Post 33: Body Preparation 1

27th August 2018
Post 33: Body Preparation 1


After a couple of weeks discovering how to remove paint next thing is to attempt to fix the panels on to the car, sorting any issues, alignment before the car goes to the paint shop.


Have started with the front shroud.  Before fitting I thought it worth while putting a bit of paint on the underside as it would be impossible from this point onward as the shroud is a one time fix.

Adding the primer around the bonnet flange

After the painting - resting!

That should put a nice edge on the inside edge of the bonnet flange.  Fitting the shroud - forgot of course how it was attached - typical but after some goggling I managed to attach it, manly rivets to the bulkhead and screws/bolts elsewhere.

Shroud attached - 3/4 front view

Screws to the bulkhead x 5

Fixings to the inner wing - bolted

Couldn't resist dropping the bonnet on just to see what it looks like!

 With the shroud on I really need to fit the wings and doors to find out what and where it all went wrong! and to practice how to fit them because when they get painted I need to know how to do that without damaging the paint.  Another weekend followed and the wings/doors are fitted.

Right hand wing installed - no problems

Left hand wing & door fitted - lots of problems!

Fitting the wings was easy - I knew it would be but getting the doors to fit with the wings on, well that isn't as easy. For some reason beyond me the wings decided not to completely bottom out on the A-Posts both sides.  The result was that the door gap was, well poor to be honest but after discovering at least 2 techniques to move the wings forward I am thinking that it is almost there with a reasonable gap to between door and wing.  The problem is how to fit them when they are painted - going to go talk to the paintshop!

Not that far away from the paintshop now - another few weekends and we should be there - lets see, maybe the next update the car will be moved to the get his new top coat fitted - lets hope so.



Post 32: No Paint

5th August 2018
Post 32: No Paint!


After the Beaulieu expedition the next stage can begin and its one that I wasn't looking forward to, although in a way I am because it is getting closer to the painting stage.


How to get the paint off the panels?  we thought of a few ways, there was the heat gun - basically burn it off, then there was the chemical attack - using paint stripper, sanding with a grinder/orbital sander and finally scraping.  Which then is best?


First up - the chemical attack: Firstly, the weather here in the UK has been very hot, reminiscent of the summer of 1976, yes I can remember that one, which is not very helpful when you have to work hard to remove the paint!, My friend volunteered to start the process on the hottest day of the year so far.  How he managed to get anywhere I will never know but attack the front shroud he did.  See his efforts below.

Application of paint stripper

More paint stripper

Hard scrapping - lots of mess

End result - ready for final sanding and re-modelling

This all seemed a bit like harder than it should be really and creates lots of nasty chemical debris that you don't want to get every where - and it does. so we tried the heat gun on the boot - not the shrouds as they are alloy!


No pictures here but the heat gun wasn't that successful either - yes it got the paint of but it was slow and the panel very hot.  Also there was some funny paint beneath the top coat that had the occasion to set fire!
Sanding with the angle grinder is very noisy of-course, works yes but not too happy using it for the whole of the panel areas - it too creates lots of dust.


Scraping then, without the application of the paint stripper seemed to be the quickest way forward, with the angle grinder in difficult places.  Final surface sanding with the orbital sander after scrapping - the results then. .

The bonnet - first few minutes of plain scraping

After about 30-40 minutes

Wings half scraped

Finished wing - coated in metal prep to stop rust forming

Boot lid

All panels scrapped and ready for fitment work starting next weekend - looking forward to that because apart from progressing on to the next step, scrapping panels clear of paint isn't my idea of fun!