Chapter IV -- Some More Body Work
Well, after ordering the 5-speed adapter in the last chapter
and before it arrived, we started on Dick's Model A. Being the main
body guy, it has taken pretty much all my time. This past weekend, I finally took a little time
to work on my own projects and these two pieces are the result. Since the paint booth is in the
same area we were building the Sprite and it is filled with Model A body parts, there is no
place to work on the Sprite. Therefore, it is in the common area and covered in tarps. The new
5-speed and engine will have to wait for a while. Meanwhile, when I get these little breaks, I
need to get the bonnet, boot lid, front wings under sides and the doors insides ready for epoxy
then the Anchor paint. In removing the rattle-can primer, it become apparent that the DPO
intended to eventually paint the car blue. Both these pieces had a solid coat of blue under the
primer. It seems there is a pretty good coat of primrose under that. There is still a lot of
paint prep needed on the Model A so not sure when I will get to those next pieces, but soon, I
hope.
It is just too cold to paint right now so I get a little more time with the Sprite. This is a pretty complex piece that covers the slam panel and all the structure between the front wings as well as the outer skin and grille surround. It is also in primer and at least part of it has the DPO's blue paint too. The lower part of the front apron had a large bondo patch that made it difficult to straighten the bottom seam. After removing the bondo, I found a dent that almost extended from end-to-end and was a little more than half an inch deep. Access from the back side to straighten was impossible due to a structural backing panel that would be impossible to remove without pretty much dismantling the whole nose. The photos show my solution, drill a few holes in the backing panel through which I could insert a screw driver as a lever to somewhat push the skin closer to correct alignment. This will still require significant filler and, of course, the holes will have to be welded back too.
After levering the dent as well as I could, I applied a layer of Metal Fuzion, a polyester filler that uses aluminum as filler instead of whatever typical fillers use. This makes it quite tough but also tough to finish nicely. I expect a thin coat of regular bondo will be in order over it. So, the weekend came and the weather is cooperative so I finally got some primer on the backs of the bonnet, the boot lid and the nose. The nose also includes the slam panel.
The weather cooperated both days so I got paint on the backs of all three.
A couple of weeks later I got a little more free time and decided to work on that bent area
in the lower valence of the nose. I sanded the all metal to fairly smooth and applied regular
bondo over it then sanded some more. The left photo shows it ready for primer. Next, I spent
several hours masking the already finished back side of the nose (see above) to prime the
front without getting white epoxy on the already yellow paint. Finally I was able to prime
the front side. The right photo shows that same area in more of that 20 year old PPG white
epoxy. The next 3 photos show the nose in primer from different perspectives or angles. You
can see a small part of the masking in them. There was no primer on any of the yellow after
I took the masking off.
I got another break from the Model A and put in a little more time on the Sprite. This time
I worked on that bad wing that I helped Harold repair.
I had previously done most of the grinding on the weld but determined I could get it a little
flatter by some more careful grinding then finishing off with a 40 grit disk on the die
grinder. After a little hammer work (access from behind for a dolly was not possible) it was
ready for a fairly thin coat of the all metal filler over the joint. These photos show the
seam after grinding and sanding then with the filler applied. This filler is difficult to work
with and pretty much impossible to apply smooth. It is also darn hard to sand at all.
A week or so later the Model A cowl and gas tank were ready for the polyester primer. Since
that would only take a few minutes, it seemed like a good time to move the body out of the
paint booth and move the Sprite in to get some epoxy on that rear wing. So after covering all
the already yellow nearby, I got two good coats of that same 20 year old PPG epoxy on it. Now
it will be ready for any remaining metal work and filler. In the closeup, you can clearly see
the flaws remaining in the all metal filler. Meanwhile, at some time in the last couple of months,
I had filled some holes in the fascia that the DPO had made. He mounted a pair of later MGB tag
light fixtures presumably for interior illumination. I got a more proper under dash light for
the purpose. I finally got around to priming that with epoxy and it will also need some filler
work.
After several sessions of guide coat, sand, reapply filler as necessary, I finally got it to
the point that it shows no high or low spots after guide coat and sanding with 180 grit on
the 18 inch rigid sanding block. So it is now ready for another session of the same: coat of
white epoxy, black guide coat and block sand with the 18 inch block. I think it will prove to
be acceptable and ready for the high build primer this time.
Another couple of weeks and I got the next epoxy on the repaired wing. I also decided to strip
the fascia to bare metal and start over on it. Meanwhile I determined that the DPO had cut yet
another hole in it for a cigarette lighter that I wanted to patch. Compare this photo with the
one above to see where it was. Then I got a good coat of epoxy on it too, both sides. Meanwhile,
I found all the small parts removed from the bonnet and boot lid before painting them and
applied epoxy to all. Finally, I finish painted the hinges and small parts and the back side of
the fascia with the Anchor matching paint. The face will require some filler and prep work then
will be painted with the outer body paint; the match is really close but not quite perfect. The
boot latch is simple but the bonnet latch is made up from several pieces. Painting all the little
pieces is really a pain. The photos below show the latch pieces hanging in the foreground with
the hinges and support rods in the background (left), The boot hinges closeup (center) and one
of the bonnet hinges closeup (right).
The Model A has been in the paint booth, in various stages of paint or polish, for a while now
leaving no place to work on the sprite. Whatever free time I could find I devoted to repairing
the Prefect boot lid. Well we finally got the last
pieces for the Model A painted and moved it out into the common area for a few days, giving me
a place to work on the Sprite front wings. The nearside one had a little ding in the lower front
that had been filled but really just popped right out with a hammer. The offside one was more of
a problem though. It had a hole for a radio antenna that I didn't want but it also has a rusty
spot half the size of a football at the lower rear with a through hole large enough for a
couple of fingers. I found a piece of scrap from the misfitting Model A cowl replacement panels
with the right bottom flange and the exact right curve; note that the bottom of the wing has a
slight curve. I used that piece, even though it was not flat, thinking I could flatten it after
installation.
After installing that patch panel, I got a bulge in the metal at its upper edge. I spent a fair
amount of time trying to shrink it with some success. The bottom edge that included the curved
patch panel, however, was more troublesome; it just refused to cooperate. After a couple more
failed attempts this time I finally decided to just remove it and start again with flat metal.
Cutting the metal to fit the cutout was straight forward but matching the bottom curve with
the flange was a bit more fiddly. I did premark the curve from the other wing but bending the
flange on the curve took some time.
After getting the second patch installed, the bottom edge of the panel still curved inward. I
finally cut a thin strip of new metal to reinforce the bottom flange and tack welded it on the
inner and outer edges all along the flange while holding it against a straightedge with many
clamps. This seemed to be enough to hold it in position. These photos show the still remaining
curve at the bottom and the reinforcing strip welded in to make it straight again. The next step
was to strip old primer and paint from the other wing and both doors then prime and paint the
back sides of all four pieces. I sanded to bare metal then shot one heavy coat of white epoxy
followed by three coats of color on the doors and four on the wings.
With the wing rust repair finally done, it is still necessary to fit it to the body. To that
end, I loosely and temporarily installed it. In order to do so, I had to first install the
nose. For comparison, I decided to also install the nearside wing. Here it is ready for my
attention.
After a few weeks dealing with Model A business, I finally got
back to the wing. At first, the lower rear corner would not close up to the body. A little
grinding and shaping on the bottom edge solved that problem, almost. It turned out that
previous repairs to the A post and sill panel left them a little low so that much of the
fit was at least better than first observation. More later.
The more serious problem was at the back edge where it meets up with the A post. The left photo shows the uneven gap at that joint. It is a little over 3mm at the top and down to near the center. At that point it begins to widen to 9mm at the bottom. At first, I suspected the notorious front frame rail extensions bent upward from the extra weight. This chassis was designed for the Mk1 and the extra weight of the Mk4 seems to cause a gradual settling up front. The photo on the right, however, shows the near side wing and its corresponding gap which appears to be perfect. Apparently frame rails are not the cause. Instead, it must be from too much welding and heat during the repairs, shrinking the metal. Further evidence of that is a slight bulge in the metal above and forward of the repair. The bulge is at the shiny spot and forward some from there.
These photos show where the low spots were filled on the sill panel and A post as well as a
previously unrepaired low spot just above the turn of the scuttle. No idea what happened
there.
After better measuring the bulge, it was close to 1/4 inch at the worst spot but still about
1/8 near the bottom. So I got the torch out and started shrinking. I started at the bottom
and slowly worked up, not necessarily trying to get it completely flat at each step. I was
pretty sure the still high section above where I was working would tend to hold it all still
a little high. By the time I finished, that theory proved to be correct. I would shrink a
couple of spots then cool the area with a rag and cold water to avoid over heating. Shrinking
ended a couple of inches below where it seriously begins to curve over the top. Much of the
area is now a little low. I will probably have to spend another hour or more with the hammer
and dolly pulling that back up and trying to flatten the wrinkles as much as possible. It may
be necessary to anneal the worked area a little first. Any remaining flaws should be slight
enough to be repaired with the all metal filler. These photos show the face and back side of
the worked area, including the paint that had to be removed from the back to avoid fires.
It was a shame to have to remove all that shiny paint but necessary, of course. fortunately,
I have enough left in the original gallon to repaint it, that is if it is still good. Anyway,
Anchor Paint still has the mixing formula from the numbers on the can.
All right, I got back to working on the tapering gap at the rear of the off side wing. The
original measurement of about 6mm was correct. I decided to build it up with filler instead
of more welding and probably additional damage. I'm sure that's not the best solution but
it is what I decided to do. Rather than Bondo, even the metal filled variety, I wanted epoxy.
It naturally has more propensity to stick to bare metal. It also is less likely to crack
or shrink. I decided to use JB Kwik, the
fast setting version of the old familiar JB Weld. It sets in 5 or 6 minutes and fully cures
in 4-6 hours. This lets me apply several layers in a day, a necessity since it is thin enough
that you can't build a thick layer unless it is fully contained. The photos here show the
final fit as well as the back end of both wings resting on saw horses ready for primer. I can
probably sand the filled area just a little more before primer. And here they are after primer
and paint on the inside of the one that got all the work.
And here they are, a week later, reinstalled on the car. Now it's time for precise fitting and final prep before painting. That will be as soon as the weather gets cool enough, I hope. This is the same epoxy, Southern Polyurethanes that we used on Dick's Model A but white this time instead of the light grey for under my Primrose top coat.
With the wings fitted, it is time for the bonnet. Since I will be priming it, I wanted another
piece for the paint booth. I retrieved the boot lid to prime at the same time. Both pieces had
to be stripped of their rattle can primer like all the rest of the car. Under the primer on
the bonnet, I found many little rust pits but the boot lid was much cleaner. The boot lid did,
however, have a significant patch of filler in its upper right corner. After removing that, I
found only slight wrinkling and the inner structure prevents access to the back side to make it
truly smooth. I refilled the area and another smaller dent near the center with the metal filled
Bondo as seen in the right photo.
The bonnet was another matter though. I ordered the bonnet badge from Moss last year. After six months on back order, they cancelled the order and said they probably would never get them again. I tried several other sources, including eBay and AH Spares in England with the same response. AH Spares did say they have not been able to find anyone to make them. It has been reported that the molds are damaged and no more will be made. After checking our local guru for any other sources, I finally gave up hope and decided to fill the mounting holes and just go without the badge. That won't be a bad look anyway. The left photo above shows the four mounting slots and another little, previously filled hole that appeared during stripping. I broke out the MIG and painstakingly welded all five closed. Then, of course, I had to grind away the excess weld metal. Even though I turned the wire feed down to almost off, the nature of the wide holes still produced significant build up. These photos show the weld build up, welds ground down and the all metal bondo filler over the area.
I finally got some epoxy on the bonnet and boot lid. I did have to carefully mask the already
painted back sides of both first though. The bonnet nose turns under about 3 inches and I
wanted the sides to match the top. The boot lid outer skin rolls around the inner framework
and is crimped so that had to be painted with the skin. Next step is to get them back on the
car so I can begin final paint prep work.
Next I epoxied the door skins, again carefully masking the already painted inner sides. Then, after reassembling all the removable bits, I could examine how it all fit together and what more body work was required before final paint prep. It all fit well so I again disassembled all the removable bits to finish removing the spray can primer on the remaining fixed body parts. These photos show the doors and fit from both sides. Not perfect but notes taken and all can be easily handled.
OUCH! I started sanding the old primer from the front of the sill. When I
got to the rear wheel opening, I found some rather deep filler. After removing that, these
rust holes are what resulted. The DPO got me one more time. He had repaired them with just
a lot of bondo that was completely hidden by the primer. I had hopes of getting the rest
of the body in epoxy before the week was gone but that won't happen now. This is, of course,
double panel construction and access from behind is impossible. In fact, you can see some
small through holes in the inner panel in the bottom hole, just above the sill. Looks like
welded patches are in order. I'll report back later.
I still had most of the flare patch panel the PO tried to repair the other wing with. See
here. It was cut off above the lower hole but there
was enough to make a patch for the other one. I thought I could just weld that tiny hole
at the top one. That, of course, did not work as expected so I cut another piece from the
remaining panel to patch it also. Due to the nature of the holes and the double panel
construction, I decided lap joints would be the best way to ensure I was attaching to good
metal. this would mean a lot of hammering to get the patch below, or at least no higher
than, the surrounding metal.
That bottom hole presented another set of problems. The repair panel didn't cover it but it
is nearly flat at that point so that's not too bad. The worse thing was the location of the
hole. It was too close to the bottom of the panel where there is a distinct separation from
the sill or rocker panel. I thought it would be almost impossible to apply a regular lap
joint there. At the back edge of the hole, there is not enough metal left for a lap joint
either. The solution for the back edge was to wrap the patch around the edge and weld it to
the wrap-around inside the wheel opening. My solution at the bottom was to leave a matching
tab on the patch, bend it to the inside and make a lap joint with the original metal on the
outside and the patch on the inside. I was pleasantly surprised that I was able to do that
even considering the thin nature of the original metal there. I guess I am finally getting
friendly with the MIG.
After grinding all the welds and a lot of hammering to get the patches lower, I finally sanded everything as clean and smooth as possible and applied a liberal coat of the metal filled Bondo and sanded it to approximate final shape. The photo shows a couple of shiny metal spots peeking through. I think a couple of hammer taps and they will be low enough and that section will be ready for primer. The filler on the sill just below is for an old unfinished repair years ago.
After several hours of masking off the already painted bits over a few days, I finally got
epoxy on the rest of the body. At last, there is no more rattle can primer or bare metal.
These photos show the extensive masking required. It might have been better if I had waited
to do all the painting at one time. On second thought, that would have been a bad idea and
totally impractical. I failed to get any pictures after painting and before beginning bondo
work so these last ones show some patches of gray filler. There is not much more to do so I
hope to leave the masking for a few days until I can be ready for the high-build primer. But
that is for another chapter. The photos below show the new primer, with a couple of areas
of regular filler. With the car to this stage, I will close this chapter and say there is no
more body work to be done; it is now time for preparation
and paint.
