LouisW
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Everything posted by LouisW
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Right, a couple of updates.... I have lifted the carpets as best as i could to inspect the floor panel and sills from the inside and they all suprisingly seem sound. I havn't been able to have a proper look due to the seats still being in and it limiting me, first impressions are good though! The only hole i can see is towards the back which i knew would be there that has come through from under the rear wheelarch. I have also painted the headlight holders and will store them for future use. I just dont really know where to go from here. I think i'm going to need to buy a bonnet but i'm not sure whether to work on the rusted areas first e.g bottom of doors etc, or to work on getting the engine to fire up? With the cold weather setting in i know i'll be limited on the amount of things i'm able to do, and dont really want to start on something which i cannot finish which will leave me more problems in the future. Would it be worth getting the seats out (the interior is in fantastic condition) and taking alot at the floor and just cleaning it up inside? Expert advice is always appreciated for a young restorer like me!
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Where did you get them from if you dont mind me asking? 😉
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I'm wondering how in order the engine is looking as i'm unsure on whether everything is there/ where it's meant to be. What do you guys also think about the rust in the bonnet? Would it be worth getting a welder and plug welding new sheets onto it, and fixing up the wheelarches or to just buy a brand new bonnet?
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I just had the bonnet off and the rust underneath is worse than i thought. I have taken a picture but now i'm swaying more towards a brand new bonnet as it wouldn't be cost effective to repair this one. The top of the bonnet is in perfect condition apart from the odd area of surface rust which is why im confused as to why underneath it'd be so bad? The front offside wheelarch has also completely fallen off the bonnet due to it rotting away 🤔 Here are some pictures of the bonnet - I also took some pictures of under the hood (sorry about it's condition!! haha) -
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Thanks for the help phil! I know I will have to bite the bullet some time and enquire about getting a welder but if i'm able to do lots of things before one is needed that's abit of a bonus 😀 @twincarb, That would indeed probably be the best way to do it especially after buying an angle grinder i may aswell put it to good use! I was wanting to use the rust remover to convert the areas which have small amounts of pitting which i'm unable to sand off. Would rust remover be suitable for that job? I would be using the flap disc for the majority of the rust removal however, as its fast and simple. The question I was asking was whether to completely strip the bonnet down to bare metal and prime/ repaint it or to just remove the rust, prime the areas which are bare metal, and then to use a spray paint over the bonnet. I'm not sure which way to sway, as the second option would be alot easier and quicker to do whilst also being cheaper although i'm unsure on how well new paint would adhere to the old paint that was on it? Would completely stripping the paint away with some paint strippers and then removing the further rust and priming the whole thing be a better solution? -- Another question i have is that the front wheel arches are completely rusted and bent coming away from the welds on the bottom of the bonnet. I have found some front wheel arches at £25 each, however they're fiberglass and i dont know how i would join this strongly to the metal? Would it be more cost effective to just patch the rust up with metal sheet and then plug weld it into place? I know this would probably be the stronger better route and would also increase my welding skills i'm just thinking it may be alot more expensive as the wheelarches are nearly gone : Thanks again for all your help! I'm sorry for all the questions, i just need to put them out there so i dont make mistakes 😎
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Any help would be appreciated
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Would this be a better alternative to the above? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1kg-.....;hash=item1e6cad1a49
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Sounds like a good plan!! I'm not going to give up anytime soon unless i run out of money/ welding is needed to be done which would just slow the project down more than stopping it all together I've removed the headlight holders/bowls on the front and will remove the rust from them and give them a coat of hammerite at a later date (tomorrow night). I've also removed most of the surface rust on the front lip of the bonnet but there are still some areas where there is pitting. I'm thinking about ordering this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/pH-D.....;hash=item23204fc97c for removing the rust but i'm not sure if that would be any good? Opinions would be greatly appreciated if you've had experience with others or this one I'm also not sure on whether to completely strip the front bonnet down to bare metal and prime it up, or whether to just strip the areas where it is rusting and then prime the bare metal where the rust has been removed. This would be alot easier and cheaper to do but i'm unsure on whether it'd be the best option! Hope you're able to help, Regards, Louis
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I always knew it wasn't going to be an easy task and I'm far from giving in! I'm glad you're being honest with me in the first place otherwise id get into the project and have tons of rust and no money to deal with!! I've looked through lots of restos and nearly all look worse than the spit I have here. 1,000 for panels doesn't really seem bad at all and if they're available elsewhere for cheaper that's a bonus!! I'll take a better look tomorrow and see how well the sills are actually holding up. I'm guessing if the sills are rotting the floor pan wouldnt be far behind either!! With it being my first time I just want to get things right without messing.it up further down the line. Thanks very much brookster and everyone else! It's much appreciated Would it be worth working on the bonnet first and taking things on as I encounter them? No point starting on major areas without any knowledge at all especially in the winter when these parts would be open to the elements. The car is now under a tarpaulin as I persuade my mum to clear the garage:p Thanks again for your help! Atleast I know where I truly stand with the project. I look forward to the project and further replies/tips from you guys! Cheers, Louis
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I'd love to do the car up and if worse comes to the worst I could use this as a 'practice' and develop my skills as has been said. I was quite excited to start it but after hearing about the major problem with the rotting sills its put abit of bummer to things. If I start my work on the bonnet and see how I do and then work myself around the car it'd help motivate me to inquire on welding.jobs
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Ah great.. That wasn't what i was really wanting to hear 🤔 My mum was thinking about just scrapping it anyway which by the sounds of what you're saying would be the best route. Just from looking at it I didn't think that the rust seemed that bad as the outer sills seemed solid enough. I'll have words with my brother as he's a mechanic so should be able to provide some insight onto all of this! Thanks again for all your help , i've got some serious thinking to do as i'd be the one mainly putting the work into it.
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Ahh, that's alot of a bummer. How much would it cost to replace the sills on both sides? Any other views on this would be appreciated.
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I managed to get even more pictures as asked from the brookster. Both sides are the same with a the screwdriver only going through towards the back portion of teh sills. Everywhere else seems pretty solid. I found some filler on the rear wheelarch which has held up suprisingly well but would probably need removing. The car as a whole seems pretty solid however, just with alot of surface rust. Here are some pictures as asked from by brookster - I hope this amount of pictures is alright
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I got some 40 grit flap discs from the local bootsale for £1 each which isn't bad at all considering they retail at around £3-4!! They seem to last well but i dont really want to be using the angle grinder with flap discs on removing normal paint as it'll just wear them down quickly. I'm thinking of paint stripping it using nitromors (which i've heard isn't very strong anymore) and then finishing it with the flap discs on the rusty areas. Thanks for the help, and i'll certainly look into investing one of those discs.
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I'll be sure to take more pictures tomorrow and check out the rear wheel arches. I had noticed before though, after feeling around with a body hammer that on the rear side of the sill (under near the rear wheelarch) there is a rotten hole. I managed to remove some rust from around there with my bare hands (which is never good) but im not sure whether its rust from inside the sill or whether just from around the edge that's fallen in. The sills in general seem OK. I hope those initial pictures were alright, but ill have to take some with natural daylight!! 😀 Thanks for all of your help so far it's greatly appreciated . Are there any certain areas which you believe look like they need work? Cheers, Louis.
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I forgot to mention that the spitfire had been under a carport since it came out of the garage so it's never been on full contact to teh elements. I managed to get a few pictures, but i will try to get some more of the engine at the weekend. She looks abit sorry for herself in the pictures, looks better in real life!! Cheers, Louis.
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Haha, I am never any good with saying up or down with locations but atleast i always know what i mean!! Do you have any ideas on a quick way to remove the paint from the bonnet? I'm thinking either stripping it with nitromors and then flap discing it, or flap discing it and finishing it by hand. The cylinder rocker cover had been taken off and stored inside the car, but cylinders look very black and seized upwhich isn't good i wouldnt have thought? Any ideas would be great! I'll be sure to get some pictures tomorrow
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York is kind of centered so wasn't sure which way to go! The exterior doesnt look that bad, and am I right in thinking it should be fired before bodywork takes place? It had been my mums pride and joy until my dad drove it and broke the overdrive as it would never engage which was the initial reason for taking it off the road in the first place. The engine looks very sorry for itself but I guess before you guys know what to say you need pics!!
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Easier said than done! I'd love to clear out the garage but with the amount of stuff which is in there of my mums I just dont know where it would all go inside the house! Most is fit for the bin! The front headlights as well as both front and back chrome bumpers have been stored in the garage so they're in pristine condition. It had spent alot of it's years inside the garage but was taken out around 3 years ago. I know i need to get picture but the good ol' british darkness is stopping me doing so I'm down near York
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Ah, that's a bummer! I have two questions now, What would be the fastest way to remove all of the paint from the bonnet? I've tried a flat disc and it does the job but looks like it may take a while as the rust bungs up the disc pretty quickly. Would Nitromors do the job, and then i'd finish it up and remove some of the rust with the flap disc/ regular hand sanding? Also, after removing the paint to bare metal would i be right in thinking i need to prime it and get the bonnet indoors in order to avoid moisture? Or would i be able to cover the spitfire entirely keeping moisture out of it whilst it stay outdoors? 🤔 This would definitely be easier as our garage is full to capacity so would need emptying before anything as big as a spitfire would get into it! Thanks again, and i'll be sure to take some pictures at the weekend when it's abit brighter. By the time i get home from school each day the sun is setting so not perfect for images!! 😲
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Thanks for the advice so far, its comforting knowing I have people to fall back on when needs be. I will be sure to check out the threads as I enjoy reading them aswell as learning tons from them!! The car is currently outside and I found out bare metal does indeed rust very fast indeed! I am thinking I will need to work fast and give it a coat of primer to prevent rust after removing it. If this isn't a good way to do it please point me the right way! I've ordered some primers but am also looking at some body fillers but I'm unsure on the best to choose. I ground a small area with aflap disc and noticed it was pitting in certain patches. Is this fixable without welding? I want to get the most done.as possible before welding is required :s I will try to get some pictures of the old girl as it'll help me if I'm able to see progress. If you guys are able to let me know a good place to start it would really help! Thanks again and I look forward to your replies
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Hi guys/ girls, I'm new to the forum, and after browsing through lots of different spitfire threads I thought it was time i took on the one which had been awaiting me for 16 years as it sat on the drive from the time i was born. It's a red MKIV Spitfire but it's seen better days. From first glance, the outersill has rusted towards the back of the car and the bonnet/ front wheelarches is also following suit. The front wheelarches are rotten through and hanging off the bonnet which has been removed from it's hinges from my dad around 5 years ago. I have purchased a disk grinder and have started to remove some of the surface rust from the bonnet on the front of the car and am thinking about fully removing the and priming/filling where necessary. I've never done this sort of thing before so i'm looking for advice on just where to start and on what to do. At 16 it's not the easiest task to be undertaking but i've always wanted to do it and i love a challenge! Any help would be greatly appreciated on tips/ ideas where to start. I know a welder will more than likely need to be used in the future but i just don't really have the skills for that or the funds to purchase one out right at all!! I look forward to the replies and help for this project that i'm taking on! Cheers, Louis.