It is amazing that any of the early mini’s are still around. This is a late model shell and it already has rust caused by the factory spot-welds. Next is to remove all the rust and start patching the main floor. Stay tuned for more updates as this new project progresses.
Also finished the black parts for Atsushi’s car, and he came by to take a look at the finished car.
After color sanding and polishing the body was finally ready to go back together. Body has been assembled and the front and rear frames have been installed so it is ready to go back to its owner. Just need to finish painting some of the small parts black along with the gas tank.
Painted the doors, rollbar, door hinges, seam covers, subframe covers, steering column bracket, and rear licence plate bracket, and hood latch. Lots of prep time for the small parts but it shows in the end. Time to paint the hood and begin color sanding and polishing.
The final color is on the exterior. Began by masking off the windows to prevent over spray on the painted interior. Then scuffed cleaned and tacked off before painting the blue. Followed by masking off to paint the roof white then final clear.
The body is going into final color. Began by seam sealing the roof gutters, firewall, and front panels. Then scotch bright the entire surface to be painted to ensure good mechanical adhesion as to not rely on the chemical adhesion
Began this morning taking the body back apart for final prime. Scuffed the entire surface with a 3m scotch bright to ensure good adhesion. Masked off and primed the body, doors and front air dam. While the primer was drying I wet sanded the boot and bonnet and the air dam once it dried. Then painted the boot lid, air dam, and underside of the hood. You may wonder why the boot lid and arid dame are mounted the way they are. The paint is a very fine metallic and it will have a slightly different shade if flat, and not in the mounted position.
Spent the morning prepping the underside and finishing the seam sealer. Sprayed PPG’s DX54 Roadguard fallowed by the body color. I prefer to paint the underside body color as it provides a finished look rather than the typical semigloss black. Now to mount it back on the body cart and finish blocking the topside for final prime and wet sand.
The underside of the car has been patched and ready for seam sealer and undercoating. The undercoating is colormatched to the car so watch for updates to see the color fly.
Finished up chasing small dings and dents and sprayed another coat of primer for a final block sanding. Also got the body back up on the rotisserie and began grinding the backside of the welding that I did to the floor. Also will be installing the shifter mount and seatbelt reinforcements. Slowly getting ready for paint.
More sanding still, but will be spraying more primer tomorrow and begin the blocking process again.
