Not updated for a while - N/S/F door was stripped back to the metal.

Then epoxy primed.

Didn't get back on it for a while due to the daily wheels needing some jobs doing on it.

 

Unexpectedly got an afternoon in the shed today. The offside front wing had all its exterior paint removed.

It had two thick layers of red on top of the factory paint, and was certainly a bit of a faff to remove, but the trusty poly abrasive discs got the job done. A wire wheel attachment on a drill sorted the tricky bits that couldn't be done with the disc.

After a good cleaning, the epoxy primer went on.

It got a good thick coating, and can now be put to one side until I start the filling, blocking and priming necessary to enable some colour to be splashed around. Just need to order some more paint so I can crack on with the other wing, doors and bonnet first. 

Love the build, any interest in these FOC  before they get thrown away? From my uncles old estate of similar vintage. Other than paint only one has any real damage

On 30/10/2020 at 15:09, setch said:

Love the build, any interest in these FOC  before they get thrown away? From my uncles old estate of similar vintage. Other than paint only one has any real damage

Cool - what would they cost to post?

A few more bits done recently.

Stripped the nearside front wing a bit at a time on my way home from work.

Surprisingly, this wing is completely dent free! It looked a bit wavy before stripping, but it must have just been the dodgy multiple resprays the wings were sporting.

Priming happened , and the next day the marks made by me catching it with the air line whilst spraying were blocked out with 240 grit wet and dry paper.

Both wings were then plonked on to the body to take up less space.

The nearside rear door was stripped over a few evenings.

Once stripped, a bit of distortion was detected around the rear part of where the trim strip sits.

It was beaten into a slightly better shape, then epoxy primed ready for further bodywork.

Getting a little repetitive, but just two more doors and the bonnet left to strip and prime.  🙆

Edited 14 November, 20205 yr by sleag40

PM sent about the hubcaps

More doors stripped -

A little Hydrate 80 required on the bottom corners.

And primed -

Final door stripped back -

And primed -

With all four doors stripped and primed now, theres just the bonnet and spoiler left to prepare for bodywork now. As the weather is set to be colder for the foreseeable,  I reckon now would be a good time to make a start stripping the paint off the tailgate spoiler. It has been painted over the factory finish, and there is crazing in certain places, so the only way to make it right again is to take it all off. 

I've tried a patch sanding the majority off then finishing up rubbing it with thinners on a cloth - it worked well, but was incredibly time consuming.  I'm gonna see if I can get hold of some decent paint stripper to try and speed it up a bit. 

As seems to be the norm, commercially available paint strippers don't have much effect on actual paint. Back to sanding and thinners it is then.

Using a scotch pad with the thinners sped the job up considerably  -

While the thinners was out, I made a start cleaning the inside of the bonnet.

And after several short sessions after work it was all back to the e-coat.

Just need to get some epoxy primer on there now, and it's all ready for the next stage.  🙂

Got the outside stripped a bit at a time as free time allowed. 

Second session. 

Nearly there.

Finally got some primer on it.

And the underside was done just before the weather got too cold.

Here ends the "bare metal and epoxy primer" chapter. The "filler, rubbing and dust" chapter will begin when the weather warms up at some point.  

Quality! Almost getting to the nice part oafter all that graft 🙂 

Not been at this for a few weeks for a variety of reasons. The most recent reason was the inability to get to the shed due to flooded roads. 

Got the tyres off - it's still too cold to do any body work stuff, and there  isn't a right lot left to do apart from that.

I had an exploratory session with power tools to ascertain the general condition, and was pleased by the face of the wheel.

The back was not quite as pleasing.

I duly got stuck in with the wire wheel stuff.

Not too bad at all - they're all very straight too. If I can afford it I'll get them all blasted and Powder coated. 

The back cleaned up pretty well.

Costs have dictated that POR15 will be used on these, just got to get the other two done and I can put the wire wheel stuff away. (Hopefully for considerable time!)

I'll probably have to paint these in the kitchen as it's a bit too cold in the shed!  

I had to paint the backs and barrels first.

 

 

 

Then finish off with the faces.

 

 

Looks like the weather is about to get a lot warmer this week, so I might be able to start getting the bodywork ready for paint soon.  

😎 almost a shame to put hubcaps on those!

Managed to get a bit done over the last couple of weeks. The bonnet has been filled and blocked, just a couple of small dents plus a bit of rust pitting over the offside headlight.

It also got a second layer of primer on it, and has been blocked again. Seen here part way through rubbing through a guide coat.

Two of the doors have been filled (car park door dings) and blocked. Waiting for it to warm up a bit so I can get another coat of epoxy primer on there to seal it - no idea when the paint job will be done so epoxy will prevent any moisture being absorbed while it all waits.

Hopefully more rubbing tomorrow.  

Most rubbing happened -drivers door had a couple of door dings addressed.

Passenger side rear door revealed a bit of damage after a few strokes of the block. I'd not noticed it when I stripped all the paint off, but it looks like its brushed against a gate post at some point. It's pretty superficial, but would have been noticeable once its shiny, so a little filler was applied before calling it a day.

Both rear doors got a bit more attention today, the nearside one with the damage needed a couple more light skims to get it properly straight.

Once filled, primed, guide coated and blocked again, it's ready for the paint bloke.

The offside one got a second coat of primer + guide coat, and was blocked again.

This one is now also ready for the paint bloke. 

Still loads to do before it can all be palmed off for blueness!

More stuff happened this weekend (boring stuff) Both front doors recieved what should hopefully be the last coat of epoxy primer.

 

Should get these blocked during the week after work.

The bonnet had what I also hope will be the last required coat of epoxy primer on Friday. Today I commenced the blocking -

Bit more blocking -

And a bit more (yawn)

I'd had enough for one day by now, and spent the rest of the afternoon driving my mk1.  

Front doors now finished up ready to paint.

Passenger side part way through blocking -

And ready for paint -

And drivers side after almost completing tha top half -

Still need to finish the centre line of the bonnet (mission) then next up will be the tailgate. 

Edited 1 April, 20215 yr by sleag40

Finally got round to finishing up the bonnet.

 

The tailgate got a good rub up followed by its second coat of epoxy primer. Only two little dents to fill on this, one next to the washer jet, and one next to the wiper spindle hole.

It then got a third coat.

Tailgate now blocked again ready for painting.

Part way through. 

And rubbed out (took a while!)

Made a start on the offside front wing, giving it a rub up and the first fill.

It's easily the worst panel to be tackled so far - I've identified 7 separate areas that require fettling, so it'll probably take a while! The other wing is close to perfect, so should be a breeze after this. 

It was given its second coat of epoxy primer before I scuttled off home.

More work has taken place on the slightly battered drivers side wing. A few light skims were applied before more blocking.

It was then hit with another coat of epoxy primer. 

Which was then blocked again, this time using a tin of Carmine red left over from my Astramax van for a guide coat. (Van was sold in 1999!)

Once it was blocked again, it then recieved a fourth coat of primer. (Yawn)

It looks pretty reasonable now, but still requires a little fettling in a couple of spots around the wheel arch. 

Drivers side wing now just a blocking away from being ready to paint.

The passenger side one is at the same stage.

The drivers side one was a bit of a pig - if I'd known how bad it was when I started work on it, I'd have probably bought a new one! While the paint hardens, I got started on the drivers side rear quarter - seen here part way through blocking back the first fill.

I suspect that these rear quarters are gonna be another big consumer of time - particularly this side - due to the previous bodge repairs involving the use of a hammer!