Been home for two weeks now and busy as hell, but its been on decorating the house and not the car, but have managed some time and have spent the last 2 days on the car.
I have taken out my insurance through Lancaster and still had the agreed valuation document to send off which of course requires a bunch of photographs taken as proof so lots to do on the bodywork.
I had booked the car in at the paint shop for Monday to get all of the chips I hadn't fixed and for a machine polish, I was also not happy with the paint job on the back of the car in certain areas so had that re-painted.
I was given Rob to work on the car for the day as they where waiting for new equipment to arrive and where having a training day.
But first Ant had a little drive.
The main chips where from fitting the windscreen, no matter how careful I was I still had a bit of damage, surprisingly 3 of my efforts past Robs inspection and the one on the front wing just needed a machine polish and got 9 out of 10.
This one I had not attempted.
Rob soon sorted it.
This is the one I worked on but I had rubbed through the lacquer onto the base coat.
It just need a fine keying before re-spraying.
The other main damage occurred while it was being worked on in the garage for its MOT and was a little more difficult as it ran through 2 colours.
I have started rubbing down in this shot but it had to go right back.
The other main section was the back end, I had put a few scratches in and unlike these small isolated areas most of the back would have to be done so we started by rubbing it back, I stripped most bits off and masked the others.
Rob got to work, it only needed a couple of coats of the base then the pearl on top.
Difficult to see a difference until the lacquer is applied.
Then the heat lamps.
All lacquered then the whole car was machine polished.
Anyone who has been in a paint shop knows that it is a major clean up afterwards and so it was for me, I spent over 6 hours yesterday cleaning the dust and dried polish sprayed all over, the car may have been masked but it still got inside.
So even after a machine polish I still went at it hand polishing with fine finishing compound and got into all of the edges that the machine could not get at, then with a battery toothbrush I removed all of the dried white powder between the rubber piping and the body.
The polished stainless steps where in a bad way so got to work with the metal polish.
Once all polished I worked on it with the G3 wax then polished all over.
The engine bay and new scuttle also had a clean.
I took a load of photos and have sent these off for the valuation, I am a bit unsure of what to value the car at but got a better idea after a talk to Val Bridges chairman of the Panther car club who said that valuations of the Panther mark values are being looked at and not to value to low. I'll see what they come back with.
I had been using the red hood cover that came with the car and it looked quite good but Ray had made me a lovely mohair hood that I just hadn't got around to fitting.
Before fitting I had to attach the buttons and elasticated clips.
Thankfully Ray had marked the centre so it was just a matter of positioning the hood and marking of for the first button to be fitted.
I had also bought a new anvil set and button fittings in preparation for the hood.
The first one was fitted then I positioned it each time and worked my way around.
I had also bought a metre of elastic and sewed this to the original clips.
I missed out a button on either side just under where the hood folds over as this would have pulled the cover out of shape.
It certainly looks good, well made Ray.
Mostly done now although I still have the mud flaps to remove and paint again as I messed one of them up trying to remove the dried on polish spots.
see ya Paul
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