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Legnum Super VR-4
PART I
First things on the list to do is the bodywork.
Unlike the Galant we had previously, where the bodywork was distinctly last on the list, the Super VR-4 is only distinguished from a standard VR-4 by the additional plastic stick-on-tat that Mitsubishi glued to the body as it came out of the factory.
Without the stick-on-tat (herein known as SOT), it won't stand out from the crowd - which is what pushed it to the top of the priority list.
Prior to importing to the UK, the SOT had all been removed (presumably to sell on to owners of a non-Super, who quite liked the look of the SOT and probably paid a pretty penny for it). The previous owner had managed to acquire a set of replica front canards made from fibreglass, but, being a non-genuine part, they required a bit of work in order to fit. He had attempted to blend them into the bumper with copious amounts of body filler, making quite a mess of the bumper! However, as the genuine parts were not blended in, purely stuck on, hence "SOT", it was decided to make the replicas fit and look as close to standard as possible - which means definitive separate parts.
The filler was scraped out, which, unfortunately, damaged the red paint of the bumper, which was in otherwise very good condition. Because of this, the whole bumper was requiring a respray in P85 Palma Red.
So, work began in making the canards fit nicely, and respraying to it's original colour scheme - red bumper, and a satin black SOT.
First off - making the SOT black:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_9978.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_9981.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_9987.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_9993.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_9995.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_0006.jpg
We then kind of got carried away, and the camera didn't get brought out for the spraying of the red - again with some rattle cans.
As anyone who has sprayed with rattle cans will know, the finish you get is akin to the flatness of the Himalayas:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6.../Himalayas.jpg
Which, of course, is not really suited to the bodywork of a car!
The answer is a selection of sandpaper, and a strong nerve to attack your freshly-painted bumper with said abrasive material!
We used an assortment of P320 to P2000 wet'n'dry sandpaper, aiming to turn the Himalayas into Holland:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...rk/holland.jpg
After a mammoth sanding session of about 5 hours, it's onto the polish to finish the job.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...ork/polish.jpg
Oh, erm, wrong type of polish! :sprint:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/autoglym.jpg
That's more like it!
The result of a couple more hours polishing is this:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_0026.jpg
Not a bad result for a rattle can....
[to be continued...]
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PART II
A further few hours of furious polishing, and the rest of the bumper is finished:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_0050.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_0051.jpg
Time to start the fitting...
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_0049.jpg
Bumper gets fitted, plus our custom-built twin-projector headlights from the Galant, and the fog lights go into the bumper, as well as the standard grill.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_0054.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_0056.jpg
The eagle-eyed amongst you will have noticed that the Super headlights have a colour-coded interior shroud. We will, at some point, be putting the red shroud from the original lights into these modified ones, but keeping the black surround to the projector lenses to continue the original red/black colour scheme.
That concludes the restoration of the front end to standard - well, kind of - with our own twist of the custom headlights.
[to be continued...]
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PART III
In addition to the SOT on the front bumper, the sideskirts on a Super were different to that of a standard VR-4.
Unfortuntely - we have yet to acquire a set of said skirts, but, we did keep hold of the facelift skirts that we fitted to the Galant, which are different enough from the standard VR-4 skirts to be noticeable.
Like the front cannards, these were also satin black, and were treated to the same treatment:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_0023.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_0024.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_0025.jpg
PART III.5
Another piece of SOT on the Super, and completing the loop, is a lip on the rear bumper. Again, like the skirts, we have not yet acquired a original part, so a custom-made one had to do.
Originally purchased for the Galant, now destined to live on the Super.
Again, like the rest of the SOT, this is finished in satin black.
Enthusiasm again took over, and the rear lip was on and off the car quicker than the lights on a pelican crossing, trimming and sanding off the slight excess material when it was released from the mould.
The custom rear lip is designed to accomodate a twin-exit exhaust system, so we had to hack away like the Yorkshire Ripper at the bumper to facilitate this.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...k/IMG_0060.jpg
You can also see the facelift skirts attached to the car here, too!
No sooner than we'd noticed, the rear lip too had a few coats of black, and was found crawling its way onto the car!
And lo - the exterior was complete (for now)!
Pictures to follow...
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PART IV
So, to the pictures! Don't need much explanantion here, so I won't bore you by carrying on, and will just get on with posting the photos that you're all eagerly awaiting to view.
Honest, here come the photos!
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...4/IMG_0078.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...4/IMG_0082.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...4/IMG_0084.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...4/IMG_0085.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...4/IMG_0087.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...4/IMG_0090.jpg
Oh, yeah, erm, we also changed the grill for the facelift one and painted/sanded/polished that too, which looks MUCH better than the pre-facelift one. It comes out into the bumper and adds a bit more shape.
The Dia-Star in the front grill was also painted black to continue the red/black colour scheme.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...4/IMG_0079.jpg
That's it on the outside for the moment, more updates to follow as soon as we do any more to it :)
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PART V
With the new rear lip fitted, the Powerflow exhaust that had been fitted was now too short.
However, our other VR-4 has a Blueflame exhaust, which sits a lot further out from the exhaust.
A quick removal of the two exhausts:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...e/IMG_0154.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...e/IMG_0168.jpg
And installation on the other car, and the exhausts sit much nicer now on both cars:
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...e/IMG_0190.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...e/IMG_0191.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...e/IMG_0192.jpg
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...e/IMG_0193.jpg
Eventually a dual-exit system will be made, but this is the best compromise for now. The other cut-out in the rear lip will soon home a fog light.
Next up... audio!
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Thanks :)
It is a long way off from being finished, as we need to find a set of front recaro seats.
(yes this is the red super that was talked about having all the stuff missing from it)
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Thats awesome looks great thats the only station wagon i would rock lol good work
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nice SVR-4. and funny posts hahaha.
those Polish girls are hot..
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Nice work man, I love the SVR-4s
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beautiful conversion done right
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Nice Legnum! I think Ive seen pics of this car before. Good job
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Cheers guys :)
With a bit of luck this monster will be hitting the roads later on this month!
I for one, CANT WAIT! :D
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Was wonder, dose anyone here know anything about this car? like any previous posts, sites? anything?
It would be good to know more about this car :)
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Looks really good! + I like you're humor =)
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spankies :)
its gonna go a bit quite for a while now as there is nothing more to report for the time being.
we do have our eyes on another super VR4, but the saloon (sadan?) verson.
but its been rear ended.... :oops: can be fixed, and we would like it.... fix it? if not it be parted out :( but we will see what happens with it, we might not even get it!
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So basically you rescue Super VR-4's? :D
Nice!
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*coff* dont like to blow our own trumpit now! :lol:
new thing appering soon, watch this space :D
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Very nice, cant wait to see more progress.