Saved from the Demo Derby: 1990 Country Squire

[Tiggie]

Definitely wish this was a CP at this point.

Stripping today went okay with fire. Still a pain but workable. Got the whole left side done and in self etch primer. Got the back side and some edges in the tan color. Experimented some more with some different color gel stains for the woodgrain effect. Stuff is latex. Going to trade it for oil I think and then clear. I don't think the latex will stick to the gloss tan.

[Tiggie]

Big steps today. Dad came over and assisted on the tailgate, hood, and fenders. Went smoothly.



Woodgrain process isn't done but it's coming along. Original on top and refinished on the bottom. I'll share more details once I get it finalized.

[87gtVIC]

I am very intrigued by your pursuing the wood grain redo. It is a very nice touch.

[Tiggie]

Making progress. Taking it slow at this point but life is busy, and to be honest I enjoy having a project to mess with in the garage when time allows.

For the first time in my ownership, the tailgate is working a a functional "magic three way" thing they advertised. My wife asked what the three ways were. A door, a tailgate, and a ....? I don't know. Maybe a window?

Finished refinishing the woodgrain trim. It's not perfect but it's a lot better than it was.



Vinyl arrived yesterday. Excited to experiment with that over the weekend. I like the pattern and I think I like the color. Going to start with the tailgate.

Old vs new (VVIVID Red Oak) in the sunlight

Refinished with the new vinyl. I think this combo will compliment each other.

[Tiggie]

Definitely going in the right direction now.

Initial impressions of the vinyl are good. Was able to get it to stretch into the license plate depression fairly easily. I'll have more to report once I try a fender.

[Tiggie]

Gotta be honest. This isn't much fun. 9/10 not recommended to do your own vinyl if you are like me and have no experience. I've done window tint before and it was cake compared to this stuff. Learning as I go.
Had to rip off one whole quarter panel - I likely forced the vinyl to stick to the wheel arch instead of stretching it with enough heat. In that case, it stuck but not for good. I was afraid I'd melt it - which I did ultimately.
Tried again on the front fender and had reasonable success. Biggest issue is tiny bubbles that only appear after you cook it good to seal it down. They pop, for the most part, with a pin. Slow but steady. Still no idea what I am doing other than what YouTube has told me to do.

[Tiggie]

Time for an update. This really isn't a post I want to make.

I finished the whole car for the vinyl since the last post. It has to all come off. It did not adhere properly to the body line at the top of the body sides. It looked fantastic in the garage, but will pop in the sun every time. I spoken with several vinyl installers and they are blaming the product. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't know what I was doing on the right side, but it was clean and prepped properly. The left side went much smoother on install thanks to some tips and experience. Alas, it didn't make a difference. The product failed.

I do not recommend VViViD vinyl for our cars.

3M DI-NOC is also not recommended coming from other forums. The current DI-NOC is an architectural vinyl made for flat surfaces and will not work around the wheel arches, unlike what was originally applied.

On the hunt now for new vinyl or considering just taking it somewhere.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

Dang man, that was looking so promising. Is there any concerns about the effects of removing it and what it'll do to your paint?

[gadget73]

real shame, it looks nice.

[Tiggie]

Dang man, that was looking so promising. Is there any concerns about the effects of removing it and what it'll do to your paint?

YES! In theory, the paint should be fine. But in theory, I shouldn't be doing this job twice!

real shame, it looks nice.

I'm disappointed to say the least. The majority of it is fine. But the problem area is in a very visible place.

[DerekTheGreat]

Damn shame x3. I hate doing the same thing twice, let alone three times. You've got a lot of patience. Once you find a product & technique that works, you could open your own shop.

[87gtVIC]

Bummer. I feel for you.

[Tiggie]

It's naked without wood again. I've been there myself.

Vinyl peeled fine. Most of the glue came off with it. Got the rest off with some wax and grease remover.

New woodgrain ordered. Trying rvinyl this time. Their product is a "dual cast" vinyl. The previous vinyl was a "calendared" vinyl as far as I can tell. Cast is better for wraps so I read. God I hope this works.

[DerekTheGreat]

It's naked without wood again. I've been there myself...

[Tiggie]

An update of sorts. New vinyl arrived. Not crazy about how it looks. I think it was printed incorrectly. Take a look for yourself. Currently talking with the supplier to see their thoughts. The actually grain pattern repeats every two feet, but this streak repeats every eight. It's not folded in the picture. Just colored like that.