Practically Classics Forum

Be carefull with those shoes they look like asbestos ones to me.

On the subject of using rattle can primer, be careful, if the rattle can is acrylic the celly top coat will craze after a year or so, I found this the hard way on my tr, after repairing a number of areas a year later I had to rub it all off and re do it, still need to do the rear panel.

Nowt wrong with having the right tool for the job and hold down springs can travel far further than you'd imagine if their washers should slip out of the jaws of a pair of pliers! (that statement didn't constitute a confession...)
Nice riveted shoes there too and fortunately - as the previous poster suspects - they are indeed the vastly superior asbestos ones which are getting hard to find these days, but assuming they're dry you'll get away with reusing those as there's no risk of old epoxy resin crumbling away as would be the case with bonded linings. Naturally you'll want to take the appropriate precautions if you should happen to disturb any old dust on the backplates or around that cylinder slide, and as well as the right mask, soak the whole assembly with water from an atomiser before you start to strip the backplate for cleaning.
This car looks better the further you dig into it and how often does that happen eh? Exactly, it doesn't. Jammy bugger!

kevin wrote:went for...



did i mention i like buying tools?

kev

I prefer these:



Never lost a retainer. (Yet)

harvey wrote:

kevin wrote:went for...



did i mention i like buying tools?

kev

I prefer these:



Never lost a retainer. (Yet)

not lost one yet myself, i have crumpled a few leaving things look crap. perhaps im a little heavy handed?

kev

kevin wrote:
not lost one yet myself, i have crumpled a few leaving things look crap. perhaps im a little heavy handed?

kev

The slip joint on its widest setting tends to make crumpling them up less likely. The problem is that gripping them too tightly crumples them, gripping them too lightly sends them flying across the workshop......

waiting for my brake tool to arrive and juggling the car work with re-tiling the ensuite (keeps wifey happy)
had an hour to spare so grabbed my machine polisher from the garage loft, only had some fine compound, so had a quick go.

before..



after...



i do have some g3 winging its way so will do some more in between other tasks

kev

had an hour to spare so grabbed my machine polisher from the garage loft, only had some fine compound, so had a quick go.

I appreciate we all have our ways of getting things done but in my book this is the worst thing that you could do to the paintwork - you may not see it yet but just wait until you put the car out in bright daylight / sun - although your machine polisher may save some time and elbow grease in turn it just leaves a load of swirl marks in the paint - and you will be hard pressed to remove them once they are there - the chance of burning through to primer on the swage lines / panel edges is also a possibility. Its hard work polishing a car correctly by hand but the results are unbeatable.

But then machine polishing is is done by the pros, so it can't be that bad. Providing you're careful you can get some damn good results using a machine polisher, just make sure the pads are clean and dust and dirt free, if you drop it on the floor, throw it away. I do agree about going through on the edges and creases, easily done, and these are better being done by hand.

It has come up good though

Grumpy Northener wrote:

had an hour to spare so grabbed my machine polisher from the garage loft, only had some fine compound, so had a quick go.

I appreciate we all have our ways of getting things done but in my book this is the worst thing that you could do to the paintwork - you may not see it yet but just wait until you put the car out in bright daylight / sun - although your machine polisher may save some time and elbow grease in turn it just leaves a load of swirl marks in the paint - and you will be hard pressed to remove them once they are there - the chance of burning through to primer on the swage lines / panel edges is also a possibility. Its hard work polishing a car correctly by hand but the results are unbeatable.

its only the first stage in cleaning up. the pant couldnt get much worse and is very badly oxidized.
it will be finished off by hand and im confident that a good finish will shine through. i agree about the swage lines and panel edges, thats why these will be avoided.
however, depending on budget, it may get a full repaint.

kev

But then machine polishing is is done by the pros, so it can't be that bad

Yes I agree with you - but they use machine polishing because it's quick & easy and time = £ In the end it's whatever does the job and gives the result that you yourself are happy with - but has you have may have already guessed - I'm quite old school and have never owned a mechanical polisher for paintwork - nor would I ever let one get within plugged in distance of one of my paint jobs / cars -