Paint again

Did a bit more touch up work, this time round the back of the car on the lip above the taillight chrome trim. There had always been a patch where the paintwork had gone and rust had set in. Sanded it down and went back to bare metal removing the rust but coated with some anti rust stuff anyway. Etch primed, high build primed and then several coats of paint. Left to dry overnight and then flatted with 1500 wet and dry with soapy water, compounded and then polished.

Result was okay, not a perfect blend but good enough.

Brake and Clutch Fluid

With changes to the brakes pads, shims and possibly calipers coming up depending on what happens when I investigate a slight bind in the left front near side wheel. I thought I would check the levels of the fluids as I will have to get some top up stuff. I had seen this triangle warning sign cable tied to the brake pipe before but hadnt really paid it too much attention until now. The lable reads use only DOT5 silicone fluid by Automec. Now I thought that DOT5 was purple in colour but the stuff in my master cyclinder is clear. So now I need to investigate whether this stuff can change colour and how to test to see whats in there. Now I  know that DOT3 and DOT4 will eat your paintwork but I think thats a bit of a drastic test and I understand DOT5 repels water so I think if I add some DOT5 from the master cylinder in a jar with a little water they shouldn't mix and this will clarify that its DOT5 and has just gone a bit pale for some reason. I have heard that light can have an affect but no light can get to the fluid until you take the cap off so the jury is out on that one.

You can see the warning sign attached to the pipes

Wheel Arches

Time had come to finally sort out "what lay beneath" and if you remember it was particularly awful.

Pretty grim

The wheel arches were in a pretty sorry state but it was just one of those jobs I hadn't got round to until today. I gave the underside of the arches a good sand, getting rid of all the rust and such like. I then wacked on a bit of primer, followed by some stone chip and then finally some matt black which I had bought for the rear tail light panel. Also added new rubber seal trim to the back edge of the wheel arch but forgot to take a picture.

Stone chip added. Also check out the Hello Kitty blanket.... er... sorry about that.

Matt black and that's not overspray in the background I'm not that bad.

Both sides done and the blanket which I use to catch the rust and overspray. Honest. 

Just got to get round to the underside of the bonnet now, which is a bit dirty and the paint is all cracked but I will be looking at some other stuff before then. The tailgate and the bottom of the rear valance are currently upper most in my mind.

Current Jobs List

Okay, so its an ever evolving list but these are the things that I want and in some cases need to do on the car when time and money allows

1. Replace brake pads and shims and check movement of caliper pistons
2. Refurbish and reinstate (if they will still fit) the engine valances
3. Refurbish both seats with new foams and going back to vinyl rather than cloth
4. Clean up and repaint underside of bonnet and stone chip under front wheel arches
5. Remove and repaint tailgate and with new rubbers for glass
6. General paint touch ups around bottom of car
7. Repair dent in bonnet totally now that small SU dashpots are fitted allowing room for some big time Charlie hammer and filler work (I'm sure I will put this one off the longest)
8. Get rev counter working more consistently. Will need to remove and possibly get new cable 
9. Get radio working as the new aerial made no difference. I prefer to listen to the car anyway but its the principle