Restoration with some modifications to my G11 (a.k.a 86) Daihatsu Charade

[abdulrehmanrauf]

Quick Links:

• Under body coat.

• Rust Converter treatment.

• Cabin and Engine room paint.

• Last round preparations before the final paint.

• In the paint booth.

• At the Cushion maker shop.

• Exterior (Final polish is pending).

• Interior (door cards and seats).

• Few glimpse of the dashboard.

• Cluster.

Hi fellows,

Before I start to write the actual restoration / modification details, I would like to write some history information.

It was June 13th 09, I own a G11 (1986) Daihatsu Charade . Luckily, I got it almost in complete genuine condition, the company paint, indicators, side glasses, windscreens, headlights...etc were all genuine.

In its early days:

After some minor treatments in later days:

Bumper color, rubbing polish, rim color, just to give some clean look without doing anything extra ordinary. A part from this I was more focused on the mechanical area so that I can be assured about its real fitness. Roughly, I got things right in the breaking dept, suspensions, alignments, axles.

After like 5 years continue usage and some careless attitude from my side, my car started to pleading me for mercy. Body paint almost gone, left was only the Lining (aster). Thankfully the car was still rust free with only major rust at the doors bottom, minor rust around the windscreen rubbers, door frames, rest was clean from rust.

To save this beauty from further deterioration, I was in search of a good denter and painter. After a 5 - 6 months market search (with few references), observing the actual work at their workshops finally I handed over my car on Feb 10, 2015.

The car has already been painted just yesterday that is on March 25, 2015.

I have few pics which I have captured during the process. I will share the details as well along with the snaps later in this thread.

Thanks in advance for coming to this thread.

[abdulrehmanrauf]

To provide you some highlights for time being, following were my intentions and Alhamdolillah I have been quite successful.

1. To restore body to its original shape with 041 color, black bumper, side mirror, front grill, number plate lamps,original silver colored rims.

2. A part from the body restoration I had a desire to put add-ons inspired by the CX version of Charade as mine is a simple version. For example rear windscreen wiper, petrol lid opener (from driving seat), door foam handles, rear windscreen with heating element (brown lines), rpm meter, number plate lamps relocation, steering wheel.

3. To change interior from brown to grey without just coloring the current stuff.

4. To put 5 forward gears box.

5. To replace the old charger / generator.

6. To install the missing pipes linked air filter box, silencer aluminium plate.

[mqsdrana]

Nice. waiting complete story & Pics

[mfdarvesh]

Subscribed ..

[abdulrehmanrauf]

After the agreement with the denter, his shop located Shadman (peoples chowrangi rd near 7C bus stand), I kicked off the project myself. Tried to unscrew all the gadgets while car standing at home.

Related interior;
Except dashboard, I removed everything else like the door cards, door handles, cd player, every plastic moldings, rear seat, carpet, lose covers, sun shades, selt belts, meter console, all the knobs of dashboard...etc.

and also,

you can see the floor is in pretty good nick

Related engine room;
I removed the ac-condenser, parking, bumper, number plate lamps, wiper machine. Head lamps, backlights, bumpers, number plates were removed at the denter's workshop.

All the parts removed above were kept carefully at home.

[abdulrehmanrauf]

During the process, I was searching for interior looks like color themes etc. I was inspired by the following one
and currently seats and card boards are in the hand of cushion maker.

[abdulrehmanrauf]

On the 10th of Feb, I handed over my car.

From the next day work started.

Denter picked the bonnet first and removed few dents on the right side. I and my denter were on the agenda to not use the polycate and we didn't use it through out the project only Putty filling.

In parallel, I had my electrician to uninstall the dashboard and remove the complete wiring.

To get things done in parallel, I also asked my mechanic to down the engine, for two purpose. First to give easy access to denter and secondly as mentioned in initial posts to install 5 gears box and to wash the engine all around.

[nfssaad]

i have a 5 speed gearbox lying around.. north karachi.. if you want

[abdulrehmanrauf]

Things were kept on rolling slowly but steady. Denter kept his pace, further snaps will be shared in the next post.

To pursue the intentions mentioned in post number #2, I kept on trying things at my end. There were many trips to Sher Shah kabari market in order to get the required parts especially related to the interior.

Started with the dashboard. The color of the dashboard was the key at that point and a deciding factor in converting the brown interior to grey. I considered myself very lucky and got a scratch less, in grey with digital console. All genuine with complete wiring, ac conduct, buttons, knobs etc. All I need is to wash it and apply some polish. I don't have the pic right now but I will be sharing it soon.

Few advised me to go for dashboard repairing. But it was not much fruitful for me. Firstly the current analog console needed to be changed, clock not working, temp and fuel needles were not accurate. Dashboard itself were need a complete overhaul. Total repairing cost was around 11 - 12 K including a cleaned analog console which should have rpm meter too. Instead of going this way I chose to buy the above mentioned @ price of 22K, it was shocking and a hard decision for me. But I was getting one which is just need a wash and no other khurcha so I went for it.

This was my first real shopping. In the upcoming posts I will continue on this area of shopping. I really spent some dedicated time here and it was never easy for me to find the parts. Few hard times and difficult situations came by but thankfully everything is settled down quite nicely now :).

[abdulrehmanrauf]

My bad, I have already got the one and is also installed by now.

i have a 5 speed gearbox lying around.. north karachi.. if you want

[nfssaad]

if you are repainting.. i would suggest inside out side paint removal through chemical and proper repaint with epoxy primer

[abdulrehmanrauf]

I will be sharing the details on the things like primer, color, hardner etc. For that paint removal, actually there was no paint to be removed. The car never painted before and it was on a stage where only aster was left. So we just applied the sanding.

if you are repainting.. i would suggest inside out side paint removal through chemical and proper repaint with epoxy primer

[abdulrehmanrauf]

Some storyline in pictures...

Cut the old rusted panel completely and welded fresh piece of a good grade sheet. Denter kept on applying putty just after the work done to avoid rust on naked / sanded area.

[abdulrehmanrauf]

Asphalt coating:
To cure the floor from rust, I applied the new asphalt sheet. 3 out 4 sections were fine, only next to driver worn out, developed cracks. Snapshot below.

Removing the old coating,

It was treat to watch the surface. After like 30 rough n tough years, it still shines like new.

New coating applied.

I also have rust treatment for under the body and the 'Rust Converter' treatment at difficult to reach places and small rusty points. I will be sharing the details.

[abdulrehmanrauf]

After Aster:

Pictures to tell...

The roof had minor bumps, we didn't try to perfect them as we were not wanting to remove the inner plastic sheet. It is company fitted and in a pretty good nick too. Removing it, would shrink it as it is of plastic. So we just did the required sanding, no polycate and the aster.

The misalignment of the bonnet in the above last image had been rectified before the final paint.

[mqsdrana]

Awesome

[abdulrehmanrauf]

Just to keep this thread moving, below is the list of the shopping so far...

Items were obtained in used (genuine stuff) and in good enough condition. Pictures will be my responsibility

1. Dashboard.

2. Got exchange (brown to grey) of complete interior stuff that includes door related items excluding cards, all the plastic moldings like door fittings, pocket on the right door card, those side grills under the dashboard, the tray (under the box) at the passenger side, the speaker-board side holdings, hatchback door fitting, sun shades.

3. Hatchback door lock handle (was missing in my car).

4. Water body (front windscreen), (was missing in my car).

5. Right hand driver side door handle exterior (current one worn out due to the past usage). Window machines for the both front doors. Current ones have been tortured badly by the experts.

6. Petrol lid complete mechanism which includes the wire, puller and the locking machine to lock the lid. I got this of Cuore which is bolt-on fit. I also replaced the current simple Petrol lid in order to have the spring which should push the lid. (inspired by the CX version).

7. Rear windscreen wiper machine (inspired by the CX version).

8. Steering with Steering box. Got the steering as shown in the post #6. Got the genuine steering box / assembly cover.

9. Number plate lamps.

10. Rear windscreen with heating elements, replacing current simple one (inspired by the CX version).

New items made in Taiwan / Thailand.
Despite of lot of search and numerous rounds of Plaza, SherShah, Shafiq more I was unable to get scratch-less lights so had to go for the new ones made in Taiwan.

1. Parking lamps.

2. Bumper n fender indicators.

3. Back lights.

4. Antenna. Different kind of rubbers like for acc / brake pedal, to cushion hatchback/ bonnet...etc

5. Door locks kit.

6. Door light switches.

7. Japanese Wiper arms with made in China wipes.

8. Front windscreen.

Few mechanical related stuff:

19. 5 speed gear box, replacing old worn out 4 speed box. I got is in a very good condition. Installed and already tested with best possible results.

1. Generator in healthy condition.

2. Aluminium silencer plate (in engine room).

3. Rear wheel brake cylinders - fresh made in Taiwan.

4. Genuine spark plug wires in healthy condition.

5. Air filter box intake flexible original plastic pipe. Small original thin pipe (connected to oil cover on head for valves).

6. Air filter top cover, replacing old one. Old one was damaged a bit, air leakage problem.

7. Engine oil, gear oil.

[saboor73]

editted

[abdulrehmanrauf]

From Sher Shah, paid 22K for it. Details in the post #9.

from where and in how much you got dashboard

[nnabeel]