rustorating a K11 98' 1.0L

[Arturio]

Hi my name is Arthur, but here in Latvia it's just Arturs. Ok enough about me!
The car is a 1998 1.0L K11 pre facelift 3-door. It is my first car and I chose this car specifically based on my beliefs about Japanese engineering and design. I do not intend to slam it as low as possible, put bunch of dumb stickers everywhere, and punch a hole in the muffler for that sporty feel. But it had to be great looking and with some potential if I get rich and start modifying it. I went through my teens idolising 200x Nissans and other Japanese powerful RWD classics. But with my lifestyle I can not afford such a serious car build. I needed a small, simple, economical, two seater so I can move my ass around independently without depressing my self in public transport. So here it is!
UPDATE!
And this the(close to end) result. We restored the whole exterior of the car and the interior to a point where the car is pleasant to be seen in and to be driven.

I got it from an old guy for 400€. The motor seems fine, no weird sounds from chassis or any rattle. The only problem is that it had been laying around in his yard for a year without any motion, so its a bit rusty. He tried to mask it a while ago and managed to pass the MOT and the next one is on December 2015!!!. Ok you can see for yourself.
The interior developed a bit of mold, but it's fixable.

New interior pics pending!

And here comes the rust!
Let's knock on the floor first.

Sills were welded but's its basically ruined now.

Fenders ar not so bad. only one hole will need filling and spraying with paint. The others will just be welded, primed and liquid rubbered. (not sure if it's the right name for that )

And the good old crossmember

So all the rustiness was sorted and it looked like this before undercoating.

 

[frank]

hi arthur that a lot of welding to be done !

 

[Arturio]

Hey frank! It sure is, i was hoping it won't be that much. But i'm staying with this one cause I'm surtan I won't find anything better for that price. Micras are pretty rare here.

 

[markbognor]

Where did you get it from, the sea!

 

[Arturio]

Ha ha Mark. The previous owner left it standing outside unused for a whole year. If he at least drove it or stored in a garage it would be in a better condition.

 

[Arturio]

Merry christmas everyone! A little update on my micra. Took out everything that smells apart from steering wheel and half of heater box. Not as much of rust as I expected from the inside. Only three of four corners of the floor have holes. Trunk has a massive hole above the exhaust and minor rust bubbles scattered here and there.

I'm having trouble removing the steering wheel and the heater box without removing or damaging the interior radiator Any tips on that?

To be clear. I wish to remove the box as `in one piece` as possible.
p.s. for those who are wondering why I'm taking apart all that stuff. I have a slight asthma and when the mixture of mold and 16 year old dust hits my face I'm out of breathable air. So it has to be cleaned out.

 

[Arturio]

And one more thing! Who the hell is this guy? He was just laying in the pile of wiring under the fuse box. Not connected to anything. I did find a matching connector but not sure if the previous owner disconnected it or its a factory error. The small black wire should also be soldered or connected to something but there are no signs of previous connection. Not sure what to do whit this thing.

 

[skymera]

It's aftermarket

 

[Arturio]

Thanks skymera! guess i won't be needing that then.

 

[Arturio]

So a little update on my "mount rustmore" Removed the rust on doors and wings and a bit of the floor. First of all there is a lot of rust where sheet metal joint is filled with sealant and point-welded. The sealant is disintegrated and whole joint is rusting out. Also the metal feels like it has 5 layers rust/metal/rust/metal/rust. When I rip of the rust with an angle grinder from both sides there is a layer of rust between both sides of the clean shiny metal. (as shown in the picture) The best solution would be replace the spot with new metal, but I'm on a tight budget and can't afford a fresh body. So for now it's just filler and extreme anti-rust base paint. Let's hope that will do the trick for a few years.

 

[Arturio]

Also some pics of the progress

Also set up a chill-spot and started making a tank drum.(probably a reason why the car is going so slow)

 

[r-reg-sr]

Nice mate...what's that? A ufo?

 

[Arturio]

Something like this

 

[r-reg-sr]

Looks like a very close encounter

 

[Arturio]

Previous owner left some nasty surprises under those hideous grey stripes. Had to cut out all that rust to prevent the spread. Also behind the Nissan badge is a great place for rust.

Primed.

This guy was a real pain in the ass. Not all rust could be removed so I asked rust transformer for help.

He will be working at a room temperature so I can come pick it up in 24h

 

[Arturio]

Todays work.

 

[Arturio]

Last night finished de-rusting all the body parts. Thats it for a while.

 

[huntr_micra_sport]

Looking forward to seeing it all back together, are you keeping it white?

 

[Arturio]

Yes, everything will stay the same but fresh as new. Also looking for a previous version front grill to replace this one.

 

[huntr_micra_sport]

Yes, everything will stay the same but fresh as new. Also looking for a previous version front grill to replace this one.

You should colour code all the bumpers and trims while you're at it

 

[Arturio]

Doors trims are already binned and bumpers are staying black for now. Not sure if these bumpers would look good in white. Also there would be too much hassle making them quality painted.

 

[Arturio]

Finally out for some fresh air. I'm so naive thinking I would be done with everything by the summer.

 

[Arturio]

Got new sills today.

 

[Arturio]

Still fighting that rust.

And some parts are already primed.

 

[infinity]

Keep it up mate nice to see a full restoration like this

 

[Arturio]

Thanks infinity! But it seems this project is going to a full stop! Today i recieved some terrifying news. A local mechanic who was supposed to do welding, refused to do the work upon detailed inspection. Said that there is to much to be done and suggested i get a new shell. I'm furious now because he let me believe that with some bit of welding this body will be fine. At this point the project is costing me twice as much of the original cars price. That would've been just fine but if i stop now i will lose everything. There is still some hope if i find a guy to do the welding. Seriously pist wright know and disappointed.

 

[infinity]

Maybe it would be worth your while welding yourself?? Sorry to hear that mate such a shame

 

[Arturio]

It would if i had a welder. I'm not planning on any other welding in near future so I can't afford to invest in any welding stuff.

 

[infinity]

Maybe someone on here could lend you one or something. Just such a shame so much work to drop it

 

[infinity]

Or maybe remake the panel with fibreglass? Strong stuff when done in a few layers

 

[Arturio]

I'm seeing a guy tomorrow who could take the job. If he doesn't then i'm looking where to lend or rent all the needed welding gear. The fiberglass is my last resort. Oh and btw i'm in Latvia.

 

[huntr_micra_sport]

that sucks hope you get something sorted

 

[Arturio]

All is well with this rusting hell!!!
Welding has already begun and it should be ready in a week. I'm now wondering instead of sealing those welds with seam sealant just use a thick layer of anti-rust undercoating and that should do the trick. What are your thoughts on that, should I buy the sealant or use the the undercoat? btw: I have tons of that underbody coating.

 

[infinity]

Think the sealent is better as the underbody stuff can trap moisture and rust out again. I say seam seal and paint

 

[huntr_micra_sport]

Good to see you're not giving up.

I agree with infinity, sealant sounds best, may as well do it properly after all that work, can always undercoat it too for extra protection, over here the MOT guys aren't too fond of thick layers of undercoat as its probably hiding something but don't know what it's like in your country

 

[Arturio]

While the body is being welded, i'm fixing up the interior.

 

[Arturio]

Need help!!!
Does anyone have these white plastic hubs for windshield linkage??? Need them ASAP!!!

 

[Arturio]

Brutal ghetto welds! The car is back home and now the fun part begins. Should be done in a week(i hope)

 

[r-reg-sr]

brutality has a name called micra nice touches.

 

[Arturio]

Got poke?

 

[Arturio]

Whole week of restless work and just now an all-nighter to get her running and make it to an apointment at the mechanic so he can hook up brake lines. Little did I know that the generator is blown and now i'm stuck for good! @@@
Can anyone send me a cheap generator so could at least enjoy this summer??? ;(

 

[huntr_micra_sport]

Do you mean alternator? Loads on eBay mate

 

[Arturio]

Do you mean alternator? Loads on eBay mate

Yeah i guess it's the same thing just called differently.
I had some rest for a few hours and now going back in to see if i can fix the alternator myself. Lots and lots have been done by these couple of days, haven't got any time for uploading pictures of the process. As soon as it's properly working and road legal i'll hit you all up with the recent stuff made. This project is taking too much from me and my girlfriend, so much stress and exhaustion lately. We finally come up with a nickname for the micra. It's Hitler! We are giving so damn much time and resources to it and it keeps spitting in our faces. Is this car cursed or we are having bad luck? I don't know, but we are selling it the day it's done. It's too much to bare.


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[huntr_micra_sport]

Whaaattt??? You cant sell it after all that work, enjoy it. It's just an old car, that's how they go but you're almost there now would be a shame to see it go to waste.

 

[Arturio]

Haven't been posting a lot lately. I guess I was to busy enjoying the car. So it is kinda ready! Finished exterior and interior at end of the august. Had some fantastic trips around the country and is now being driven almost every day. The car is amazing and I can't get enough of it.
here are some more pics of progress

 

[Arturio]

Spot the micra!

 

[Arturio]

Saving up for banded steels now and than will see how low it's gonna drop.

More photowhoring soon!!!

 

[Arturio]

Whaaattt??? You cant sell it after all that work, enjoy it. It's just an old car, that's how they go but you're almost there now would be a shame to see it go to waste.

Chill! I'm not selling it until summer of 2016. More amazing adventures are ahead.

 

[huntr_micra_sport]

haha, awesome work, looks great

 

[Arturio]

haha, awesome work, looks great

Thanks, huntr!
P.s. And a thank you for everyone who supported me with comments and likes.


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