Mudflaps

Hi

Busy couple of days but there doesn't seem much to show for it, still every little progresses.

Last couple of days at home and off again, this is my last trip for Seajacks as on Thursday I went for an interview for a company called MPI Offshore and secured a position in the Engine room team onboard the MPI Resolution.

These are wind farm ships and it will be a month on month off so longer trips but more time to play on the car, I join 11th September but will have a couple of courses to complete first so upwards and onwards.

I have been working on both the dash and the mud guards this last couple of days.

The steel round blanks arrived to cover the warning light area and I spent some of yesterday drilling these out, I didn't rely on measuring out with a straight edge but made a template on the computer.

I used my plotter and cut out the template, this time all of the holes got drilled pretty much as I wanted and shall have it cut into a semicircle, unfortunately the local tinsmiths shop was shut both yesterday and today so the nice clean cut I wanted from there guillotine never happened. Will wait till I get home again.

The veneer for the passenger side of the dash was nicely stuck on so I gave it a trim around the edges and cut the cut outs for the radio and dials.

I tested that everything fit.

I laid it on the dash and marked the holes for cutting.

Then gave it a test fit and trimmed up so the holes matched.

I had forgot to inlay the dental inlay when I stuck on the veneer so now with the radio in the slot I cut and stuck the inlay around the radio surround.

Then put it all together to see what it will look like.

Of course the colour will change once the lacquer has gone on, so I started the sanding and spraying yesterday afternoon. I started with 400 grit on a long flat block and worked to 600 grit then used a green scouring flat pad in a small block and polished out all of the 600 grit scratches.

This is after 5 coats, I sanded with 400 then 600 between each coat and have sprayed the back to try and prevent it bending, which it has done. I sent away for a piece of plain Maple veneer to stick to the back around 5 days ago but it still hasn't turned up so I had to start and risk it bending. The colour is really starting to come through and I have given it a good roughing with the green scouring pad and put on the 6th coat, I shall apply another tomorrow and shall go to around 15 or so to get the depth. I am using spray on car lacquer from halfords and it going on lovely especially as between each sanding I am washing the workboard and the veneer with paint prep then tack ragging to ensure as minimum dust as possible.

The red maple burl really looks fantastic close up.

The other job I wanted to get done was the mud flaps, these were a little worse for wear.

But after a good scrub they came up not to bad, I gave them such a clean that the original Panther logo got rubbed off. I made up a design on the computer.

I used the plotter and cut these out.
If there is anyone out there who wants to refurb there mudflaps and would like a set of Panther templates then just ask and I shall cut a set and post them off to you. I know that there are people from around 20 different countries that read this blog but that's ok I'll still send them.

I went down to Halfords and bought a tin of there tyre paint specifically designed for rubber, I also found they sell tin's of white rubber aerosol paint which if I had of known I would have bought in preference to the tin I bought.
I pinned the mudflaps to spray board.

Then set up my spray gun and got spraying.

I helped the drying time along with my hot air blower then when dry I marked off and stuck on the templet.

With everything masked I gave them a spray with the white rubber paint.

I peeled of the template before it dried as it might pull when dry.

I finished both flaps and hung them to dry overnight.

Bit of a difference.
I have the brackets all ready to fit as I had these powder coated in the first batch and these are the last powder coated parts to go on the car.

I also have a little progress on the wheels, until I can warrant laying out £1500 for wires then I shall stick to the alloys that are fitted, the car is back on its stands as Ant came and took the wheels away for colour coding. I am getting them a close match to the ivory colour, I did not want them done in the 2 stage of the body as they are bound to get curbed at some point in their life and a 2 pac is a lot easier to repair.

Well thats all for this time home and will be back around the 20th.

see ya Paul