CF Bonnet restoration... kind of

Manage to get a used Varis CF bonnet for a reasonable price, but as u can see it was in a bad state.

The left side of the bonnet is after I have spend time sanding it down and right side was the original state when I got it. The lacquer were peeling off in spots all over.  My plans was to have it spray-painted so the condition didnt bother me much. However, I decided to try to restore it for fun (So I thought)

I used a couple grade of sand papers: Grit 240, 500, 800, 1200 & 2000 for the job. 

During the sanding job, always do it in a single direction for each grade of paper. eg. Up & Down or Left and Right. Basically, just sand it in a perpendicular direction to the previous grit.

This is so that u can see if u had managed to sand down the area properly.  If u did, u should only see the sanding lines in the same direction.

This is the result after grit 240 sand down. 

I did wet sanding for all the different git of sand paper.  Basically just wetting the surface and sand paper with water regularly.

After I got down to grit 2000, I use rubbing compound to buff it with a DA machine.

This is the final result, not a fantastic job ;p.  Total time spent 10 hours.

The comforting thought is that at least I know I got the foundation done right before sending it to the professional for respray!

CF Bonnet project sneak preview

Just a preview of what I have been doing, its quite time consuming!
More updates when I am done

Bumper Gap quick fix

Since the EG is almost a 20 yr old car, it is inevitable that front collision had occurred before. Most of the time the support for the bumper maybe broken or the bumper beam may be removed (for better air flow) after the accident.  This may result a ugly gap between the headlights and the bumper like mine.

Broken Bumper Support

Front Bumper Beam

The quick and easy fix

The gap is quite obvious between the side light and bumper.

First remove the side lights by removing the single screw holding the side light in place.

Then remove the bolt to the side of the headlights.

I used a L-bar with a drilled a hole as a support for the bumper. 

Push up the bumper and secure the bolt in place with a spring washer.

After

Reinstall the side lights and you are done!

Comparison

It ain't perfect, but it sure looks better than before and its a real cheap fix.

The reason for the L-shape bar is because the shape gives a better strength and the material is easier to saw and resistant to rust. The thickness of the material used is about 3mm thick.