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Go Back   Madabout Kitcars Forum > Mad Build Area > Sammio Builds and discussions

Sammio Builds and discussions Sammio bodied car builds and specials

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  #3061  
Old 4th June 2017, 04:48
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Couldn’t Sleep
I’ve picked up a number of insect bites over the last few days that are now so itchy they woke me up at Stupid O’Clock this morning.

So I thought I might as well log on here to post the reply to Jag that I had typed up last night (see below).

But as soon as my computer was switched on, the news that there has been another terrorist attack in London appeared.

This photo really hit home, as I’ve often met my mate in this pub for a beer after work over the last few years.
( We alternate between London Bridge which is on his way home & Euston which in on mine. )



It certainly puts me worrying about the standard of my paint job into perspective.

Take care, Paul.

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Jag – The rubber seal around the boot opening needs to be squashed a bit for the boot lid locks to work.

So I was hoping that I could set the bonnet seal up in a similar way, needing to be pressed down before the locks engaged.
( I actually have a variety of seal thicknesses to play with. )

Unfortunately, I did not achieve an even thickness in either the bonnet edge or the depth of the bonnet lip.

I think just having a few short lengths of rubber disguised the various ‘unders and overs’, so a bit of grinding may be required.

Don’t get me wrong, given that I constructed most of this area from scratch, I am really happy that I managed to get it vaguely close.

The boot lid colour is really helping me to keep the faith with BRG.

As every time I put more light grey primer on, I’m reminded of Mr T’s advice of how silver would help disguise the undulations.

So I’m looking forward to cutting and polishing a small section of the boot lid to see what it will look like.

Finally, I did see that you (& others) had used a flow coat on the inside of your bonnets.

However, I haven’t actually used any of that on my build to date, so it is easier for me to stick with a light skim of filler and some Tetroseal.

Initially. I was planning to leave the inside of the boot lid untouched at this stage and come back to it after the ‘sunny side’ was done.

But even just getting the etch primer on has really transformed the ‘scars’ left from all my cutting & shutting, so it is worth the extra effort.

I also have some heat reflective foam left over which I may add to a section of the bonnet to break up the black a bit.

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  #3062  
Old 4th June 2017, 08:30
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The trouble with tetroseal is that all the mud, oil and general crap tends to stick to it, once it's been on for a few months it is impossible to get clean. Flow coat comes out very smooth, even on the rough bits, a quick squirt with the hose and it looks as good as new.
On the inside of my bonnet there were the slice cuts to bring the edges in, this left 2 areas with very visible bodges, sorry I meant to say skilful adaptations. I just nibbed them off with the trusty belt sander.
One thick coat of flow coat and the repairs are almost invisible, as are my plumbing tubes for the wiring. Took about 40 minutes to do and the tin of flow coat was £25.

On the inner bonnet I had flow coated in in dark blue and was very pleased with the result but I changed my mind on the colour so had to put another coat on. The flow coat has wax in it that rises to the to surface keeping the air out to get it to set. Someone on the forum warned me that the wax may prevent the second coat from bonding. I just wiped the first coat with panel wipe and slapped on the 2nd coat, I say slapped because that is what I did, the thicker the coat the more it hides.

Under the bonnet before flow coat

First coat

Second coat

On the last picture you can see where I extended the bonnet under the bulge to give it a bit of depth. It is simply a couple of layers of matting and carefully finished of with..........yes you've guessed it the trusty belt sander.

To mix the flow coat or any other resin I use old milk bottles cut like this

We always buy our milk in Tesco so the bottles are always the same, add resin/flowcoat to the line and add the correct amount of activator with a syringe (sorry brains gone dead, can't remember the quantities) once you have worked out the amount of resin that the milk bottle holds you just have to add the correct amount from the syringe that way you don't have to measure every time you mix it.
I have a small paddle mixer from Ebay that fits into the milk bottle on the battery drill so takes just a few seconds to mix it very well. Cheap box of disposable paint brushes (20p each) and it makes it an easy job.

Last edited by Jaguartvr; 4th June 2017 at 08:37..
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  #3063  
Old 4th June 2017, 13:41
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Jag - First of all, thanks for such a detailed response, I really appreciate it.

Good point about the dirt sticking to the Tetroseal, as that has happened to the rear wheel arches and underside of the car.

I am also a fan of using old milk cartons for fibreglass work.



I'm planning to remove the bonnet so I can paint both sides of it under a tent in my back garden.

So that will give me a bit more time to make a final decision on what to do with the underside of the bonnet.

Part of me is actually considering just painting it BRG and leaving all the build battle scars on show.

Especially as the inside of the bonnet will never be on show when I'm driving around.

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Sunday Morning Pick Me Up:
I did manage to grab a few more hours sleep this morning after my first post of the day.

However, I still felt rubbish as I was drawing up my "To Do" list for the day.

So by the time I had taken the covers off, I decided on a complete change of plan…

And ended up putting the first coat of high build primer on the areas I had finished working on.



I left the rear edge of the bonnet alone, as I still need to drill some holes for the bonnet locks.
( Plus the scuttle area needs all the pin holes filled. )





It may not look it in the photo, but the driver's side cockpit is much straighter now that it was before.



I also did the headlight rims.



Whilst I am definitely getting better at brushing paint on, I still made a mess of a few areas.

Thankfully, I know I can sand the runs out and I will be applying a second coat of this primer at some point.

But I will wait until the rest of the car has 'caught up' in terms of prep, so that the second coat is applied to the whole car in one go.

Hopefully I will be able to get a bit more done after lunch.

Cheers, Paul.
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  #3064  
Old 4th June 2017, 15:37
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Rain Stops Play:
Started applying the stopper putty to various bits of the car.

The driver's side rear wheel arch.



The scuttle on the passenger side.



Which isn't too bad when compared to the 'pin cushion' that was the driver's side.



Unfortunately, by now the dark clouds were rolling in once more.



So all the dust sheets ended up in the cockpit.



And the covers were back on, just as the rain started.

I did bring the stopper filler to the Summer House and started on the 'sunny side' of the boot lid.



But I think that will be it for today.

So until next time, take care, Paul.
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  #3065  
Old 4th June 2017, 16:42
molleur molleur is offline
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Better and better, press on! Looking pretty good!
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  #3066  
Old 5th June 2017, 18:59
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Paul L I thought of you and you fantastic efforts over the past few weeks when I saw this at a local rally.



Only after I had been told it was painted by hand did I notice the very few blemishes in the paint !!!!
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  #3067  
Old 6th June 2017, 07:00
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Molleur – Cheers, although the photos are more flattering than the reality of the finish in places.

But I am still taking positives from all the mistakes I am making and now expect to achieve a decent finish (see below).

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Micky1Mo – Thanks for the encouragement.

If I was able to cut and polish the BRG to get anything like the reflections in that paint job I’d be very happy.

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Quick Update:
Yesterday was lost to a combination of some ‘real work’ to do inside and the wet and windy weather outside.

But since my last post I spotted this short video clip on YouTube featuring an XK120.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vrKv3D0jME

The close ups showed a number of areas where the paint was chipped/missing and yet it still looks great.

I know I certainly haven’t got the skills to fake the patina that an old racing car wears with pride.

However, seeing it does help me overcome any lingering OCD tendencies to stress over tiny imperfections that really don’t matter.

Provided I tackle the worse bits, that fact that other areas will not be 100% perfect will still be OK. < Touch Wood >

Cheers, Paul.
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  #3068  
Old 6th June 2017, 07:43
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Interesting clip, best quote for me was '...it drives like a very fast tractor...'
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  #3069  
Old 6th June 2017, 20:44
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Mr T - It certainly sounded like he loved driving the car more than he worried about the paintwork.

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Baby Steps Forward:
There was only a small chunk of time available for car work today.

So I did a little test on one of the runs in the high build primer.



Which is a bit easier to see after the first round of sanding.



It was a mistake to use my long board for this, as I often missed the run itself & therefore sanded too deep.



Still, I am definitely living and learning!

Next I sanded down the stopper putty from the front of the scuttle.





My second mistake of the evening was to get my tape measure out to double check the bonnet lock locations.

After a lot of wasted time, I decided the rear view mirror was going to be my centre line.



Which quickly reminded me that the wind deflector screen is not centred around the mirror.



As that screen actually sits equally between the Brooklands screens.

Which in turn align with the aero humps which are in different locations for driver and passenger.

So this is the final resting place for the bonnet locks, well at least for today.



You can clearly see one spot on the bonnet where I made a mess trying to touch up a thin spot in the paint.
( Just behind the tear drop bulge. )

But the reflection of the sky in the tear drop itself does give me hope.

Thankfully, I had the covers on before the heaven opened once more.

Until next time, take care, Paul.
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  #3070  
Old 6th June 2017, 23:37
molleur molleur is offline
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I always look forward to your posts.

"How do you eat an elephant?"
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  #3071  
Old 7th June 2017, 06:31
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Molleur“One bite at a time.”



That expression really does sum up this build, as despite the odds against me, just constantly chipping away finally got the car on the road.

Although the sheer scale of the task and the really stupid numbers of hours required has slowly ground me down a bit over the years.

Thankfully, I’ve now reached the point where I just need to keep throwing hours at this for a few more weeks to see the car painted.

Because as soon as I bolt all the lights, mirrors, etc. back on I will be ‘Good to go’ as the car is already road legal.

Cheers, Paul.
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  #3072  
Old 7th June 2017, 07:39
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Posted 23rd June 2012 -

Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul L View Post
This project has taken a big step forward since my last post...

Cordite Kit No.7 Update:

It has arrived!!!

Got a call from Gary on Thursday to say everything would be ready for Saturday.
Gary also arranged a courier for me to make the 100 odd mile trip up from Poole.
And here is what arrived on the back of a lorry earlier today ...


No pressure now Paul, but in just over a fortnight it'll be five years since you took delivery of your Cordite body.

Happy anniversary!

Last edited by Mister Towed; 7th June 2017 at 07:41..
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  #3073  
Old 7th June 2017, 19:29
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Mister Towed - A deadline?

< Cough >

For a Sammio build?

< Splutter >

Are you mad?

< Shakes Head >



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More Bites Of The Elephant:
Started today early when I sanded down the stopper filler from the boot lid.



But there appears to be some kind of 'Pin Hole Fairy' at work here, as it then need another round.



At least I remembered to do the front faces this time.



Put some high build primer on the bottom edges of the headlight rims.



Then I headed to the front drive, where I made a big mess with some fibreglass filler.







Plan A was to create some sort of tear drop mount, but this really wasn't working at all.



So I decided to sand it all back, just leaving the minimum size required to support the lights.



Which looks miles better as it will not really very visible when painted.





Next I switched my attention to the bonnet, where I drilled & filed the first hole for the locks.



End of Part 1…
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  #3074  
Old 7th June 2017, 19:30
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Wednesday - Part 2:
I'd like to use just the smaller of the two washers, but think it would be safer to spread the load more.



There is an extra large spacer/washer on the underside too.



Then I did the same thing again for the passenger side.



This is both locks in the 'Open' position.



Then I spent ages messing about with bonnet lip seals trying to get the best fit.

This lead me to mark up sections of the bonnet and the bonnet lip for trimming.





Note: The bonnet lip will be getting a skim of filler at some point to 'fill in' the rough patches.

I ended up with a few of the spots like these after I'd tickled them with my angle grinder.



I also had to trim a bit off the bonnet lip to make sure the fixing nut for the locks cleared nicely.





The good news is that it looks as though I will be able to make these locks work.

I should point out that all day the wind had been playing havoc with my sanding/grindings/drilling.

As it blew dust all over my neighbour's house and garden before I had a chance to sweep it up.

So to make up for the mess I was making, I took a break from car work to trim the grass verge in front on both of our houses.



I forgot to take a 'Before' photo, but the next pair of houses along will give you some idea.



This was bloody hard work and I was completely knackered at the end of it.

So I made sanding down the boot lid (for the second time) my last job before packing up for the night.



Overall, a very productive day, as getting the rear light plinths sorted out, together with the bonnet locks, was a big step forward.

So until next time, take care, Paul.
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  #3075  
Old 7th June 2017, 20:58
molleur molleur is offline
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Moving right along, and looking better each session!
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  #3076  
Old 8th June 2017, 07:44
Mick O'Malley Mick O'Malley is offline
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Hi Paul

Ignore if you already know, but the cover of Kit Car magazine I spied on Smith's shelf has 'How to paint a Kit Car' amongst its contents.

I take my hat off to the dedication you're showing in body finishing, I'd have got to "That'll do" long ago!

Regards Mick
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  #3077  
Old 8th June 2017, 19:55
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Molleur - Cheers.

Hopefully, the rear light plinths and the bonnet locks are the last of the 'sunny side' modifications required.
( I still need to repair some damage on the underside of the boot at some point. )

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Mick - Thanks.

I'll keep an eye out for the magazine, but I can't imagine that my approach is being encouraged.

I must confess your "That'll do" comment is a timely reminder that I don't need to achieve perfection.

Thankfully, I think the worst of the preparation work is over and I just need the weather to brighten up a bit.

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Token Gesture:
Only had a chance to work on the car in the evening.

But no sooner had I peeled back the covers and started sanding when it started raining.



Eventually. I managed to extend the sanded down areas around the rear light plinths.





Unfortunately, the area under the rear number plate plinth will have to wait until I remove the tail pipes.



But that is not happening until I fire up the engine one last time before the car is put on blocks.

I really wanted to get a fresh coat of etch primer around the rear light plinths this evening.
( To check what they look like when everything is one colour. )

However, the risk of rain was too high.
( It is actually raining again as I type this. )

I've got a meeting in town tomorrow, so I will see if I can squeeze any car work around that.

So until next time, take care, Paul.
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  #3078  
Old 9th June 2017, 18:43
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Friday - Morning:
It was an early start, but I got some fresh etch primer on the scuttle.





But I realised there were still bits of stopper filler that still needed sanding along the sides of the cockpit.



I also etch primed parts of the rear end.





Which was enough to see that this has turned out better than I expected.



The boot lid was the last of the etch priming for the morning.





Next up was some normal body filler across the bonnet lip.



And over some of the scars around the bonnet nose.



There was just enough time to sand down the bonnet lip.



By which point I needed to wash all the dust off me and head into town.

End of Part 1…
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  #3079  
Old 9th June 2017, 18:44
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Friday - Afternoon:
The clouds did not look very promising when I got back, so I didn't remove the covers fully when I started the engine.



Next I marked up where the bonnet hinges come close to the bonnet.

As the driver's side had very little clearance...



Compared to the passenger side.



I then ran my angle grinder across the filler I'd applied in the morning.



Before taking a deep breath and removing the bonnet.



Which left the front end of the car feeling very sorry for itself.



Unfortunately, at this point in time I was on my own, so it was a bit of a struggle to get the bonnet…

Into the house...



Through the kitchen and onto the patio...



And then down the length of the garden and into the Summer House.
( Which needed a major tidy up to clean enough room for it to fit. )



Then it was time to pack up and head out for an early evening meal with my family.

So until next time, take care, Paul.
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  #3080  
Old 10th June 2017, 19:35
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Solid Saturday:
First job of the day was to get some Kurust on any exposed bits of metal from the the bonnet hoop...



And the bonnet hinges.



Then it took two sessions to get some normal body filler around the bonnet opening.



A small batch of fibreglass filler covered a small gap next to the hinge mounts on both sides.



Then it was time to get some high build primer on the back edge of the bonnet.



Note: I think you can see the HUGE drip I left on one of the lock holes from space.

I also did a couple of test patches on the inside of the bonnet too.



If you look closely at the photo above, you will see the various areas that need another coat of etch primer.

I cut a wire coat hanger in half to hang up the headlight rims so I could do both edges at the same time.



The final area for some high build primer was the boot lid.





I applied some finishing putty to the areas around the rear lights.





End of Part 1…
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