Jump to content

Polar White and Rust - a restoration epic, can it even be done?


IanMc
 Share

Recommended Posts

I have spent a bit of time this afternoon messing around with the front indicator housings and bulb holder assembly.

As you can see the rubber weather boots were shot to bit, so they had to go unfortunately. After a bit of a clean up I decided to try to weatherproof the parts as best as I could with what I had - which wasn't very much  :lol:

So with a combination of electrical heat shrink, rubber matting, insulation tape and super glue, this is what I came up with:

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

After that I thought  would paint the housings to match the 'mouth' of the car i.e. in Satin Black.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its a glorious sunny day here in Braintree, so I decided to get up and about and crack on.

I am now into final sanding prior to primer.After starting at the boot lid and working my was down the entire (UK) passenger side, WE HAVE THIS:

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

All tiny runs and/or 'orange peel' is now gone, but as you can see some very, very small areas needed some stopper filler. I will probably sand that back tomorrow evening now.

After the last fiasco, I am determined to try to make this paint job as good as I can at home with my limited expertise, experience and budget. Fingers crossed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A bit more done this afternoon on the Cav's 'mouth'.

Firstly I unwrapped it following yesterdays spray job. There is a little bit of 'bleed' under the masking tape, but as I will have to mask it up in the opposite direction when I do the White again, I'm not bothered by that.

There is a tiny amount of remedial work to do on the right hand end, where the lower valance meets the wing, so a tiny bit of filler has been added here. Small details I know, but these things are now staring me in the face so I am going to deal with them...

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

 

ps - Aha, so that's where I left my glasses!!    :lol:

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ian you're putting me to shame more and more. looks really good and inspires me to look at the rear of mine again. Do you have a correct paint colour for the black on the rear where the Vauxhall letters are. I was trying to match a satin gloss to do mine. Andy

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 minutes ago, Maseflight said:

Ian you're putting me to shame more and more. looks really good and inspires me to look at the rear of mine again. Do you have a correct paint colour for the black on the rear where the Vauxhall letters are. I was trying to match a satin gloss to do mine. Andy

 

Hi mate,

No idea of the correct paint code, I just bought the first large tin of Satin Black I could find. I probably bought it from Halfords...

ps I don’t honestly think that anyone has anything to fear with the standard of this restoration lol

Edited by IanMc
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last littler bit for this weekend.

I sanded down that little bit at the wing end of the front valance:

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Then finish sanded the boot lid, so that's now ready for primer. You can probably just make out the pink stopper filler that is now making the panel nice and flat again:

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A small update this evening.

1) Sanded the OSF wing in preparation for priming.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

2) Final sanded a couple of small areas on the NSF wing that applied stopper filler to yesterday.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

My aim for the weekday evenings is to sand the OS and the roof in preparation for application of the primer next weekend - fingers crossed.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The last two evenings have been spent flatting out the old 'new' paint in preparation for (hopefully) some primer this weekend.

So, the OS is now all done:

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Now all that remains is the roof and the two parts of the front spoiler - with any luck I can get all of those done tomorrow:

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tonight was Archery night, but I did manage to get a bit done when I got home:

1) Blew off a ton of sanding dust with my airline.

2) Removed the aerial from the OSR wing.

3) Ran around the car with some tack clothes.

Tomorrow morning, I will start to mask up again. 👍

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Wayne, good idea, but sadly a little too late - thanks anyway.

 

This afternoon I have applied the first coat of White primer. There is something about the Matt finish of primer that gets me every time, I just love it  :lol:

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

At least one more more coat is required...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Primer coat number two is now on - which barely looks any different to the first coat in my opinion  :lol:

So, more to go - hopefully only one though as I am getting bored of that... I must hold myself back and be patient though!

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Have a good Fathers day everyone.  :thumbup

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think one more coat of primer on the areas that I haven’t reworked will be enough, but it will need two more on the ‘bad’ areas.

Once that is done (hopefully Mon or Tue), I can start flatting that back and preparing for the top coat again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This evenings entertainment was wet sanding the whole car with 400 grit wet and dry paper. The idea was of course to flat off the first two coats of White primer.

The results seem pretty good, so tomorrow I will go over the whole thing to clean away any residue that my wash didn't remove and then look to mask it back up again for primer coats three and four.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

Project images are available to Club Members Only, Click to become an OMOC Member.

 

I love the last photo, its given me the motivation to try to keep 'doing it properly'.

Have a nice evening everyone.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Nivlek2525 said:

Ian, this is really starting to look great. Well done.

Thank you kind Sir, much appreciated.

The tough decision I took on holiday, basically put me back almost 3 months - but I’m really glad I decided to do it 👍

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Spent last night going through this build page by page, very impressed with what you've achieved Ian

Ive sprayed a few cars in the past, cellulose in my day, not done it for years though ! very much DIY in the garage like yourself and learning as I went.

My technique was after wet flatting the primer lay on 2 or 3 coats of top as thick as you dare, try not to get runs and not worry too much about orange peel, once dry wet flat the whole car with 1200/1500 ( for the runs ! ), 2000, 3000 grit and fairy liquid being very careful on the corners and Swage lines, carry on until all the paint is perfectly flat ( basically back to a full semi matt finish ) then machine polish with decreasing grades of rubbing compound. Then wax

Probably teaching you to suck eggs and the paint experts will tell me I was doing it all wrong, takes a lot of time but the end result is a rewarding and impressive mirror finish !

Cant wait to see the end result, keep up the good work.

Iain    

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Ian, congratulations with the birthday of your son. End of this month our son has his birthday also, he will be 19 then. Time goes fast...

You are doing just great with the Cav, 

Grts, Herman

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...