Cavalier mk2 - another blue giffermobile.

[bezzabsa]

25 minutes ago, stuboy said:

sort8d bro....g... summit unhearable... pineapples rulez

nd

That HAD crossed my mind......then I remembered I'm 54 and sensible-ish

[4wheeledstool]

Both rear doors got a bit more attention today, the nearside one with the damage needed a couple more light skims to get it properly straight.

Once filled, primed, guide coated and blocked again, it's ready for the paint bloke.

The offside one got a second coat of primer + guide coat, and was blocked again.

This one is now also ready for the paint bloke. 

Still loads to do before it can all be palmed off for blueness!

 

[4wheeledstool]

More stuff happened this weekend (boring stuff) Both front doors recieved what should hopefully be the last coat of epoxy primer.

Should get these blocked during the week after work.

The bonnet had what I also hope will be the last required coat of epoxy primer on Friday. Today I commenced the blocking -

Bit more blocking -

And a bit more (yawn)

I'd had enough for one day by now, and spent the rest of the afternoon driving my fully functional chod.  

[4wheeledstool]

Front doors now finished up ready to paint.

Passenger side part way through blocking -

And ready for paint -

And drivers side after almost completing tha top half -

Still need to finish the centre line of the bonnet (mission) then next up will be the tailgate.

[outlaw118]

This is prime FoTU fodder, what are the chances?

Probably cutting it a bit fine for this year, but certainly worth a punt in 2022.

Top fred wud reed agen 25/6

[4wheeledstool]

6 hours ago, outlaw118 said:

This is prime FoTU fodder, what are the chances?

Probably cutting it a bit fine for this year, but certainly worth a punt in 2022.

Top fred wud reed agen 25/6

I just don't get enough time on this to have it ready in time - should definitely be reet for next year though. Should hopefully attend FoTU in one of my other heaps this year - still yet to attend for one reason or another. 

[4wheeledstool]

Finally got round to finishing up the bonnet today.

The tailgate got a good rub up followed by its second coat of epoxy primer. Only two little dents to fill on this, one next to the washer jet, and one next to the wiper spindle hole.

It then got a third coat, so should be getting its final blocking tomorrow. 

[4wheeledstool]

Tailgate now blocked again ready for painting.

Part way through. 

And rubbed out (took a while!)

Made a start on the offside front wing, giving it a rub up and the first fill.

It's easily the worst panel to be tackled so far - I've identified 7 separate areas that require fettling, so it'll probably take a while! The other wing is close to perfect, so should be a breeze after this.

It was given its second coat of epoxy primer before I scuttled off home.

[4wheeledstool]

More work has taken place on the slightly battered drivers side wing. A few light skims were applied before more blocking.

It was then hit with another coat of epoxy primer. 

Which was then blocked again, this time using a tin of Carmine red left over from my Astramax van for a guide coat. (Van was sold in 1999!)

Once it was blocked again, it then recieved a fourth coat of primer. (Yawn)

It looks pretty reasonable now, but still requires a little fettling in a couple of spots around the wheel arch.

[Crusty Sills]

When I was a painter,  I always preferred to use a red guide coat. I found it easy to pick out imperfections. 

[4wheeledstool]

Drivers side wing now just a blocking away from being ready to paint.

The passenger side one is at the same stage.

The drivers side one was a bit of a pig - if I'd known how bad it was when I started work on it, I'd have probably bought a new one! While the paint hardens, I got started on the drivers side rear quarter - seen here part way through blocking back the first fill.

I suspect that these rear quarters are gonna be another big consumer of time - particularly this side - due to the previous bodge repairs involving the use of a hammer! 

[stuboy]

cant wait to see it done

[4wheeledstool]

Top half of rear quarter now something like,  bottom half got its first fill.

Made a start taping up the underside to keep it free from over spray too.

About a third of it done today - hopefully get the rest done tomorrow. 

[4wheeledstool]

More stuff has been happening - the underside has been taped up as far as the front footwells now, and some epoxy primer has been splashed around - offside rear quarter got a bit more rubbing before the primer went on.

The rear end got a bit of filler, a good rub up, and it too got a coat of primer.

These panels are by no means ready to paint yet, but are a lot closer to that than they were before - particularly so the rear quarter.    

[4wheeledstool]

Managed to get a good few hours on this yesterday. The nearside rear quarter got skimmed and rubbed several times until it was good enough to be hit with some epoxy primer.

Really pleased how well this side has come out so far, just a small amount of fettling required before its ready to paint.

I've taped up as much of the underside as I can for now - I need to cobble together some sort of dolly to make the shell mobile before I can finish that off.

[4wheeledstool]

More stuff has been occurring - the offside rear quarter got a bit of fettling, some blocking, and another coat of epoxy primer.

Its pretty reasonable now, but theres still a couple of areas needing a little finessing before I can call it ready.

The front wings have both been blocked again, they can now go in the "paint bloke" pile.

[4wheeledstool]

This weekend saw the rear end skimmed, rubbed and primed again. 

Pitted areas now unable to be seen.

Nearside rear quarter was guide coated and blocked again.

Then after a few small fills were applied, a third coat of primer went on.

Ill leave the back end and rear quarters for a couple of weeks before blocking them again, and get on with the sills in the mean time. 

[4wheeledstool]

Nearside sill + wheel arch areas got some attention over the weekend. It's been filled, rubbed and primed twice. The pattern part sills used are not very good pressings - this became apparent once fettling began!

One more fill/rub/prime cycle should see it ready to paint, but I'm gonna get the offside to the same stage first. 

[Squarepegroundhole]

That last picture takes me back to about 1988 (the last time I saw a mk2 Cavalier rear arch looking as good as that!)

[4wheeledstool]

Time was short today for one reason or another, but got a bit of filler, a bit of a rub, and some epoxy primer on the offside sill.

Should hopefully repeat the exercise over the course of the week.  

[4wheeledstool]

My poor old Mum lost a battle with cancer a couple of weeks ago, so I've been busy elsewhere, but I'm back on this again now. 

The offside sill and door shut areas have recieved some more attention.

Much filling, blocking and rubbing was needed to fettle the poor quality pressing of the replacement sill, but it's very close to where I want it to be now.

The whole offside was then guide coated and blocked/rubbed in preparation for its last layer of epoxy primer.

Afore mentioned layer was then applied.

This side just needs a final block/rub up and it's ready for the paint bloke.

[Matty]

Sorry about your mum, always hard to loose people

[Dick Cheeseburger]

As above, so sorry to hear your sad news. 

[Bren]

My thoughts are with you.

[Burnside]

Likewise, sorry to hear of your loss. We lost our Grandfather to Parkinsons in Feb. My sympathies go out to you and your family. 

[4wheeledstool]

On 5/23/2021 at 3:37 PM, Burnside said:

Likewise, sorry to hear of your loss. We lost our Grandfather to Parkinsons in Feb. My sympathies go out to you and your family. 

 

On 5/22/2021 at 10:33 PM, Bren said:

My thoughts are with you.

 

On 5/22/2021 at 8:38 PM, Dick Longbridge said:

As above, so sorry to hear your sad news. 

 

On 5/22/2021 at 8:18 PM, Matty said:

Sorry about your mum, always hard to loose people

Many thanks for the kind comments 👍

Got a fair few hours in on this over the weekend - the whole nearside was blocked and sanded in preparation for its last coat of epoxy primer. 

Primer then applied. 

Got most of the offside blocked/sanded ready for the paint bloke too, seen here part way through. 

Once the rest of this side is sanded, and then the nearside has been done too, theres just the rear panel to finish before I can tackle the engine bay and front panels. 

I hope to have the dolly fabricated before working on the front of the shell - should hopefully all be on it's way to the paint bloke in the next few weeks.

[Skizzer]

This is shaping up beautifully.

Sympathy on your loss. Hopefully working on the Cavalier brings you the welcome diversion that people often need at such a time, I know I did.

[Minimad5]

Blimey, did Vauxhall even put this much effort in ?

Going to look brilliant when done.

(Masking the underside - Could you not have taped brown paper to the inside of the arch and let it hang down?) 

Anyway, yeah it's going to be brilliant when done 😎

[Matty]

^^^ no vauxhall didn't put this much effort in. Otherwise he wouldn't have to 🤣

[Talbot]

42 minutes ago, Minimad5 said:

did Vauxhall even put this much effort in ?

I don't think *any* mainstream manufacturer puts this level of effort in to their bodywork.  Maybe some top-end hand-built rammel, but anything from a mass-market manufacturer will have as close to no hand-working on the bodywork as possible.