Deed is done! - Page 8

Roadster · #**141** 28th February 2016, 09:21

great picture showing the bubbles under heat Nick

On the Roadster I was nervous my first body id laminated myself, I was sure I had left air pockets.
I got the car in the spray booth and heated it up and checked for bubbles.
A few appeared mostly tiny groups.
I then took the car home finished the prep knowing when it went back the paint would be trouble free.

y cymro · #**142** 28th February 2016, 09:27

You should come to Wales, the weather is spectacular and should cure the bodyshell in no time. Or perhaps it's an excuse to drive down to Italy.
Yes, I still get nightmares from the fresh photos of your foot injury, and am well impressed that you spent your time taking photos of it whilst waiting for the paramedics to scrape you off the drive 😃. Nice use of supporting statistics by the way

y cymro · #**143** 28th February 2016, 09:34

Good point about using a heated spray booth, Roadster. Do you think leaving the completed car before paint in a booth at 40 degrees for a couple of hours would do the job?

Danny_HUFC · #**144** 28th February 2016, 09:40

In all honesty, i shouldnt have said what i did. But it seems to me every post made by a certain individual comes across with a hell of a lot of arrogance. It juststarted to p**s me off a little.

Roadster · #**145** 28th February 2016, 09:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by y cymro

Good point about using a heated spray booth, Roadster. Do you think leaving the completed car before paint in a booth at 40 degrees for a couple of hours would do the job?

knew my bodyshop well and he suggested using the booth.

I don't know how hot he dialled it up to but it was only in there about an hour

smash · #**146** 28th February 2016, 09:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by WorldClassAccident

Arguments on the Internet = Fancy Dress competition at a Star Trek convention

Even the winner is a loser

;-).

This actually made me laugh out loud! Must remember that one

y cymro · #**147** 28th February 2016, 10:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roadster

knew my bodyshop well and he suggested using the booth.

I don't know how hot he dialled it up to but it was only in there about an hour

Thanks

WorldClassAccident · #**148** 28th February 2016, 10:45

I used to have this cartoon above my desk to stop me getting carried away. Remember you can't hear tone of voice on typed messages

Mister Towed · #**149** 28th February 2016, 10:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by smash

This actually made me laugh out loud! Must remember that one

ditto.

Mister Towed · #**150** 28th February 2016, 10:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by WorldClassAccident

Nice wiring loom on that engine WCA.

You must be very popular at the Scout jamborees, what with being able to start a fire with virtually anything - sticks, steel and flint, Reliant Scimitar brake hoses...

y cymro · #**151** 28th February 2016, 13:29

Thanks Jeff for the good advice. So is it a good or bad thing to 'cure' a fibreglass bodyshell in a heated spray booth before prep and paint?
Also, referring to your polyester comment, and assuming a polyester resin is being used rather than epoxy resin, are you recommending that prep is done dry rather than wet?
Cheers, Steve

smash · #**152** 28th February 2016, 15:13

No arguments about your paintwork Jeff - nice work there. Is that a racing Carlton Carrera?! Awesome!

(I love the header profile pic but not convinced you painted that one lol

)

Speedjunkie · #**153** 28th February 2016, 16:56

Hi. Ive never posted before but could not hold back any longer.
I come from the American car world and forums and have read every thread on the Tribute site. I came across Richard Bird of Nubodi Automotive back in the late 1980's. I was at a show at Hickstead showground where his car won best of show. It was a Chevrolet Chevelle 1969 which had a big block engine and a shortened rear axle, fully 'tubbed' which he called Pro Street No.1. This car started the Pro street craze in the nineties. It was on the cover of Street Machine (remember that?) and was the best car I have even seen...ever! He has not mentioned here any of these fine vehicles he has built like this over the years. I wait for any new posts to his thread to learn. Although I've never met him he comes across to me as a good chap, where Danny HUFC gets the idea he is arrogant I'm not sure. Perhaps he could give us an example, I cant find any? Although with his credentials I would not blame him.
There's seems to me to be a bunch of three, Roadster, Danny (was that your excuse for an apology?) and Mister towed (although he seems to be changing his tune now) who are over loyal to Chris and Dan because they think Nubodi is taking the credit and limelight for Chris's work.
As I and others seem to see it, Nubodi came along when Chris never had any finished vehicles to show and has propelled his company to be a major player in the kit car industry via the press and standard of work. I am willing to bet none of the these three has even met him or spoken at length with him. You should be ashamed of this behavior. Hopefully this has come to and end now and he, Richard has not been put off and continues to post.

Nubodi Automotive · #**154** 28th February 2016, 17:28

Just got back from Race retro at Stoneleigh. I had to do a show report for Kitcar magazine and meet a nice man called Mark with a MG TCR. Its all been going on here on the forum! Hopefully we can get back to business now.

Nubodi Automotive · #**155** 28th February 2016, 17:38

Okay let we help with the confusion over painting and prepping GRP.
The problem is 99% of bodyshops in the UK work with metal or plastic parts. GRP has to be treated in a different way. There are many old wives tales but this is from my experience.
You should not use water with wet and dry when sanding GRP. Dry sand only. This is because the GRP can absorb moisture which will hide under the paint till it has a car cover put on it (and moisture collects underneath the cover which seems to draw out the water under the paint skin) or the sun comes out. This will cause micro blistering. The water expands and stretches the paint and no amount of T-cut or popping them with a pin or heating with a hair dryer will get rid of them. This also happens if you spray outside with a high moisture content in the air. As the paint droplets fly through the air they pick up microscopic water droplets. This is another cause of micro blistering. All you can do is sanding off and repaint.

Nubodi Automotive · #**156** 28th February 2016, 17:49

Now the air bubbles WCA was talking about is a completely different problem. These are caused at the manufacturing (of the GRP) stage. It the GRP is mixed and applied too quickly to the mould, air pockets can form in the mix. The same can happen if the GRP is mixed when its too hot.
Once this has happened its a ticking time bomb. Usually you paint the car and it looks stunning. Then when the sun comes out (rare I know) the air in the pockets expands stretching the paint even more than micro blisters. It looks like rust under the paint. Heating it up with a heat gun or popping the air bubble (so water can get in when it rains or you wash it) isnt going to help. You then have to 'dig out the pockets and fill with fibreglass paste (NOT normal filler).
To stop this happening either put the car in the sun for a few hours or a spray booth on heat to 30-40 degrees for an hour or two. If any appear fill and then primer.

Nubodi Automotive · #**157** 28th February 2016, 17:58

If you plan on driving your car around in primer before you paint it then be warned that primers except red-oxide can be porous (absorbs moisture). You must sand back further than you would normally to make sure you get all of the moisture out from under the skin of the paint. We use red oxide primer when its need for this reason.

Nubodi Automotive · #**158** 28th February 2016, 18:08

Now the comment which caused all the fuss in the first place concerns filler on GRP.
From my experience no matter how modern or expensive a filler is, it will not contract through hot and cold to as much a degree as GRP. Filler on a metal wing for example there is virtually no expansion and contraction so the filler stays put. The GRP seems to 'breathe' in and out. The thinner it is the worse this gets. The solution is to use where possible fibreglass filler (which expands and contracts closer to the GRP panel) with the thinnest of regular filler to smooth the surface. To be fair the Tribute products are fairly thick (especially the Z300s) but still stick to the process above and you will not get any heartaches.

Another tip is always squeeze the hardener tube from end to end a few times to thoroughly mix the hardener before use. So few do this and it does have any effect (obviously) on the quality of your filler and ultimately the final finish.

Nubodi Automotive · #**159** 28th February 2016, 18:19

I would advise you if you are doing your own prep to invest in some differing size blocks for sanding. I see so many GRP cars with wavy paintwork when they need not. Im not suggesting our paint finishes at Nubodi are perfect (its difficult with GRP moulds) before anyone starts posting pics. If you make sure you only sand in one direction it helps remove the ridges. No water, just dry. We use the mesh type, not paper as it lasts forever!

Roadster · #**160** 28th February 2016, 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedjunkie

Hi. Ive never posted before but could not hold back any longer.
I come from the American car world and forums and have read every thread on the Tribute site. I came across Richard Bird of Nubodi Automotive back in the late 1980's. I was at a show at Hickstead showground where his car won best of show. It was a Chevrolet Chevelle 1969 which had a big block engine and a shortened rear axle, fully 'tubbed' which he called Pro Street No.1. This car started the Pro street craze in the nineties. It was on the cover of Street Machine (remember that?) and was the best car I have even seen...ever! He has not mentioned here any of these fine vehicles he has built like this over the years. I wait for any new posts to his thread to learn. Although I've never met him he comes across to me as a good chap, where Danny HUFC gets the idea he is arrogant I'm not sure. Perhaps he could give us an example, I cant find any? Although with his credentials I would not blame him.
There's seems to me to be a bunch of three, Roadster, Danny (was that your excuse for an apology?) and Mister towed (although he seems to be changing his tune now) who are over loyal to Chris and Dan because they think Nubodi is taking the credit and limelight for Chris's work.
As I and others seem to see it, Nubodi came along when Chris never had any finished vehicles to show and has propelled his company to be a major player in the kit car industry via the press and standard of work. I am willing to bet none of the these three has even met him or spoken at length with him. You should be ashamed of this behavior. Hopefully this has come to and end now and he, Richard has not been put off and continues to post.

I have met Richard in person and we have spoken at length
He told me his Z300s was an accident damaged car and he told me how much he sold the blue Kobra for.

I am not ashamed for having an opinion.