MadaboutKitcars

Nice

Hi guys, on the scrounge for advice again. Still looking for chrome wiper arms for my MK2. I had been pointed in the direction of Tex, so emailed them and they said they don't do arms for the MK2. Any pointers gladly received.

Oh, and another thing - thinking about a new cover for the MX250, the MX5 one just doesn't fit, any pointers - I was thinking Z4?

Take your mx5 wiper arms to a local chrome plater it cost me £20.

Cheers Roadster - never even thought of that!!!!! Nice one mate.

The tex option relies on using a modified landy spline thing so you can use standard fitting arms.
That plating option sounds simpler.

Had a drive round 3 paint shops yesterday afternoon and got quotes ranging from 1.5K to 'wouldn't touch it with a barge pole mate'. In between was another for at least 3 grand. So, opting for the 1.5K it is now time to strip all the lights out, get the door seals sorted (seal arrived yesterday ) and set to filling, shaping and smoothing. I reckon there is about 40 hours needed to get it to the required level for painting. I am no bodywork guru so not looking forward to it, but it has to be done!

Be brave, paint it yourself?

I wish I could mate. But a combination of working on the drive, no compressor, not a clue about painting a car and the fact I am building it for a mate are putting me off! Having said that, I was reading the paint thread, thinking about buying a 6 x 3 gazebo and buying a second hand electric compressor, but still very nervous about it.

I painted mine myself the first time in a gazebo . Was ok, not great.
In January this year I tiki it to my local paint guy and paid him £1000 , much better.
I did have to strip it and a lot of prep myself though.

Conscious of the fact I have not done a decent update in a while, so thought I would spend a couple of minutes bringing everybody up to speed.

Well, after hoping to have been ready for paint at least 4 weeks ago, it seems to just be dragging on at the moment. However I think there may be light at the end of the tunnel. I have all the rear lights stripped out, final adjustments and trimming done around the exhaust (and new, lower hangers on). I have finally got around to fibreglassing the rear support beam (for want of a better expression) in, and the boot is now watertight. Not neat, but at least it is waterproof:



I have invested in a long board and have started getting rid of high spots and bad joint lines, and filling low spots:

And now for a question:

My bonnet fit is absolutely awful at the moment, and I am seriously considering moving the hinges from the front to the rear to see if I can improve the shut line. Has anyone else had major problems, and if so how did they get around them?





Oh yeah, and my new 50mm spacers for the rear arrived this week, new pic of the new wider stance rear end coming soon!

I ended up making several strategic cuts on the underside of the bonnet. Then, when the cuts were enough to get it to the right shape I used fibreglass matt to "repair" my cuts.

Then a couple of months later the bonnet blew off (not while driving!) , so I got some more practice repairing it.

The other options are to use bonnet pins in each corner (no hinges), reshape using heat and a couple of ratchet straps.

When you say cuts to the underside I am presuming you don't mean all the way through? More just enough to allow the bonnet to 'bend' into the right shape?

I've got a spare lid from the wheelie bin you can have. I think it will be a better fit

LOL. How rude! True, but very rude! I will see what can be done.

Craig, I cut out virtually all of the inner lining of my bonnet to make it sit properly. Can't remember, is your a MK2? Having taken out most of the inner lining it now sit too low so I need to put a seal around the edge to lift it up a bit.

I got my bonnet to fit nicely in the end by using indasa power weld to add material and close the gaps. bonnet pins in each corner and a little ledge in the middle top and bottom for the bonnet to slightly bend around when tensioned with the bonnet pins

You are right mate, mine is a mk2. At the moment it isn't sitting on anything that is making it sit too high, it is just a really bad shape. With no adjustment at all it sits OK at the hinges, way too low at the windscreen and not too bad at the sides. I currently have the bonnet bump stops wedged under the back which has got me a fairly good line at the screen however awful at the sides - as though the bonnet is far too flat.

I am thinking of following some of the guys advice and grinding some grooves into the underside so I can bend it I to shape. I think I need to lower the bonnet pins too. I was thing of fibre glassing some steel strips into the underside too, give it some strength and help it hold the new shape?

Thanks mate. Will have a look. Any pictures of it on your thread?

image hosting over 2mb

The black lip is all power weld which brought the gaps in nicely, and a lot easier to use than p40.

I had to add about an inch to the front edge and the rightside edge

Makes sense.
It isn't too difficult and bearing in mind you will probably be sticking some sound deadening on at a later stage, you dont have to make it pretty.

Thanks mate, and thanks for the picture.

How expensive is that stuff????

Hi guys. Conscious of the fact that I haven't been on in a while. Things have been bust at work, with the contract I work on getting taken over by a new company. Our office has been dropped from 3 to 2 people, had to apply and be interviewed for my own job, but now all sorted and back to normal (ish).

Anyway enough of my moaning, on with the car news -

Invested in a gazebo to improve autumn working conditions:



And finally bit the bullet and started sorting out my awful bonnet lines:



The bonnet lines are gradually getting better:



And as of tonight I am finally happy with my bonnet. The rest can be done by the body shop: