After 5 years of coming on to the forum and not making a single post, I'm finally getting round to posting a readers rides thread for my
'99 Daihatsu Cuore (aka- The Toots [If you've ever heard a cuores horn you'll know why])
**I apologise in advance for not being exactly 'retro'**
He's been in the family since around 2004/05, when my uncle, another RR forum member bought him for next to nothing, all banged and bruised up after a front end smash. This is a pic after he was patched up had some 14" Vauxhall steels put on and had a full stainless exhaust system fitted.
Then in 2011 I bought him with the intention of having him as a cheap run around for a year or so until I could get something better, But after many months of people smirking and sneering at me in my beat up Daihatsu I decided enough was enough and I was going to start spending a bit of cash...
3 years later he's still here and has changed a hell of a lot!!
First of all I gave him a good polish and sprayed up some other steels and stuck them on just for a change
I left him like that for a while and started doing a bit of research for inspiration into what mods/parts were out there, and I struggled to find anything!! other than how much better my options would be if I lived in malaysia! Finally found some Cobra lowering springs that would lower 40mm, not as much as I would have liked but it was a start.
I think this was a picture after I first lowered him
With no previous experience in spray painting or doing any kind of body filling/fibre glassing I decided the most sensible/logical thing to do was to fling myself into the deep end and just go for it!
With 2 & 1/2 weeks to go until RRG 2012, I started gathering some bits and bobs and managed to persuade my Grandad to let me use his compressor and spray gun and created a little spray booth under his car port.
*Bricking it* the mad rush began...
I used satin black hammerite to spray it, and had to rub down between every coat, it took FOREVER! but every coat I got on I became more and more surprised that I hadn't actually messed this up yet. haha. In between spray painting, I started to tinker with the front bumper, some fibre glass and some aluminium mesh and cut out the two plastic grills and replaced them with the aluminium grill and sprayed it. I also tinted the back 2 windows with a little help from a friend. I also sprayed up the steels the same colour as the grill.
It got to the night before we was setting off for the show and everything was gradually coming together, i put on the final coat and left it over night to dry. bright and early the next morning I started piecing together all the bits I'd taken off and fitted some new smoked side indicators. I finally got everything back in and finished and was absolutely buzzing that I'd actually done it in time, I packed car up with all camping stuff etc and then went to get my MOT certificate so I could go up track it was then I found out my MOT expires... THE FOLLOWING DAY! which meant the day of the show my mot would not be valid, GRRRR! so another mad rush down to test centre, fail!.. 20 mins later, Retested and passed!!
A few pics on way to the show
who put that tree there!
a few more at the show
was the most amazing weekend! and while I was there started planning what to do next, before RRG 2013. plans of wider wheels, dropping it lower, and dropping a 1.3 sirion engine in after getting a bit of inspiration from mighty car mods.
Another year passes and its 2 weeks until the show again and I haven't done a thing to the toots, so start rushing about again. time wasn't on my side so just decided to do a few cosmetic bits just for a change. ended up being really happy with what I got done.
Resprayed the grill and finally stuck my shiny new Daihatsu badge on
My uncle surpised me by modding my rear lights with a bit of reflective sticky back plastic bought for about 2 quid from aldi haha
I replaced standard orange indicator bulbs with new silver ones (Its the little touches!)
and whilst under the bonnet changing oil filter, i got a bit carried away with some wire wool, some red paint and a K and N air filter that my uncle had forgotten about in his garage (FINDERS KEEPERS)
and then a few pics of the finished product in the camping field at RRG '13
Recently fitted a new stereo and speakers.
oh and I've just fitted a pair of air horns so them suit wearin *bleepin* Audi drivers can hear me beep now after they cut me up!
Got a few big plans for 2014 as long as I've got the money to do it (fingers crossed)
and thats pretty much the story so far...
apologies for rambling on, its kinda hard to summarise 3 years into words haha
'99 Daihatsu Cuore (aka- The Toots [If you've ever heard a cuores horn you'll know why])
**I apologise in advance for not being exactly 'retro'**
He's been in the family since around 2004/05, when my uncle, another RR forum member bought him for next to nothing, all banged and bruised up after a front end smash. This is a pic after he was patched up had some 14" Vauxhall steels put on and had a full stainless exhaust system fitted.
Then in 2011 I bought him with the intention of having him as a cheap run around for a year or so until I could get something better, But after many months of people smirking and sneering at me in my beat up Daihatsu I decided enough was enough and I was going to start spending a bit of cash...
3 years later he's still here and has changed a hell of a lot!!
First of all I gave him a good polish and sprayed up some other steels and stuck them on just for a change
I left him like that for a while and started doing a bit of research for inspiration into what mods/parts were out there, and I struggled to find anything!! other than how much better my options would be if I lived in malaysia! Finally found some Cobra lowering springs that would lower 40mm, not as much as I would have liked but it was a start.
I think this was a picture after I first lowered him
With no previous experience in spray painting or doing any kind of body filling/fibre glassing I decided the most sensible/logical thing to do was to fling myself into the deep end and just go for it!
With 2 & 1/2 weeks to go until RRG 2012, I started gathering some bits and bobs and managed to persuade my Grandad to let me use his compressor and spray gun and created a little spray booth under his car port.
*Bricking it* the mad rush began...
I used satin black hammerite to spray it, and had to rub down between every coat, it took FOREVER! but every coat I got on I became more and more surprised that I hadn't actually messed this up yet. haha. In between spray painting, I started to tinker with the front bumper, some fibre glass and some aluminium mesh and cut out the two plastic grills and replaced them with the aluminium grill and sprayed it. I also tinted the back 2 windows with a little help from a friend. I also sprayed up the steels the same colour as the grill.
It got to the night before we was setting off for the show and everything was gradually coming together, i put on the final coat and left it over night to dry. bright and early the next morning I started piecing together all the bits I'd taken off and fitted some new smoked side indicators. I finally got everything back in and finished and was absolutely buzzing that I'd actually done it in time, I packed car up with all camping stuff etc and then went to get my MOT certificate so I could go up track it was then I found out my MOT expires... THE FOLLOWING DAY! which meant the day of the show my mot would not be valid, GRRRR! so another mad rush down to test centre, fail!.. 20 mins later, Retested and passed!!
A few pics on way to the show
who put that tree there!
a few more at the show
was the most amazing weekend! and while I was there started planning what to do next, before RRG 2013. plans of wider wheels, dropping it lower, and dropping a 1.3 sirion engine in after getting a bit of inspiration from mighty car mods.
Another year passes and its 2 weeks until the show again and I haven't done a thing to the toots, so start rushing about again. time wasn't on my side so just decided to do a few cosmetic bits just for a change. ended up being really happy with what I got done.
Resprayed the grill and finally stuck my shiny new Daihatsu badge on
My uncle surpised me by modding my rear lights with a bit of reflective sticky back plastic bought for about 2 quid from aldi haha
I replaced standard orange indicator bulbs with new silver ones (Its the little touches!)
and whilst under the bonnet changing oil filter, i got a bit carried away with some wire wool, some red paint and a K and N air filter that my uncle had forgotten about in his garage (FINDERS KEEPERS)
and then a few pics of the finished product in the camping field at RRG '13
Recently fitted a new stereo and speakers.
oh and I've just fitted a pair of air horns so them suit wearin *bleepin* Audi drivers can hear me beep now after they cut me up!
Got a few big plans for 2014 as long as I've got the money to do it (fingers crossed)
and thats pretty much the story so far...
apologies for rambling on, its kinda hard to summarise 3 years into words haha
