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The Red VZ

Fu Manchu

We’ll get together. Have a few laughs.
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What a bitch. So yesterday I got it all back together and turns out I forgot to plug in the left light.

So I plug it in and no high beam. Globe out. Has continuity. Hmm

So off comes the bumper again. Uurrgh.

Remove the light and inspect the plug. Corroded as fk. So bad that the high beam pin Is corroded and when I clean it, it snaps off. I did not notice this the whole time I’m cleaning and restoring the light. It was crusty as.

8D54C3A8-0FB2-4DF8-83AE-80FD7CE4C0EF.jpeg

Also the loom plug was fkd too. Luckily the damage was only on the green wire.

Inspecting the plug, the seals on the back were not seated properly into the plug housing. I would suggest they had been that way since they were made and moisture ingress had slowly ruined the terminals.

All fuses good. Relays good. Switch was fine.

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Releasing that pin was the hardest pin I’ve ever had to release. It presents like a normal pin with a tab underneath, however it still would not release. With some work, I used a pick from the back which opened a black plastic tab that was on the top of the pin. So over engineered.

If someone knows an easy trick to these plugs, shout out.

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Even getting the pin back in, I wasn’t entirely sure how to do it. Got it halfway back in and I think it was the pick in the back of the plug again that let it back in. So hard. Took ages. Stayed calm so I didn’t wreck it.

Luckily I had the lights from the Cross8 to put in. I’d be screwed otherwise.

I think I’ve figured out how to repair the other pin in the headlight itself. Opening the high beam cap gives access to the plug catch inside. That’s for some other time.
 

losh1971

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You're a very patient man Fu. If that was me I'd spit the dummy, and spend the next week or so shitty and depressed while I wait to get in to the auto electrician.....
 

Fu Manchu

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I can’t afford an auto elect to fk it up. The Mr8 has made me calmer and more patient. I have to be. He is a mess. It’s also what drove us to be so heavily organised. We have to be.
 

losh1971

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I can’t afford an auto elect to fk it up. The Mr8 has made me calmer and more patient. I have to be. He is a mess. It’s also what drove us to be so heavily organised. We have to bebe.
It's not just the Crewie mate, you have proven yourself a patient and skilled man on your VE too. Not many a layman would be willing to pull a VE HAVAC and actually survive to tell the story.
 

07GTS

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if u look in the front of the plug (not wring side) u will see a little cutout in the tops of where each pin is, u just have to get something the size of the cutout and push in there at same time u are pushing on the terminal on other side itself so it dosnt push back (usually flat side of terminal) then when u feel it bend the tab inside down u can then pull the pin out from the back, if u get to a torch and look in u should be able to see a tab to bend back to allow it to be released
 

Fu Manchu

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I had a really good angle from the sun on it. I used a torch. I used a pin removal tool (I have a set) I used a jewellers screw driver. I used a pick.

I thought to release the pin with the tab in that bottom bit. However the normal way of releasing the pin in that shallow slot failed. So I kept looking down the plug with good light. Torch and sun. There was a plastic tab in the plug that dropped down from the top. So from what it seemed, there was the regular release under the terminal and the plastic one from above I wish I got a photo.
 

Fu Manchu

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The paint on the Crewman had been let go. The last couple of years my focus has been on other things.
I looked at the roof and bonnet and had some concerns for what will
Happen if I let this go any longer.

So I’ve started. The roof was really hard. The clear is not great so I wasn’t able to do a correction that eliminated all the swirls. There’s bird poo marks from previous owner. I’m pretty honest that I was polishing a turd.

So then end result is not perfect at really close examination with a light, but it’s as good as anyone will get. Well. Maybe not anyone, but most.

Masking off all the trims sucks but it’s needed.

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Got the roof done. Still to do the A-pillar and the roof sills. Will use a little 2” polisher on that.


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Bumper, guards and bonnet done.

All sealed up with a few layers of ceramic coating. Yep. Imperfections sealed in. The clear is just way to thin to comfortably do more with it.

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You can the see the swirls still. A bit of bird poo damage there too. It is what it is. The colour has really come back though.
 

Fu Manchu

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I went with 5” buffing pads. A medium cut pad. Not too firm. Not too soft. Combined with the medium cut Oberk Sole.

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Never used the Oberk. It is one of the best products I have ever used on paint. So easy to use. So quick and then the residue comes off effortlessly. Highly affordable $25-ish.
Saw some big name detailers using it and thought I’d give it a go. Wow. Just wow!

Then went for the polish. Really hard to work with. Tried a soft microfiber pad, but that was no good. Residue hard to remove, good finish though. A bit sticky on the pad. Tried a soft polish foam pad. Still no good.

IMG_5572.jpeg

I don’t have time to fk about with any other techniques so reached for the amazing turtle wax One and Done. If you haven’t used it, do use it! Again, one of the best paint correction products I’ve ever used. Paired it with a soft polish foam pad and Shazam!

It is a correction and polish in one. Again, time is not something I’m dripping in so compromises have been made. The object here is to get it better. Get it sealed. Get it easy to clean. Make sure it’s presentable in a way that is better than most.

I finished the evening with spot wet sanding in 3000 over the sides and lid. I might even hit the lid with 1500 in spots. There’s heaps of clear on that.

The back tailgate and bumper are like new because they are new. That will be the easy bit.

I have new handles to go on but still need to paint them. Makes the job easier to have some to swap straight away. All in time.
 

Fu Manchu

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Oh yeah. The pads. I tried out some new pads. I got some SPTA pads. They were as good as my Lake Country pads. Super stoked with them. Waaay cheaper. Got them off the eBay’s.

I use a Makita variable speed DA.

Has been really satisfying doing this. I kept the paint on the Calais immaculate. The Red VZ has needed some love and it’s nice giving it some.
 

krusing

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i only just seen the corroded head light plug,
Was the sorted ?
If not, a visit to the wreckers might be the go,
 
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