9 Years in the baking Sun

The Mighty Toyota Starlet

9 Years in the baking Sun.

Here, we go deep. Deeper than we have ever taken our products before, just to see what we can achieve using just normal DIY tools and techniques just to prove that our NDG Automotive products are truly DIY products and that great results can be achieved, at home, in your driveway.

This project was a huge success with the car looking close to showroom condition in every way. NDG Automotive Specialty surface coatings are true DIY superhero’s.

The Project

We found this 1997 Toyota Starlet sitting in a front yard where it had sat for 9 long years in the Harsh Australian climate. What happened before it arrived in the front yard it’s owner cannot recall so it’s history is lost to the mist of time.

So after negotiating removing the car and completing the relevant paperwork we asked for the keys. We were handed a big bag of keys and told that the keys were in that bag. 30 minutes and 87 keys later we had no luck finding the car keys or the wheel locks. We then broke into the car and removed the door lock to get the key code and crossed our fingers that this was not a chip enabled key system and got a key cut at the local locksmith.

Next day we went back to the car armed with “Start ya Bastard” spray and a spare battery to see if we could start the engine, so we were lucky with the key. (see video of this process).

We got the car to start after a bit of clutch encouragement using Start ya Bastard but something was wrong with the fuel system.

We removed the fuel sender and pump from the tank and found it completely crystallised. So we know that the engine runs and the clutch is operational so we left this for the moment.

We removed the wheels and fitted another temporary set and moved to the car to our driveway where the DIY process of restoration would begin.

So far so good.

We went to the local wreckers in search of a donor car and we found one so we were in luck.

We took off the mechanicals we needed and the windscreen and go to work on our project. So far we spent $200 on the parts we needed. All the tyres were buried in the dirt and dry rotted.

First thing we needed to do was to get the car running so we cleaned the inside of the fuel tank with the donor fuel sender, fuel pump unit, fuel filter and some fresh fuel, and got the engine to fie up straight away. So we took it for a short drive to check out whether it drove ok or not.

Outside of a noisy front wheel bearing we were solid as it drove great once we got the brake discs to burn the surface rust off the brake discs. Back to the wreckers to get the wheel bearing and brake discs.

Wheel bearing and Brake discs and pads replacement

Next steps

To start the DIY process while the new tyres were being fitted. as
Wash and claybar the body using NDG Mega Gloss Wash and NDG Claybar lubricant and remove the pin strips off the body.
Remove a couple of dents
We got our resident artist to produce son JDM Toyota stickers to cover the baked in stickers and to make the car look a little more appealing.
Replaced the windscreen

We then we cleaned out the interior using:

NDG Nil Odour
NDG Instant Detailer
NDG Bio Crystal Magic
NDG IPA
Applied Shield 120 to the windscreen

The results made the abandoned wreck look completely showroom new.

The abandoned wreck look before we started

Showroom New results!

We needed to re-trim some of the side panels where the vinyl was lifting.

Fitted a genuine radio system and sorted out some hack job wiring that someone had done in the past.

Down to the final touches.

We then carried out the NDG Hyperseal process in true DIY fashion driveway style which brought back the original shine to the paintwork and added the new decals and serviced the AC system.

The car passed roadworthiness inspection so the project comes to an end.