Build Update!

[Tenrocca]

Wow mando-I cant think of any recent build done so well. I like everything you have done with your car. A real credit to you.

[Mando]

Ben, all the billet brackets and clamps were made by a guy I know who has a 4 axis CNC machine. I give him a detailed drawing and he makes it.
The reason for putting the rubber on the body is a long story but I'll try and be brief. There is a join in the paint under the rubber where the spraypainter first painted the parts of the body you can't see when the doors, bonnet and boot are shut. He then masked everything up so he can spray the car with doors, bonnet and boot in place. His reasoning is that the paint grain and fall of the metalic specks is continuous and even all over the car. I didn't know anything about cars when I started the build in Jan 2002 but I've learnt plenty along the way. It's funny but the auto trade, and the building trade which I do know about, seem to travel down the same road parallel to each other. The bull$hit and crap that some "tradesmen" tout is astonishing. I could rant and rave for hours.
Baz, the fans came from Finishline in Florida and I had them polished.

Regards.

[sambo]

Originally Posted by Mando

I didn't know anything about cars when I started the build in Jan 2002

Your first build? Now you're just showing off!

[lal Naja]

I can agree with the painter regarding spraying metallic paint. If you happen to paint different non contiguous components and you do one extra pass on one of the parts, when you butt them together you will be able to tell that there is a mismatch. That would be bad on your pride & joy. So I would give him points for that.

Masking seams. Well that can be avoided sometimes if the job is planned well keeping seams at a minimum and not in obvious places.

I don't understand why most car painters still use a 1 quart (1 liter) gravity/siphon cup gun. This is acceptable when spraying a small area. For a whole car paint job, I prefer to use a 2 1/2 gallon (11 liters) pressure pot with an agitator for metallic paint. This will keep the flakes suspended in the paint. You don't run out of paint in the middle of a panel. With 2+ gallons (9+ liters) of mixed ready to spray paint in the pot and you can apply three full coat over the entire body without stopping and filling the gun.

Would love to hear what professional painters think of this large pressure pot process.

As for shoddy trades. It's a big problem. Here in the US I had a shop and employed 30 to 50 Union trades people. All one had to do was join the union and that was it. Bum today union carpenter tomorrow, simple as that. Made My life hell! It's really difficult to find good people.

I'm fortunate though. I can pretty much handle any house project from concrete to cabinets to plumbing, electrical & HVAC. Since my house was built and I moved in I've never allowed a trades person to get past my gate. I sympathize.

But you guys in Australia still have a decent apprenticeship program that teaches trades properly, yes? Or has that gone by the wayside?

Congratulations on your first build. Amazing. You must use a greater percentage of your brain then most! What a great machine.

I'm glad to see that car building in AU is still fine and well and that the government hasn't made it impossible. I lived in Perth and in the 60tees and got such a hassle from the police department when I tried to register my manta dune buggy. Every inspector had a different opinion on a different day.

Keep up the good work!

Arthur