Well Mike- if its any consolation, check out
http://www.bigolbear.com/rust_never_sleeps.htm
- that's what I'm tackling, and that's just the passenger side!
Good Luck!
Jon
'77 (mostly) 1500 "Ol' Yeller"
www.bigolbear.com
-----Original Message-----
From: spitfires-owner@autox.team.net
[mailto:spitfires-owner@autox.team.net]On Behalf Of Michael Hargreave
Mawson
Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2002 3:17 PM
To: spitfires@autox.team.net
Subject: Bodywork
Dear All,
With the exception of one broken part (o/s under-rider) and two missing
parts (the little chrome corners for the rear windscreen trim on the
hard-top), the only thing wrong with Carly now is bodywork rust. This
I intend to deal with sometime this year and I need your opinions and
advice.
Firstly, let me say that I am the world's worst body-repairer. Try as I
might, whatever effort I put in, or technique I use, pretty much all of
my body repairs are rust within six months. I'd like to blame this on
the fact that I have no facilities, and have always done body repairs on
the roadside (or, if very lucky, in my parents' garage), using bastard
files, sandpaper, Isopon P38, aluminium (aloominum) mesh, Rust
Preventative, and several coats of spray paint, but I suspect the
problem is with me, and not with my tools. Last summer, I did some
repairs using a new method - stripping back to bare metal as before,
filling as before, but then painting with two coats of Hammerite before
spraying with "Rover" Inca Yellow. Those seem to have survived the
winter. Amazing - not to mention inspiring.
The problem areas I need to address are as follows:
Bonnet (Hood)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Rust bubbling through on the leading edge of the bonnet (hood) on the
driver's side.
Rust-coloured stain along weld with wings
Rusting bare metal where paint has fallen off around retaining clamps
and where the bonnet meets the tops of the sills.
Windscreen frame (Windshield frame)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Both pillars have rust bubbling through on both of their sides
Doors
^^^^^
Bottom edges of door skins have rust bubbling through
Chips to trailing edges of doors
Rear Wings and wheel arches
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Wheel arches are shot on both sides, and have been bodge-repaired with
aluminium (aloominum) mesh and filler in the past.
Bottom rear of O/S wing appears to have been sculpted out of filler.
God knows what other horrors lie beneath the paintwork.
My questions are as follows:
Does anyone recommend that I try and do any of this myself, given my
track record?
If so, what areas do you think I might be able to tackle, and what do I
need to do to ensure a long-lasting rust-free repair?
New rear wings, or just new wheel arches? Which is most cost-effective
in the long term?
ATB
--
Mike
Michael Hargreave Mawson, author of "Eyewitness in the Crimea"
http://www.greenhillbooks.com/booksheets/eyewitness_in_the_crimea.html
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