Jump to content

Coalnotdole's Scimitar - Machining work: Speedometer Drive Unit 12/4/19


coalnotdole

Recommended Posts

Great thread . This is going to be an amazing car when it’s all up and together . Do they have to use a special primer on the fibre glsss body?

 

Not really, most modern primers are compatible with fibreglass as its still pretty common on modern cars, typically used for single panels in shapes that would be awkward to make in steel, though sometimes used merely for cost / weight reasons. The Red 2K epoxy primer is made by Lechler can be filled, and is generally thought to have a very good reputation for sealing and bonding which is an advantage when dealing with a damaged shell like mine.

 

The next primer coats are of filler primer so as to help level out the imperfections. As the body got smoother the primer becomes a more standard high build primer.

 

The colour coat is made by Sikkens not sure which range offhand I left the ordering of that up to the painter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Great update, its looking good after all the work.

 

Are the bubbles from the backing laminate when someone has flatted through the gelcoat layer?

 

Yes some was from over zealous sanding ( a few spots were caused by me) most were probably damage from past resprays which had then gone over them agressively with filler primer. As I took thier primer filler off, they had revealed themselves. In places its possible that the Reliant gelcoat layer was a bit patchy and all the sanding the body had inadvertently undid some of the factories making good efforts meaning that it had to be done again!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have painted a few fibreglass cars over the years (I love spraying and all the prep work beforehand - my wife absolutely adored sanding and would spend hours sanding a panel until it was perfect) and there is always loads of sub surface blebs and holes in the gel coat. Scimitars used to be dreadful for it and the factory sprayed them with some stuff called 'spray filler' which was literally like body filler from a gun! That sure covered a multitude od sins...

 

One of my Scimitars I had sprayed by a pro (wish I hadn't) and was in a sort of metallic BRG and looked lovely so I am looking forward to seeing what colour you decide on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers for all the comments.

 

The colour choice came down to the fact that It appears the car has been red for 45 years (ever since it left the factory) as I've now had it 7 years I'm now used to looking for a red car in the car park!

One of my favourite specifications for GTE is highland purple with a black vinyl roof and webasto sunroof. If I'd painted the car purple there would have always been the regret that it did not have the webasto roof and there would have been a danger that at some point I'd decide to add one with all of the added cost / hassle that would involve!

 

In terms of Red I wanted a period looking shade, but for simplicity it made sense to find a modern colour that was a close match to the original rather than get something custom mixed. This should mean that any future retouching should be much simpler. I had a sample I'd chopped out of the door sill back when they were replaced in 2010 and went through a lot of different samples before finding one that was a close match to Reliant’s Mexican Red.

686.jpg

The new Colour is actually a current mini colour Chilli RED 851

Online colour charts are a rubbish way of comparing: but here's a swatch of Mexican Red:

695a.jpg

VS Chilli Red:

CBCP-851.jpg

Theres a list of 1970's relaint paint colours on this Australian website which helps a bit with side by side comparisons.

https://www.uniquecarsandparts.com.au/colour_swatch_reliant_1970

Here’s a few more pictures, I'm aware that the paint looks slightly different in some shots as my phone struggled with getting the white balance correct in the mix of natural and artificial light.


688.jpg

689.jpg

690.jpg

691.jpg

692.jpg

693.jpg

694.jpg

In terms of the quality of the paintjob I'm aware that the photos do flatter it a little the finish is good rather than concourse but that is reflected in the price.

The clearcoat is very thick which I think helps account for the depth of shine, there have been some issues with clearcoat inclusions in part caused by the need to have it air dry in a busy workshop. The majority of these came out during the wet and dry sanding on the clearcoat. There are a couple of areas that will require further attention / spot repair but generally I'm pleased with the final result. Its still not finished in terms of flatting back and polishing but its exciting to see it at this stage.

The paintshop should hopefully have the doors rehung and more of the polishing done by the middle of next week. With luck I should have the car back home by the end of the week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its a brilliant Vacum for garage use, I bought it at the car boot a few years ago and apart from a new filter I've not had to do anything much with it. I'm on the lookout for some ends for it if you ever come across any. The pole and all the attachements were missing when I got it and I really miss the crevice tool when doing the car carpets!

When I'm servicing I just tape some 22mm copper pipe to the end of my henry and flatten the end a bit with a hammer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...