Friday
Today I started to strip out the dash and all the side fittings, ready for paint prep.
Of course the car looks like crap now and there is a feeling of going backwards.
This is the first car I've ever built, although I have modded a lot, so when I got my body shell, I treated it as "hallowed", and when I fitted the dash, I chopped out the dash corners out to fit the "hallowed, not to be damaged" body.
A year later, with more experience, confidence and skill, I have come to the conclusion that it is the builder that is "hallowed" and the body is a submissive inert object to be hacked about as one pleases.
So I have filled in the dash corners, and chopped out chunks of the body for a better looking deal. (Strengthened with paste underneath)
I can show the filled in corners on the dash, but not the finished car until its painted and back together.
Once again, this is all extra work I don't need, but it has to be done at this stage.
I think its important that I post these bits, as people will think "why is the car not finished?
Well, all this extra bloody work that seems to keep coming is why.........
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Later Friday
The stripping out took longer than I thought, but its done now.
I have strengthened the windscreen body corners, which I had weakened, by cutting a lot out.
Also got some filler on the body.
I will try to paint the windscreen surround later, if I have time.
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Got the first coat of paint on the screen surround, which showed me how much more prep I need!
Loads of tiny imperfections not noticed in primer, all stoppered now, more work tomorrow.
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Well my impatience got the better of me, I knew it would,
and I did more to the screen frame, Stonleigh calls after all..........
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Yes it is Paul!
You will have the same feeling when you paint yours!
Maybe an even better feeling knowing the grief your build has given you at times!
Monday
I did work on the car yesterday, but did not get round to posting about it.
I did a lot more today.
I started the car, and drove it out into the sun for some rubbing down.
Its going to be a long job. There are bumpy lines along the sides of the body where the fibre glass panels have been joined by the looks of it, and it took ages just to reduce the bumps in one small area I tried to do it by hand with a solid block, but I think the air sander will be less hours of work.
Flatting the bonnet, putting more paint on the windscreen frame, filling holes and dents etc etc.
I will try to make the most of the good weather.
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Tuesday
Before I bonded the door skins on to the door frame, I lined the inner skin,
with alloy, but on the passengers door, this had the effect of warping the skin curve so it would not fit the frame, but after a lot of heating, twisting and clamping, I did get the skin to fit, but the down side was all the dents and marks that the clamps had left on the outer surface.
Today I flatted the door and filled it all.
Then I got the bonnet and both doors, and gave them several coats of high-build primer, which when flatted, should give a reasonable surface for the topcoat.
My camera had a glitch, and I lost several pics of the work, but took a couple more of the finished bits.
All in all, a good days work, as for a change I did all I had planned to do.
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Yes FB, or at least it did when I parked it there a million years ago. I'm sure you are joking, but if not:
The engine and box would be far too heavy for the lightweight Spitfire chassis, suspension, and running gear.
I know the Americans put 7 litre engines in some of theirs, but can you seriously imagine what the handling would be like with a set up like that?
Ok in a straight line, but cornering a bit like an ocean liner I would guess.
Wednesday
Another 6 hours on the body work today, I think I've got all the flash lines off the body, I stripped off all the gubbins on the tail end and, filled/stoppered and rubbed it all down.
Found even more bubbles, dug them out and filled /sanded them too.
Sanded out the bonnet rain channel, which was a horrid fiddly job, and got it in etch.
There seems so much still to do, it doesn't matter where I start as long as I keep going.
I was too busy to take loads of pics, but here is what I did snap:
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It will all come off Rene, just have not got round to it yet!
Thursday
Another full day on the car, and in this weather, I was able to work out in the sun with just shorts and flip flops.
I filled loads of little holes in the body work where I had put the bumpers on in the wrong place, and re-drilled, promising my self I would fill the holes later.
Also more rubbing down on the back end where once I had it all one colour,
I could see where it needed building up a bit.
I finally got the rear end of the car all in etch primer, and some of the front bits too. I still have work to do on the front end, but hope to etch that tomorrow, and perhaps get some high build primer on it too.
Some pics:
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Yes Danny, the Vee Dub project is on the back burner for now, I will crack on, I am waiting for the email details on my invoice from Chris,
before I can go ahead with the re-registration of the car, and so far no response, and it may be that I will not be able to re-register in time for the show.
At least I am flat out on the car every day, but we will see.
Thanks Paul! I'm a bit busy for that right now!
But I suppose it would be very useful for all the people desperate to build an XKSS out of their old Vee Dub van.
Put in another full day, but the car looks no different, but of course its 8 hours better than it was!
Its all in high build primer now, but still lots of rubbing down and so on.
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It s coming though. (trouble is, so's Stoneleigh!!)
I prefer them that way, and want them so.
You certainly do Rene!
Before I put the top coat on. I will have a thorough blow out with compressed air, to remove any debris, so it will be okay.
May be Swifty, depends on how long it takes to get a good finish and also the weather.
Got to carry on, rubbed the bonnet down again, I am getting closer.
I usually wait until its dark, and then shine a torch on the panel, running its length, you think its straight until you do that!
I know Einstein says light rays bend, but not on my torch they don't.
But they do show up every little dent and low spot.
I've got more primer on it, and it will get the same treatment tomorrow, until I'm satisfied.
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