The Lotus Grand Tourers

rbgosling wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 09, 2021 09:08

Hawaiis0 wrote: ↑

Fri May 28, 2021 21:21

I was wondering if the B pillar covers and window seals are being removed?

Sorry, I didn't spot this question earlier! The B pillar trims are staying in place.

Richard the B pillar trims are easy to remove. I did both of mine in about 15 minutes. Just held by 3/4 pop rivets and 2 screws. Worth removing then you can replace the filter material (missing on mine) which helps prevent water and rubbish getting in. Also I found the powder coat in the roll bar was falling off in this area, so will need to treat the rust and repaint.

Alan_M wrote: ↑

Sun Jun 13, 2021 14:19

rbgosling wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 09, 2021 09:08

Hawaiis0 wrote: ↑

Fri May 28, 2021 21:21

I was wondering if the B pillar covers and window seals are being removed?

Sorry, I didn't spot this question earlier! The B pillar trims are staying in place.

Richard the B pillar trims are easy to remove. I did both of mine in about 15 minutes. Just held by 3/4 pop rivets and 2 screws. Worth removing then you can replace the filter material (missing on mine) which helps prevent water and rubbish getting in. Also I found the powder coat in the roll bar was falling off in this area, so will need to treat the rust and repaint.

Thanks Alan. If they painter has kept his promises the primer should be being applied as I type, so it might be too late. I'll probably be over to see the progress tomorrow, so if it's not too late I can advise.

Time for another update!!

Not much noticable progress this week. His attempts to fix the crack in the rear bumper by melting and fusing the rubber didn't do a good enough job. He's fixed it with some sort of structural tape on the underneath, out of site, and put some flexible filler on the top which you can see here, prior to being sanded down smooth:



Otherwise the only other progress has been to mask up the entire bodyshell prior to priming, which apparently will take place this week! Alan, I did mention about the B-pillar trims, so he's going to remove that bit of masking to take the trims off so he can paint all the way up to the edge underneath.





So with the primer on this week, the colour on next week, then the rebuild the week after, it might be done by the end of June, which would be just over 2 months from start date!

Now that's looking like good progress! The rubbery bumper material is a bit weird!

Pete

You're very patient Richard, but the prep is looking good so I'm sure it will be looking great again in just a few weeks now.
Tony

MetBlue wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 16, 2021 19:05

You're very patient Richard, but the prep is looking good so I'm sure it will be looking great again in just a few weeks now.
Tony

I suspect car painters are like builders - once you've given them the job, they can spin it out for as long as they like, because you're never going to sack them mid-job. This one certainly has the builder's trick of starting your job, then parking it while he nips off to do another quick bit of work. But he must be able to hear my wife's X-Type coming, since whenever I turn up unannounced he's always working on some bit of my car...

Fortunately I'm still able to get by fine without a car, since I'm still getting away with working from home all the time (probably because my team leader has noticed that I actually get more done). Could be that Boris delaying the all-clear has done me a favour on that one.

AndyC wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 09, 2021 11:45

rbgosling wrote: ↑

Wed Jun 09, 2021 09:08

Hawaiis0 wrote: ↑

Fri May 28, 2021 21:21

I was wondering if the B pillar covers and window seals are being removed?

Sorry, I didn't spot this question earlier! The B pillar trims are staying in place. The window seals on the door tops are being removed, I've bought him some replacements to fit afterwards. However the ones around the rear side windows won't be touched, that looked like it was too much potential trouble.

He's removed the trim along the top of the windscreen, so he could sand the whole roof, because I promised I could get a replacement. Now I find that all the suppliers say NLA even though it's listed on SJ's website, LotusBits don't even have a used one I could have. So he plans to fill that gap with some sort of filler when he's done.

Richard, if the top trim really is a problem I can try the local firm that used to supply to Lotus, Walker Rubber, they still have lots of options and could probably do a run for us if we wanted a few cars' worth made for the club.

I am interested in a top trim. The windscreen has just cracked and I'll need it changed in the next couple of months.

E90 BMW's have a very similar trim that might work - a straight rubber piece that fits across the top of the screen between the roof and glass. Replaced the one on my daughter's car a few years ago as it had perished.

Neil.

For what it's worth, when mine was done last, the fitter commented that the SJ seal was an old Ford Transit seal. Might be possible to get that. I'm happy to go and ask at Walkers but guess we will need a section of rubber/ precise drawing / photo to scale of the section.

Well, worth a punt. Just ordered a Transit 2000-14 windscreen top seal. I’ll let you know if it fits…

I’ve just ordered a BMW E90 top seal. So that’ll be a good comparison.

I've just been over to visit (photo update later). The painter kept the strip - it's not in a re-usable condition, but certainly there's enough left of it to see the cross-section, and either compare to possible alternatives, or for use to get some new ones made.

Unfortunately it's inside the car at the moment, so not accessible while it's all masked up, but he'll retrieve it when he re-masks before the final colour goes on.

Im going to need a new windscreen at some point, delaminating at the corners, so Im also interested in what seal is best.
Bash

Another visit to the painter today, and some real progress - it's painted! OK, only in grey primer at the moment, but still, that's paint...

So the bodyshell and all the removed parts have been painted in primer. He then aerosol'd a dusting of white guide coat over everything, so he could see where he's sanded. So far he's sanded all the removed parts, and is about half-way through the bodyshell itself. All hand sanding, no machine at all. No wonder it takes so long. With that done, he'll aerosol another layer of guide coat, and repeat the process with wet 'n' dry, 1200 grit I think he said. Should be done with that tomorrow, apparently.

Then it's back in the booth for the colour, next week.

Car is starting to come along - ah the joy of having someone else do all that work!

Below is a pic of my windscreen trim - I'm not sure how helpful it is is, but will give you some idea of what it looks like.....assuming it's original....I have so many layers of paint and mess to clean up still



If I remember correctly the BMW one does have a "U" channel that is supposed to fir onto the edge of the glass as well as an adhesive strip to stick the top portion to the roof.

There was also a bit of a discussion on TLF about where the glass bonds to the body (I think Pete also chimed in there) and the feeling was that those areas shouldn't be painted - so the glass bonds to the gelcoat.

Neil.