Scottie's Tribute A352 build

[Retroman]

Scottie - what about using self-adhesive silver/chrome foil? The thick stuff should be relatively hard-wearing, but you could protect it with a laquer coat.

See, for example:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SPECIALIST...item2c5fec5e56

It may be available in a size that you could use as one-piece, to avoid joins.

[Scottie22]

I appreciate your input Retro, but have you seen the lifespan the company gives it?

"Up to three years", externally, that really means two years at best, and on a windscreen with all the hammer that gets, maybe one year?

With the hassle of trying to fit the rubber and glass in the frame without splitting the foil?

It not really worth going there when you weigh it all up mate.

[adventuresoftimtim]

When I did my MGB wheels I used halfords 'mini silver' then lots of clear coat

seemed to me that it was about as silver as silver gets.

[Scottie22]

I'll get some and try it out Timtim, seems like a good enough reccomendation!
I have to start with some sort of silver anyway.

[a big scary monster]

Scottie try the plastikote chrome paint its jolly silver and shiny when fresh,needs a good UV lacquer though as it fades fast otherwise, I think wilko's stock it. I used the gold on some plaster moulding corners on a english heritage building I restored a few years ago and they still look good now. From ten feet it looks as good as the proper gold leaf that's low down. If it fades or you cant get your desired shine I'd play with giving it a brushed nickel effect with a gentle scratch with emery cloth. In my opinion the some of the detail of all the parts and all your hours of brain work into your creation it will look superb whatever the screen finish. The brushed alloy vinyl wrap will be stouter than you think, a friend had his Jeep done in it and it had some punishment offroading and faired well. Ed.

[Scottie22]

I will try that one too ABSM, what UV lacquer do you recommend?

The reason I ask, is when I renovated the wheels on my van, I used some sort of clear varnish / lacquer, and when I got a scuff, I tried to over-spray with the original silver, and it reacted with the lacquer, and all bubbled up like foam!

I was gutted. I had to wash it off with thinners, and you can imagine the mess that made of my handiwork!

I really do not want to make that mistake on the screen.

Extra work is the one thing I dread being closer to completion.

[WorldClassAccident]

This st5uff shows shiney chrome on the paint can lid but flat silver when sprayed on BMW plastic

[Paul L]

Scottie - What ever silver you end up with, the screen will still be a great contrast with the dark green paint work.

Good luck, Paul.

[a big scary monster]

That's exactly what I was thinking Paul and infact if it where real chrome all shiny and new it may look too good and a bit replica ish. Mr T wrote he had people talking about his paint and you can't fake patina like that when his car was very recently finished. In my opinion the sum of the parts is what makes a great car. An off silver titanium colour may look the part. Halfords sell a lacquer with UV protection but I have never used it it just stuck in my mind as I sometimes use UV protect polyurethane on restored or repaired wood work if it needs to match old existing,and I thought I should of used that on my jeep to stop the chrome paint greying. On another note I was out in my fathers 2005 s type jaguar and the rear door sill protector plate jumped out at me and said that would look excellent somewhere on Scotties car.I can email you a pic if you like? Ed

[a big scary monster]

I have some plastikote chrome left why not choose an item we all will have and ask anyone with any chrome paint product to do a 2 coat sample and post pics ? May save you £30 in paint. I did see the spray on real chrome used on west coast customs on a whole car.

[Scottie22]

WCA, I agree with you on the "chrome paint" bit, which is why I won't use it.

Paul, I'm certain you are right! I just don't want extra work choosing the wrong stuff!

Big Scary Monster, I will look into the silver paint you mentioned.

Today The washer jet arrived and it looks quite nice, I drilled the 8mm hole for it in the screen and mindful of the filler flaking off the wiper holes, went very slow and careful. All to no avail! the filler flaked off!! Damnation and bollo.

I trial fitted the jet, only to find the threads were too short due to the double skinned panel I had welded on the frame for extra strength.

Damnation and buggeration again! I ground away a lot of metal on the inside panel which allowed me to get the nut on (without the anti-slip washer). Anyhow I was able to spanner the nut on tight enough to bend the inner panel so the gap between the two panels was less. Now the anti slip washer will go on and it all fits as per.

So I re-filled the hole edge, sanded primed and left to harden.

I fitted a new plastic pipe from the pump up to the dash top ready for the washer jet.

I did not fit a new throttle cable, as on closer inspection just the tempory clamp I put on last time had come off, so I re-fitted it, and will renew the inner cable tomorrow.

The "re-fitting" process actually took around two hours.

The reason is that when I did the repair on the cable end last time, the seat backs were not in place and I could lie in the car and get to the accelerator easily.

With the seat- backs in situ, in order to get to the accelerator cable with both hands, involves getting into the fetal position upside down, avoiding the gear lever and handbrake which are both trying to gain access to the anal passage.

It is incredibly uncomfortable and painful lying on all that metal, so I got back out after around half an hour of serious effort, and stuffed lots of the leather cushions I had left over from when I made the seats into the cabin.

This made it even smaller but more bearable to work (in the fetal position)

Whilst performing this painful physical manoeuvre, ( I am 6 feet tall, and no teenager) it occurred to me that if the throttle cable ever snapped away from home, with the seats in place, the central transmission tunnel in place and the dashboard in place, repair would be basically f***ing impossible!

So I shall fit the new cable in the morning..

Pics:

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[Scottie22]

Well today I fitted the new throttle cable, made some more connections to the horn and fan, broke my horn button, and ordered another one, and tidied up the loom under the bonnet.

Bonnet: I thought I would take the bonnet off and flat it down for painting, as I did, I noticed an enormous stress crack in the place where I had sorted it out two or tree times already.

You can really imagine the surge of total f***ing joy I experienced, when I saw THAT!l

Journalistically speaking, this was a kick in the bollo.

After all the trouble I had getting it right.

Still, looking on the positive side, (and we must) its better to happen now, rather than after the paint job right?

Back to the drawing board, ( I know how Towed felt now!) Well, I knew anyway.......

Obviously, if it has cracked without being banged or dropped, that area must be stressed, so the repair must be more substantial than last time.
I will reinforce it with alloy, and perhaps layer glass over the top to finish it off. Does not look like the paste did much of a job last time.

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[Scottie22]

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[Paul L]

Scottie - Glad you can take something positive out of the problem.
( i.e. better now than after paint. )

Obviously I am trying to learn as much as I can from your experience.

Good luck, Paul.

[Scottie22]

I went back out and after some thought, felt that more paste was a waste,
if you see what I mean.

It had let me down twice already, so I layered over the alloy patch building up the thickness to give real strength, (I hope!)

The bonnet does not want to be in the position that it has to be to fit correctly, so the torsional forces must be trying to split it back, if I can overcome that problem, I'm on a winner.

Latest pic for the day,

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[Scottie22]

Any of you real experts out there think this will be enough, or should I pile on more??

[Scottie22]

Big Scary Monster, check your PM's, I sent you one.

[Scottie22]

I sorted out the face of the bonnet today, and although the paste had let me down, I still think its stronger than filler, so I used that to repair the surface
of the crack.

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[Scottie22]

One reason my build has dragged on a bit, is that I always seem to have multiple projects on the go, here is one of them:

I have always had a hankering for a VW camper-van, but have never bought one, mainly for two reasons,

1. It would not fit under my hedge archway

2. I have never been lucky with the Nat lottery.

They seem to cost anywhere from 6 grand up to 40 grand.

So I bought a Japanese micro-van instead (two years ago)

It comes with tiny toy 12 inch wheels with a PCD of 110mm, the only vehicle in the world to have this PCD, apart from quad-bikes and prams that is.

I sent away to Canada for adapters (they were half the price of UK ones)

It is now 4 X 100.

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[a big scary monster]

Scottie does your mate not realise these for fun projects are never finished? life without brain bending projects would be very tedious in my opinion,where I am working this week there is a recently retired chap lives opposite all I have seen him do in ten days is walk to the pub twice watch his wife cut the lawn and sleep in his chair by the window from early morn onwards. His lifestyle and your build thread has spurred me on to work even harder on my projects. A break from your racing cat will make it better in the end. Keep posting pics of your bus. I have often though there must be a market for a fibre glass split screen camper, mini minus got away with it years ago with the classic mini fibreglass body if anyone remembers?