1006 replies to this topic

[hughJ]

Graham its looking so good apart from the birds offering. I'll give you another thought - a blue roof. I had a rave in my own topic once about different roof colours! Each has their own taste. Keep up the good work boy.

 

Hugh

[HarrysMini]

Graham, this is looking great. I have spent about a week reading this from the beginning!

Like you, my project is an on-drive one, relying on the unreliable British weather!

I admire you for painting it yourself and this is an option I will have to seriously consider when the time comes.

 

Any more updates on this?

[grahama]

Hi all, 

 

long overdue update,  good and bad !

 

Firstly the bad.

 

I noticed the other day when wet sanding the paint that inside the boot area on the bottom of the hinge panel that there were tell tale brown streaks on the edges of the sealant in the seam area,  bugger !!  The seam there I had filled with Tiger seal and smoothed off so I thought it would be fine.  This is what I have found after digging out the sealant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you see,  not good,  but glad I found it now before it rotted through a year later !!  Will be wire wheeling this seam and kurusting to be double sure.  Then I think a proper good dollop of seam sealant,  like you put over welds.  Sets tough and should be better.  Also noticed that I hadn't painted on the inside of the valance so that needs a slop of paint too.

 

The rust does seem to be on the flanges of the seam rather than inside the join itself so caught it just in time.

 

Now the good   ish lol.

 

Got the 6th and final coat on the shell today and let it bake in the high temps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking ok to be honest for a roller job,  but still peely.  I have revised my earlier statement of it being a 10ft paint job,  and it is now a 20ft paint job lol.  Some parts have come out better than others like the boot area.

 

 

 

All in all,  quite pleased,  the boot lid looks particularly nice,  bonnet not so good,  even with the same coats on.  Guess it's all in the mix on each coat,  something I was not precise about due to time constraints and boredom towards the end.  It needs a good 6 months to fully cure now till I can cut it back and polish up,  a downside of this method I suppose.

 

Anyway the paint job cost me £115 in paint and £30 in sundries,  so  not too unhappy,  just didn't have the cash for a professional 2k paint job.  Matt likes it so it will do for now.  Roof and doors need a couple of more coats when I get back from holiday.  Will be putting it back together on my return too.

 

Will reserve judgement on the painting process and whether I would do it again like this till after I have polished it up.

 

Regards,

 

Graham

[alex-95]

Paint look's good graham, It'll look alot better once you've cut it back and polished it up, Shame about the rust, did you just put seam sealer on or did it have paint under it too?

[hughJ]

Graham - it looks just great. You ought to be proud of that. What a shame about the sealant. But that's Minis for you. Have a super holiday. You'll soon be fitting parts back again.

 

Hugh

[grahama]

Alex,  It had some primer on before the tiger seal from what I can remember.  It will be getting filled tomorrow I hope with lots of seam sealer that seat hard as it looks to have worked elsewhere.  I think it would have been fine if it hadn't come unstuck for whatever reason.

 

Thanks Hugh,  be catching u up in no time at the rate you are breaking things lol.

 

Graham

[Carlos W]

How long are you away for Graham?

[grahama]

Two weeks,  South of France,  looking forward to it as we are having a family holiday with my brother over from Australia so should be good.

[Carlos W]

Ah, I think you mentioned it when I saw you!

 

I'll crack on with mine whilst you're away and catch you up!

[Minidarren83]

Shame about the seam rust graham but the rest is looking superb getting close to bolting bits back on!! Very exciting

[grahama]

Indeed exciting times ahead!!

Stripped the old sealant out, white wheeled and kurusted for good measure. Then I forced a lot seam sealer into the area for good measure after a quick etch prime. Pretty it is not, but hopefully sorted now.

Just needs a couple of coats of top colour when I get back and done. No pics as a bit boring but will snap one when i get back from hols. Have the petrol tank a coat too!!

Graham

[minimuk]

nice one Graham, have a good break and look forward to see the finished item on here soon......

[Kieranlee999]

Looking good :) hows it going?

[Archived4]

I think this thread needs an update?

[grahama]

Ur not wrong lol. I am coming to the end of building my extension now, Jan is hard at work spending all my cash filling it.

Next planned job on mini is to tape and thread the wiring loom into the shell. Also am going to sell my minitastic coil springs and replace with red dot cones. Anyone wanting them just PM me.

Once loom is in I can get it starting regularly on the key instead of the jump lead method. Hopefully some pic updates to follow very soon

Keeping wifey happy has cost me 7 months !!! Happy wifey = mini time before garden makeover 😳