Conrad D. Conelrad

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

The decline of traditional media has caused so many problems. Last time I needed to mask up my car, I had to print out a load of Reddit posts. 

Old Sierras being masked up with copies of The Sunday Times rather than the Mirror demonstrate just how far these cars have risen.

Good news x2.
Neat paraffin removes overspray from plastics. I have cleaned up the front wheel arch liners that someone forgot to cover when respraying the Sierra.

Remember this?

I cleaned up the air filter housing cover and made a cardboard template of the area that needed covering up.

I then cut the lid off an Isopon P38 tin, the only black flexible plastic thing I had in the garage, into shape, fixed it into place with three self-tappers and, hey presto, job done.

The scratches were already there, presumably occurred during the previous repair.
Once re-installed where it belongs, nobody will ever know.

I think I'm winning.
 

I reckon most of the buyers did have a young hip, but the rest of them was old.

Another day spent in the garage but I am making good progress.
I started by coating the exposed areas along the nearside front and rear arches and along the sill.



I gave the spare wheel well and the fuel tank a lick of paint where surface corrosion had taken hold.

The windscreen posts looked nasty but turns out there was nothing to worry about.
Offside first, I scraped off the plebs to find completely solid metal underneath.

I lifted the windscreen seal with the plastic mixer that comes with P38 Isopon, which is ironic as the repair didn't need any filler.

I will sort out the cosmetics once the paint has fully dried.

Exactly the same situation on the other side.



I prepared and sprayed the black bulkhead panel that will soon be almost completely concealed by the battery.

Before removing the cam cover, I marked up the ignition leads. It took 30 seconds and could prevent an embarrassing situation come reassembly.
 
The cam and valve-gear look very clean.

Nothing to see here, certainly no sludge.

I degreased the cam cover with paraffin.

And painted the rusty bits with a high temp black gloss paint. Shame most of the cam cover will be covered up by the air filter housing.

Speaking of which, the air filter housing lid looks awful with this repair.

So I ripped it off. The repair patch was hiding a nasty hole.

Does anyone have one of these?


I put the paint and spray cans down and spent a bit of time tidying up the engine bay, specifically the inner wings and slam panel. The engine bay is remarkably free from rust. The more I look at this car, the more I believe that the mileage is genuine.

Take a look at the front wing to slam panel seams, they are factory fresh. I don't think this car has even been involved in a significant accident. 


I've ordered more aerosol blue paint and a king size bottle of T-Cut. You know what's coming next.
More next week.