|
|
|
Jul 15, 2016 16:44:12 GMT
|
Progress is being made once again. I had two weeks off work. The first was spent in a rather nice hotel in Croatia, snorkelling by day and drinking cocktails by night. Once back in the UK i got straight back into the garage and working on the underside of the car. I have spent more time than i care to remember sanding, grinding and degreasing the floor. But its worth it, as it came out shiny, clean and ready for some epoxy primer.  All masked up along the sills and arches.   I decided to brush paint the Jotun 87. This was for several reasons. Jotun 87 is meant for airless spraying and although you can thin it for spraying with a diy compressor, it isnt recommended. Reason number 2...spraying is messy and i didnt want to have to remove everything from the garage. Ill be spraying the gravitex, but I'm hoping that being heavier and thicker it wont get atomised and dispersed quite as bad. Reason 3... by brush painting i can make sure i get the paint into every nook and cranny. Hard to do with a spray gun. According to the data sheet, once the two parts are mixed, the paint has about a 2 hour pot life. I found it started to thicken up after about 20 - 30 minutes making brush painting a bit harder. I bought a large number of 0.6 litre mixing cups off ebay and found that by mixing around 0.5 litres worth at one time gave me a about 15 minutes painting before it got too thick or i got a stiff arm.   The first coat went on fine and ive started a second coat under once of the wheel arches. I have given the second coat a stipple like finish and I'm hoping that will help the seam sealer and Gravitex something to hold onto.  |
| |
|
|
|
|
sal
Part of things
Mk2 Cavalier CD
Posts: 240
|
|
Jul 16, 2016 18:08:20 GMT
|
|
Looking very good underneath there. The gravitex isn't too messy and is easy to spray. I used to brush it on for the very reasons that you mentioned but it's really not too bad to spray and gives a decent finish.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 16, 2016 18:30:02 GMT
|
Good to hear. Tomorrow is the big day! I'm a bit ahead of schedule, as due to the hot weather the epoxy is going off very hard and fast. So i managed to do the second coat and seam sealing finished today. Originally i thought i would have to overcoat the seam sealer with epoxy before the Gravitex, but reading on the net it appears unnecessary. That's good as i thought i would have to pop back over to the garage after work to do the Gravitex in the evenings. Fingers crossed i can get it all done tomorrow. Epoxy all done  Masked up and seam sealed  One minor hiccup today was fitting the floor bungs. These are basically paint pot lids that are fitted into the floors, 4 in the cabin and 3 in the boot. I think they were access holes for the spot welder tools on the production line. For some reason i only bought 6 instead of 7. Not wanting to delay painting i went through my collection of random paint tins and found one the correct diameter. Primed and fitted looks perfect! The donor tin lid  In place  |
| |
|
|
logicaluk
Posted a lot
Every days a school day round here
Posts: 1,373
|
|
Jul 16, 2016 18:57:10 GMT
|
|
Well done jim thats a lot of car to strip, mines much smaller and I'm finding it hard going but like you I'm chipping away at it.
Thanks for the inspiration.
Dan
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 16, 2016 19:09:37 GMT
|
|
So much nicer to do this job with a rotisserie, rather than crawling around underneath. Impeccable quality of workmanship as usual!
|
| |
1993 Toyota Hilux 2.4 Diesel 4x4 Manual
1996 Toyota Hilux Surf 2.7 Petrol 4x4 Manual
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 17, 2016 14:29:12 GMT
|
The rotisserie has been invaluable. I cant imaging attempting this without one. Glad i built it. I woke up full of optimism that i could get on and spray the Gravitex... but then i remembered that ive never painted anything before using a gun and compressor! Well how hard could it be? The instructions on the Gravitex said to have it set at 50 psi to acheive an orange peel finish. I turned the compressor on and it pumped up to 110psi. So i fiddled with the knob and no difference. I plugged the spray gun in, along with its inline filter and pressure gauge. With the trigger pulled i was getting 30 psi at the gun. Further fiddling with the various knobs and i couldnt get the pressure to change at all. Balls i thought. Anyway i decided to try spraying some Gravitex on an old sheet of wood and see what it came out like. I found that actually it worked pretty well, and that by changing how far i held the gun from the surface i could get orange peel texture or relatively smooth finish as desired. So i just jumped in and got on with it. A couple or hours later it was done and i am a very happy bunny indeed! My compressor that i got off ebay  The gun that i used which came with the Gravitex. The inline pressure gauge and filter i bough seperately.  The finished result     Toys all packed away again and back to work tomorrow   Here are some photos of how the car was before!       |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 18, 2016 19:20:55 GMT
|
|
it doesnt look like your compressor has a regulator, which might be half the problem? well the red knob by the Y split looks like it is one, but theres no gauge so not sure how you are supposed to set it.
anyway, irrelevant as the product is on now and looks good !!
|
| |
|
|
eternaloptimist
Posted a lot
Too many projects, not enough time or space...
Posts: 2,578
|
|
Jul 18, 2016 20:31:41 GMT
|
|
Love the before and after pics. You've done a brilliant job.
|
| |
XC70, VW split screen crew cab, Standard Ten
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Yeah the red knob on the compressor did have a gauge but the dial face is broken. It didn't seem to matter how I turned it, it made no difference to the pressure I was getting on the dial at the gun. More experimentation needed I think.
Thanks for the comments. Now I just need to do the top side!
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 19, 2016 12:45:23 GMT
|
|
is there a knurled collar tucked behind the gauge on the gun? just thinking out load, they sometimes have their own regulator !
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 19, 2016 15:28:49 GMT
|
|
Yeah there is. I played with the one on the gun and the one on the compressor and the size of the air hose, but I could never get it above 30 psi. If I screwed the knobs all the way then the air just went off! Next time I'm in the garage I'm going to try it all again (just not with any paint).
|
| |
|
|
eurogranada
Europe
To tinker or not to tinker, that is the question...
Posts: 2,556
|
|
|
|
|
Stunning work so far! I really like the before/after comparison as a tribute to your perseverence and skill!
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 20, 2016 19:09:31 GMT
|
|
Absolutely terrific work - can't wait to see it finished!
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 20, 2016 20:22:13 GMT
|
|
That's an incredible amount of dedication, i'd have been tempted to paint it in body colour just to show off the metalwork!
|
| |
|
|
gt
Part of things
Posts: 136
|
|
Jul 20, 2016 22:55:38 GMT
|
|
amazing job you wouldn't think it was the same shell.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thanks chaps. Yesterday i started looking at the axle and suspension. I laid it all out on the floor and then went through all of the parts i have collected over the years. It turns out that being a bit of a hoarder and having a happy ebay trigger finger has meant that i have quite a lot of what i need already. In fact i had two complete new trailing are and watts linkage kits.  After that i began breaking up the rear axle.   A common issue with sd1 rear axles is rusting of the trailing arm mounts. The receivers for the trailing arm bushes rot and disintegrate. Sure enough that had happend on mine. Good thing was i had bought some repair washers second hand (but new) off ebay. Rimmerbros want £12 each for these plus VAT. I think i got all 4 for £12 posted. Result. So i plug welded them on. Nice.    I am still undecided as to how far to go on the rear axle. I took the rear cover off and cannot see anything wrong with the CROWNwheel or pinion. I cant feel and play at the wheel bearings, and there is only a tiny weep from the pinion oil seal. I'm not 100% yet but i may just clean the axle up and stuff it back in. Then if a problem manifests itself once the car is complete, ill pull it out and get it properly rebuilt? |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 26, 2016 14:43:21 GMT
|
|
the satisfying scorch of welded new steel !
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 26, 2016 14:53:11 GMT
|
|
my experience with diffs is if they seem fine leave them well alone, unless you are prepared to use all new parts even after a pro re-build they can still whine, I would just change the seals and gaskets and put it back together.
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 26, 2016 19:20:32 GMT
|
"may have been used in the bill" not really into my squad car history but were 1978 sd1 still in service in 84 ? granadas/ senators i would have thought ? mk2 vitesse at a push No, a 1984 car wouldn't still have been in service by then. They were still generally running to a 3 year service life at that time. The Vitesse lasted longer with the Met as they stockpiled them when they found out they were going to be discontinuing the SD1. Like the Met, I'm pretty sure Lancashire moved to the Rover 827 as their main traffic car, although I can't be 100%. The car on eBay was apparently a nice original 2600 auto before it was turned into a replica. It was used on the ITV mini drama Code of a Killer I think, but nothing else. |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul 26, 2016 19:30:41 GMT
|
Hi Jim Just been catching up with your resto, and it looks superb!! The car will certainly be better than new once done. I've recently bought my own to sit with my GMP Capri (although funds dictate there may only be room for one.......), a nice 1979 3500 auto with 34,000 miles on the clock. Rather chuffed with it as it's a bit of a timewarp car, especially inside, even having it's original radio. I'd forgot how refined these cars really were/are, BL missed a real trick with these. Looking forward to seeing more of your progress soon. Just out of interest, how have you got on with the emergency equipment?   |
| |
|
|
