Merit to gsi project

I messed up a little........
Guess what dick head didnt cover his car before grinding so ended up with grinding dust all over his car that then turned to millions of rust spots all over.........yeah that dick head would be me lmao.

So set about clay barring and machine polishing the car, luckily it all came off after a few hours of going at it. Lesson learnt, I'll be covering the car next time I do any grinding or welding.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e962022554.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...2d7db652ec.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...bd63596a45.jpg

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Got the drivers side inner wing and flitch panel done today, not as many pics of the process but it was same as passenger side I posted.

Also my GM front panel turned up today so I did a quick test fit and make sure it all lines up and its bang on, well happy with it. Just shows its worth spending the extra money for the proper parts.
I'll get that welded on next weekend then I can start smoothing all the engine bay ready for spraying.
I'm going for smooth seams so using a little filler to do ithttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6e7415cfbd.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0e7d19e163.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e9af1b9dcf.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1329bf6f91.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...9f8cd0dbd1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...df562896dc.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...611dbc1082.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f291d8c862.jpg

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Looking good pal defo worth getting gm stuff if possible worth the extra money all day long.

Looking good mate, always worth the extra money for genuine panels

Got the front panel welded on today.
Also did the chassis leg mod
I just have 2 plates to do on the bottom of the chassis leg where it meets the front panel then thats all the welding done.
I can now starts tidying up the bay and smoothing it then spray.
Just need to bend the clutch hole down
I ground down the welds on the front panel and put some zinc primer on until I primer the whole thing.
Group down the welds on the chassis leg mod then seam sealed across which will be smoothed out when dried

I'll crack on next weekend https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...aa39a3715f.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5981ef4dff.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...40a908f09a.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...a1384d121d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...aca0ae0abc.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d41c9c5057.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f03c6bd2d2.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b9964f4601.jpg

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I liked it up to the point you applied the seam sealer. Why not mask either edge and use a brush for a factory look?

Dont worry it will all be smoothed out lol
Looks messy at the minute but have faith haha
I was rushing to be fair as I had to be somewhere so quickly wacked it on

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Good work pal. Cracking on now are you smoothing the bay completely?

Yeah thats the plan mate, smooth the seams out.
Want it looking as smooth as I can get it really

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Use the black fibrofill pal its flexible so wont crack followed by a light skim of filler.

Cheers ill check it out mate.


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Had a quick hour after work cleaning the bay up and sanding it down ready for primer.
Also bent down the clutch hole, its as far down and right as it will possibly go without breaking it so I hope its enough lol

Need to pick up some primer and a bit more paint as I only have 1/4 litre and I'm more than likely gonna need more to do the whole bay and front panel.
Starting to look like an engine bay now after a wipe down haha.

I'll be painting the brake servo mount black with the other cover too so I'll just mask them off when I paint.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...148bf9b9dd.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...6b33d7e178.jpg

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Got a couple of hours done today.
I've made my carport into a temp spray booth and to keep the weather off the car, I just need some kind of heater to heat up the carport otherwise I'm not gonna be able to spray with it being cold out.

Anyway I've walked some gravitex on inner arches and inside the suspension strut where I've done the plates.

Smoothed off the seams around the strut and chassis legs and even managed to get a coat of primer on, needs another coat or 2 though hut ill do that next week then flat it down ready for spraying.

After I primed I forgot I hadn't cut a slot in the firewall for the harness to go through.......DOH
So quickly chopped a piece out, I have some rubber edging from work so there's no sharp edges.
I still need to cut the hole into the car, could someone help with where abouts it needs cutting.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3bee5ceeef.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b0d25605c6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...719de0fe97.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...45cfa98572.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...de77d9fed0.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3d092f221a.jpg

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Looking good pal did you use 2k primer or cellulose? As for the hole I did mine near where the aerial goes through the bulkhead just watch the fuse box when drilling through lol.

Lovely job. Surprised you're not removing those 2 bits from the bulkhead, only a few bolts?!

I've always used 2k when spraying so just went with what I know lol.

I havent taken off the steering column so the left plate won't come off without removing that anyway, I can get away with just taping them up so not worried about it.
I'll clean them up afterwards and give them a link of hammerstein to make them look fresh

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I made my carport into a make shift spray booth and got some heaters in there to bring the panels up to temp for spraying.
Managed to get a couple coats on but I didnt buy enough paint to begin with........DOH
So need another 1/4ltr, ill get it during the week and do another couple of coats one night in the week as I cant do anything on it next weekend I'm too busy.

But at last its got some paint on, didnt think I was gonna be able to get to this stage before Christmas lolhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...c16283241d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...3b9d37cdf4.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f45e48e5c3.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...fdfda7999c.jpg

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Got the rest of the engine bay painted tonight
Leave it to cure for a couple weeks, won't be able to do anything now until next weekend anyway as I get married on Monday so got alot to sort out this weekend lol
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Looking fresh pal nice work.

Looking good and congratulations on the wedding.

Thanks guys.

Next thing is to clean up the steering rack and give it a lick of hammerite along with the brake servo.

Still a little confused as to what to do with the car loom.
I read on a post that if the car is an spi with the engine and car loom in 1 then just cut the ecu plugs off and pull the wires through and will leave me with the wires I need to connect to the new engine loom???

Anyone help lol

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I run a Dta ecu in my car, which is also an spi, I pulled the loom from the car and removed the loom tape, cut off the ecu plug and basically removed everything that wasn't needed, left me with wires for a few things like the lights, horn, starter motor and oil pressure.

What engine and ecu will you be running?

I'm going to be running an early astra gte xe, so doesn't have the 3 plugs near the ecu it has the 1 plug in the bay instead. Ill dig out a picture of what I mean

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This is what I have instead of the 3 plugs https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e11fa8d382.jpg

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Early 20XE are the easiest to wire up.

Red - battery/perm live
Blue - fuel pump
Black/yellow - switched/ignition live
Green - Rev counter
Brown/blue - ecu dash light
Blue(red trace) - speed sensor for digi dash
Brown/yellow - ecu diagnostic (the one you can earth to flash error codes

Only really need the first 3 to get it to run.

I ran my switched live to a switched live in the back of the fuse box


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But what I im confused with is where will I find them wires on the car loom?
I'm not clued up when it comes to wiring, I do have a distinction in electronics on motorbikes so not completely clueless I can do wiring just confused on this bit lol

I have the spi loom so engine and car loom are in 1, from what I've read and been told I need to cut the ecu plug then pull all the wires out and will be left with what I need, but will the wires I need to wire the xe up be in this or behind the clocks area?

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The ecu will have most if not all. Which is why people are referring to the old ecu.

It's just a case of finding the right wire and connecting it up to that plug. Mix of knowledge, Haynes and multimeter.

Perm live run to the battery or starter.
Switched just find one that?s only 12v when ignition is on, like wipers.
Fuel pump, just run a new wire as you?ll need a new pump Id guess.
Rev counter depends if you?ve got a Rev gauge


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Ok making a little more sense now, I need to sort out the cars ecu plug and pull all the wires out then might have a better idea.

Yeah ill be getting a different pump, I do have an external one which came with the engine but I was just going to get an internal mpi pump instead make it easier than fitting an external would it not?


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Oh I'm also putting digital dash in so yeah ill have rev counter

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I made a start on putting bits back in and have a bash at the wiring.
I cut the 2 plugs for the car ecu and pulled all the wires through and I'm now left with
4 x lives
2 x ignition lives
1 x Green
1 x brown/blue

1 problem is the plug for fuel pump relay was removed from loom as it was some of the wires that I cut from the ecu plugs, do I have to rewire this back into the wires that are left over?
I'm confused now lol

At least the engine bay is starting to look like an engine bay lolhttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...d47bb4ec88.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f7cfb930dc.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...b815d02a12.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...be76659a33.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...13c45393e1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...990ec7d2e1.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4cba316fc7.jpg

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Never mind my mistake the engine loom has fuel pump relay on hahahahahttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...5a92164304.jpg

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"If you want something done properly, do it yourself" as they say.

Good job on the paint. Looking fresh!

Cheers mate.
Yeah I prefer doing things myself, at least then I know it's done how it should be or at least how I think it should be lol

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Deffo... mind at ease and all that.

Bit more done today.
Changed the mileage on digi clocks to match the cars mileage and fit some blue bulbs.
Cleaned the tag and sprayed it then riveted both tags to slam panel.
Fit the loom back to firewall inside car, fit the heater matrix, put the clutch cable in, ran the wires into car for the digi dash.
Dash board is ready to be fitted now so can get the inside looking like a car again.
I'll do a bit more on Tuesday when I've got the new fuel pump for it.

My brake lines should be here next week so soon as I put them on I can start getting the engine in the bay, just want to paint the mounts first and need to get the spacers for rear mounthttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...cd57673ca4.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...7d38b3a7a6.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...8b2208921d.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...18b3754212.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4e898d644d.jpg

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Also while I was cleaning the gearbox up I noticed the arm has been bodge welded lol.
Will the arm from my f10 fit the f20? https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...778f842e20.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...e8fe5423fd.jpg

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Remember to cut down the matrix pipe


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Yeah the matrix pipes are on the list to do lol

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