MadaboutKitcars

Primer filler painted yesterday, I was using the 2.5 nozzle cheap gun I used for the reface. I was a bit worried as they recommend a 1.8>2.0 nozzle. Good news is that it went on perfectly, good coverage and no runs. I fact it went on so well I'm tempted to do the top coat as well, but I know that if I do I will only fcuk it up.
I have been spraying the inside of the gazebo with the remaining thinners in the gun that I leave in it when not in use, this kills any bugs or flies. Then pull back 2 flaps when spraying to keep the mist down. As soon as I have finished spraying, drop the flaps and fire up the space heater. So far all my panels have come out very well with no flies or bugs landing in the wet paint which I have always found a problem.

I would suggest that if anyone buys a kit that they ask for the gel coat to be any colour other than white. It has been very hard to see any imperfections or low/high spots, same with the recoat. As soon as the grey primer filler was applied everything became much easier to see.

Coat of reface has been rubbed down and 2 coats of primer filler sprayed on. Bonnets, door skins all flatted back, rear,boot and sills hopefully to be flatted off tomorrow. Each time you finish a couple more defects seem to appear. Off tho the painter on Monday, whats the betting I get a great deal of sucking of teeth and rolling of eyes!

Grill surround has gone off to be chrome vacuum plated.

I hope not, he is a friend who paints all my bike panels. I've bought the paint and hopefully done 95% of the hard work. Can't possibly be more than £40......can it?

With the rear end being off I have looked again at the petrol filler tube. At one point it bows slightly upward, I think I can route it better so it is all downwards. The flexible pipe is wire reinforced (CBS) and has a concertina effect, I have ordered some
smooth boat petrol pipe, hopefully this will speed up refuelling. I will report back when fitted and trialled.

Friend of a friend, nudge nudge wink wink.
He did quite a few Triumph motorcycle radiator grills for me.
I'll wait to see how this one comes out and how much he charges and if good I'm sure I can get a few done.
He does them on the basis that he can do them when there is room in the machine (& crispy £ notes).

I struggled to get the surround and grill to fit nicely. it rattles and shakes when opening or closing the bonnet or when driving.
Having the bonnet upside down on stands with the small bonnet removed meant I could stand inside the bonnet aperture and get great access.
I had the grill and surround fitted but I was now able to make some alloy brackets and glass them into place. I fitted some brackets that hold the spots and also the surround. The surround is now held by one self tapper at the top where it can't be seen and the 2 spotlight brackets. The alloy grill is also mounted to some alloy brackets and the whole thing is now nice and snug and secure.
The spots are the smaller BMW Mini type, they are stainless and sit in better (IMHO).
The surround in chrome Finnish I'm hoping to be the finishing piece, should be ready next week.

DNA use the chrome spraying method and very impressive it is. I was going to use Beemabuild to spray mine but he has not yet had time to set his equipment up.

Not a great deal of progress, I'm still waiting for my painter to have a free slot. He is stuck on an ice cream van! It has stripes and painted panels for the ice cream menus and is just taking ages.
While I had the body off for priming I attacked a couple of small but annoying jobs. First is the fuel pipe. I was hoping the original that I fitted would work as it had a straightish run and also a breather pipe but it still took ages to fill.
fuel6 by jaguartvr, on FlickrI think the problem may be the concertina effect that the pipe has causing a turbulence that slows the flow, so
pipe2 by jaguartvr, on FlickrThis is a straight marine fuel pipe, because the run is pretty straight it doesn't need to be flexible. The inside diameter of this pipe is 2 inches, the concertina pipe is about 2 inches in diameter at either end but the middle section of the pipe is less than 1 1/2 inches so hopefully this will cure the fueling problem. Pipe was from Ebay and much cheaper than the flexi pipe. 1/2 meter is all you need.

My other problem was the boot lock. I had made my own catch so that I could fit the boot handle lower so it didn't foul the boot lid when opening. It all worked ok but it didn't have a spring to hold it into place. I could just see me forgetting to lock it and it slipping open on the move.
I resorted to the same catch everyone else has used but a different boot handle, just a basic T shape that clears the lid, again a cheap £17 purchase from Ebay. As my boot floor is flat rather than sloping like everyone else's I bonded two studs to the rear bodywork and attached the lock directly too them. I can now remove the whole rear end in one go including the boot lock, much easier.
lock1 by jaguartvr, on FlickrIt looks wonky but it all pushes up level with the boot aperture rim. A nut on the inside of the lock allows you to position the lock precisely in the slot. You can also take the boot handle off without having to disturb anything else.

Should have my chromed grill aperture back next week. Should be £120. One interesting thing he said is that the silver nitrate chrome spraying has a tendency to go "blue" after exposure to UV light, so if anyone has this process done, make sure that the clear coat has a good UV absorbing properties.

Forgot to add, I bought a cheap sharks fin Ariel from Ebay

I cut away most of the plastic and it sticks next to the original ariel, small screw connects to the original ariel and it gives great reception.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Car-Roof-Radio-AM-FM-Signal-Shark-Fin-Aerial-Antenna-Universal-Line-Practical-/252786911018?hash=item3adb46272a:g:xcQAAOSw4q9XT9OP

Chrome Grill

Collected it this Friday, very shiny and chromey but not as good as I hoped for as the flatting marks are showing.
It was sanded down to 600 grit and then a wet & dry 2000 grit. Looking at it you would think I had finished it in 80 grit. There were also some hole that I filled and looked to be super smooth but are now showing. It doesn't help working on white GRP, it does tend to hide a lot of things.

I think that I will probably do another but get it painted first so I can see the finish and then get it plated. But it will do for now.
Still waiting to go into paint, have been promised that it should start sometime this week.
grillc1 by jaguartvr, on Flickr
grill badge by jaguartvr, on Flickr

Trouble is the closer you get to "ready to paint", the more blemishes appear. It's getting to the point that I'm tempted to use Dulux and a big F off roller.

I'm trying to do them as I find them but the little buggers keep multiplying! Starts to become soul destroying.

I do wish you hadn't mentioned my flappy lugs on a public forum, it's my problem and I have to live with it


However the cars is showing no signs of cracking!
Although taxed and MoT'd I haven't been using it on the road so it hasn't been stressed but I don't think it will be a problem as the layup seems pretty thick and strong.

I have had the sills painted in the final colour, my preparation leaves much to be desired (F**king awful), on a brighter note the colour looks great. Hopefully it is going to my painter on Friday, famous last words.
I am hoping for a reveal at the BBQ if all goes well (and that bastard Jeff doen't bring his car with the flawless paint finish!), if it doesn't all go well I'm moving to another country. Hoping Smash will be there so I can park next to him (mean but I just can't help myself).

I think the problem with the bonnet needing slicing to bring it in is not the bonnet itself but the bonding paste used to fix inner and outer sections together, a bit too much paste and the wings are pushed out everso slightly, the slice just brings them back to the correctly moulded position so the bonnet shouldn't be under any extra strain. So far only one car has had problems in this area as far as I know.

Mentioned to my painter about the BBQ on the 10th and would it be ready in plenty of time and he started sniggering and sucking his teeth again!
I've just been round to visit him with my sharp pointy stick to give him a bit of enthusiasm
Good news is the primer is on ready for me to start rubbing down and it is looking much better. Gaps not a 100% but they are good enough that I can live with them. I am very pleased with the way the top of the door and the rear of the bonnet have turned out.
unnamed-51 by jaguartvr, on Flickr

Am very pleased with the way the gapping is looking on the small bonnet.
unnamed-50 by jaguartvr, on Flickr

I would tell you.............. but I would have to kill you.
Hoping for the surprise reveal at the BBQ.

At the painters today to remove the stuck hinge and help with the rubbing down.
Found the bloody painter woking on some bloody Fiat or similar, good job I had my sharp pointy stick for encouragement. I think the seats would have gone nicely in mine but he wouldn't let me near it with my socket set.
fer1 by jaguartvr, on Flickr

Anyway it was dragged out of the way to concentate on the important car.......mine.
All the door shuts and the section under the bonnet all keyed and ready to be primed on Tuesday.

shuts3 by jaguartvr, on FlickrStill hoping to get it to the BBQ if all goes well

Gaps will be down to me. The bonnet gaps are great and really tight. I should have done the same method with the boot lid but I'm afraid laziness crept in. Same with the front of the doors, the gaps aren't bad but could be better. Problem is you spend hours getting them as close as possible only to chip them when you open the door and you then have to start again. That's when I think "that'l do"
I know I'm going to regret my laziness but I really can't face doing them again. Trouble is you don't notice all the good bits, just the tiny bad bits.

How not to badge as a Ferrari using Ferrari badges!

I'm not keen on badging as a Ferrari as it's not a Ferrari, hence changing the V5 to California. (I Know, I Know it's not a California either).
Anyway, one of the first parts that I bought was a genuine California glove box badge from the current California. I was going to mount it in the boot but it was too small, then I was going to mount it on the bonnet bulge just behind the opening but have finally settled on using it as a Grill badge.

Mounted on an alloy plate painted black, so Ferrari badged but not Ferrari badged if you use Irish logic!
grill badge by jaguartvr, on Flickr

I've flow coated the inside of the bonnet in a similar colour and am painting under the front wing up to the slam panel. The rest of the engine bay can stay as it is. My slam panel needs a good scurf off but I will do that later.
Its interesting that Andy's car was the same colour as mine but underneath and the engine bay was black rather than body colour.
Makes it easier when doing a colour change.

When I built our extension a few years ago we had to have a company name to get the discounts.

Bodgit & Creepaway

Even had vinyl signage put on my old pick up.

Door shuts and the front wing inner panels all in topcoat at last. I just gave it all a wet sand with 600 wet & dry, to be honest I wasn't expecting the inner front wing and the top of the flitch panels to come out very well but pleasantly surprised at how good it's come out. The front slam panel is a little rusty in a couple of spots but the bonnet latches are a bit nasty as well so they will wait to later. Still trying for the 10th but not sure if it will be possible but am having a good go.

Front clam all flatted down and ready for topcoat, smooth as a babies bum!
Working on the metal door surrounds today and hopefully flat down the rear clam. The idea is to get the inner doors painted and re hung so the car can be moved outside whilst the rest of the body is finished. I'm expecting a few problems rehanging the passenger door as I had to remove the hinge plates from the door itself. Lower hinge will not lift off, opens and closes ok but will not lift even with my big hammer. For this reason I would like to get the doors on first so there is less chance of me damaging any of the newly painted panels.
I'm using a scurff ball in a die grinder to prepare and metal work for primer, works very well and quickly.
http://www.mytoolshed.co.uk/p1088552/Flexipads_Scruff_Ball_75mm__3in_Maroon/product_info.html?utm_source=googleversafeed&vfsku=1088552&gpla=pla&gclid=Cj0KEQjw9r7JBRCj37PlltTskaMBEiQAKTzTfNhkNq6bcO14w_SjY5FrITSFz2u0pWp17X4z7hy904MaAv738P8HAQ

I'm not sure what primer filler my painter used but it is very easy to flat down, mush easier than anything I have ever had to finish before. I will ask him what he used today.

Inner sections of doors painted and clear lacquered, will be hung on Monday morning.
I must congratulate myself on the fantastic colour choice!!!
Hope to flat down the rear clam and door skins on Monday as well so hopefully will get the paint on Tuesday and Wednesday so the BBQ is still a possibility for it's grand entrance.

Doors on and all the panels flatted down except for the sills as they need to be re primed. I had done them and they were painted in the final colour to check I liked its in the flesh, which I did, unfortunately my preparation wasn't good enough (not even close) so all flatted down ready for re priming tomorrow.
Painter has a bit of a backlog which he needs to get through. I hoping to persuade him to top coat the door skins and sills tomorrow so I can be bolting them back on on Wednesday. Hopefully the rest will be painted Thursday so I can refit the body on Friday so that I can get to the BBQ to claim that prize of a barrel of beer!
A lot of trim will be missing and its will still need a final polish but I'm hopeful that I can get finished enough for the drive down on Saturday.

So close....yet so far!

Sills painted and fitted, door skins painted and having cut and polish this morning . I still have to fit the weather strips to the doors which is very fiddly, have to be careful that i don't screw all the way through the skin. Doesn't help that I have lost one of the strips.
Front and rear clams along with the bonnet and boot are in the booth for painting this morning. Oven is going to be gently warmed only but hopefully I can start fitting this afternoon.
Then I have a sticky take cylinder to free off.
I am still hopeful of making the BBQ on Saturday but it's going to be very tight.
Panel gaps will probably still need sorting out along with loads of small details.
Grill and mouth will take a while to fit but am intending to have a go at that on Saturday morning, will give the paint a little longer to harden.