200 replies to this topic

[torana_nick]

Agree with above posts. I use PPG epoxy primer on my cars, i metal finish as best i can & prep the panel before applying it. I apply two medium coats & let it cure for a week & apply any bog needed to finish a repair over the epoxy. I lightly sand the epoxy with P180-240 before applying the high build 2K primers. I'm not a proffesional painter, but i've watched the spray painters at work & question the paint reps that come into the shop, so i'm fairly confident i'm doing it right.

thanks mate, i will do just that, gonna have to buy a compressor to be able to give me enough air, i used 1k etch at this stage over deoxine do i have to rub all the etch back and re apply deoxodine? or just a light rub of the etch and use the epoxy?

[torana_nick]

Hey mate I'm following ur thread and although you have a long way to go keep positive and you will get there in the end btw what colour r u planning on going?

thanks mate, a long way that's for sure.. not sure on a colour yet. i got a few in mind but haven't made my mind up. i like the old school colours like red, orange,yellow but blue is in there too....

[tuxedoss]

Nick, Have you got your Aussie restos rad support yet? Can you let us know what the fit is like. I'm after one myself but want a good fit. Looking at pictures it looks like the lower ends there is a C section that looks like it might be a bit tricky to match up with the original.

[hanra]

+1 for an update on the Aussie restos rad support!

[torana_nick]

i haven't got it yet, i have been in contact with emails with measurements and comperaring it to the original and the rares spairs one that i had, and it seems to be the same measurements to the rares one. only difference is the dip in it. i am about to send them an other email with one more measurement if its the same as the rares i don't know what i will do...

[torana_nick]

I'd remove the 1K etch completely, i had a couple of panels garnet blasted & 1K etch primed late last year, to avoid any future corrosion issues i'll remove the etch & epoxy prime them. If you're going to do alot of priming/painting etc at home, i'd invest in a good compressor, 20 meters of hose & a water trap/filter. I recently bought a 100L 3HP compressor (the largest single phase compressor i could find) to do my car as i found when priming/painting large panels i was getting pressure drop which caused the primers go on unevenly, but i have used smaller compressors with fairly good results. I run 10 meters of hose from the compressor to the water trap/filter, then another 10 meters of hose. Compressors naturaly run hot, especially if they're working hard & therefore generate moisture in the air. The last thing you need when applying any paint products, so a good quality water trap/filter is well worth the investment in my opinion.

thanks mate, i will remove it shouldn't be that hard as i just sprayed it on lightly. i was thinking of getting a good compressor for when and if i hifill the car at home, but if i am not i might just get a budget one just to etch prime it and then ill give it to the pros to finish off..

cheers.

[tuxedoss]

i haven't got it yet, i have been in contact with emails with measurements and comperaring it to the original and the rares spairs one that i had, and it seems to be the same measurements to the rares one. only difference is the dip in it. i am about to send them an other email with one more measurement if its the same as the rares i don't know what i will do...

Spoke to the guy at Retro Rods again today and he has sold out of them, will be another 3 weeks before he has any, he says there is a fair bit of work in making them. His stuff looks pretty good but he did say he can't get the ends to match up as per the original, something about that C section on the bottom tapering off to nothing that he can't reproduce, looks almost identical to the Aussie restos one but is a bit cheaper. And hopefully his bonnet hinge area will be finished this week.

[torana_nick]

On a thread is mentioned that resto rods is a supplier to Rares. i have cracked it so i have decided to attempt to make my own. i got the dimensions of a forum member. the idea is to make it out of cardboard check fitment then take it to a local sheet metal place and see if they can make it for me... or might try and modify the one i already have..

[torana_nick]

and do you know what exact part of the bonnet hinge section is he making? i hope the hole bend bit. ill be buying it

[tuxedoss]

and do you know what exact part of the bonnet hinge section is he making? i hope the hole bend bit. ill be buying it

It will be the inner guard bit from the edge that is spot welded to the firewall to just forward of the hinge and just below and will go all the way to the top with the 90 degree bend where the guard is bolted to, so only needs welding along the bottom of the hinge and in front of the hinge. It will have the backing plate spot welded onto the inner guard piece. He's having trouble getting captive nuts so he said he will supply them without them and you'll have to weld your old ones back on. As of yesterday he had made the backing plates and was to have the inner guard bits done this week.

[torana_nick]

a small update guys, i thought id attempt to fix the rust behind the bonnet hinge section ( the easy side) i cut it out and welded it, small holes around my welds but best i could get it, might attempt it again tomorrow... some pics...

[torana_nick]

i was thinking of taking it off then cleaned it up and it didn't have any holes trough it so i put some rust converter on it.. you think its better to take it off and make a new one? gees welding is a hard gig though i thought id start with a basic repair.. ended up taking over 3 hours.. still not finished.

[torana_nick]

hi guys, small update sanded back the other quarter.. it has a slight amount of filler on it but when i sanded it back the dint's don't seem to be so major..
should be able to get in behind it and get it pretty straight with out using to much filler. coated it with 1k etch for the time being but will be soon removing it all and spraying an epoxy primer..

here is a pic.

[torana_nick]

hey guys time for an update i have been wrestling with the front rad support now since i bought it a few months ago so i decided
to rip it apart and see where it needs to be modified. i ended up fitting the nose cone and decided it only needs 30mm on the corners to line up with the apron.
so i chopped it up and started welding... still not finished yet but here is some pics.. hopefully i dont have to put many hours in at work so i can tackle it when i get home. but really straggling on those plug welds now....

here it is apart and what needs to be cut out.



one side welded



both sides welded

[torana_nick]

cheers mate, trust me welding and i don't get on either but ill beat it in the end.. i have to lol

[tuxedoss]

Do you still need to modify the middle bit to put a dip in it so the bonnet catch leg fits? Considering the work gone into these you would hope they could make them correct to start with. I see rates has put their price back up to over $300, wonder if at that price they now fit.

[torana_nick]

I think it should fit ok now, I have to finish plug welding it and I'll post some more pics.
I only payed 150 for it so I am not that cut about it but I still will end up putting over 5 hours of work on it.
Someone that has more experience with a welder might do
It half the time... I would like to buy one fr Rares to see. You can always return it..

[torana_nick]

I think it should fit ok now, I have to finish plug welding it and I'll post some more pics.
I only payed 150 for it so I am not that cut about it but I still will end up putting over 5 hours of work on it.
Someone that has more experience with a welder might do
It half the time... I would like to buy one fr Rares to see. You can always return it..

[torana_nick]

hey mate, going pretty slow to be honest with you, been busy with work and doing stuff around the house.. the usual things that hold people up..
i attempted to fix the rad support but i don't think it came out the best so i am going to buy one from aussie restos once the make some more to see how there's fit..
i see your build is coming along nicely.. upload a pic of your rad support..

[notna]

Those Rares rad support replacement sections are a bitch. I had to mod mine.... hours spent. Came up good in the end. My rad support had been messed with to begin with though.

Your mods there are looking great. Good job!

[torana_nick]

Those Rares rad support replacement sections are a bitch. I had to mod mine.... hours spent. Came up good in the end. My rad support had been messed with to begin with though.

Your mods there are looking great. Good job!

Thanks mate, I seen yours it looks factory when you finished it..
I recon i spent over 5 hours on mine but I think I bent the back section of it so when I
Put it back together well attempted to put it back together because I had never plug welded before,
I think the hole rad support got a bow in it. I haven't had much of a chance to play around with it but will see what happens.