Rebody Mittaws 250 SWB Coupe Build

[Pond]

Yes i was looking for barchetta originally but couldnt the code. This looked darker on the colour chart but im happy with it. I could go a shade darker but red is a funny colour as it can go orange or pink very quickly. I'll stick with this i think. Will show off the chrome nicely. Now leaving this 3 months to harden and better weather to finish off in the makeshift operating theatre.

Have a good Christmas all

You should have said.....I have the codes for both barchetta colours. Mine is Barchetta 2, the other is a more classic red.

Out of interest, how do you extract the 'fumes' from the space?

 

[mittaw]

Thanks for the offer I had some codes but the shop struggled to match..i wasnt sure about true manifacturer codes anyhow as its not a replica. Im making my own car and own colours so to speak

As for the unit I used very big fans £200 each) and filters at the front of the unit and dropped the doors down 3/4 so they sucked the air out. I also had filters between the fans drawing air in from the negative pressure of the fans. Not perfect by any means but it did the job while wearing all PPE.

Cut my cloth to suit but aslo learnt a new skill.

 

[mittaw]

Ok, winter break over and back to it

I'm happy with the first coat of paint. its survived the winter nicely in the unit and the colour has darkened slightly with drying so its not quite in your face red now, which I prefer. No cracks but plenty of pin holes to fill, mainly on the roof and wings where i did so much work. Second and final coat planned for end of March so lots of wet flatting with 600 grit now

I did notice last year though that there were some deep cracks in the fibreglass around the rear offside wheelarch which when painted are very evident. These needed grinding out and sorting. Just in the process of doing this. Didn't want to do it really but its best to do it now than regret it later.

While the rear window is out I'm taking the opportunity to build a fibreglass rear shelf panel which I will upholster. I just need a simple structure from the fibreglass so nothing complicated. I've covered the soundproofing matting with very low tact masking tape (finally found a use for the useless stuff). This gives me a good release from the matting.

I've then covered that in packaging tape as fibreglass doesnt stick to that very well.

Then ive given that a good covering of mould release wax. The packaging tape takes the wax really well and between them both make releasing the fibreglass panel relatively easy.

Fibreglass laid this morning and will now leave for a couple of days to harden before removing and strengthing in places and snoothing over for a thin layet of foam and covering. Ive started working on the inner skin too so i have something to upholster against on the rear quarters. It looks messier than it actually is. The lighting is not doing me any favours in the picture

Good to be back at it and welcoming the evenings getting lighter!! I hope everyone else is enjoying their builds/ cars

 

[Duncodin]

Good job.

I haven't done anything to mine for a few days. Bah! Her in-doors is busy painting walls in the house so I don't feel comfortable going out to 'play' in the garage while she's working . . .

. . . so I'm sat here in the office pretending to be doing office work.

 

[mittaw]

Good job.

I haven't done anything to mine for a few days. Bah! Her in-doors is busy painting walls in the house so I don't feel comfortable going out to 'play' in the garage while she's working . . .

. . . so I'm sat here in the office pretending to be doing office work.

Uncharacteristically i was ushered out today to play... hope yours is coming along nicely

 

[mittaw]

Last few weeks have been busy. Previous paint flatted to give a bind for the new coat and some areas of bodywork improved.

Good few coats of new paint on it all and left 14 days to harden. Colour looks good with the red base underneath rather than the grey primer.

I've used a 2k solid gloss paint so no clear coat needed over the top. Had a couple of runs which are easy to flat back with it being solid gloss. Now in the process of flatting everything back with some 1200 grit to remove the orange peel effect thats occurred.

It's taking quite some time as I'm doing it all by hand. I used a machine polisher initially to flat back but it feels too aggressive with 1200 grit on all the curved bodywork.

Next will be 3000 grit, 6000 grit, clay bar and polish up, then a few small spots that need touch up spraying/blending in. I've had a test polish on one wing and the colour comes up really nicely ...Just the rest to do....its just all about time now...then to put it all back together again.

 

[Duncodin]

Oh that's gonna look the dog's doodahs.

Wow. 6000.

I won't go down as far as 6000 grit. Too much rubbing. Maybe 2500 is the finest I'll use then switch to G3 compound and the machine.

 

[mittaw]

Oh that's gonna look the dog's doodahs.

Wow. 6000.

I won't go down as far as 6000 grit. Too much rubbing. Maybe 2500 is the finest I'll use then switch to G3 compound and the machine.

Thanks, its starting to become a balance between obsession and insanity.

Ive tested that G3 compound and its very good. Just watch out for the pad you're using and make sure the paint is fully cured as the pads were generating too many swirl marks for me in what I'd cut down too. I wasnt sure if it was the surface not fully cured at 14 days or the polishing pad too abrassive. I'm going to avoid the pads and just use the wool ones for polishing up.

 

[Pond]

I wasnt sure if it was the surface not fully cured at 14 days

When I had mine painted last year (obviously didn't do it myself) I could smell paint 'fumes' in my garage for about a month. It was mid summer so warm too and I had plenty of ventilation. My bodyshop told me not to ,put any 'products' (polish, wax etc) on the paint for at least six months.

It probably depends on many things but new paint seems to be very fragile for quite a long time, which leads me to think it takes that long to fully cure/ harden..

Mine does have a clear coat BTW.

 

[Duncodin]

My bodyshop told me not to ,put any 'products' (polish, wax etc) on the paint for at least six months.

Yes. If it's a pro high gloss paint job then don't touch it for yonks. I suppose modern paints with hardner aren't as fragile as the enamel of the old days but still, if its a pro paint job then I wouldn't touch it.

But I'm not a pro so orange peel and the odd run need flatting back a bit