Mk1 restoration-race car to road car

[36inter]

Can you come to my house and do mine for me... I recon it would only take you about a week.

Fantastic progress, I am sure the whole site is amazed at the work you have done, the eyes are upon you...

Pete

[Matty]

Ive had an eventful yet successful weekend!

The plan for the weekend, was to paint the car in 2k primer on the Sat morn, then flat and paint on Sunday. All was going well until the primer started coming out of the gun like dust and it wasn't looking too good, followed shortley by my tiny compressor cutting out every 30 second from over heating.

I gave a freind a call to borrow his compressor, to find he'd just taken it to pieces for some servicing/upgrades...I then picked it up Saturday evening and spent the next 3 hours rebuilding it, and scratching around my air fittings trying to find suitable parts to connect it all up...10pm she's a runner!

Sunday morn I cracked on with the priming, primer still coming out of the gun like dust though. After many phone calls to my mate Nic, he managed to guide through how to sort the problems, and lots of thinners later, it started to spray nicely, with a good smooth finish.

3pm I started to fun part, learning how to paint! After another crash course from Nic on paint mixing/application and 3 hours of painting the shell is red, im red, the garage is red, and pretty much anything within a mile radius of my garage is red.

Ive taken plenty of pics, and im fairly pleased with the results considering its my first go. I'll upload the pics as soon as the paint has dried, and I can reach my phone.

[Matty]

Pics....

[InimiaD]

Your work ethic makes mine look non existent.
Can I borrow some of your MOJO please.??
Any normal guy would have chucked the towel in after the 1st compressor went phut.
Hats off to you Matty, again.

[medwaybeat]

Stunning work and so fast. Well done.
Any reason for only using the spit for painting?

[guru_1071]

that looks pretty good out the gun matt.

[towners]

give up ya day job and be a paint sprayer I would say your a born natural!

Paul

[tomkidd]

Looks great Matt!

[Matty]

medwaybeat - To be honest I was just being lazy and couldn't be bothered to make a spit until I really needed it. I also find it really difficult working on the car any other way but the right way up. I found it really confusing painting the car on its side when I was stood in the middle.

InimiaD - I was very close to giving up, but it would of been a few weeks until I had another chance to paint it. Im too impatient to wait that long!

Thanks for all the comments guys, its helps with the motivation.

[robert]

BLIMEY !!!

[Matty]

I made these stilts to rest the shell on, whilst I paint the areas I couldn't get to with the shell mounted on the spit.



Then more paint!

[IAIN]

Matty...... I see on your picture of the inner A panel you haven't any seam sealer on the seam down the inner wing.
Did you do the rest of the car.

[robert]

shiny shiny ,matt, is there someone stuck inside that did the masking?

[surfblue63]

Good looking finish from the gun, shouldn't need to much polishing.

[Matty]

Matty...... I see on your picture of the inner A panel you haven't any seam sealer on the seam down the inner wing.
Did you do the rest of the car.

I have sealed everything else up. I was going to seal them up to, but decided against it for some reason, I can't think why now though?!

[Matty]

Good looking finish from the gun, shouldn't need to much polishing.

Yeah it came out really well. Its needs a little flatting in places, but nothing I didn't allow for when putting the coats on.

I'll probably leave it for a couple of weeks before flatting just to make sure its fully cured.

[mk1]

Matty,

I honestly can't believe just how amazingly quickly you have managed to move this massive project on!

In a matter of not more than a few weeks in the great scheme of things you have taken what was to all intents & purposes a scrap shell & totally restored it! When you started my honest thoughts were "I wouldn't bother with that one (I had seen it a few years ago, so knew how bad it was) I wonder how long it will be before he (you) give up". Well I am now officially eating my words!

The speed & quality of your work is absolutely staggering!

I have no idea what you do for a living but I am sure that if you ever need or fancy a change of career you would certainly make it as a Mini restorer!!!

I have always considered that when I get my finger out I can turn a car round fast, but NO WAY could I have done what you did either to the standard that you have or in the amazingly short time that you have!

MATTY YOU ARE AN OFFICIAL MK1 BODY GENIUS!

[36inter]

I second that proposal.

Pete

[NotNormal]

There's nothing more satisfying than seeing your P&J fresh out the booth all resplendant in new paint. Rememeber the feeling well with my LC and now looking forward to seeing my Mini (although not quite there yet).

Its reading build projects like this one that certainly keep the interest levels high. Well done sir and looking forward to reading the now "rebuild after paint work"

[mk1]

I've just noticed, the main brake pipe has already been refitted