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 My Red Special 
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Firing on two.

Joined: June 22nd, 2014, 8:09 pm
Posts: 1179
Location: Reading, Berks UK
Post Re: My Red Special
In total i did the windscreen surround, each B pillar, each complete sweep, and the tops of each door from the side trim upwards. As there were blisters where the water sits in the window opening. I'm learning, with a 2cv if you poke at a blister, even a small one, the metal is so thin theres probably a hole there. I rustproofed the surfaces from the inside with Dynax wax too.

My paint is badly dehydrated from using a diesel powered jet washer too hot and it fades after even one week in the sun. I thought doing these upper parts would make it look a lot better.

I've machine polished the remainder of the paint on all the panels I could bring indoors. Shiny! Also got my bonnet painted professionally - money well spent I expect, as he said the paint should be UV resistant and its been baked etc. It looked like a total bag of poo before even after polishing so I'm pleased with that. Example of door shinyness! Putting these back on the car made the rest of the bits that I hadn't done yet look really funny...

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And shiny bonnet.

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Also bought all new aluminium trim for the doors, a new vent flap metal strip (I put the one on there only a few years ago but it was really quite rusty behind - disappointed.) New rubber seal for the windscreen, new window clips.


Last edited by Ianredspecial on November 19th, 2016, 6:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.



November 19th, 2016, 1:35 pm
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Joined: March 5th, 2009, 6:23 pm
Posts: 2130
Location: Near Monmouth
Post Re: My Red Special
Need sunglasses ;)


November 19th, 2016, 1:46 pm
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Joined: June 22nd, 2014, 8:09 pm
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Location: Reading, Berks UK
Post Re: My Red Special
:)

Yesterday I put all the panels back on, polished the hell out of any other bits, changed the gearbox oil, new gearbox drain plug and filler plug cos mine seemed to be made of cheese. New bushes for the gear linkage, and declared it done. Yay.

Things I learned about painting as a total novice. With spray cans...

Filler might look nice but just wait until you put gloss on it. It will show even the tiniest imperfection! You would not believe how perfect it has to be to look even halfway ok once paint is on it. The sanding process is endless.

Cheap filler is shit! I used Chemical Metal as a filler to kind of sculpt new lips for the windscreen etc - it was ok and quite strong. But filler from the shops is shit. Body shop guy felt sorry for me and gave me some filler - i can't think of the name now. But it was more professional stuff and bloody hell, what a difference. It went on so smooth, and was so nice to sand! Bit of a game changer.

High build primer - omg this stuff is amazing. I used loads of coats of this, a 'UPOL' one, and it makes the surface silky smooth and ready for paint. (After more endless sanding.) Its like very fine filler as an undercoat, which you then sand to remove all the little imperfections you cant see until the gloss goes on. Totally transformed the surfaces.

Paint is so temperamental! the temperature of the room and panel makes a lot of difference. Summer is absolutely best. Mostly mine was ok with the use of a small electric heater, but i did get some mild blooming on my final coats due to humidity. Luckily it polished out easily, apparently it doesn't always.

Removal of contaminants. So important and hard. I used a lot of isopropyl alcohol. Also POR15 cleaner/degreaser. And still there were areas that seemed to have a small amount of wax on that will ruin all your work.

Practise is all you can do. Its so satisfying when you get just the right amount of paint on, from just the right distance, you can literally see it spreading into itself to form a lovely shine. But that only happens when you get it right. The rest of the time you could be too close, too far, not have shaken it enough, too much moisture in the air, blah blah etc.

I found with it being cold weather, warming the spray cans helped. But if you need to do this, I also found warming it too much gave an odd effect and I had to sand and do another coat.

Runs - nothing you can do but wait for it to dry and sand it down. Some people scrape with a razor blade apparently.

Masking - you have to get this right. i got a bit manic and didn't do some areas properly. I really regretted that.
For a start, if you don't get the edges exactly right, it looks like total crap. Secondly, if you get over spray its much more hassle to get off than masking it properly in the first place. And the paint can get everywhere!

I now have so much respect for people that can do this properly!


November 19th, 2016, 2:11 pm
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Firing on two.

Joined: June 22nd, 2014, 8:09 pm
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Location: Reading, Berks UK
Post Re: My Red Special
First wash and brush up since putting it back together. Very pleased with how it looks. Next up will be new wings, painted by the bodyshop if possible. I got a quote of £90 each if I paint the backsides.
It's fine as it is for now though. Now to angle to get some new wings for Xmas.....

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December 5th, 2016, 10:13 pm
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Firing on two.

Joined: June 22nd, 2014, 8:09 pm
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Location: Reading, Berks UK
Post Re: My Red Special
I just added up my parts invoices from the last year. Maybe I shouldn't have done, lol. A lot of this stuff is the kind of thing you only buy every 10 years or so - some I bought last around that time span & only because I might as well due to painting.

Anyway £561. Eeesh.


December 6th, 2016, 8:24 pm
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Post Re: My Red Special
I wish my parts invoices had been that small in past years!!!

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December 6th, 2016, 11:46 pm
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Joined: June 22nd, 2014, 8:09 pm
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Post Re: My Red Special
Well we do it for love... Or something :)


December 10th, 2016, 6:17 pm
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Joined: June 22nd, 2014, 8:09 pm
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Post Re: My Red Special
Ianredspecial wrote:
It's fine as it is for now though. Now to angle to get some new wings for Xmas.....


I actually got wings for Xmas :) Two rear ones. Cooool.

Now to decide what to paint the backsides with for the most durable result. Maybe epoxy mastic, I have some of that.
POR15 wont be durable enough there, I dont think the surface will be rough enough even if I rough it all up.


December 27th, 2016, 2:23 pm
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Joined: January 1st, 2009, 7:37 pm
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Post Re: My Red Special
Ianredspecial wrote:

I actually got wings for Xmas


Must be an angel. :lol:

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December 27th, 2016, 5:25 pm
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Firing on two.

Joined: June 22nd, 2014, 8:09 pm
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Location: Reading, Berks UK
Post Re: My Red Special
That must be it. Haha :)


December 27th, 2016, 8:25 pm
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