Cleaned taillights, rear panel, etc.

[Bartman]

I've been working on the rear of my car and I'm pretty happy with the results so far. I installed a rear spoiler, cleaned up my taillights, painted the rear panel, and cleaned up the openings for my dual exhaust.

 

The taillight panel is painted with dupli-color graphite wheel paint and it has a nice metallic look to it. I cleaned up the taillights, but the biggest problem was with the trim piece that goes across the middle of the lens. I couldn't get it to look right, so I finally purchased flexible molding to get the look I was after. On the rear skirt I bought some pvc pipe and molded it into the skirt to make the exhaust opening blend into the rest of the skirt.

[phantaz]

I really like the molding idea..... methinks a trip to the auto parts store is in my future.

[Guest 280ZForce]

looking good Bart! The spoiler looks good, I love that spoiler...wonder where you realized you liked that one?

 

the z is starting to clean up really well, glad to see it making progress.

[Guest Surfsup]

I've been working on the rear of my car and I'm pretty happy with the results so far. I installed a rear spoiler, cleaned up my taillights, painted the rear panel, and cleaned up the openings for my dual exhaust.

 

The taillight panel is painted with dupli-color graphite wheel paint and it has a nice metallic look to it. I cleaned up the taillights, but the biggest problem was with the trim piece that goes across the middle of the lens. I couldn't get it to look right, so I finally purchased flexible molding to get the look I was after. On the rear skirt I bought some pvc pipe and molded it into the skirt to make the exhaust opening blend into the rest of the skirt.

 

what method did u use to clean youre tail lights? thanks

andy

[jbk240z]

I like the color of your panel. looks great. I hope you wear some serious shin-guards when working around the rear of your Z, the exhaust tips look cool, but I think they could shred anything that comes near them. Good luck on your project.

[Bartman]

what method did u use to clean youre tail lights? thanks

andy

There's a thread here on HybridZ about cleaning taillights.

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=104585

To help separate the lens I let the assembly soak in hot water for a while. That softens up the sealant used to hold it together and made it easier to disassemble.

I like the color of your panel. looks great. I hope you wear some serious shin-guards when working around the rear of your Z, the exhaust tips look cool, but I think they could shred anything that comes near them. Good luck on your project.

Those tips will easily eat some skin with the sharp edges on them. What you can't tell from the picture is that the exhaust tips don't stick out as far as the rear bumper does.

[Guest Surfsup]

There's a thread here on HybridZ about cleaning taillights.

http://forums.hybridz.org/showthread.php?t=104585

To help separate the lens I let the assembly soak in hot water for a while. That softens up the sealant used to hold it together and made it easier to disassemble.

Those tips will easily eat some skin with the sharp edges on them. What you can't tell from the picture is that the exhaust tips don't stick out as far as the rear bumper does.

 

thanks it looks clean as hell

[deja]

I've been working on the rear of my car and I'm pretty happy with the results so far. I installed a rear spoiler, cleaned up my taillights, painted the rear panel, and cleaned up the openings for my dual exhaust.

 

 

The taillight panel is painted with dupli-color graphite wheel paint and it has a nice metallic look to it. I cleaned up the taillights, but the biggest problem was with the trim piece that goes across the middle of the lens. I couldn't get it to look right, so I finally purchased flexible molding to get the look I was after. On the rear skirt I bought some pvc pipe and molded it into the skirt to make the exhaust opening blend into the rest of the skirt.

 

 

I like it all especially the skirt. How exactly did you make that? Did you heat and mold the pipe or grind it to fit?

[Bartman]

I like it all especially the skirt. How exactly did you make that? Did you heat and mold the pipe or grind it to fit?

The skirt took some work to make it work with my exhaust, and I still need to do a little more to get it perfect. Originally I just cut out around the area where my exhaust exits the skirt, but it didn't look very good. It wasn't even and looked like the hack job it was. I had to cut both sides as it didn't even match the one opening that came on the stock skirt.

 

I bought 3.5" PVC pipe from Home Depot and cut it up using my Dremmel tool. I got the placement right while the skirt was installed on the car and then taped them into place. Then I removed the skirt with the PVC pieces taped in place and fiberglassed the PVC pipe to the skirt on the inside. Finally I used Rage Gold body filler to smooth out the outside.

[deja]

The skirt took some work to make it work with my exhaust, and I still need to do a little more to get it perfect. Originally I just cut out around the area where my exhaust exits the skirt, but it didn't look very good. It wasn't even and looked like the hack job it was. I had to cut both sides as it didn't even match the one opening that came on the stock skirt.

 

I bought 3.5" PVC pipe from Home Depot and cut it up using my Dremmel tool. I got the placement right while the skirt was installed on the car and then taped them into place. Then I removed the skirt with the PVC pieces taped in place and fiberglassed the PVC pipe to the skirt on the inside. Finally I used Rage Gold body filler to smooth out the outside.

 

You're a freakin' genius, looks great. I was thinking about trying to use one of those covers like you see on Audi A4's but the odds of being able to line up the exhaust seems tough. Your method may be easier and certainly cheaper.

 

[Bartman]

...I was thinking about trying to use one of those covers like you see on Audi A4's but the odds of being able to line up the exhaust seems tough. Your method may be easier and certainly cheaper.

 

I spent a great deal of time looking at various cars on the road trying to figure out what I could use on my Z...and the Audi rear section was one of the one's I liked as well. After thinking about it for a while I figured it would be hard and expensive to source the part and modify it to fit...and then it might not even work out well in the long run. I figured going with a rear skirt made for the Z would be a better starting point. I thought I was going to do much more with it, but in the end I decided to use the KISS method and keep it fairly simple.

 

The specific problem you mentioned of lining up the exhaust is a big factor...at least on my install. There isn't any room for adjustment of the exhaust itself as the rear section is pretty much filled up with the mufflers and the gas tank.

[deja]

I spent a great deal of time looking at various cars on the road trying to figure out what I could use on my Z...and the Audi rear section was one of the one's I liked as well. After thinking about it for a while I figured it would be hard and expensive to source the part and modify it to fit...and then it might not even work out well in the long run. I figured going with a rear skirt made for the Z would be a better starting point. I thought I was going to do much more with it, but in the end I decided to use the KISS method and keep it fairly simple.

 

The specific problem you mentioned of lining up the exhaust is a big factor...at least on my install. There isn't any room for adjustment of the exhaust itself as the rear section is pretty much filled up with the mufflers and the gas tank.

 

My new expression when people ask what I did over the weekend is "its hard to build a car".

Right now I have both pipes coming out the driver's side. But with the new tank I will go with pipes on both sides. I don't have mufflers back there at all, just turbos up front (probably why its so loud). We'll see how it all works out. I'm still far away from worrying about that, just adding it to the while I'm at it list.

[nullbound]

Looks awesome, Bartman! I am definitely a fan of having the exhaust tips not stick out past the bumper, even though they stick out farther than the bumper on my car (future change).

 

I have the same rear valence for my 280z, but thought about filling in the exhaust cutout out on the driver's side and using turndowns behind the valence instead of having exposed tips.

[80LS1T]

I really like the tail light and the rear panel! VERY CLEAN! I'm not sure what your talking about with the PCV pipe though?

 

Guy

[Bartman]

I really like the tail light and the rear panel! VERY CLEAN! I'm not sure what your talking about with the PCV pipe though?

 

Guy

If I took an angled picture you could see it better, but the PVC pipe is cut flush with the outside of the rear skirt and the other end extends in toward the mufflers. This covers up the edge of the cut fiberglass that would be showing around the exhaust openings.

 

I'll try to get a better pic of it this weekend.

[Bartman]

Here's a better picture of the back.