mazdaverx7

Brought the car home from storage yesterday and bled the cooling system as the gauge was rising and acting funny with no heat from the heater. Started cleaning it up a bit from sitting since November. Today I decided to take it out and get some pics. Once the rain stopped, I took the 944 out to the end of the road and snapped some pics to share. First of the season!

951Dreams

Looks great!

Todd951968

Dave,

sent you PM

mazdaverx7

Thanks! Needs paint in the worst way. Hopefully this year some time!

951Dreams

If you lived closer, I'd say we could have a paint party! LOL Mine needs new duds too!

Karl_W944

I'd like to have a go at detailing it sometime before you repaint it. It didn't look bad when I last saw it.

odonnell

Curious to see if other guards red / India red owners have experienced this, on the topic of paint detailing.

1) paint looks oxidized and cloudy

2) you detail it, including polish and wax. Paint is slightly cut, to where there is pink/red on the pad.

3) a few months later the paint looks crappy again, repeat process.

Even parking in the garage, this seems to keep being the case, original single stage paint. Any suggestions? I've used different polishes, clay bar, etc, doing my due diligence to keep the paint nice. (No thread hijack intended.)

Karl_W944

I haven't experienced this at all. I had the car professionally detailed last spring before a car show. Then I had a go at it myself, I've polished it twice since, to the point where my pads were pinkish red. Two coats of sealant and topped off with regular coats of wax and the car shines every time I take it out. I even leave it out when it rains and it still looks great after using some quick detailer or a quick hand wash.

Attachment 1026424

It still has some spider webbing if you look at it in the right light at night. But it's spotless during the day and I'm not gonna attempt compounding the car unless something terrible happens. I should note that I do all my detailing by hand without any machines and use Meguiar's products exclusively on the exterior, save for the sealant, which is from Klasse.

mazdaverx7

Karl, your 944 is one of the most amazing 944's I've had the pleasure of working on. The paint seems to be in amazing condition! I would be happy to let you have a go at the paint on my 944!

Jmag21

Great job. I recently bought my own project, started out even rougher, an '86 NA for $400. Doesn't run yet but I haven't had much of a chance to work on it yet. I do have two of the same issues you had; my front sway bar is also disconnected at both ends and I also had a small amount of fluid in my air box. Did you ever figure those two issues out?

mazdaverx7

For the oil in the air box I replaced the air oil separator seals and that solved that issue. I just reconnected the front sway bar into the end bushing. It was painful to do at it smashed my finger. I should replace the bushings though.

mazdaverx7

Not much progress on the car recently. Saving for some parts I need. A few nights ago, my oldest son insisted I take his picture next to one of his very favorites that I own. He always loves riding in the car:

mazdaverx7

Spent some time with the car yesterday. Took it for a short drive and gave it a bath. Thought I'd share a couple pics:

mazdaverx7

The last couple years haven't been so great for me. I've been through a lot with a job loss and some ups and downs financially. This is the one 944 that I was able to hang onto through all of life's ups and downs. I have some things to do on the car. More pictures will follow as the weather breaks a little and the 944 continues its restoration!

Scott at Team Harco

Sorry to hear, Dave. Hope you turn the corner and, things get better.