DIY alignment, which turned out to be spot on.
This time i set all 4 wheels to zero toe, and tonight will be the highway/wash test (wash car, drive and check for rubber on the rear bumper).

thats pretty sick bro , nice job

That good idea. I never could grasp the string trick to DIY Alignments but that seems like it would be cake.

Nice work, and I'm jocking the ride hardcore. I like the white faces on one side and diamond face/white windows on the other.:biggthumpup:

Thanks guys. 
 
Yeah the string method would work too (its good for finding thrust angle - the actual relation between front and rear wheels), but its complicated to set up, and fiddly. This one is easy to do on your own, and you can even start changing the settings *while* the tape measures are in place - letting you see the effects of each turn etc.
 
 
Anyway, the results of the wash/drive test were good. No excess rubber on the bumper and it felt stable on the road. Side-slip test also showed that zero toe was the way to go.
 
I have since fixed my front bumper using a cabletie (god i feel like such a drifter), and i am ready for my 1300 mile road trip. Will post some pics on the way!

looks real fresh

diggin the diy toe setup. might have to build me a couple.

wow...excellent build and thread...learned a lot...sick car...

Dom you have done an excellent job on this ride. I can only fathom a build of this caliber later in the years.

whoo go Dom, loving the DIY toe contraption.

Thanks for the comments guys. Unfortunately not much has progressed on this other than getting my fender roller on and successfully pushing the inner fender out of the way.... Nothing quite as cool as being able to take 4 of your mates in your car without having to apologise for the rubbing. 
 
I'm also waiting on parts. I hope to get started on the lip kit within a week or 2. I have some ideas on what to do with the grille too so hopefulyl that can get fixed up. I had a friend drive the car around the block, and i can finally see what is missing in there. From a distance it sort of looks wierd.

[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][COLOR=white]I still can not believe we are having such a vip like this in Sydney. It’s a real deal car Dom… gotta be an eye catcher everywhere it goes…[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][COLOR=white]Is that Olympic Park? Miss that place so much…haha [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][COLOR=white] [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman][SIZE=3][COLOR=white]You daily it that low? No probs with the RTA?[/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

Thanks mate, yeah this is my daily, but i wouldnt call this "slammed". I get to most places i need to go without scraping, so in my eyes that means i should be a good inch or 2 lower!
 
No probs with the RTA; dont go into areas where they have the defect stations. I do get warnings from the Police a bit, but knock wood no fines yet

Wow-awesome transformation. I don't think you'll see too many people traveling to Japan for parts.

wow thats nutty! I havent checked this thread in a while.. the car is astonishing! love it, love the white on white sooo beautiful. Crazy how alignment shop has that equipment but you cant ever out do the old method of alignment.. ever.

Hey Dom.Q:Maybe I missed it in the details but left side has the rims silver/white spokes and right seems to be all white? You're Australian so you'll understand when I say "Please explain" =)

[QUOTE=disgraced;303297]Hey Dom.Q:Maybe I missed it in the details but left side has the rims silver/white spokes and right seems to be all white? You're Australian so you'll understand when I say "Please explain" =)[/QUOTE]

Most people would not have caught that.  He did it on purpose.  Some people do stuff like that in Japan to just do it, he can further explain.  Since you can't see both sides of the car at the same time ever, he wanted to give it a shot.  

I like both variations but I think the side with the white accents looks best :biggthumpup:

[QUOTE=widebody_Q;303300]Most people would not have caught that.  He did it on purpose.  Some people do stuff like that in Japan to just do it, he can further explain.  Since you can't see both sides of the car at the same time ever, he wanted to give it a shot.  

I like both variations but I think the side with the white accents looks best :biggthumpup:[/QUOTE]

I think I agree but I also think both sides look good...Nothing wrong with having the best of both worlds is there?

edit: ps. my girl tells me I have an acute yet un-necessary eye for detail so I guess thats why:shrug:

Yeah i did do that on purpose. The all white side is supposed to be the all-sporty side and white/polish is suppsed to be the modern vip look.
 
But actually there isnt that much difference (i did have intentions to add pinstripes and de-chrome the all-white side), so for now it works like this: White-polish looks great when hard-parked and in pics. But when rolling the all-white side is where its at.
 
Of course thats hard to convey in pics and post up on the net, but trust me, I dont regret the all-white side!

HOW. DID. I miss this.

I feel like such a jerk. I love this car so much and it's so beautiful now. And the black roof [i]is[/i] nice, good call on going through with it.

[QUOTE=Dominik;303349]Yeah i did do that on purpose. The all white side is supposed to be the all-sporty side and white/polish is suppsed to be the modern vip look.
 
But actually there isnt that much difference (i did have intentions to add pinstripes and de-chrome the all-white side), so for now it works like this: White-polish looks great when hard-parked and in pics. But when rolling the all-white side is where its at.
 
Of course thats hard to convey in pics and post up on the net, but trust me, I dont regret the all-white side![/QUOTE]

nor should you regret it. it's kind of like the drifters and the reverse writing on one side... round of applause for you man! looks like a different car

[QUOTE=firelizard;304082]HOW. DID. I miss this.
 
I feel like such a jerk. I love this car so much and it's so beautiful now. And the black roof [I]is[/I] nice, good call on going through with it.[/QUOTE]
 
 
Hahaha, i still have a pic on my phone of your car at some carshow up in Canada; i used to look at it while my car was getting painted, reminding myself that it will turn out ok.
 
I'm really happy about the black roof too. Still having thoughts of getting a vinyl mural put on there just for shits and giggles, but first i gotta sort out this sporty/lux look
 
 
And thanks disgraced. I had a few people questioning me on it, but to be honest i really wanted all-white to start with. Sporty FTW!

love the y32, it was the 1st car i owned in japan - did i ever get approved on mixi?

[QUOTE=NELSON09;290067]Nice work, and I'm jocking the ride hardcore. I like the white faces on one side and diamond face/white windows on the other.:biggthumpup:[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=disgraced;303297]Hey Dom.Q:Maybe I missed it in the details but left side has the rims silver/white spokes and right seems to be all white? You're Australian so you'll understand when I say "Please explain" =)[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=disgraced;303341]
edit: ps. my girl tells me I have an acute yet un-necessary eye for detail so I guess thats why:shrug:[/QUOTE]

Yup, that's my favorite part of his ride too.

Yo Jermaine did you send a request? I dont have anything from ya...

this should be the rags to riches build .. great thread  ..

What a great thread!  

I liked your car before the fire damage... But after, wow!  Amazing transformation!  

Well done!

Hopefully i will have some updates soon. Dropped it off at the shop to have the final bits put on. And some more suspension tweaking is in the works ;)

LEGIT!  i didn't think i'd like the white at first but yeah, hot.

Well the skirts/lip is on but bad news is that they did a shit job at color-matching. And they fucked up one of my wheels (I'm livid... first mark on my brand new wheels and its by some monkey at a paintshop)... 
 
So yeah gotta go back and have some words
 
 
Other than that it definitely adds bulk to the lower portions of the car.

um yeah! i'd be pissed! let us know how that works out...

[QUOTE=AME_VIP;261613]Ah fair enough!  Here you go.  

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/Touring240/VIPCARY32.jpg[/IMG]
[/QUOTE]

Those rims are sick

Love the car, love the color, love everything about it. I always wondered how well the Clazzio interior kits fit, and it looks like it fits nice and tight.