Davecymru's Build thread - Page 7

jw52 · #**121** 16th September 2011, 18:01

Dave Mk 2 Vitesse-twin polished Exhaust-Brushed ally Dash It's getting Stranger as the builds go on. Luckily I'm spraying mine fluorescent pink so at least we will be able to tell them apart.
Nice spray job by the way.

captaincrash1971 · #**122** 16th September 2011, 18:51

Looking good Dave.
I reckon you'll need a holiday when it's all done. County Durham is a nice place for a break. Just pop in to see me when you're here, and maybe just throw a few coats of paint on mine

I'll even give you cups of tea and maybe a sandwich

I'm researching the old rustoleum applied with a roller, gonna try it on the heralds boot lid I kept back from the scrap man just to get a feel for it and check quality before I attempt the sammio. They even do 3 or 4 colours I really like.

davecymru · #**123** 17th September 2011, 08:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by captaincrash1971

Looking good Dave.
I reckon you'll need a holiday when it's all done. County Durham is a nice place for a break. Just pop in to see me when you're here, and maybe just throw a few coats of paint on mine

I'll even give you cups of tea and maybe a sandwich

I'm researching the old rustoleum applied with a roller, gonna try it on the heralds boot lid I kept back from the scrap man just to get a feel for it and check quality before I attempt the sammio. They even do 3 or 4 colours I really like.

hummmmm free tea

I grew up just down the road from a large bus depot and i always remember the local oldies talking about the fact that they could get a finish with a brush and roller "first time" that you couldn't tell apart from a sprayed finish that had been flatted etc.

i don't know how much waffle that was, but the busses did look good.

Mister Towed · #**124** 17th September 2011, 08:54

The buses in my neck of the woods tend to look like the back end of a bus.

davecymru · #**125** 18th September 2011, 16:04

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.

davecymru · #**126** 21st September 2011, 08:34

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.

Psycho pops · #**127** 21st September 2011, 09:27

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

davecymru · #**128** 21st September 2011, 13:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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?

davecymru · #**129** 23rd September 2011, 17:21

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.

davecymru · #**130** 23rd September 2011, 17:26

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?

Roadster · #**131** 23rd September 2011, 19:36

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

jmc14 · #**132** 23rd September 2011, 20:14

I agree with Roadster!!!!!!!

Sammio Builder · #**133** 23rd September 2011, 20:17

Hi Dave,

Great progress - see you at Exeter! (Can't be too long till you can book it in for an MOT.)

It confirms to me that Red is a good colour too!

Trevor.
http://www.sammiospyder.blogspot.com/

garyh · #**134** 23rd September 2011, 21:04

Lovely colour, and the bonnet gap looks even. Do you have to cut more off springs? Will the ride get too hard, Dave.

davecymru · #**135** 24th September 2011, 08:35

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!

Mister Towed · #**136** 24th September 2011, 13:32

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?

lancelot link · #**137** 26th September 2011, 10:35

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...

GOOD WORK DAVE BY THE WAY....Colour is spot on...

davecymru · #**138** 29th September 2011, 10:05

Seeing as I'm nearly at the end i thought I'd get it insured in readiness.

So based on Pats recommendations i called:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patton

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!

That'll do nicely!

Patton · #**139** 29th September 2011, 11:24

I'm glad you got a result I insured my 1300 with legal for £96 and the paper work arrived next day..PAT

davecymru · #**140** 29th September 2011, 20:17

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!