project 1980 Austin Princess

[fordperv]

Wow you've been filled with mojo good going vulg at this rate this will be back on road in no time

[danthecapriman]

This is coming along well.

I don't worry much about cleaning welds back unless it's somewhere visible. Under the car, wheel arches, under carpets etc I just flat them off with a flap disc if access is ok.

Under the car once it's had a good coat of under seal and seam sealer you won't see it anyway. The main thing is the rust and crap is removed first!

 

I've got one of these aswell that helps a lot for tight spaces. http://www.tooled-up.com/product/black-decker-ka900e-powerfile-belt-sander-13-x-451mm-350w-240v/145396/brilliant little tool! Get a load of spare belts though as they can snag and rip easily!

[vulgalour]

Yep, that's the tool I want.

 

This weekend I plan fit and finish the following:

Custom parcel shelf

Centre consoles

Front seats

Custom dash panel

Front wing aerial

Radiomobile radio

Green boot lid

 

It's been a massive boost to see the car coming back together again.  I'm keeping myself motivated by clearing off the shelves and storage spaces and making the car whole again.  The problems feel niggly now rather than daunting and so much more manageable than they were.  The only issue I'm having is that when I'm sat working I'm thinking about what job I'm going to get finished on the car next which is quite distracting!

[stillOrange]

It will be brilliant! Good job!

[Felly Magic]

Keep us posted fella,  with Matt's Stellar being mobile once more, and this Princess getting pretty close to being useable transport once again, this place IS what it used to be

[Noel Tidybeard]

Wow you've been filled with mojos good going vulg at this rate this will be back on road in no time

* other chewy sweets are available

[purplebargeken]

I've had a couple of those B&D power files over the years and cannot recommend them highly enough. They are ace for dressing welds and stuff. The belts are not too bad as long as it's all adjusted properly. Silverline do decent quality ones and they seem to last well. That link is handy as the price quoted is cheaper than anywhere else I have seen.

[vulgalour]

Cracked on with a bit more on the Princess today. Left the good camera at home so had to make do with the camera on my phone instead.

First thing was to get the old boot lid off. On inspecting that there's clearly filler in it on the return lip which is starting to bubble and show rust. Had to remove the lock from it to swap into the boot lid I was putting on in its place as I haven't got a key for the replacement. This was fine but I'll have to go back and fettle some more as the return spring for the latch isn't located properly, a fiddly job that I lost patience with after fighting with it. Instead I cleaned off the flaking paint on the return lip and gave it a quick coat of satin black until I get the time to clean the boot lid up properly. It doesn't fit quite as well as the one that was on the car, this is pretty normal for Princesses, panel gaps are not their strong suit.


Then it was on to the interior again. I finished off wrapping the edges of the parcel shelf and locating the speaker pods. The bolts I found aren't quite right so I'll be going to the local fastenings place to find something better. Tried to remove the brown vinyl trim that goes behind the parcel shelf just under the window and it just shattered.


That did make putting the black vinyl trim in easier as it had come unglued from the metal trim that was still in the car, it just slots in place and is held down by surrounding trim items. Far tidier end result. With some shorter headed bolts to hold the speakers down the install will look very subtle. There's an oval speaker hole in the parcel shelf panel that may get a bass speaker at a later date.


Fought with the centre consoles and finally got them in place, such an awkward job but one that's easier with natural daylight and the seats out of the way. Then the seats went in front and back. Fitted the black head restraints I was given by a club member too, I was in two minds about it as I liked the look of the seats without, it's probably more sensible to have them fitted.




I've still got to make and fit some inner sill trims. I've also got to fit the A pillar trims which I just didn't get around to today. The front wing aerial got replaced with the one I took from the orange car, little bit of changing about of components to get it all to fit but no real hassle and I now have a complete aerial for when the radio is reinstalled. Everything in the cabin got dusted, seats and carpet need a vacuum to finish off the dusting and then everything will get some vinyl cleaner and whatnot to tidy it up. I found and fitted the missing window winder screw and found the missing treadplate. The treadplate will be fitted once I've finished cleaning up and painting the rear arch. Rear door seal is still missing, I'm still looking through boxes for it.

End of play I got the first fill on the rear wing repair. It will definitely need a second fill. Initial signs are good, I haven't needed to use as much filler as I was worried I would.


Did try to start the car but the battery hadn't got enough charge in it. Tomorrow I'm not sure what I'll be doing on the car, I might repair that front wing, I might clean up the sills, I've not decided. I might do nothing at all and stay at home, we shall see.

[Honey Badger]

The black interior looks superb, great combination with the wood dash.

 

Really impressive progress Vulg.

[vulgalour]

I'm not keeping the wood.  I've got a custom purple dash panel to go in that just needs three bits of trim and fixing putting on before I can fit it.  Before I do that though I've got to pull the dash and sort out the wiring modifications behind it for the old tape deck that was installed and anything else that's going to be amiss, there's at least one earth wire that isn't as it should be.

[ruffgeezer]

It's looking great, and I'm glad to see you back at it oh be-hatted one.

[vulgalour]

I'm beginning to get the old enthusiasm back for it.  Even today I was browsing purple paints and making a rough tally in my head of what it'll cost to go around the car a panel at a time and strip off that godawful respray that's blistering in all sorts of new places now.

[plasticvandan]

Great work,seeing that green bootlid just highlights how shit it looks in beige (in my opinion) also seems to show up every bit of rust,ffiller and dent.

[Grundig]

It's looking good Mr V 

 

@ rear speakers - could you use black self tappers & spire clips to fasten them in?

[vulgalour]

@plasticvandan:  I do hate the paint on the car.  That is to say, I have a certain affection for the shambolic appearance it has at the moment, but that the respray it was given in the past is hateful.  I'm not sure what they used, but the resprayed beige is the wrong colour, it's slightly greener or yellower than the original, depending on the light, and lifting all over the place.  It's a mess.  It really shows up the horrible bodge still in the car too, the more I sort the worse it looks by contrast.

 

@Grundig:  I could, and I might.  I think I saw some long black self tappers in stock and discounted them because of not knowing what to put on the other end, had totally forgotten about spire clips.

 

 

I do have a bodywork plan for the car now.  I've got some purple paint ordered for the lower half, and a can of correct beige for the top half for when I've stripped the appalling respray off.  I'll work around the car a panel at a time, repainting and repairing as I go.  I'll start on the driver's side as that needs the most work.  I'll repair the spare doors I've got and paint them off the car before swapping them over, all of my doors are in comparable condition, it's just that the spare ones have much less bodge in them so I can see what needs sorted out on them properly.

[Timewaster]

So it will end up beige over purple? Hmmmm....

[vulgalour]

Like this.  I've nearly finished this model, just at the fiddly bit of sticking chrome doodads on, this is an old picture.

 

 

Pretty much decided on that colour scheme after seeing this.

 

Couple that colour scheme with some lightly smoked side glass and the Lotus alloys and I reckon it'd look pretty smart.

[danthecapriman]

You've actually inspired me! Once the Mercury goes off to the classic specialists for its repairs the week after next I'm going to get the welder and grinder out and do the bonnet front edge on the Granada. I've not touched it for ages and been concentrating all efforts on the mechanical work on the Mercury.

Seeing your metalwork pics has got me in the mood for a bit myself! Time to get it done and stop putting it off!

 

I bet your wedge would look great in Ford purple velvet!

[vulgalour]

HOORAY!  And yes, Ford Purple Velvet all over would be amazing.  Sadly, I cannot achieve a not-stripey finish on large areas with aerosols and haven't the means or money to do it properly.  Besides, if I were going a sprayed-on professional finish we all know it would be black with purple metalflake all over.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

It would, frankly, look shit. Utter, steaming shit.

 

Go and get some Champagne beige arseosole cans mixed up at L'halfourds, prep it decently and get some fresh beige on the thing. Tidy, looks like a Princess bloody well should.

[vulgalour]

Nope.  It's my car, I'll do what I want with it.

[Timewaster]

I am slightly amused that the show car that inspired you couldn't look any less like a princess if it had tracks and a gun turret.

 

Not my taste but not my car. Go for it.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Crack on. The craftsmanship has been epic so far.

[vulgalour]

And that, other forums, is how you disagree without being cunts at one another.  

[greengartside]

I actually like it with the green bootlid, although purple over beige will look rather fetching. Interior is looking great now, the black suits it well. Excellent progress Mr. V.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Amusement value is all!

[Parky]

The colour scheme is Vulg trying to stick one to his neighbours by convincing them he is one of the best salesmen in the BL Empire ano therefore winning RESKEPT

[Timewaster]

Parky's pic is much more convincing than the coloured in Matchbox car.

[purplebargeken]

You could borrow my Apollo HVLP spray set up if you want. HVLP means feck all overspray too. Much better than cans mate.

 

Just a question of getting to you and back again although AS will no doubt overcome.

[Pillock]

I heard the idea, I thought it was a bit too far fetched.

I saw the hotrod picture, I loved it.

I saw the model car, I hated it.

I saw Parky's picture, I loved it.

I realised it doesn't matter if I like it or not.

 

I do like the way the purple stops short of the front arch in that pic, is that how it's happening? Is that a real car, a photoshop of yours (it looks silver), a brochure picture or what? I've not seen it before, apologies if that's the picture that started it all off