How I spent my Sunday...

[r.welfare]

8am.

 

10am - bonnets swapped, wings a go-go.

 

1pm (note date change on photo - camera 12hrs behind!) - wings, bonnets and bumpers done - wheel swaps in progress. About this time, some Irish tinker in a Transit pickup pulled up and asked if I wanted to scrap 'em both

 

3pm - swapping driver's seats. 1hr "wasted" after bodywork fitup when I noticed the new one had air trunking not connected properly (still hasn't quelled the noisy turbo whistle though), plus radiator top hose found under the rad, rather than clipped onto the underside of the slam panel where it should be. Haynes Book of Lies handily omits to mention half the seat bolts, or the fact you need to remove the seatbelt from the seat base.

 

4pm. Done. The original one (on left) now looks a million times better with matching paintwork on the front panels (compare the finish of the nearside wings - although the "new" one is still a bit tight against the door though, legacy of the crash), alloys and mint driver's seat. New one ready for new handbrake cables (both snapped through - hence the wheelchocks!) and rocker cover gasket (see oil drips just under bumper) - but that can wait for another day.

 

Sunburnt, knackered, but happy.

[andrew e]

Constuctively spent I'd say. I would also say showing the missus this post still won't help your cause

[r.welfare]

I gave her a lift in the "new" one to her mother's where I am storing it (and swapped the saloon out of the garage I rent there) - she thinks it's OK! Doesn't like the air freshener scent though - smells like brake fluid to me (DOT4 I believe).

[mk2_craig]

Nice work. Your challenge now is presumably to cash in the handbrakeless one for more than it cost you

[Twiggy]

A credit to you sir ! And those front seats are an absolute sod to get out, took me a whole day to do it on mine.

[r.welfare]

Nice work. Your challenge now is presumably to cash in the handbrakeless one for more than it cost you

No no - the challenge is to change the handbrake cables myself. Haynes BoL quotes "three spanners", which obv. means you need the strength of Charles Atlas, but the physical dimensions of Gary Coleman. Ho hum. I'm going to keep the bugger...Twiggy - yes, the bolts are a pain. If you have Torx bits though, and jiggle around with the seat height adjustment as you go, it becomes easier!

[Milford Cubicle]

Good work mr. welf', looks a lot better now.The whole front end of my Scorpio is painted flat like that (may be a legacy of its "serious crash repairs" mentioned in the V5), but it just gives me even more of an excuse to treat it like shit.Are you going to keep the other one for spares?

[r.welfare]

Yes. Spares/emergency use if anything happens to the other two. S'pose I could just swap the number plates around from time to time :wink:I will say that there is a reason why decent paint sprayers charge a fortune, 'cos it ain't easy to come up with a factory finish these days. Everything I do turns out a bit orangepeely. Of course, I could sand the topcoat with 30000000grit paper, but then you can only do that if it dries, and if it dries then the lacquer won't stick to it.The roof paint of the new Hunter is completely farked (down to the primer), I think I'm going to find some colour-matched emulsion then roller it.

[mk2_craig]

Set a trend Mr Welfare. The much-maligned vinyl roof had some good qualities

[Rocket88]

Yes. Spares/emergency use if anything happens to the other two. S'pose I could just swap the number plates around from time to time :wink:I will say that there is a reason why decent paint sprayers charge a fortune, 'cos it ain't easy to come up with a factory finish these days. Everything I do turns out a bit orangepeely. Of course, I could sand the topcoat with 30000000grit paper, but then you can only do that if it dries, and if it dries then the lacquer won't stick to it.The roof paint of the new Hunter is completely farked (down to the primer), I think I'm going to find some colour-matched emulsion then roller it.

brush on Hammerite [non smooth] the original fake vinyl roof. Black stonechip gives much the same effect......

[r.welfare]

Hmm...vinyl roof....will need some thought as to how to cut it around the roof rails, but I like the idea...

[retrogeezer]

I will say that there is a reason why decent paint sprayers charge a fortune, 'cos it ain't easy to come up with a factory finish these days.

I'd blame the tools if I were you!!

[r.welfare]

Should have offered you petrol money plus all the tea and cakes you could consume to have done it for me