Bodywork On A Budget Questions

[jimistdt 1]

My bonnet lip looks a little tatty, stonechips and salty roads have really taken their toll on the old girl.

 

I want to tidy it up, but I cannot be affording to do the respray jobbie, I was thinking more along the lines of cleaning the metal up, priming and using some sort of adhesive vinyl as a strip along the lip.

 

 

Has anybody done this, recommend where to get such stuff or help in anyway?

[GLPoomobile 958]

Car Bra

[jimistdt 1]

Now, in my minds eye it didn't envision a great big hulk of Forrest Gumps caliper attached to the front of my car, any other suggestions?

Edited January 28, 2009 by jimistdt

[GLPoomobile 958]

What about a Halfords 'Motorsport' sunstrip?

[jimistdt 1]

I can't even find this anyway, though I suspect thats no bad thing (!)

[McDude 33]

I had Armourfend (self adhesive clear plastic) on my Elise - worked well. But it won't cover up scabby paintwork.

[DamirGTI 327]

... a picture would be nice

 

Damir

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Anything that just covers it will likely make it worse by trapping moisture in there. Unfortunately to sort it really it needs flatting back to bare metal and then rust treating, and then painting.

 

I'd say your options are sort it properly, or put up with it as is.

[jimistdt 1]

Anything that just covers it will likely make it worse by trapping moisture in there. Unfortunately to sort it really it needs flatting back to bare metal and then rust treating, and then painting.

 

I'd say your options are sort it properly, or put up with it as is.

 

 

Thats what I said in my OP Tom. But, If I do the bonnet, I'll have to do the wings if I do the......and so on.

 

I want to preserve and protect the bonnet without spending a fortune.

[jimistdt 1]

... a picture would be nice

 

Damir

 

 

I'll post a pic tomorrow, Damir, if you promise to do some photoshop/paint wizardry on it

[DamirGTI 327]

Oh come on , don't be ashamed ! as always , a picture worth more than thousand words .. and we'll be able to offer fair better advice if we can see the problem

 

Anyway , while we're on the "shy" subject did you see my car ?! i was thinking whether to post the pics or not cos when i removed the carpet i didn't know whether i'm gonna puke first or grab my rusty shotgun and blow my head off asap then , i started with a few pics first just to ask something (like you) and then - some damn person moved the entire post in the project section

 

Damir

Edited January 28, 2009 by DamirGTI

[jimistdt 1]

Ok, here is the offending area

 

 

 

The rust is just on the lip, where it looks to have bubbled is just water.....

Edited January 29, 2009 by jimistdt

[DamirGTI 327]

Well i'm not an expert but i would proceed as follows with such problem :

 

Mask up entire bonnet area above damaged lip , lay an strip of masking tape in straight line across the bonnet on the first sound area above the bad one (mask up the grill , bumper , lights etc. as well) ... start with some medium say 500 grit sanding paper (just to test the surface beneath) and start cleaning/sanding this area (both the paint and the rusty bubbles) which you've left un-masked , important note - always sand in one direction ! cos if you sand in circles or in left-right motion scratches will always show afterwards trough the paint ..

If you find the surface deeply pitted beneath the rusty bubbles take some more coarse grade paper like 180 grit and sand/clean the rusty areas only but do use some rust removing product to help you out during this process (like "jenolite" or something , basically phosphoric acid ..) use the product per instructions (i've been using liquid phosphoric acid , like this : brush it on the rusty areas , leave 5-10min. and sand down with coarse 180 grit paper, wipe off the area with some old rags and repeat again - brush on the acid , wait a few min. and sand down .. do this until theres no more brown rust coming from the pitted areas while you're sanding .. then apply another coat of acid and leave it for say 2hours to do his work ..) when you're in the final stage of cleaning rusty craters you can use some fine wire bush on angle grinder and gently grind some more on top of the craters ..

When you've fixed all the rust off from the craters (or as good as it gets) rinse and dry entire surface (you must neutralize the surface previously treated with phosphoric acid cos if you leave it as it is the layer of phosphate on the panel will ruin your paintwork afterwards ..) use soapy water or water mixed with baking soda for neutralizing the acid ..

Test the surface with your finger around the cleaned rusty craters , if you find them deep use an light coat of filler to bring the surface back straight (rough/scratch up the surface to be filled with some 40/80 grit sanding paper) or use high build primer/filler to fill up the craters if they're not too deep (very unlikely !) ..

 

Whether you've been using filler or not apply high build primer/filler on all bare metal areas (can buy high primer/filler in rattle cans as well so use that if it's easier for you) , apply a few coats , when using rattle cans hold the can around 6inches from the workpiece and spray first coat in straight lines/stripes up and down the bonnet lip (but do not try to cover all the surface with one single coat ! as you'll get runs ..) , then the second coat in pattern which crisscrosses the first one .. wait for the paint to dry out and repeat the procedure and apply a few more coats ..

 

Prior to painting , move the masking tape a little bit up on the sound area of the bonnet , sand the primer/filler with 500 and then 1000 grit paper (i do this wet , sand with water ..) . Flat the edges of the old paintwork gently to prevent the edge crumbling and flat over a wide area to blend in the edge so that it wont be visible under the paint (use your finger here !) .

After you've done the entire surface with final 1000grit paper , spirit wipe the surface to be painted and spray on the paint as described above (try to find paint in rattle cans which matches your car paintwork code or at least as near sa possible - test on a scrap piece first and compare to the original paintwork ..)

 

Mask off and leave a few days for the paint to fully harden and polish the rest of the bonnet with some medium abrasive polishing compound , if done properly you wont be able to see any steps between the old and repaired section of the bonnet !

 

Hope this heps

Damir

Edited January 29, 2009 by DamirGTI

[brian j 31]

While I largely agree with Damir, the STDT (Oberon IIRC? )green can be a pig to colour match. When I had mine, I got a tin of it matched up at my local paint place. It was a perfect match for some areas of the car and way off for others depending on which direction you moved the gun in while spraying, how thick the orignal coat was etc.

 

My 306 Diablo red is a cinch to match in comparison.

 

I am not saying don't go for it, just that you may well, as you say, end up with things looking worse unless you can spray the whole bonnet and blend the top of the wings too.

 

My honest suggestion is to look out for an STDT or Gentry being broken and buy the bonnet. It is probably going to be easier and better looking than painting it yourself and a lot cheaper than paying a professional.

Edited January 29, 2009 by brian j

[jimistdt 1]

Damir, thats why you are Pitcrew mate, some of that I knew, a lot I didn't. Legendary stuff, thank you very much

[jimistdt 1]

My honest suggestion is to look out for an STDT or Gentry being broken and buy the bonnet. It is probably going to be easier and better looking than painting it yourself and a lot cheaper than paying a professional.

 

 

Thats true, I do watch the For Sale Threads on here and keep an eye on E bay and stuff, but I haven't seen many Oberon shells at all...I'm tempted to try Damirs guide it would be rude not to after that post, and If I make a balls of it, at least I've had a go.

 

 

 

Thanks for the tip.

[Tesstuff 222]

It is a pity the Gentry green and the STDT green aren't the same Jimi.

 

Damn Oberon and Sorrento lol

[DamirGTI 327]

I did forget the second hand part option good thinking that will be the easiest/cheapest option if he can find a second hand bonnet of such requested color shade

 

Other then that , if the respray color match is a problem/difficult to do properly on a DIY basis i would reconsider option of making preparation job myself and afterwards try finding someone keen with spray gun and this color stuff to perform just the final color respray (for some reasonable price of course ..)

 

Damir

[ravydavy 0]

hi a good thing to protect the front of your bonnet is something called helicopter tape. i found out about it cause i do mountain biking. your forever catching the underside of the frame on rocks as well as them bouncing up under the bike causing damage. especially when my frame cost 2 grand you wanna keep it protect it. they put it on the leading edges of rotor blades. when the helicopter lands it blows pebbles and rocks up which hit the blades. hence helicopter tape. trust me you'll never get another stone chip on your leading edge of your bonnet again...p.s you might have seen it on the front of the rear wheel arch on a porsche 911 to stop stones coming up off the front wheel...

regards david

[brian j 31]

It is a pity the Gentry green and the STDT green aren't the same Jimi.

 

Damn Oberon and Sorrento lol

 

Really? My bad! I always thought that gentrys were oberon or aztec like STDTs. There you go.

 

Jim,

 

Go for it! the bonnet is pleasantly flat and level and the creepy crawleys aren't out yet at this time of year, so if you can get it somewhere warm and dust free then painting it shouldn't be too bad. It is quite a big area if you're blending paint in though. If you don't have a compressor, then at least get your local paint place to make you up the better rattle cans that have the fan shaped spray pattern. The colour match will be better and they spray better too.

 

If you have a compressor and you are coming past Northampton anytime soon, I think I have about 1/2 litre of single pack acrylic in Oberon green that you could have. I'd need to check it is still OK though.

[jimistdt 1]

Well, I've dug this old topic out.

 

The bonnet was really starting to little tired of late, it really got to me when I went down to the Snake Pass meet last week, parking next to Henry Yorkes and Matts 205's was the prompt I needed, so I've finally got my backside into gear to make amends.

 

I made a start yesterday, bought various grades of W&D, a tin of primer, Kurust and had a tin of my paint made up (With the fan spray type nozzle.)

 

Unfortunately the weather took a turn just as I'd started to get back to bare metal, so I hurridly Kurust'd the pitted bits, left it a bit then primered over it. The bonnet is now a pikey two-tone affair.

 

I will get back onto it tonight, soon as I get home, working under Flouro lights.

 

I'll get some pictures up of my progress posted, it will probably be tomorrow morning.

 

 

Q. I didn't buy any lacquer, is it essential that I use the lacquer?

 

 

 

cheers Jimi

Edited August 5, 2009 by jimistdt

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

You will need lacquer yes, you will find the base coat dries to a dull flat finish with no shine, this is why you lacquer it.

[jimistdt 1]

Cheers, Tom, looks like I'm going to have to shut a little earlier to catch Halfrauds before it shuts.

[jimistdt 1]

A little progress...I made a start when I got home last night, about 9pm!!

 

I masked off about 8 inches up the bonnet and the wings, and attacked the deepest of the pittted areas with 80 grit paper, once I had it back at the bare metal I Kurust'd to the rusty remnants.

 

That left it looking like this;

 

 

 

MMmmmmm...Ami.

 

I then mixed up a little body filler and worked it in with my thumb, a very versatile and underestimated body member.

 

Sanded off again with a finer paper, then wiped it all down, and put a few thin layers of Primer over the top.

 

 

 

This took me til 1am this morning, I'll probably end up doing the same tonight as I'm not happy with the finish by any means yet. There are still some uneven bits, so I'll run some more filler over and get it sanded down again.

 

 

TBC...

Edited August 6, 2009 by jimistdt

[Tom Fenton 1,526]

Looks good, however avoid painting up to a line of masking tape as this leaves a hard line which is more difficult to hide. Mask further back, and leave a sprayed edge that is easier to feather in. You can also do a rollback with the tape which also helps not to leave a hard edge.