DIY : How To Spray Paint Your Bumper at Home Using Aerosol Cans

As I mentioned before in my previous post, I would like to share how to spray paint your bumper at home using aerosol cans. Sending your bumper for paint at workshops would set you at least RM200 including GST (that dreaded bloodsucker), but I did mine for less than that inclusive of the new bumper.

As my Viva is a standard version, I’ve always been in love with the design of the Viva Elite. It looks much more appealing if compared to the standard Viva. Back then, if you have noticed in my previous posts, the bumper is a Viva Elite bumper but it’s black. It’s not painted black, but the colour of the material (polyurethane/PU) is black. Being the thrifty person that I am, I had not painted the bumper for 2 years and it has gone through quite a beating. It’s plain ugly. So I decided to get rid of the old one and opted for a new bumper instead.

Viva Elite bumper

I’m using the Taiwan Viva Elite bumper which costed me RM72.10 including GST, and I bought it at Standards Kuching, Mile 3. I always get my parts there because it’s the cheapest that I could find.

What do you need if you plan to do this DIY? Here I will list down the items you need.

1.       Plastic Adhesion Primer (RM23.10)

2.       1K Primer (RM18)

3.       Aikka colour-coded paint (Rm31.60)

4.       Samurai 2K Clearcoat (RM26.50)

5.       1200 grit sandpaper (RM2)

6.       Soap and water

7.       Patience

All and all, this particular project will set you back RM173.30 inclusive of GST. I managed to save a bit as I found a bottle of 1K primer in the store, a leftover from my previous project. I did this entire project in the span of 2 days as the weather was not that friendly and I really don’t have time to spend to do it in one day.

First of all, before starting with anything, clean the bumper with a cloth. I was too excited to bother washing it with soap, as I will need time for it to dry. What I did was, I wiped the entire bumper with a microfiber towel. Next, after wiping, cover all the parts that you don’t want to get spray on with masking tape and newspaper. The hardest part in masking is to cover the grille and the holes where you put the foglights at.

After masking it all off, spray it with the plastic adhesion primer. This is a MUST when spraying a new bumper because there is simply no grip for the paint to adhere on. When there is no adhesion, the paint won’t stick. If it does stick, the paint will crack and peel off in a matter of months. The plastic adhesion primer is clear, and one can is enough for the entire bumper. It dries off very quickly, and it leaves a rough surface on the bumper.

After spraying with plastic adhesion primer

Once the plastic adhesion promoter is completely dried, the 1K primer comes next. Give the bumper a thin coat of primer, and once it flashes off, a thick second and third layer of primer is sprayed on. After the primer has dried, it is then wetsanded using a 1200 grit sandpaper and soap. The purpose of wetsanding it is to make sure that the primer is smooth. Some may disagree with this part, but I’ve noticed that when I don’t sand at this stage, I have to sand the clearcoat which is much hassle and I need a polishing machine to get it right. Once it is sanded and the primer is smooth, let it dry before the next stage.

First coat of primer

3 coats of primer done, and wetsended 

The colour stage is done the following day. It is a good practice to shake the can vigorously for at least a minute before spraying and shake the can for 15 seconds after spraying each coat. It is to make sure that the paint inside is mixed properly and when you feel that the spray nozzle is clogged, turn it upside down and spray it somewhere to clean the nozzle. I managed to do 2 coats with 1 can, and it is sufficient for me. Good coverage, even spray pattern, is all that I need.

"Medallion Grey" is actually Bluish Gun Silver S33

Paint shop

Once it is done, let the paint settle for few hours before clearcoating it. I’ve used Samurai 2K clearcoat which I got from a local motorcycle workshop. Even though it says that it is for motorcycle use, the quality of the clearcoat is as good as using a spray gun. It has 2 parts, the clearcoat itself and the hardener, combined into one can. This is a very good product, as my last 3 projects, I had been using Aikka clearcoats that is mixed in an aerosol can, and it only lasts for 45 minutes. And if compared to Samurai, Samurai is better.

Samurai 2K Clearcoat

The trick of getting a smooth finish for the clearcoat is to make sure that the winds are not blowing and the paint is clean. No dust, no cat fur, no sand. (I have cats here). Spray the first coat lightly and the following coats heavy. Not too heavy, as you may end up with a runny clearcoathich may turn ugly. I did it in less than 30 minutes, inclusive of time between coats, and the clearcoat was dry to touch within 3 hours in cool conditions. What I’ve read online is that the clearcoat doesn’t need much heat to cure as it is a chemical reaction that takes place during the curing process.

Once the clearcoat is dry, I installed the newly painted bumper onto the car the same night because I was that excited to see the car finally get a new face. The old bumper was uninstalled and came the new bumper. It is simply marvelous.

The old bumper

Getting rid of the old bumper

New bumper installed

After so long, the Viva has finally got its deserved facelift

Till next time, I will post more DIY projects and perhaps some other projects of interest.

Aaron.

An Old Friend of Mine

I’m not sure if anyone visits my blog anymore, since I don’t post or write up on anything since long ago, but then, if you’re here, welcome. It’s my final semester and in my final year, so things are really messed up and it’s gotten into my head. I literally don’t have time for anything, and if I have time, I would use up my time to sleep.

I've grown large over the months.

There are tons of minor car projects that I’ve done on my Viva but then, my hands are full and tied, so there is no time for me to write up on it. Current progress since my last update was; spraying the front bumper to the body colour, installed a set of carpets, and retint my car so that it’s darker. Basically what I’ve done is barely legal, and it’s up to constant updates online to keep me updated on where the current location of roadblocks are. Lucky me.

This semester, as mentioned earlier, is my final semester, and contrary to popular belief, it’s not exactly the most enjoyable semester yet. My schedule is packed and I’m dealing with so many things at one moment. Final year projects, campaigns, various talks, classes, lectures, assignments, to name a few. I do feel dragged down to earth and kissing every dirt that’s smearing all over my face because that is the only analogy that I can describe to tell how life is right now. And to top it all off, the Industrial Training. No response from both companies. Still keeping both my fingers crossed. I’m worried.

Campaigns? I’m now the Project Director (Pengarah Projek, the name sounds so WOW but it’s hell actually) for the Work-Life Balance Campaign that is going to be held on the 25^th April this year. It’s a huge event, and I’ve been given responsibility to run this programme without training wheels. I have no experience in handling such an event, but, a challenge is definitely something that I can handle, and this is a challenge for my personal development as a person and a future graduate. Handling a team of 12, with 60+ under them, is definitely a huge challenge. It’s still in the proposal stage, but when it is ready, I may make a post on it. I can assure you, if things are going as planned, you might see some familiar faces in the post.

The WLB Committee. Come on, where can you get a sporting boss like me? #eh

What keeps me afloat right now is her. Ivy. My best friend, my sister, my rival, my counselor, my advisor, my PA, and most importantly, my soulmate. She’s been there for me through thick and thin, and when at times that it seemed that all hope is lost for me to keep moving on, she’s there to push me up and keep me afloat in the big sea. Life has not really been kind enough to me, and sometimes, I can barely catch a breath, but she’s my main advisor on what to do even though the response would sometimes be “aku sik tauk!” She’s also my best friend when it comes to food. Both of us gained a substantial amount of weight when we’re together just because we love food so much!

Car updates? Soon. When I have time to breathe and I can find all the pictures I need to create a post. I do have a post on how to DIY yourself to spraypaint your car using aerosol rattle cans, and I would give you recommendation on what to buy and what to get. When I have time, I’ll post it.

Thy humble project. 

I’ll be busy with a career talk by Shell & Yayasan Sarawak this Saturday at CENTEX Santubong, and God how I dread the drive there, and it’s early in the morning! Perhaps there is a silver lining amongst the dark clouds, so, there I will be.

I do have a blog post still on draft, I'll see what I can do later. Till then, I need to get back on my final year project, and prepare myself for what’s coming ahead. Wish me luck, and Godspeed.

Aaron.

P.S. I don’t have any social media accounts to shout about. But I do have a Twitter account. Go follow me at @aaronsekai. 

Zaptor Evolve II Voltage Stabilizer

Few months ago, I decided to install a voltage stabilizer in my Viva after I added a set of subwoofer at the back of my car. Since I'm always playing my subwoofer on full blast, my fuel consumption got higher. Why? For every bit of power consumed from the battery, the alternator has to charge the battery, and when the alternator is working, fuel is consumed. To lessen the effect, a voltage stabilizer is needed to regulate the surge of power and to provide extra power when needed.

Zaptor Evolve II

I got this Zaptor Evolve from a friend of mine, and it was RM100. The benefits of using this voltage stabilizer as I copied from a seller at Lowyat, he states that;
BENEFITS OF USING VS:
1. LIGHTER PEDAL FEEL
2. SMOOTHER ACCELERATION
3. COOLER AIR COND
4. BRIGHTER LIGHTS ( CABIN & HEADLAMPS )
5. LESSEN THE KICK BACK-FEEL WHEN THE AIR-COND KICKS IN
6. MIGHT IMPROVE FUEL CONSUMPTION
7.QUICKER ENGINE START

After a few months using this voltage stabilizer, it does make my Viva more responsive and I can easily overtake a few cars with the added VS and grounding cables.

P.S: Sorry for such a long setback on the update because I was quite preoccupied with so many things and my addiction for DoTA is getting worse.

Happy reading!

Nissan Frontier D22 : Changing Air Filter

Air filter is one of the most important element in the engine that is often overlooked. An air filter is like a hair in our nostrils, it filters dirt from entering the "lungs" of the engine, which is the combustion chamber of the engine. Any dirt that manages to enter the combustion chamber of the engine will often result in premature damage of the engine as the dirt will spoil the sensitive components of the engine. An air filter should be replaced after 40,000KM or 2 years, and it should be changed more often when you're living in a very dusty condition, or drive through very dusty roads often.

It's time to change your air filter when you notice one of these symptoms : increased fuel consumption, loss of engine power, and weak acceleration. My dad's Nissan Frontier, as mentioned in the previous post , the car is 10 years old, and he was not sure when was the last time that the air filter was changed. So, in this post, I will show how to change the air filter of Nissan Frontier D22 engines.

Brand new air filter

I bought this air filter for RM35 at Standard Spare Parts which is located at Jalan Keretapi, Mile 3. So what you need to change the air filter is ;
1. A brand new air filter.
2. Size 10 flex head socket wrench / a Philips screwdriver

The air filter

First and foremost, locate the air filter. It is located adjacent to the fuel pump in this particular car, and it's easy to notice. The air filter is usually encased in a air filter box.

Loosen the O-ring

Next, loosen the O-ring either with a flex head socket wrench or a Philips screwdriver and pull off the rubber hose from the air filter box.

The rubber hose connected to the engine

Next, locate the end of the rubber hose and loosen it by using the wrench. It's hard to use the screwdriver as the space is tight.

The rubber hose disconnected and loosen

Once the rubber hose has been disconnected and the other end is loose, push the rubber hose sideways so that there is room to open the air filter enclosure.

After few years of use.

This left me puzzled. Why is the rubber on top of the air filter seems to be torn off? No worries, we are not going to use it anyways.

Old vs. New Air Filter

The difference between these two air filters is significant. The old air filter is black and covered in soot, while the new air filter is white and clean. Then, put the new air filter in, and reassemble everything by following the disassembly method in reverse order.

Liqui Moly Diesel Purge : How-to & Review

Hello everyone! It's been so long since my last post, I had my hands full with assignments and activities in campus that trying to post an article in this blog seems to be a chore for me that I couldn't afford to spend time with. But, today is Labour Day, and to all workers, happy holidays, and do enjoy this moment to catch up with things that was left all this while, like me, this blog.

So, for this post, I'm going to talk about Liqui Moly Diesel Purge. It was used on my dad's 2005 Nissan Frontier, and although it went through 10 years of on-time service and two major services, it was a reliable workhorse. But then, I had a little annoyance with the car ; it seems to lose its power if compared to the early years of the car. 120km/h (it's over the speed limit for all roads in Malaysia and the lovely Pan Borneo Highway) seems to be a burden for the car to achieve that speed. The car feels underpowered, and heavy.

When I went to Liqui Moly's annual dinner at the beginning of the year, I had a chat with Mr. Darien, if my memory serves me right, he was from Kota Kinabalu and explained how diesel engines seems to lose power after a few years, especially in Malaysia. The problem is, Malaysia is still selling Euro 2 diesel with 1500 parts per million of contaminants, although the latest diesel grade is Euro 5/6 with only 15 parts per million of contaminants. As a result, fuel sold in Malaysia is plain dirty, and it clogs the fuel line of most diesel cars. In order to clean the fuel line without much dismantling and get instant results, Liqui Moly Diesel Purge was recommended to me. For only RM45 (pre-GST), it was worth a try.

Liqui Moly Diesel Purge

There are 2 ways to use this Diesel Purge, either you pour it straight into the fuel tank and let it mix with the diesel in the tank as a preventive measure, or use it directly at the fuel pump for cure of the engine's ailments. I chose the second step as the car may have clogged fuel line which results in increased fuel consumption, increased diesel smoke and smell, and also loss of power. 

What you need ; 

1, A small canister, perhaps a 1.5l bottle, the top being cut off.

2. A hose, to extend the lines.

3. Pliers to open the holding rings.

4. Brute force.

5. Patience.

The fuel filter with priming pump

Firstly, locate the fuel filter. For the Nissan Frontier D22, the fuel filter is on the left side of the car, and it has a black priming pump to remove any air trapped in the fuel line, which will come in handy. 

IN and OUT fuel line

Then, locate the fuel line that connects to the fuel filter. Usually, it will be labelled as IN and OUT, but different car manufacturers may probably have different labels.

IN fuel line

Using pliers, loosen the O-ring and pull the fuel line off the fuel filter. Make sure you are ready with the bottle as there are still diesel in the fuel line. The IN fuel line is usually soft and the OUT fuel line is hard as high pressure fuel comes out of the OUT fuel line.

A messy job pulling the fuel line off the fuel pump.

The fuel line is put inside the bottle

Both lines are disconnected from the fuel pump.

As the fuel lines are not in the same length, a hose is needed to extend the fuel line so that both is almost of the same length. I cut about a foot of my garden hose and connect it to the shorter fuel line. Then, make sure that the end of each fuel line is at the bottom of the bottle, and open the can of Diesel Purge, and pour it into the bottle.

Trying to make sure that both hoses are at the bottom of the bottle, submerged.

Once you've done that, ask someone to start the engine and rev the engine at different speeds. When the Liqui Moly Diesel Purge is sucked dry, the engine will stall as there is no more fuel.

All of the Liqui Moly Diesel Purge sucked dry by the engine.

Once it has been sucked dry, disconnect the extension hose and reconnect everything back to its original place in reverse order in how to disconnect it. Once everything is reconnected, try to start the engine. The engine will not start as there is no fuel in the fuel line, and there is still too much air inside. To solve this, pump the accelerator a few times while pressing the fuel priming pump until there is a pressure build up. Then start the engine again. The engine will still die after a second or two because there is still air and no fuel pressure. Repeat the same process again until the engine runs smoothly. For my case, I had to do the process for 5-6 times until I get a smooth and stable idling.

After all has been done, I took the car for a test run. There seems to be less smoke emitted from the exhaust, and the idling is smooth. The fuel consumption seems to be less, and when I took it for a drive, the engine accelerates effortlessly to 140km/h. For RM45, it is really worth it.

Perodua Viva : Installing AMT Spring Buffer

After a failed "promise" that I will post new content every fortnight, I'm back with a new post today, and it is about cars. Again. Since I'll be embarking on a long journey soon using my Perodua Viva, and considering the condition of the Pan Borneo Highway which is atrocious (for the fact that Peninsular highways are far better than us here, but then we don't have any tolls, which is a good thing), and paired with a set of lowered springs, mashed up together with a full load, I decided to install AMT spring buffers or also known as POWER cushion buffers.

AMT Spring Buffer / Power Cushion Buffer

Red in colour, it comes in pairs.

The spring buffer costs RM35 and was bought from Bing Shu LED Wholesaler, and you can look him up on Facebook. I bought a pair for my rear springs as the car always scrapes when it goes up a bump at Kuching Sentral, and everytime the car scrapes, a little part of me died inside. The advantages of this AMT Spring Buffer, as copied from a seller from Lowyat :

AMT POWER CUSHION BUFFER
ADVANTAGE OF USING POWER CUSHION BUFFER
1. Rubber buffer can effectively solve the problem of springs weakness and recover the performance of the shock absorber.
2. Shock absorption effects felt in a mercedes benz car.
3. Protect shock absorber and suspension system to avoid oil leak.
4. The life of a normal shock absorber will be extended to more than 2 times.
5. Improve driving comfort and more stable during curve corner.
6. Improve braking efficiency.
7. Reduce noise and vibration during travelling.
8. Size for all type of car including lowered spring.

Honestly, number 2 was a bit far-fetched. If your car is a Kancil or a Nissan Sunny, even if you put 10 of these spring buffers, you won't feel like driving a Mercedes-Benz. The tools required are simple. You'll just need a car jack, some dishwashing liquid diluted with water, and some cable ties, and not forgetting the buffer itself. Do note that these buffers come in different sizes, and please refer to your seller if you're planning on getting one. I bought a D-sized buffer for the rear springs, and it is also applicable to Kenari, Kelisa, Kancil, and Myvi. I'm currently using Myvi rear springs for that extra strength and load.

Tools used and the item itself. The car jack is still shiny!

First and foremost, jack up the car. I read in some blogs that states that the car doesn't necessarily need to be jacked until the tyre is lifted up from the floor, but jack up high enough so that the springs are stretched a bit.

The car being jacked up

Being me, I seldom listen to instructions, and as the car was really, really low, I had to jack up the car up to the point where the tyre is lifted up from the ground.

The spring without the buffer

As the car was lifted with the jack, and the spring was a lowered spring, I pulled the spring out to install the buffer. It was an easy task, I wiggled the spring a little bit and it went out easily.

Fitting the buffer to the spring

Don't worry if it doesn't seem to fit, as you can secure it with cable ties if you want to.

Securing the buffer using cable ties, 2 on each hole

Fitting the spring back to its original location

The process is the same for the other side, and when everything is done, you will notice that the car would be a bit high than before installing the buffers. After a few days driving around with the bumper, I notice that the scraping was lesser, and the rear of the car feels more solid. The whole installation process took me half an hour, and I saved some cash rather than sending it to a workshop and be slaughtered. 

Rolf Semi-Synthetic Engine Oil

Rolf Semi Synthetic is somehow a brand new engine oil in the market. It is made in France and it has a Molybdenium additive in it.

Rolf Semi-Synthetic Engine Oil

I sent my mum's Proton Persona for service at Proride Motorsports at Jalan Kulas, same stretch as Bank Islam Satok branch. At first, I was hesitant to use this particular oil as the brand is foreign to me and this was the first time I actually saw this brand for sale. I wanted to use Proride 10W-40 at first, but after being persuaded by the kind owner, Jackson Bong, I gave it a try.

Up the jack we go!

He explained that this particular oil was better in a sense that it is a semi-synthetic oil with characteristics of a fully synthetic oil. The one I used before was a Castrol GTX 15W-40, and it was recommended by the previous workshop which I would avoid right now due to my previous experience. The workshop foreman was very unfriendly, rude, and the quality of service was extremely poor. I was entitled for a wheel balancing and alignment for my 5th service, but after the so-called "free service", the steering just got worse.

I came to Proride Motorsports a few times for service and I also changed my Viva's original springs to Proride Sport Springs at the workshop.

Oil filter and the old oil in the engine. 

The engine was suffering from poor performance and increased fuel consumption. Somehow, 15W-40 was too thick for my engine and as time goes by, the oil gets thick and it burdens the engine. The Persona's engine heats very quickly and is quite noisy. Acceleration is very poor, and it would take some time to overtake anyone at the highway.

New oil poured into the engine.

Rolf engine oil is 5W-30 and it is green in colour as a result from the additive. After using it for a few weeks, I notice a difference in the performance and fuel consumption of the engine. The engine is more responsive and the fuel consumption is lower than it was before.

The oil is sold for RM150 per litre and the total cost of service was RM160 including oil filter, and the labour is free of charge. So far, I have no complains regarding this oil, and I'm looking forward to use this oil again in the next service.

If you are in Kuching, I would recommend you to give Proride Motorsport @ Jalan Kulas a try. It has a very clean workshop and there is a waiting area for customers where there are sofas, a TV and the waiting area is air-conditioned. What I like most about this workshop is that it is very bright and the owner and staffs are very friendly. The workshop is opened from 10.00a.m. until 9.00p.m.and they do sell Bendix brake pads and Ultra Racing bars to name a few.