Amazing!! There are "professionals" out there who would charge the earth and wouldn't do a job even a quarter this good. It's given me some motivation to attack my collection of long over dude projects
Cheers Add. That's high praise. To be honest, I just tackle it one job at a time, with a bit of thought and practice, I get there eventually !!!! I am an engineer by profession, so I do enjoy rebuilding/repairing things. I now have the car on it's rotisserie and have made a start on the underbody. Removed the old underseal and muck/oil (nice job) and welded the D/S rear floor pan, with a donor section and just tidied up a few other areas. I have some Epoxy mastic on order to go over vulnerable sections, before prepping for some Lechlars Epoxy primer. I have also paint stripped the engine bay. Still needs a bit more work there though. Then I am at a quandary. I am unsure what to use for the underseal. I have bought some Dinitrol 4291, but I really want a very textured finish, does anyone know if this product will do that ? If not recommendations ? UPOL Raptor perhaps ?
Been a while since I updated this. Underside got treated with epoxy mastic 121 on ALL seams and welds, 2 coats of Lechlars Epoxy primer, seam sealed and then I decided to go with UPOL Raptor in the end for the underside. Great stuff. Bit pricey, but worth it I hope.
As an aside, how would one go about acquiring a workspace like that? Looks perfect! Great work on the car as well! Cheers!
Thanks guys. I have to take some more pics. The front panel is now on and I am about to prep for paint. Ya hoo !! Mark. I moved to this place 2 yrs ago, basically because of this space. I just got very lucky I guess. It's a double garage with a pit and a double apron outside all privately contained. I also built a single garage size workshop at the rear and knocked through. I absolutely love it. Cheers.
So, I got this dismounted from the Jig and back on the level. The Jig is For Sale, if anyone is interested. I don't need it any longer. Coated the boot area with 'Raptor', seam sealed and just one coat of Epoxy, so far. Fitted the front panel, which was a 2nd hand one, but was a newly fitted one (New 'old' style ones are unobtainium now and the newer style ones are over £1k and you then have to modify the centre nostrils to make it look like the older one !!), if that makes sense. Same for the passenger door, it is almost brand new, real bargain !! Still a lot to do on the front panel though, especially where it meets the wings at the top. This was originally brass brazed and leaded. I mig welded mine and leaded, followed by alu filler. I have now finished welding (I think !) and am moving onto the body/paint prep stage. Really nice feeling after nearly two years of ripping the car apart. I have decided it will be going back to it's original Granada Red. And a quick pic of project #2. Finally able to move it back inside, before it rots away like this one !!!
Done a bit more this weekend. Coated the internal floors with UPOL Raptor and paint stripped a few outer panels today, with a bit of help.
Most interesting project, and superb repairs. Great work. I had 2 of them back in the 1970's the were both L reg (1973s). The first one, for some reason, with me in it went completely upside down on the road, won't go into that as I escaped the law. 3 of us got it in a garage and jacked the roof back up, all 4 posts were bent. After a lot of pannel beating by a pro and new front and rear screen, the left dents in the roof were filled and a black vinyl cover put on. Complete respray, (Verona red) If I can find a photo of the finished job I will post it.
Is the Raptor a textured finish? It looks textured on the jig pics. I thought it was a smooth finish product developed for truck beds. Looks great though.
I have used it without any thinners so it is very textured. But you can thin it and even spray it, using a conventional gun for a smooth finish.
I have decided to declutter the main garage and give it a deep clean and minor conversion to a temp booth, prior to doing any more paint prep in there, so in the meantime. I decided to crack on with another job that's been lying on the bench staring at me. The brake calipers, worked fine, but just weren't shiny enough. So, I decided to rebuild them, totally. New seals, new pistons, new hydraulics and zinc plated in BZP. Finally got them reconstructed last night.
Quick update. Busy, busy, busy !!!! This project has now taken over my whole life !! Hahaha. It seems to be all I do at the moment, there is SO much to do. I want it in paint by Xmas, then maybe a short break from it. I have found a local bodyshop prepared to do the topcoat if I do all the primer coats and blocking. I decided the workshop needed a deep clean and paint before doing any more paint prep though. I also insulated and dry lined it and added an extraction fan and ducting. MUCH better. Any suggestions for a heater ? I was thinking of getting a small Propane space heater, but am open to a better suggestion. I'm not thinking for the paint, more for the future, working in there and storing a couple of old cars !!!
Some heating options: woodstove, waste oil heater, reverse cycle air conditioning, electric exchanger for central heating. https://www.heatraesadia.com/products/heating-and-ventilation/electric-flow-boilers/amptec.htm https://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/electric-boilers/?manufacturer=amptec
