Losing my mojo....

[Bren]

I have started painting my sd1 - I am using halford's finest gloss black, easier to apply and touch up than base / lacquer.

 

The paint is very good, more than can be said for the idiot applying it.

 

It has gone on very well with a nice shine even before wet sanding / cutting and polishing, however my prep has not been very good to say the least.

 

The gloss paint has showed up all the scratches on the old paint - so much so I will have to start again.

 

To be honest I am beginning to lose my mojo for the car now - I said if it was'nt on the road by this August I would dispose of it - I have had it three and a half years now. I am conscious that I should be tending to my gardens etc now at this time of year, I cannot even begin to quantify how many hours I have spent on the car.

 

Even if I could afford a professional job I wouldn't spend that kind of money on an SD1- they simply don't make enough to justify going to that kind of expense.

 

I will think about it while I am doing my night shift....

[Sigmund Fraud]

The gloss paint has showed up all the scratches on the old paint - so much so I will have to start again.

 

Nonsense ! This is Autoshite : as long as the paint is thick enough to slow the tinworm down, it's good enough.

 

Going round in circles, re-doing the same jobs will burn you out. Finish the respray, get the car road legal and I guarantee that your SD1 mojo will return bigtime !

[danthecapriman]

Thats what id do too.

Sod what it looks like, just get the thing solid, get some paint on it to stop the rot and then mot it. Just spend the summer running it and im sure youll find more enthusiasm for it later on. Maybe to redo a few bits or even save up and get the paint done properly.

[Skizzer]

Wot they said.  Keep the faith brother - the door bottoms and all the other rusty bits of mine have all been hit with Vactan and a rattle can, and it looks just dandy as it is.

[mercrocker]

All the above....My Cowley is coming home next week after the second phase of getting it back on the road.  It still has not had one atom of paint topside and looks like it was dug up.   Now it owes me some road-time and I owe myself the realisation of why I wanted it in the first place.   I probably should be doing some gardening as well but somehow that car/house balance eases out over the summer so long as I don't let it get on top of me mentally.   Paint needs polish, patina and plain tattiness don't!    

[eddyramrod]

What they said.  Have some fun with it this year, as long as it doesn't look like a pikey's reject you will fall in love all over again.  You can paint it again later if you really want to.

[mouseflakes]

Yup - as said above.

 

I had 8 years running my R10 like this.

 

 

Much more fun than 8 years prepping and painting.

[danthecapriman]

I spent several months welding and fettling my Granada. Once that was sorted I got it mot'd and have been smoking about in it for the last 3 years.

 

Its got rusty back arches, rusty bonnet with gaffer tape covering the sharp edges, dent in rear door, about 5 different shades of blue paint, missing trim, rusted chrome bumpers and peeling lacquer all over the roof, the sunroof seal is held in with superglue... I could go on! The point is its solid, reliable, safe and great fun to drive about! The other stuff will come later when I have the time.

[Timewaster]

Didn't we discuss this once before when we decided that a shonky paint job with runs, orange peel, dust and a flat finish would be the most factory authentic restoration possible.

 

Don't forget the fag ends behind the door panels and the half eaten sandwich in the spare wheel well for the ultimate BL authenticity.

 

Get out there, get it painted, get it driven

[fordperv]

Keep the faith bud my mk1 sierra has been off road for 11 years now I gave up on it for a fair few of those i regret it now

[mat_the_cat]

I lost my mojo for several years with the Stellar as the idea of getting it on the road just seemed so distant and unattainable.It was only once I got back into it and readjusted my aims (i.e. solid and functionally OK, not flawlessly finished) that I got my enthusiasm back. My logic is that a perfect job will take a hell of a lot of looking after, and actually (for me) detract from the enjoyment of the car. So I plan to get it mobile and usable, whilst gradually improving the areas that need it.

[purplebargeken]

Take off the big girl pants, slap some paint on the bits you ain't yet done and get driving it. Man up!!!!       

 

Besides, having such a beast on the road will give you billions of autoshite points which can be redeemed at a forum near you at any point in time. 

[Mr Livered]

Yup - it's all been said above. Your mojo will come back pretty soon once you're driving the car, and cosmetics can come later.

[nigel bickle]

First job I always do on a refurb is to getting the engine running. A dead car is a true pain in the ass.

 

Second job is to get it solid, then safe (brakes steering etc) so I can move it around, fairly happy that it will start, stop, turn on demand -even if left for several months.

 

Third job is to legalise it -when wanted.

 

Finally -and only then do I even consider paint. Pretty comes way down the line for me. Red oxide is just fine, for now.

 

Get it legal, reliable & fun and your mojo will come flooding back.

[ruffgeezer]

Just going to leave this here;

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2bI02PIp88

 

 

[purplebargeken]

Have seen worse! Hate to see him do the whole car though, he'd be in hospital halfway through.

[Bren]

Was looking on YouTube - there is a guy in Romania showing how to do bodywork.

 

He puts filler over rust and expanding foam on his Dacia.

 

It is car crashingley bad - however you have to keep watching. An eastern European autoshite.

[ruffgeezer]

Have seen worse! Hate to see him do the whole car though, he'd be in hospital halfway through.

 

Nawh, just have some baked beans and attach it t'other end, mind you, it might end up a bit speckled that way...

[mercrocker]

I thought Iron Curtain was a political term, now I see it just refers to paint techniques.   Maybe he wanted a factory finish, too!

[danthecapriman]

That video! Brilliant!

Imagine breathing in by accident!