Goal 3: Parts Order

Goal 3: Strip and Re-Spray

Once the bodywork is complete, I really need to strip the car's paint job completely off and have it re-sprayed. I have most of the parts off the car and only have a few bits left to remove. The bonnet has been completely stripped of all non-paint-able parts. The rear has been stripped all all non-paint-able parts. I have not removed the boot lid or hinges yet but don't anticipate problems with it.

Of the parts that need to be removed for the re-spraying, I have the driverside washer assembly, which is pretty much seized in place, I may have to cut through the bolt and pry it apart. I hope I can do this without too much damage to the underlying piece. I need to remove the stubborn windshield, and on that, remove the cap, the glass itself and rip off the cracked vinyl? covering. Then comes the doors, I need to remove the exterior handles and lock.


Once this is complete, the old paint simply must go. It is very thick and cracking in more places than I can imagine. Who knows what wonderful problems will arise once we get that done. I already know of two bondo spots, one on the bonnet that will have to be inspected, and one that will be replaced on the fender patch. Then primed, painted, and clear coated. This work I will leave up to my neighbor and owner of the shop. He does superior work IMHO, often times the repairs I see him do look almost too good.

After the paint is good to go, then comes the fun job of re-assembly... I am looking to replace or add all missing or horribly damaged gaskets.


My Thoughts:

This will take some time and completely depend on my friend for completion. He is getting busier, thankfully (I want to see good people prosper), but that may delay me. I could simply re-assemble the car without respray and scedual the re-spray next fall/winter. That though would involve me re-ordering some gaskets that would be damaged on removal, and then stripping parts off the car for a second time. This is way up in the air...

For this to work, I would not put a convertible top on the car until AFTER the respray. I would have to devise a method of keeping the car out of the rain for the summer. I've been thinking of some sort of Tonneau Cover made of wood planks and a car cover... This would allow me to keep the car at the house.