project 1980 Austin Princess

[PhilA]

I like the way it cuts into the swage tbh, it echoes and accentuates (in reverse) the line down the side of the car.

 

Very Space 1999, which is rather what the styling of this car reminds me of to begin with. In a very kitsch, it-would-be-funny-but-look-horrible kind of way I'm sad that the rear lights aren't BL plugholes.

 

Keeping an eye on this with interest

 

 

--Phil

[vulgalour]

I've been trying to figure out how best to apply a plughole logo to the indicator lens, it's the perfect spot for it.  Ideas?

[PhilA]

Thinking like BL of the seventies.. Probably brushed stamped aluminum, attached with that funny yellowish flat adhesive paper stuff.

 

That way one would fall off at some point leaving some residue that would slowly turn black, this keeping the harmonics off the universe in balance.

 

Cheaper option, get a couple cut by a sign shop in stick-on vinyl.

[Ghosty]

I looked at the photo of the BM light in the Viva hole and the circle bisected by the gap looked great. I had an idea in my head that saw a Viva light in its hole with the BMW light incorporated. I think just Viva lights wouldn't have been enough though.

Two 2002 lights each side will look just awesome.

 

[KruJoe]

Aye, I was gonna ask - If you get carried away, is there space for another pair just inboard of these ones?

 

[trigger]

I'm going to start calling you Leepu.

[vulgalour]

Harsh.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I'm pretty good at filler work, I just don't enjoy it, especially when I'm on a bit of a deadline to get it done.  Doing the filler work at home in my own time over a few evenings would be preferable to sitting and slogging away at it during the day for several hours.  I have a habit of under-filling rather than over-filling because I hate hand sanding so I always try and get as close to the final profile as possible to reduce the amount of sanding I have to do.  One more pass with the filler this weekend and a few hours with the sanding block and it'll be done, no bother.

 

 

I'm not paying someone else to do it, why would I, of all people, do that?

 

Okay.

[Timewaster]

I can't decide if I like it or hate it.

 

I think this makes it a good thing.

[vulgalour]

It has been a very long day.  Happily I have met the deadline for getting the Princess' bodywork weatherproof enough for her to go outside ready for the deep clean of the unit next week.  The front wing filling went quite well.  Took this picture while the beige was still wet.

 

The back corner took forever to get how I wanted it.  There's still more work needed but that can wait.  It's smart enough that I wouldn't be ashamed for people to see it in public, I can finesse it more when I've got more time.  There just aren't enough paint and filler friendly hours in the day temperature wise at the moment.  Again, the paint was still wet when I took this picture.

 

My arms and back ache something chronic from all that hand sanding and helping Mike re-bush the Rover's rear lower arms.  I'm just happy I've got to this point, things are really looking up for the old boat.  I may go in tomorrow to see if I can get to the bottom of the running problem or I might just sit at home and drink tea all day.

[Uncle Jimmy]

It's 30 years since I went in a princess.

Aye, tell me about it.

[Ghosty]

Looking at your photo I did a little potatochop, mainly of the purple but I added a light hole and an exhaust for some reason.

Also removed the green from the bootlid so as not to distract.

 

 

[Guest bangerfan101]

That's tescos in seacroft. Bobbed a bird over the bonnet of a fiat uno about 3 spaces from there

[vulgalour]

@Ghosty:  Cheers  That's pretty much what's in my head.

 

@bangerfan: er... what?

[purplebargeken]

He had sexual happenings with a lady friend whilst located on the bonnet of a Fiat Uno rather close to that actual location.

 

Which Uno!

[purplebargeken]

The two tone looks ok, but entirely purple would look bloody brilliant. 

[Timewaster]

Is he still talking about going in a princess?

We all know of one that was F***** following an encounter with an uno.

[LC Torana]

He had sexual happenings with a lady friend whilst located on the bonnet of a Fiat Uno rather close to that actual location.

 

What location?  The inside of Angyl's garage?

[cms206]

Ghosty is right... quad tail lights would be betterer.

 

Otherwise looking GR12 Angyl.

[PhilA]

2 rear lights, base model. At what trim spec do we get 4 rear lights?

 

--Phil

[vulgalour]

Well let's do this the BL way.

 

L - base spec, two light buckets per side but only one light per side, no fog light, body colour blanking plates.

HL - mid range, two lights per side, no fog light, body colour with the thinnest, sharpest ring of shiny metal to trim the aperture.

HLS - top range, two lights per side, built in fog lights, rust trap chrome bucket trims, overwrought aperture trim ring, optional flocked boot lining that chafes/disconnects wires if fitted

Vanden Plas - As per HLS but with VP monogram between the two light units and an additional overwrought trim panel that goes on over the HLS trim ring.  Flush fit glass insert that fogs up as soon as you turn the lights on, that lets water in but doesn't let any out unless it's going into the boot where it rots out the floor and corrodes all earth points.

[overrun]

 

I'm seeing double!

[DeeJay]

 

 

One each side.

[Inspector Morose]

 

 

[Parky]

Am sure I had a toy version of that multi lighted Aston / princess thing!

[vulgalour]

Princess now outside in the daylight for the first time in many, many months.  Not too shabby really.  On this side there's really just that front wing to repair so I can relocate the centre bar properly.

 

We used the inners that fell out of the Rover's old trailing arm bushes to wedge between the upper arm and bumpstop to make the suspension a bit more level.  That made towing the Princess out of the unit much, much easier and the 38psi in the dead tyres made pushing it the last yard or three a doddle.  Not too shabby really, all things considered.

 

In the harsh half-light of afternoon it does look tolerably okay.  I'm quite pleased.

 

Here she is with the rest of the fleet.  Chompy's Daihatsu Applause, my daily Rover and the bundled up 6TL.

 

 

The reason for going outside is so the unit can be deep cleaned and sorted out.  Chompy and I will try and get to the bottom of the not-starting problem the Princess developed before going into the unit and see if we can get her running reliably again.  Then, she'll go in under her own power to have a job done and come out under her own power so we don't hog all the space in the unit for so long again.  I doubt any of the work that needs doing now is going to spiral out of control like the floor repairs did and the biggest bit of welding needed is the one outer sill replacement.

[purplebargeken]

The front end is looking rather good. Better than I thought it did earlier in the thread tbh. Hat off to you. 

[vulgalour]

Trust* me, I know* what I'm doing.

[vulgalour]

Worked out the running issue is a total lack of spark.  I'm going to say this is probably the condensor as the symptoms were quite similar to how the last one failed and they're an astonishingly cheap part.

[fordperv]

They are cheap for a reason, this is looking great vulg keep up the good work