Mysterious Ooze Resolution
 

This is a follow-up on a previous thread of mine.

I thought some people would find my trunk clean-up experience interesting at least.

I'll let the pictures speak:

The beginning
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163195315.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163195367.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163195400.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163195418.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163195449.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163195465.jpg

Now the fun began of chipping bad paint and cleaning up rust.

The clean-up
 

I proceeded cleaning the up the trunk area first.

I must have found 15 almond (nuts) throughout the battery area and the area below the main fuse box (down in the area on the side of the gas tank). Along with the almonds I found many other parts and so forth.

I then proceeded to clean the trunk area (avoiding my elcetrical stuff as best that I could) out with a baking soda and water mix. I then rinsed that out with water (using my car washing hose). After that I hit it with simple green and flushed it out again.

As I was trying to pick crap out of the nooks and crannies, I found this under the battery stand:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163195903.jpg

What do you think it is?





Well after 40 minutes I finally forced it out with my fingers and a coat hanger.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163195975.jpg

And here is the rest of the stuff that I recovered from the trunk:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163196014.jpg

Its always nice to have no spare parts...oh wait! There are the bolts that are missing for here and...there and... there.

Well at least they weren't forgotten and throw away or misplaced. A PO or his mechanic was just to lazy to fish-em out after they dropped them.

My guess is battery acid, but what is that weird series of holes? Was that put their to help drain or something?

Primed
 

Here are the results of my rust busting followed by mineral spirits and priming.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163196190.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163196217.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163196234.jpg

Now I'm just waiting for the primer to dry before I move along. I figure I can get it painted tomorrow morning if the weather cooperates.

alarm siren- we've seen some interesting installs that hack up the car that way

masraum,
I was told that a component for the A/C was beneath those holes. They are factory, but I'm not entirely sure what they were for.


Right now I'm at a cross roads. I have Gloss Black paint that I can use to paint of the trunk area (minus the gas tank) and I'm wondering if I should use Black Satin instead?

Any opinions?

Thanks guys. I hope to be finished with this by Sunday evening. This is my daily driver and I need to drive it to work on Monday so there is a limit to what I can get accomplished this weekend.

Also, I'm going to be installing a battery mount for my Yellow Optima. I'm pretty excited to finally have the battery mounted in the trunk properly.
-Matt

TRE Cup,

You are probably correct. The alarm was also removed by a PO, I'm assuming at the same time the A/C was gutted.

I found a similiar amount of "stuff" in the engine compartment when I did my valve adjustment about 6 months ago. Along with a lot of sloppy mechanical work.

I'm trying to make this car into what I want it to be before I move back to the east coast. I will be driving here cross country next September so I want to do everything right while I have the time.
-Matt

What is it...
 

That looks like a screwdriver handle.

OEM screw driver handle at that.

You guys are right, it is a screw driver handle (an older fashion inter-changeable type). I'm not sure if its OEM or not. From the wear marks on it, it had been under there for a very long time. So it makes sense to me that it might have come for the original tool kit, which I do not possess. It was a PIA getting it out, but I just keep working it until I got it to a very lucky angle and I was able to fanangle it out.

Anyone thoughts on Gloss Black or Satin Black for the trunk area?

I'm going to tape it off tonight to save time tomorrow.

All inputs and thoughts are appreciated!
-Matt

It is OEM. It is the same on eI have from my factory tools kit.

As far as black paint goes... I'm all for a satin or flat black. I think glossy might be too much.

Dave

I think I'm going to go with the Black Satin. It won't match the exterior paint, but what the hell, its my trunk.

I vote for satin black, especially if you were not planning on painting the entire trunk.

Tim K

Satin, not gloss. Good prep is key.

Put the screw driver handle on eBay as a Porsche art object.

I would go with the satin. If you have the carpet kit for the trunk does it really matter?

Gloss because satin grabs onto dirt and looks super dirty very quickly. Go with gloss and then just windex it off every few weeks.

Well the satin is in there.

Here are a few pictures showing the current condition:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163289676.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163289691.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163289705.jpg

I've also primed and painted the smuggler box's cover and the cover for the behind the dash cover (what ever you call it, can't think of it right now).

As you can see I'm painting the gas tank as well. The easy way, i.e. its staying in there. It was chipped in several places and I just wanted it all to look nice. Tomorrow morning I'll tape off the rest of the trunk so that I can finish the gas tank.

I'm going to install the battery mount and battery before that though.

Thanks for the inputs!
-Matt

Here is the nearly finished product.

Its not as nice as the picture may look, but its more than a 100% improvement. I took the pictues from inside the garage, I'm not going to risk waking up the sleeping children, so I don't have the front "money" shot. But these other views show the imperfections.

Pics:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163399156.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163399176.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163399198.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1163399217.jpg

I still have a feew things left to complete, as the pictures probably make it pretty obvious. I painted the behind dash area cover in flat black because I ran out of satin black and didn't feel like running to the store, so I'm debating on that one. Once I decide I'll throw it back in there. My battery mount, was a PIA to install and I still have to "die" down the bolts so that I have threads low enough to actually secured the battery. Needless to say, its a tight fit in that area. After I get those areas taken care of, I'm probably going to put the spare tire and the jack back in, but I do like the look without them in there. I've also need to get some thin steel (or maybe Aluminum) and patch out the swiss cheese area as well. After that I should be happy enough to re-install my carpet.

Well it was a lot of work, but I think it came out alright. I should go in there and touch it up with a brush, but I'll save that for another time.
-Matt

One other thing, I also need to install a set of battery connector covers (well at least on the positive terminal).

I think it came out very well.