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I popped into a local breakers yesterday to get a header tank as i had no idea what to go for.
I told him what i wanted it for and as an ex-Vitesse owner himself he was very interested in what i was doing (is there anyone over a 'certain' age who hasn't owned a Herald/Vitesse!) and we had a good rummage through the pile of different header tanks and i settled on this one from a Renault Megane and all for the princely sum of £10.
It seems to fit fine and i'll plumb it in once i finish flatting and polishing the paint later in the week and i've unwrapped the engine.
I learnt an important painting tip last night that i thought i'd share with any other prospective novice home-sprayers.
After painting when "flatting", i.e. using 1200/2000 grit wet-n-dry to level off the top surface of the paint before polishing, you shouldn't be scared to put some elbow grease into it!
If you don't and you namby-pamby about (as i was doing, as i was scared of damaging my nice new paint!) , then you do clear the top layer of muck and over-spray off of the paint but not much else and you end up putting a LOT of effort in with rubbing compound and t-cut in order to get it flat.
I found this out last night as after 2 nights of polishing i had very little done and i was getting knacke.. worn out, with polishing, so i thought i'd try some 1200grit sand paper again and when using it i just "went for it" and suddenly i got the "hazy and flat" surface that all the books told me i should be getting! WHOO HOO!
I've also kidnapped an old bedside light (tall one) from my parents in order to get a better view of the surface now that the nights are drawing in and it makes a heck of a difference.
So fingers crossed that tonight i can get the bonnet and rear end flatted properly ready to put the fuel filler in, the exhaust on and then the wheels can go on and i can roll it outside this weekend for the first time in order to finish off polishing the sides.
Hi Dave
How are you routing the header tank? Are you picking up the old heater hose outlets and looping this through the header tank or are you running from the rad, I was thinking of the first option but not sure if this will suffice.
Cheers Psycho pops
Hi Dave
Are you picking up the old heater hose outlets and looping this through the header tank ...
Cheers Psycho pops
Yup, I was planning on trying this at i've seen a few others do it that way, so i can't see any reason that it shouldn't work? Unless someone with more knowledge than me can tell me why?
I took the day off work today to try and break the back of the remaining jobs as the end is _so_ close...
So after fitting the fuel filler cap last night, today i've:
Refitted the exhaust
Fitted the new wheels and tyres
Undersealed the floor pans
Plugged in the tacho
Reconnected the choke cable
Fitted the ignition and main light switches
Temporarily refitted the original Vitesse wheel so that i can move the car around.
Undercoated the gearbox new cover
Filled and undercoated the windscreen retaining strip
Started making the door (or should that be wall?) cards ready to cover.
and then it was rolled outside for the first time since it was painted for
LOTS and LOTS of flatting, t-cutting and polishing
I'm still not finished with the paint work, but i'm shattered, so that's enough for today!
I will say that it's true that any minor imperfection is magnified a number of times by the top coat! But it's meant to look like a car from the 50's/60's, so that'll coupled with the fact that it's the first time i've painted a car will be my excuse for how it turns out
Some pics....
The bonnet is just about finished and ready for the grill to be bonded in and I'm REALLY happy with the Alfa Romro red i chose, it's very rich!
I think that the exhaust looks great, and it certainly sounds meaty!
When the car was in the garage i was dithering over whether to lower the front a bit more, after seeing it on the drive i will be lowering it as it doesn't quite look how i want it to look. On this pic you can see the difference in the paint between the bonnet that's been t-cutted and the sides that haven't. Flatting and polishing make the paint much richer red.
So that was the good stuff, but there were two two issues i spotted.
First is that even with the new 165/65/15's fitted and the already recessed bulkheads, at full lock the tyres still "just" touched.
But it really was a "just" now and not like it was before and so i was able to correct this by some gentle fettling with engineering tool No.1. i.e. i wacked it with a big hammer!
The second issue is that the lowered radiator does seem to stick out the bottom of the bonnet a bit. Although once i've repainted it, it "should" be less noticeable?
Dave she looks great
There are always going to be little tweaks and modifications and just when you think you hot it finished we will all meet up and another little idea or finishing job that will crop up
Great inspiration for everyone still building and the all the blood sweat and tears are worth it
Cheers guys, i'm finding that documenting progress on here as i go keeps reminding me of how i'm progresing. Even yesterday, it wasn't until i updated the build thread that i realised how much i'd actually done! No wonder my arms ache this morning.
I hadn't noticed the panel gap on that side on pic until you mentioned it (cheers matey), from looking at that pic i'm happy that it's turned out ok.
I'm still unsure of the rad poking out though. The springs i never cut down the full amount last time as i've got the 2.0l engine i thought it might not need it, but it looks like it does so it'll only be as much as Trev has cut off.
and if it all goes wrong i'll pick up a pair of adjustable height GAZ shocks and a pair of spring from fleabay!
Hi Dave, great progress and wonderfully motivating for the rest of us to see what's possible.
Is there any space left above the radiator to raise it a bit?
I'm still at the stage of thinking through the positioning of the rad (mine's a Vitesse too) and I have a vague notion that I might remove the front cross-tube after the dvla inspection so I can put the radiator in at an angle. As far as I'm aware the cross-tube isn't structural, unless anyone knows otherwise?
We had a similar issue with a Vitesse rad...we made a little guard to go around it and painted it body colour ....its on the car that is in the video section of the website with no numbers just roundalls -think its called SAMMIO DRIVE BY..
The original; front valance has a shaped centre section that can be cut out and used...
Unfortunately , bigger engine , bigger rad , small space is the issue - a wider , shorter alternative could maybe be used if it bothered anyone , but I think a little guard round it will show those who know that yours is a Vitesse as opposed to Herald...
Seeing as I'm nearly at the end i thought I'd get it insured in readiness.
So based on Pats recommendations i called:
Patton wrote:
A Plan ins 01635 874646 (Chris Clancy the man to speak to, a car fan not a call centre operator).
Chris certainly is a TOP bloke! and i've ended up insured though him with Highway, one year fully comp, 5000 miles, £100 excess, no-no claims
For the grand sum of: £112.66!
ARGHHH!! I've been tinkering around with the radiator trying to raise it up a bit (successfully) and suddenly i realised how i could easily lower my bonnet.
So I unbolted the hinge and pulled the bonnet forward about 15/20mm and the front end dropped down a heck of a way, making the gaps above the wheels look right, but meaning that i'm going to have to re-do the bonnet shut line. and just when i thought i was done with painting and filling! grrrr.
Ho humm, at least this means that i don't / shouldn't need to cut the springs any more. And i think i'll sort the shut line out this time by adding filler to the bulkhead, so at least the bonnet shouldn't need any more work.
Time to break out the sander again and see if i can get it all done this weekend, but it's definitely something to look out for if you can't get your bonnet low enough with a 6-pot fitted, just pull it forward a bit!
I suppose the positive is that the profile of the car will be greatly improved with the new lower bonnet / wheel gap. Can't wait to see a new pic of the car side on, bet it looks great.
Dave. yes I know what you mean grrrr at times I had stuff like that over the last nine months frustating, but i didn't stay hacked off for long a cup of tea and a think! I did do the bonnet gap by filling along the bulk head and sometime ago I deceied not to finish the paint untill I'd driven her so Skippy will be a work in progress. Onwards and Upwards...PAT
Well it's been a long hot day and i've not done what i'd originally taken the day off for (polishing!) but i have now adjusted the bonnet, which included making some new hinge plates and i have also done the majority of filling. This time on the bulkhead.
I've also made the wall cards and tunnel top and they're ready to cover. Looking at how much vinyl i've bought, i might have quite a bit left over!
Also in order to cheer myself up, i've fitted all the rear lights and number plate and decided to re-fit the original steel number plate on the front as well as the back as it'll mask and protect the lowered radiator (which has also been given a quick once over with black ht pant today!)
Cheers i've got to say it has made up for the muck-up with the bonnet!
i do like the look of the different size rear/brake & indicator lights and i have Gary to thank for that as when i paid the deposit at Stoneleigh i wasn't even thinking about picking any bits up at that point until he mentioned that most were there on the stalls and could be bought quite cheaply!
Needless to say i ended up spending all the 'loose change' i took with me and i came away with a few carrier bags full of all the lights, indicators, mirrors, and assorted other bits-n-bobs!
From memory I think there may have been another Sammio regular lurking there that day as well!
Another pic of '66' that i've used as reference during my build
great job I love the different size rear lamps and the red is perfect.
And the burble from the exhaust is going to have people confused about what is under the hood.
I cant't wait to see these all together in the flesh.
One things for sure we will draw attention
