[Viraat13]

Hey guys, back with another new thread - this time it's another cult favourite, the Mitsubishi Cedia Sports which came to me for what was a post purchase refresh.



The owner (Varun_HexaGuy) bought the car sight unseen, and then immediately sent it to me for a few minor repairs, the list prior to me starting the project was:

• Mitsubishi Logo (for the front grill)
• Front and Rear Bumper Repair (Plastic Welding)
• Engine Mount/Gearbox Mount
• Throttle Body Clean
• Headlights Polish
• Repaint of 2-3 panels

After inspecting the car, I added a few more items to the list:

• AC Gas Top Up
• Power Window Repair (Front Right + Left)
• Rear power windows service
• Under Bonnet Insulation

All of this was relatively straight forward, and most of the work was done in 2 or 3 days, but after seeing detailed photos of the car in bright day light, the owner decided to go in for a complete repaint!

Without much ado, I'll get right to the meat of it (contents):

1. Before
2. WIP
3. After

[Viraat13]

Before

I'd gone to pick up the car from the previous owner and clicked a few photos after I got it.


The first look, pretty average condition for an 11 year old car that's seen not only Mumbai traffic but Delhi too.



Rough around the edges.



No major dents, but plenty of small stone chips.




Faded headlights completing the incomplete look.



Reason number 1 why bird poop is bad for car paint - acid stains.



Detailed look showed that pretty much every panel had dents that needed attending




The rear quarter panels.



Front right, featuring the bad dent under the headlight and the faded yellow light itself.



Front grill with dent on the bonnet, and missing logo.



Battled scarred rear bumper with skirt.



The other faded headlight.



Some more dents.



Faded and worn decals.



Even the roof wasn't spared!



Screw marks on the rear bumper.



Worn out mount



Dirty intake



Crumbled hood insulated. I later learnt that this happens to all Cedia's of a certain age.



Worn out patch of leather on the drivers seat back.



Worn out split Momo steering.



Still, overall a decent starting point.

[Viraat13]

Work in Progress


One of the first things I did was getting the headlights polished, just can't stand yellow and faded lights!



Dents removed, body filler applied and sanded, ready for putty, IIRC.



Some amount of putty applied, while other parts are being sanded.



Huge number of microdents means a lot of time to fix, and a lot of putty to apply. One must remember not to overdo the body filler, else the paint cracks with age.


The rear of the car. The bootlid had a few awkward dents too. In hindsight, I should have uninstalled the spoiler for the repaint, would have led to much better finish.



Primer applied and base coat was in process at the time.



At this point, the entire car was checked again for dents and blemishes which were corrected. Dark solid colours make it easy to check the surface for imperfections.



Dry paint looks very different without clear coat on.



Clear coat being applied - the mist is the spray gun working. We'd also decided to debadge the car for a clean look.



Multiple layers of clear coat were applied. The matt finish looks quite sexy, but there is a different clear coat one has to use for matt finish paint. This, will shine like one expects after wet sanding and polishing.



The split steering getting some TLC.


The top (perforated portion) was changed first, and the final look will be in the next post.

[Viraat13]

After

The project took around 15-18 days, and at the end of it, here's what the car looked like:


The first panel to be completed - I had sent this image immediately to Varun.

I'll just let the photos do the rest of the talking now:






Pretty shiny!


The new hood insulation, installed and ready. It's made with a combination of heatlon and carpeting material. Not only does it look premium, it also lasts a long long time.



The leather seats looked good after a little bit of polish.



The torn leather patch was replaced with one of a similar shade and grain.



The split steering after being redone with genuine leather.



Interior looks good at night too.

Parting shots:









Thanks for reading!

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Tech section. Thanks for sharing!

[keroo1099]

Another super restoration Viraat. Well done

[Varun_HexaGuy]

As Viraat has mentioned in the thread, I'd bought the car sight unseen (with barely a couple of pics which didn't give me a clear picture of the car).

Viraat was supposed to take delivery of the car and just get a couple of minor bits sorted. But as it turned out, the car needed a lot more attention than just a couple of things which I'd anticipated. While the car was cosmetically acceptable, it needed mechanical attention too. We'd done a few bits in Delhi. Once the car arrived in Hyderabad, I started doing it up bit-by-bit.

Car as we speak, still needs some work. But it is a lot better than before. I'd replaced the remaining engine mounts the moment the car arrived in Hyd. That aftermarket grille which was jugaad fixed by Viraat was irking our OCD big time. Viraat had tried very hard for the grille but the new replacement was eye-wateringly expensive at ~ 24-grand pre GST. We tried the scrap market way and Viraat had gone to all the big names in Delhi. No luck. Eventually I overpaid for a used grille which was still not in the best of its shape but I was happy the car looked better than before. I'd paid 10k for a used part. Later, as it turns out, a new grille from eBay Japan was retailing at 4.5k pre customs and shipping

With the car being more than acceptable in terms of cosmetics, I started realising the suspension needed work. So started off with the front-end. I'd replaced the tie-rods, rod ends, ball joints, lower arms for the time-being. Car definitely felt a lot tighter in the front end but the steering feedback was still meh. Definitely not something that I vividly remember for a Cedia. I've driven a very well-kept Cedia a fair bit to know how the car is supposed to feel. Mine was nowhere as close to one. As it turns out from a rather extensive check-up, the steering rack was a goner. Replaced it. Costed a bomb. But was worth it. Steering was exactly what I wanted. With mounts, part suspension and steering geometry sorted, here's what's left with the car as we speak (not something immediate but will have to be done in the coming year or so):
1.) Front dampers
2.) Rear dampers and ancilliaries (control arms and bushes)

After these, the car should hopefully drive good. Cosmetically, although the car looks better than before, a few bits could've been better done. Although Viraat had made sure a few panels were repainted, the finish isn't a 100%. For example, the roof and boot lid aren't that well-finished in the paint. But for what I'd paid (35k for the overcoat), that's what I'd have got. "You pay what you get" clearly.

This car was a first for me and has been a lesson of a lifetime which I will definitely remember all through my life.

Ending the post with a few pics:

[ramnaresh_2000]

Great job done here. I really love all the transformation threads which breath in new life in old neglected vehicles. I also got addicted to YouTube videos which show such transformations. It is really amazing what we can achieve these days.

The Cedia looks great. This thread should motivate people not to sell of their vehicles early and how long a nice restoration goes to. We do have a 8 years old Renault Scala which requires a good transformation and we are contemplating to sell it or give it a new lease of life. We recently changed clutch plates but the clutch play is hard and no matter how many mechanics check it, they are unable to fix it. Hopefully we can restore it back to it's glorious days.

[Viraat13]

Originally Posted by ramnaresh_2000

The Cedia looks great. This thread should motivate people not to sell of their vehicles early and how long a nice restoration goes to. We do have a 8 years old Renault Scala which requires a good transformation and we are contemplating to sell it or give it a new lease of life. We recently changed clutch plates but the clutch play is hard and no matter how many mechanics check it, they are unable to fix it. Hopefully we can restore it back to it's glorious days.

Thanks for the kind words!

Regarding your Scala, I suspect the clutch hydraulic fluid needs to be replaced.

[vickzkool]

Congrats Varun on picking up a new ride , out of interest could you share the details of the workshop you use in Hyderabad , looking for a FNG for my parents cars as both our Hyundai's ( i10 & Verna ) are out of warranty and i feel dealership is a rip off at times especially with me not in hyd

[RajaTaurus]

Originally Posted by Varun_HexaGuy

As Viraat has mentioned in the thread.
..

Ending the post with a few pics

Attachment 2195719

That drivers view. I can swear standing on top of Everest, that no car gives such a wide and clear driver's view like Cedia does. I miss my Cedia for last 5 years. Still it lingers on my nerves and guts.

Congratulations to the new proud owner and miles of exciting driving experience.

[sandeepgnair]

Cool work bro. Varun, pls share your contact number.

Originally Posted by Viraat13

After

The project took around 15-18 days, and at the end of it, here's what the car looked like:

[avimal]

Originally Posted by Viraat13

• Mitsubishi Logo (for the front grill)
• Front and Rear Bumper Repair (Plastic Welding)
• Engine Mount/Gearbox Mount
• Throttle Body Clean
• Headlights Polish
• Repaint of 2-3 panels

From where did you source engine mounts? Do you have part numbers for mounts? I need to replace mine.