Pearl white coupe revival

[Solfella]

Looking good. A guide coat can really help highlight where the panels need more attention to get them flat. Most of the cost is in the prep prior to pianting.

[ottawa coupe]

Yeah, the paint part probably wouldn't be the death of me. I do ok with the colour but tend to get runs with clear. But this is all with rattlecans. I suppose the solution there is just learning how to fix runs and reapply clear. And ya, getting a buncha fenders out of the scrap yard to practice on may not be a terrible idea

The real talent lies in the bodywork itself. It was a very sunny day today and i didn't notice how noticeable the areas i have worked on are. Something that is magnified even more with proper paint. The pain is that i thought i did pretty well lol.

At any rate, there are a coupla other shops nearby i will bring the car too asap and see what they have to say.

One thing that is intriguing that my buddy mentioned is using compressed nitrogen instead of air. No moisture issues that way. Called a coupla suppliers. $150 for the gas in a 50l cylinder rented at $1.25/day. That's a LOT cheaper than getting a BIG compressor and running a new circuit to power it.

At any rate, this is now a project within a project.

[RedV6]

Ah. Sorry to hear that, it's really fuc..ng annoying when people promise and then let you down.
I always do pretty much everything myself on all of our cars, digger, dumper, wind turbine and my motorcycles. Mainly because it's cheaper and I know it will be done right but also because people just mess you around. I have to admit though, that I have never tried painting (except with a brush or rattle can). However I am sure with the right environment and some practice on a semi scrap car or panels. It could be learnt!
Good luck

[ottawa coupe]

Sigh, so back to searching for a bodyshop. Called to confirm delivery next week and it was once again "call me in a few weeks". Clearly that is never gonna change. Took it to another one this morning and i suspect an eff off quote and i didn't get the best vibe.

At this point there is a significant chance i will be buying some equipment (bigger air compressor) to have a friend do it in my shop. But that will mean more delay till the spring as i seriously doubt i can heat my shop warm enough for paint much longer and there IS fine bodywork to be done yet.

[ottawa coupe]

Nothing has been aligned. The bodyshop will take care of that, though if i have time i will take a stab at it before it goes.

I've started just cleaning things now. Decided to tackle the carpet today. Started with the carpet cleaner but it was like cleaning the car with a toothbrush. Thankfully i have a hot water tap for the hose and just gave it the beans. Came out quite well. Gotta do another vacuum when its fully dry but i got most of the grunge out.

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Fingers crossed the car goes away in the next week or so.

Edit: just called the paint guy. Looks like 2 weeks from now the car goes in. It'll be there for a month-ish. That probably means i need to find someone with an enclosed trailer for the return trip....but plenty of time to arrange that still.

[RedV6]

Looks great. Just one thing! Might be the angle but that door looks a bit low, is the idea to remove them for paint?

[ottawa coupe]

Cross all the things in hopes this is the last pic of the car in primer. Hoping to get an actual date on monday, just cleaning up everything so i can go without delay. The way the weather is changing (4⁰ yesterday morning!) i suspect i will hafta find some sort of enclosed transport to get it back. The shop is only 15mins down the highway but i sure as hell don't wanna spend what i am gonna spend only to have it salt blasted immediately!

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[ottawa coupe]

Still on pause while i wait for my slot to open up at the bodyshop. I figured though you guys might wanna see just how tight the exhaust is lol. I think that when this comes back for final assembly, i am gonna get the area for the downpipes scannwd and get a stainless 3d printed version made. The left side does contact the body and i don't like how close to the gearbox things sit!

But goddamnit it will have AC lol.

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[ottawa coupe]

Lol, my wife keeps asking me and my friends doubt me when i say this is likely the last build. I am not gonna lie, this one has had a lot of downs and has cost FAR too much $.

That said, there are 3 possible future builds: get my mk5 r32 racecar to lose about 500lbs, my wife sorta wants a classic mustang (but ones that don't need paint are fairly plentiful so i may just buy my way outta that), and my kids are 4 years away from driving (may just hand them what will be my 15 year old toyota highlander tho)

I'd LOVE to do some late 90s btcc type build with either an a4 or a volvo 850 (estate of course), but that would be instead of the mk5 diet.

The other issue i would need to solve is space. My dad's 90 this year, he's got a 66 e-type. Probably sooner rather than later, that will reside with me as well. Rationally, either my s6 or the coupe should be sold, but there is a -6274% chance (Trump math lol) i'll get even close to the money i've put in from either of them. I could sell the jag but there's obviously an emotional component to that, plus it probably needs a bit of work as it has mostly sat the last few years.

First world problems for sure.

But anyways, i spoke to the bodyshop today. I am pretty much in a holding pattern for at least 3 more weeks, which isn't horrible news by any stretch. I am gonna spend the next few days just cleaning and smoothing and priming bare metal so as to give them the least amount of work i can. Depending on time and confidence, i may weld up the antenna hole. I don't want to do it myself due to the almost certainty i will warp it. I may tack it and have the shop finish it. Or i get a wiper delete plug and call it a day.

Oh, there's one other oriject i'd like to do but would probably tqke me to my grqve, which would be a S1 Scirocco given the Singer treatment.... mk1s are becoming "classic" so who knows, maybe they'll start fetching 6 figures at barret jackson soon lol

[RedV6]

Looks great. What an achievement and the feeling that the high point has been passed and you are on the pleasurable down hill run to the finish.
The only really big elephant in the room now is! How are you going to fill your time when its done? Maybe another but be even more ambitious.........?

[ottawa coupe]

Disassembly complete. But more importantly, cutting and welding FINALLY done! I have some cleanup on the rad support to do but no more myteries to solve....

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I am gonna talk to the paint shop tomorrow n see where things are. I am quite happy with the quality of the rattlecan paint i got for the trial, and the finish it provided. Given that in the end, with such a large engine, you really only see the top of the strut towers and about 4" of the top of the frame rail. I may decide to save him time and me money by rattlecanning the engine bay where the quality of finish is less critical. If i order the paint tomorrow, there is a small chance i get it by the weekend. Regardless, i can do the prep labour now and i am pretty sure i can hold a rattlecan after my surgery lol.

[ottawa coupe]

The big job is done.... now a million small ones

[ottawa coupe]

Heavy fabrication is done. Ac tubes made. I have a few mounts to add/strengthen but right now the engine is in the way. With luck that is sorted by the end of the weekend and i only need about an hour's swearing to finish the aluminum welding lol.

Will call the bodyshop hopefully end of next week and maybe i can skip the line a bit??

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[ottawa coupe]

That's what got me looking at byzanz lol

I've got boleros on my s6. Frankly not sure how they ended up here, found them on marketplace in toronto advertised as q5 wheels lol. For $250.

I got there pretty damned fast.

Ya, i dunno if i am going to go thru the cost and effort to figure out if these 18s will fit. I know the b5 avus will fit and look ok. The tires will be a very low profile for the crappy roads here! Will test fit the boleros as they are the same specs as the 17" fat fives i'm really after.... we'll see....

[struikie]

Byzanz coupe.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DcRfZ_7EyFa/?img_index=1

JW