1947 Bradford Restoration

[Keith Clements]

Jan 15, 2018 at 9:43pm

Do these all get painted individually, then reassembled again?

Yes & yes - so with the panels bolted to the van I can make any final adjustments / allowances to ensure that the piping bead will look correct when inserted between the panel flange joints - It's also a lot easier to profile the wings with them fastened to the van - once all the profiles on the loose panels are correct - everything gets unfastened / removed and primed / painted individually prior to final assembly - it sounds a faff and it is but it's the only way to do it properly

Do you find the colour black take more preparation than other colours regardless of it the being gloss, satin or matt finish?

Any dark colour will show the smallest imperfection / ripple / dent - the higher the gloss the more it will highlight - satins will still show defects in dark colours - matt finish less so but it will still show defects - white & very, very light colours tend to hide minor defects but it depends on where they are - horizontal surfaces tend show up more than a vertical surface with white - same old story really - black absorbs light whilst white reflects light - In my book it makes no difference preparation wise - I want every vehicle that passes through the workshop to look right when it leaves the workshop completed.

What's the rust prevention stuff you recommend again?

Wasn't that rad cowl a pretty involved piece of bodywork for a humble workhouse. I like it.

I take it that's one that I am currently using that turns from a blue colour when wet - to black when dry ? - is this:




It's a little more expensive than some of the other rust treatment products but the Bilt Hamber stuff is laboratory tested & proven - the rest of the markets offerings tend to just be a load of claims about how good there product is but with no proven record.

You are right - the rad cowl is a very involved with multiple compound profiles, raised beads & recessed flanges - but it's just like any panel on any vehicle if you don't put the effort in at this stage it will look a mess and show through even the best / shiniest of paintwork and being the front nose of the vehicle it's a panel that stands out or tends to be the first panel profile that people observe when viewing the van from the front - hence regardless of how humble the van is and the fact that the cowl is painted (when on most vehicles the cowls were chrome) it still needs to look right
So onwards with the profiling on the nearside front wing and with a few tips & hints along the way has I said would cover profiling compound curves

First - guide coating there are various 'Dry Guide Coats' available in the market - I don't use them - they are good but there is a lot cheaper alternative - tin of cheap aerosol matt black does the same job - just dust it over the filled area before sanding



There are quite a few different rubbing block profiles available - might help the novice but I very rarely use them - I tend to rely on my flat block more than anything - even on this wing





The guide coat used with hand / eye coordination is what I use - you need to keep running your hand over the area to give you a profile reading



If its a large area or a full panel break it down into smaller sections for sanding profiling





Work the block over the area in all directions - I tend to do opposing diagonal strokes then run over it left to right, top to bottom but there is no set pattern

Has you progress the profiles you will have to go over the radial edges and swept curvatures by hand - keep your hand flat and work the profile shape keeping a supple wrist but with a fair to firm pressure on the sanding - don't be tempted to rub with end of you fingers -you will just end up finger size troughs in the panel



Keep assessing the panel with your hand - top tips - always use the hand that you are not sanding with to assess the panel (sanding hand will desensitised through sanding movement) when you find a lump / bump / ripple in the profile but cannot pinpoint exactly where it is with your hand - look away from the panel or close your eyes - again access the panel with your hand and when you detect the defect place your finger to it - you can now look at the panel and your finger details the exact point which you can work if its too high or mark with pencil if it's low and requires further filling (it's very difficult to explain in text / images)



If your results have previously looked slightly deflated - it sounds to me like a combination of the worked / filled area not being large enough to cover the damaged area and insufficient depth of filler



A profile gauge may help with compound profiles if you are struggling - you can always check with the same panel on the opposite side of the car (providing that panel is undamaged)



Meanwhile I have started to prep the offside front wing with rust treatment





Jan 18, 2018 at 8:04pm
t I did not cover in my previous posting on compound panel profiling - so took some pics today of a flexible long block




Can be utilised on long swept compound curvatures but are very difficult to use / navigate on tighter radius areas such has the return edge to the wheelarch on this wing - I use a long flex block that accepts Velcro backed sanding pads / paper and that has vacuum extraction fitted to it - professional blocks like this are expensive (£80 +) but there are some budget ones in the market that you will find on E Bay etc







Other than that the profiles are advancing on the front panels & the nearside wing




Cleaned the back wings up and applied rust treatment to enable them to be temporary fitted to the body whilst the profiles are undertaken

Jan 19, 2018 at 9:08pm
More of the same old profile pounding I'm afraid




But the nearside front wing & both front panels are very close to completion - just a couple of minor areas in the morning then they can be skimmed with glaze prior to a final light sanding - at that stage the panels need to come back off the body and the flange edges tidied up / profiled then they need to go back on but this time with the wing piping which will require cutting to length and the bolt holes stamping through - then its a final panel fit check before primer & paint can commence



I have purposely left the offside front wing off has profiling the front panel is easier with the wing off rather than on

Meanwhile the rear wings were fastened up - minor reshaping as required with the hammer & dolly and are now ready for profiling





Jan 20, 2018 at 10:58am

What's the plan for the wheels?

They will stay factory original but will come off and have the tyres removed (new tyres & tubes already fitted to get the van mobile) - then a good shot blasting although the rims are fine to go again they are very heavily pitted and will require some detailed work prior to paint - The vans left the factory with black wheel rims - but with the wings / radiator cowl & roof all being black I think the rims would better in the body colour of maroon but it's up to the owner who I will consult prior to painting them (should be the last thing that I paint on the van) - the rims also have hub caps some were painted same has the rims but with this being a rare variant 'Utility' model it's having chrome hub caps which with exception of the 3 door handles and the wiper arms is just about the only chrome on the van.


Had another few hours on the van today



Front panel on the offside profile glaze applied / sanded back and all about there on the outer profiles



Now removed and the flange edges filled ready for profiling up tomorrow






Nearside front wing again put into glaze - sanded back & outer profiles completed - I will remove the wing in the morning and straighten the flange edges up which will also allow access for the nearside front panel to be skimmed with glaze & profiled





Rear wings were given an initial skimming of filler and guide coated - I will make a start on profiling them back tomorrow
Jan 21, 2018 at 10:26am

Hi been looking at your in-depth thread with great interest, I have just purchased a Jowett Bradford that is not fully finished and some of the work needs addressing. It has been in storage at my workshop 18months, but I never really took any notice of it as I was storing it for a friend, who now has given up on the prospect of Finnishing due to life changes
The veh has had a full new ash frame several years ago, I have known the previous owner for several years and, know most of the veh has been done to a professional standard but never finished.
I the chassis and engine were fully rebuilt and chassis looks like that still, the engine was also rebuilt to a high standard.
I am after help and advice on sourcing some parts ie gutter rails and side trims, and info on what the panels round door frames were like.
I hope you will be a world of knowledge and help thank you.

whats the glaze that you use like, is it quite runny to get into all the light scratches or thicker like a filler, i have tried using a putty type fine filler in the past for fine scratches before paint and found it to be to soft so it just came out when sanding before primer. also i enjoy seeing the amount of work on just preping panels before the paint process as most of us just don't know quite how much prep goes into these top quality paint jobs, having smoothed and painted my old astra a few years back i couldnt understand why i could see scratch marks in the paint but i only did about half the prep stages you are doing on this van.

I'm back in the workshop today - I will take some pics of the glazes along with a few pics of the glaze in use and update the post / thread with an explanation of the benefits
So You have more or less answered you own question the polyester glazes that are available in the refinishing market are semi liquid type filler - ideal for pin holes / light scratches / minor defects / minor panel or profile undulations - can be applied to bare metal or over painted surfaces providing they are prepared correctly - more than anything I use glazes has my final skimming coat to remove minor undulations / ripples etc - they are several manufactures in the market but these are the two that I use and that I can recommend

U POL Dolphin Glaze - Fairly fluid and self levelling - thin enough to wipe in / brush into areas that have awkward access - it's good stuff - even better if you can apply it whilst the panel is horizontal

3M Premium Glaze - Slightly denser than Dolphin - but still very easily spread into panel areas - semi self levelling (sometimes pays to warm the bottle up for a few mins in colder weather to make it a little more workable (just run it under a warm water tap or place it on a radiator for a few mins)

Just mix it with the hardener has you would normal filler

This is 3M Glaze ready to be mixed with the hardener


Here it is applied - it spreads / applies easily (nearly has easy has margarine on bread) therefore you can keep close to the profile - it's also very fine - but apply with care otherwise you will have it running or sagging off the panel if you apply it densely





Takes the same time has normal filler to cure - about 20 mins in conditions above 15 degrees c - guide coat applied (matt black aerosol)



I sand back with P80 normally can be sanded back with finer paper from here if needed



Result is a profiled panel with no undulation or deviation and ready for prepping for primer - this would take more effort to achieve with normal fillers however you need to be capable of attaining the correct panel profiles with polyester fillers before you start applying glazes

The nearside front panel has had polyester glaze applied to it and it sanded back - it now needs to be removed and the inner flange edge with the inner wing trued up along with the bottom return flange which I will do in the morning

Elsewhere - the nearside front wing has been removed and just awaits the flange edge being sanded back in the morning



Nearside rear door - the blanking off / making good of several rebates in the doors ash frame for the old door catches have now been completed & reprofiled



The door skins on all of the doors are just nailed onto the ash frames - inevitably this leaves a edge gap in places to harbour water between the frame & the door skin - plan here is apply a etch primer to the flange on the door skin and then apply a thin bead of automotive sealer between the frame & skin - not original but this goes on to preserve the van for many, many years



Made a start on profiling the rear wings



Removed the offside front panel and completed the flange edges then refitted it



Enabling the offside front wing to be fastened up which means the profiles on this can commence in the morning



Jan 22, 2018 at 9:27am

Surprised they didn't use some sort of putty or primitive sealant on that bottom edge. Perhaps they didn't expect the vans to last long enough in service to warrant the extra cost and time?

It's a pre war design and went into production just after the second world war - I don't think that there was too much choice about in those days has to what was available for sealing products - cloth braid was used in quite a few areas has a seal / packer but the problem being that this absorbed water and where it could not dry out it exaggerated the problem. Has you say they did not put too much thought into a vehicles lifespan either in those days.

Removed the nearside front panel and trued the flange edges up



Cleaned any minor filler residue from the radiator cowl & inner wing panel



Templated the first wing piping bead



Then trimmed the bead to length and punched the bolt holes through - the wing & front panel can now have the final trail fitting in the morning



Offside front wing was dressed back with the DA - went over it for a final time with the hammer & dolly prior to applying the first polyester skimming coat



Then sanded back and the second one applied



Then guide coated so I can commence profiling again in the morning



Meanwhile I prepped several of the smaller panels, chassis end caps, trafficator aperture covers, brackets, front number plate panel, dashboard & some inspection panels



Then treated them all with the Bilt Hamber Hydrate 80 rust treatment

This feels tantalisingly close to the primer stage now that you're onto the really fiddly bits.

It's not far away now but I have seen a lot of restorations both professional & private lost at this point they get so close to the paint stage that they start to rush and forget things - it's fairly critical at this stage that loose panels are checked for fitting along with any trim that may effect the fitting of the panels, door looks & apertures are checked along with panel alignment and one of the main failings that I witness time after time is that any holes that require drilling for trim, fittings, catches, lamps, number plates etc are all done at this stage - if left until painted you then have to drill and risk marking / damaging the paint but more importantly the hole just drilled is unprotected by primer & paint and will just rust from that point - it's a laborious but critical process and makes the fitting up / finishing of the restoration so much easier whilst looking all the better for the effort that's been made in the first place

Jan 23, 2018 at 8:45pm
Offside front wing profiled back & third skim applied



Profiled back again & fourth skim applied along with the guide coat



Nearside rear wing is now on it's third profiling skim and is quite close to where it needs to be



Started to progress the smaller panels - dashboard & front number plate plinth have had the first profiling skim applied & sanded back - but will need further work yet
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[Keith Clements]

Jan 25, 2018 at 9:33pm

Sorry to bring this up if you have already covered it, Is there a trim piece to go over the panel joint below the window in the rear section?

Pete - Alloy profile strips cover the joints but first the roof has to be covered - this is a fabric roof that is stretched & tacked into place on the ash frame - a padding under the fabric gives the fabric a softer finish - the terminal edge of the fabric is covered by an alloy J section roof gutter which runs down either side of the van starting on the windscreen pillars and running around the rear pillar panels and across the top of the rear doors - the factory formed the rain channels in 3 pieces - 1 down each side & 1 across the rear doors







The front roof fabric joint across the top of the windscreen aperture is finished with an alloy radius edge strip





The roof has to be done first and the J / rain channels fitted has these dictate the height of the alloy radius edge strip that runs vertical between the rear panels and the rear pillars



This strip determines the length of the horizontal alloy radius strip that covers the joint of the two rear panels



All of this has to be undertaken prior to paint has the rain gutters & joining strips are all painted in the body colour - from experience it's very difficult to paint these off the van & then fit them - I much prefer to shape the gutters & trims, etch prime them and then fit them with a flexible sealer prior to paint

Jan 27, 2018 at 1:38pm

Sorry if this has been asked before but is the profiling glaze dry sanded or wet sanded ??

I would dry sand it just has you would a normal filler - However quite minor areas like a pinhole can be wet sanded - a lot of repairers use the glaze to replace the old cellulose stopper - the advantage is that with it being 2 pack it sets far quicker and applied correctly will not shrink under the final paint finish

How do you avoid the 'cushion seams' you see on some older paint jobs? Can't think how else to describe it. Where you get panels meeting, usually doors, it's like the edges are slightly lower than the rest of the panel and as the light hits it you get this very slight cushioned effect.

Normally it's a combination of factors - sometimes poor workmanship & laziness in ensuring panel alignment, profiling along with the paint finish itself - but lets not forget that for the last 30+ years vehicles have been built on computerised / robot operated production lines with laser alignment to very fine tolerances, not just the bodyshells but the paint process and quite a lot of the trim - compare that to previous methods and we are a world apart - quite often when classics / retro's are restored in todays market the restoration brings the standard / quality of finish to levels beyond that than when they were new. Good restoration practice is having the ability to recognise what was factory finish / original and restore the vehicle to that standard - hence sometimes that ill fitting trim / poor panel fit was there from day one when the vehicle was new - there is nothing wrong with making improvements either - however the market is forever critical often comparing the panel fit / paint finish available on modern vehicles to that on older vehicles - when in reality there are two completely different subjects achieved through two completely different methods.

Offside rear wing is the last external body profile to sort - it's had another skimming applied since this pic



Prepped and rust treated another batch of smaller items that will require painting - Starting handle, Front bumper irons & the trafficator boxes



Offside front wing flange edge profiles completed and the wing refitted with the piping bead





Which results in this image



Happy now with the fit of the front panels & wings - I will build & fit the bonnet to ensure that everything is correct in profile and the bonnet opens on either side without causing damage to the wings etc

Just the back wing to sort tomorrow then the 9 internal metal window trim sections that require prepping for paint along with starting to sort the roof gutter trims & body profile trims
Jan 30, 2018 at 6:52pm

Started building the bonnet up



Refitted the catches to the side panels



Then refitted the side panels to the upper sections (piano hinge)



Fitted the other bonnet side panel and squared everything up - it's not quite sitting correctly but the cloth tape that protects the bulkhead & radiator cowl is yet to be fitted - the fits are not great but they never were when new with fairly wide aperture gaps to prevent the panels / paintwork from contacting / marking each other



Meanwhile I have been prepping & treating the internal window trims which I should complete tomorrow

This isn't recognisable as the same van any more.

Ho I don't know - here's the before I started picture




And has it is now - well they are more or less the same colour

Jan 31, 2018 at 7:55pm
Just on with the trims window trims today in between lots of other things - here are the ones that are ready for polyester



And the others that I have in progress

[Keith Clements]

Feb 1, 2018 at 8:44pm
So I cracked on with internal frames for the windows



Now all completed and awaiting polyester primer



Removed the offside rear wheelarch in order to access the flange edge



Now completed and that is the final panel profiled !!



It's against my religion to drill holes into panels that are freshly painted so I always plan & allow to do this prior to even taking the primer off the shelf - spare wheel flap being set out using the old one has a guide template



Mounted to the van with holes drilled for lights & number plate which are temporally fitted this also allowed for alignment of the rear reflectors which were also fitted temporally



Then drilled the front number plate mounting


Which means all the loose / bolt on panels can now come off the van and I can start to form the roof gutters
Feb 2, 2018 at 8:34pm
A quick sort of smaller items to be prepped & painted were found in the bottom of the 'Requires prep & paint box' namely the front bumper bolts, a pair of blanking plates for the rear floor area and several clips for retaining the starting & jack handles to the inner wing panels on the engine side



Then a strip down of the all the front panels in preparation for primer



I put the loose panels / parts into temporary storage upstairs in the loft store



Then put the van back on its wheels



Next to sort is the roof gutter rails



These cover the terminus edge of the roof fabric - formed from alloy profile but require shaping to suit the vans roof profile - I started with the nearside and formed the front radius to suit the windscreen pillar



Initially fastened up with crosshead self tappers - once I have everything profiled and the fabric roof on I will refit the gutter rails with countersunk slot head screws prior to paint



The radius on the gutter profiles being formed with the shrinker / stretcher



Getting there



I am leaving the rails over length to compensate for the fabric roof - once that is fitted I will know what the exact length of the rail needs to be



They were factory fitted in 3 sections - 1 rail either side and 1 rail for the rear - I had to form the rear radius by heating / annealing the rail then forming by hand with some gentle hammer & dolly work - had to remove the rail several times to work until I achieved the correct result


Just the offside rail to form in the morning

Do you fit the roof fabric before painting then?

Very much so - To attempt fitting the roof fabric along with the roof rail gutters - alloy finishing bead above the front windscreen after painting the van would lead to nothing but disaster - aside from this you need the roof gutters fitted has this determines the height of the vertical alloy trim that covers the panel joint between the rear panels and the rear pillar - the vertical trim then dictates the length of the horizontal alloy trim that covers the joint in the rear panels

Feb 3, 2018 at 8:56pm
Cracked on and formed the offside gutter rail



It deviates somewhat to follow the roofline of the van



Again the rail has been left over length and will be finally trimmed once the fabric roof has been fitted



I then removed the rail along with both the front doors and the two rears in preparation for primer



On with the masking where required



Just masking off around the chassis to do now and the main van body can go into primer



Feb 4, 2018 at 6:50pm
Finished the masking off and hung what panels I could for priming



Then on with the primer



This is a two pack polyester filling primer - so needs the correct air fed mask / coveralls & gloves for application - I have a large volume air extractor along with a filtered air intake in the workshop which helps considerably - it goes on quite thick so it requires a large capacity spraygun to apply it - my set up is with a 2.5mm needle & fluid tip - 2 moderately heavy coats were applied




So this is the first batch of panels & the main body - I will now need to run the van outside whilst I put the rest of the loose panels & small parts into polyester primer - unsure if I will be able to undertake these in one batch has there is quite a number of them and my workshop space is at a premium

2.5mm! thats pretty big.
Have you tried Lechlar green ti? very nice primer filler to use aparrently.

2.5 is big it's a gun that is especially made / marketed for sprayed polyester applications and it does put on pretty heavy which what I want - a good 50% of the application will be lost in the sanding / blocking back to give a perfect surface for final paint

The only Lechlar polyester that I have used to date is something called 'Polyfan Rush' which I was not that impressed with - just read up on the Green Ti and it appears to be very similar to the Kent product that I use - it will come down to cost - the Kent Evo Primer that I use I can purchase 3.4 litres with hardener for just under £70 including vat - the equivalent in Lechlar or Nexa costs me about £36 per litre - so circa £120 inc vat for the same volume of a similar product but £50 more expensive - My paint supplier stocks Lechlar so I will see if he is prepared to price match so that I can give it a trial

I found over the years that it is critical that the client sees the vehicle being restored through the profiling stages even if it is just forwarding images has once the primer goes on and has you quite rightly state all the hard work disappears hence it gets quite difficult to justify invoices for a considerable amount of unseen work - getting the vehicle into paint once the primer is on the vehicle is a relatively easy process and dependant upon time scales can be achieved quite quickly

I'm no paint professional by any stretch the imagination, but Ive used the Lechler Green Ti filler primer a few times and its wonderfull stuff. even if it is a worrying colour.

I now have the technical data sheet on this product - its actually available in 4 colours - white, light grey, dark grey & green - primers have changed significantly over the past few years with the primer colours now allowing you custom mix your own shade of primer which yields great advantages in obtaining a good coverage / depth of final coat without having to over apply in order to cover the primer - whilst most people think the more final coat paint the better and offers better protection & finish - sadly this is not the case - once you go beyond the optimum in applying the final coat it can yield real problems - the thicker the paint the higher the chances are of the paint chipping & flaking - then there are the problems that you would get in relation to obtaining the correct trim fit has the paint depth tends to hold the trim off it's original position and the worse situation is that if you ever have to undertake a panel repair on a vehicle with thick paint - it becomes three times the task that it should be.

[Keith Clements]

Feb 7, 2018 at 8:21pm
Last couple of days have been slow due to the lovely wife starting her new job on Monday - which should not slow me down at all - however upon arriving at the new place of work on Monday morning, exiting the car she got half way across the car park and slipped on sheet ice - net result broken left forearm and some heavy bruising - she never got into the office - so for the last few days I have been running around after her, having to go fetch her car back from work and sorting the house & meals etc - thankfully she is on the mend and will again attempt starting the new job this coming Monday complete with plaster cast - meanwhile back to the Bradford

The panel areas that have the roof gutter trim and the panel joint trims were flatted back with the DA



I then countersunk the screw holes in the roof gutter trim



I also need to work / fill the marks left in the trim from the jaws on the shrinking machine



Then fitted the rear section of the roof gutter which provides the datum height for the vertical panel trim



Then commenced fitting the vertical side trim - just a matter of shaping it has you fasten it to the body



Deep countersunk holes will hide the screw heads - these will get filled over - the original alloy trim was nailed on at the factory but invisibly so the heads were never visible once the van was painted which is exactly what I am planning - the only time you will ever need to remove a panel was if it received accident damage



The vertical trim provides the datum for the length of the horizontal panel trim


I will remove the trims tomorrow so that I can cut them to the final length, apply a etching primer to the underside and then they can be permanently fitted - I will be applying a flexible panel sealer to the rear of the trim to prevent water ingress hence preserving the life of the van frame / panels / paint


Feb 8, 2018 at 11:05pm

Why does it look like you sanded ALL the dark primer away in places?
I kind of expected to see you use another guide colour and flat it off?

Probably the image is misleading - so the polyester primer is a self guide coat - it's black when you apply it and turns to a more charcoal type colour has you sand it back - if you can still see the darker specks of black then requires further sanding - just like a guide coat but this primer has it inbuilt - a couple of pics that may help explain below


Refitted the side panel trims with a panel sealer & filled the over the countersunk screw holes



Then refitted the roof gutter trims to the sides to provide datum points for the panel trim that terminates the fabric roof with the bodywork



Trimmed to size



Side panel trims sanded back around the filled countersunk fixing holes



I had previously removed the gutter rail trims along with the front panel trim that sits above the windscreen and applied a etching primer to them - once dry I applied a few coats of hi build black primer





The hi build primer was now also applied to the side panel trims



I then had a tidy up and sorted the materials out for tomorrows job which is to fit these



To this



So the fabric roof will get fitted tomorrow which will be a proper test of my memory has the last fabric roof that I fitted was some 30 years ago !!

Feb 9, 2018 at 12:12am
Just realised the Utility in the January Classic & Sports cars that i'm only just getting around to reading and this are one in the same...

When filling the counter sink portion of the body side panel trims, is there anything special that you do to stop or prevent any shrinkage of the filler over time on such a small area of filler?

Yes and its very easy - just purchase really good quality filler - none of the Halfrauds / Motorist Discount Centre / Wilco rubbish etc

Made a start on the fabric roof - this is very different from something called a vinyl roof which was a purely cosmetic accessory fitted to solid roofed cars from the mid 60's onwards - A fabric roof were fitted to many pre 1950 vehicles has were fabric bodies - with the short supply of raw materials, vehicle lightness and the complex milling of large span dies to press roof panels all being contributory factors has to why fabric roofs were fitted in the first place.

Started off by fitting a calico underlining across the open framework


Over this a wadding sheet is placed prior to the roof fabric



This is a hood fabric that is being utilised - obviously waterproof and is currently getting tacked into place down one side - once fully tacked I can then start to stretch the material to remove any minor ripples in it then tack up the other side - the tacking is hidden by the roof gutter rails and the front panel rail

I occasionally help with technical features for the magazine ' Practical Classic's' hence fellow Jowett owner Theo Gillam, all round good chap & the magazines technical features writer spent the day with me covering the subject for a future PC article

I might be anal, but I would have applied a gloss coat to seal the metal under the roof covering?

Unfortunately creates more problems that what it does good - a gloss surface to the metal work allows the wadding on the underside of the fabric to move / slip / slide - providing that the roof fabric is fitted correctly there will be no water ingress to create any problems with the roof panels
Feb 12, 2018 at 8:09pm
Back on with the roof today

Stretched and tacked the remaining fabric working out the creases & wrinkles has much has possible

Now taking shape



Then trimmed the front edge up, fitted the front alloy finishing trim with a flexible body sealer between the trim & the body - but only a fine bead - the last thing that you need is sealer oozing out all over the roof fabric


Then did the rear gutter rail with the same sealing process



Then on to the nearside gutter rail which is currently loosely fitted



As I progress the fabric continues to be tightened up



Its one of those jobs that you simply cannot rush - just a slow methodical approach is what is required - some minor wrinkles are still visible but they are quite minor - the fabric will shrink once weathered hence tighten to the point that any remaining wrinkles will disappear you have however to allow enough fabric under the trims for the roof fabric to shrink in the first place - just the two side gutter rails to tighten up & seal in the morning



Underside of the roof looks good too - but this is never seen once the headlining is fitted

That is a very good fit and all it took you to achieve the fit, is the material is fully waterproof or will you be giving the fabric a couple coats of Dope to seal it and shrink it slightly?

Pete - The roofs originally were some type of a medium density canvas with a dope type product applied over them - over the years has the canvas degrades the owners would slap anything on the covering to prevent it from leaking - I have seen everything from commercial roofing mastic trowelled on to a complete fibreglass mat & a gallon of resin poured over the top of one.

The fabric I have used is a hooding product commonly known has 'duck' which has the name suggests is fully waterproof and used for the making up of vehicle hoods so it will be well up to the job and looks quite natural - there are a few vinyl based products I could have used but I don't think that they would have done the van any justice.

Apart from carefully, how will you mask off the fabric when painting the car/gutters?

Just very carefully and with very high quality masking products - the immediate edge I will do with a 3M vinyl edge tape and work back from there with a high tack masking tape then use poly mask doubled up to cover the remaining roof area - ideally the vinyl edge tape will need to be removed has paint commences curing - so probably an hour or so after spraying the final coat of paint - this then prevents any paint being lifted from the gutter trims or front roof rail upon removing the tape
Feb 13, 2018 at 8:00pm
Pushed on and got the side gutter rails fastened up



Bit of a slow process having to locate the drilled hole through the cloth but also carefully applying sealer between the rail & the body

Once I had both sides tightened up I again carefully applied a seam sealer to the underside of the rail to seal what would have been an open face - these were left open at the factory when new and the modern sealers that we rely on today were not available - once the van is painted you would not be aware that the rail has been sealed against the body & underside



I then used the blow gun & airline to remove any debris / dust from the roof fabric





Then carefully masked the fabric roof up



Carried out some minor prep work on the roof trims and filled the countersunk screws where required



All being well I should get the remaining panels & small parts into primer tomorrow

[Keith Clements]

How many times will you need to re mask the roof during the painting process or is that it until it's finished?

Main roof - none - I have masked it with a method that will allow me to just re-tape the very outer edge adjacent to the gutter rail / front roof trim prior to paint
Feb 15, 2018 at 8:59pm
Various things keep getting in my way of progress but now starting make headway - weather has been completely pants at my end and has not helped has I need to shuffle the Bradford outside (still under cover) but getting it out of the workshop and in my neighbours large garage in-between the heavy rain has proved challenging - now sorted but not before I had completed the blocking back of the primer on the main body



The panel edges terminate in the apertures but are open to the elements - the doors do not have any weather seals fitted



To prevent water ingress behind the panel edges and to prolong the vehicles life I sealed all open edges on the panels



Along with any external panel seams



Plus any minor gaps in the panel trims and the roof gutters



This is critical - lots of owners think that the paint will just hide the slightest of gaps / openings - well initially it will but within a matter of weeks it will open up has cracks in the paint

With that done I could now prep the next batch of loose panels & parts for primer - lots of them too




These will go into primer in the morning and hopefully the third batch can be done in the afternoon - hopefully all being well should see some colour being applied to the main body & a few panels over the weekend
Feb 16, 2018 at 9:01pm
First batch primed this morning


Once cured I hung the second batch in preparation for the primer



Then got those into primer & guide coat



So that is everything now primed - there is a small mountain of loose / bolt on parts - A couple of rounds of flatting back are now to follow with the final paint to follow shortly after - this will have to be undertaken in several batches due to the amount of parts in question and the fact that 3 separate colours are involved

[Keith Clements]

Feb 19, 2018 at 8:20pm
So onto final paint prep - I have started to get the loose panels sanded back ready for paint



Not happy with some of the deep pitting that was still showing through the polyester - so I am just catching up with that by applying a minor skim of polyester glaze filler



I wanted to get the workshop preparation sorted - with the one workshop / no spray booth situation that I have it means utilising the same work area for everything - I always like to have a really good delouse of all the ceiling & wall areas prior to a major painting session - no end of dust / overspray / cobwebs were trailing all over the place






So with the extractor on full I set to with the airline & blow gun - small set of steps to ensure I could reach everything - dust mask on and worked from the back of the workshop to the front

All my workshop kit with exception of the sheet metal folder is on industrial casters - so it can all be pulled away from the walls and a proper job made of the delousing





Now looking clean & very dust free



I have the remaining panels namely 4 doors and the spare wheel flap to flat back for paint - once done the main body & doors can be sprayed with the colour - but should have all of the van painted this week - I have little running about to do first but it will very quickly come together now
Feb 22, 2018 at 10:32pm
Final push towards paint today - I continued to flat the loose panels back



Initially with the DA and then went over the large flatter areas with a block



Then applied seam sealer to the return edges where the door skin return meets the ash frame of the door




Also sealed the flanged edge where the door skin had been repaired on the inner side



Removed the first line of masking from the roof trim / gutter edge



Then replaced it with a edge tape



This is great stuff made by 3M and gives a super sharp edge to any paint termination point - ideal for two tone paint finishes etc and the paint will not creep under the edge of the tape like it does with masking tape - its available in various widths



Then remasked all the lower sections / chassis / wheels etc - I just need to mask the underside of roof area in the morning - I know it's not seen once the head lining goes in but to just allow the underlining to get covered in paint is against my religion


And primed any small areas of bare metal / screw heads on the roof trims & gutters etc




This will just need a light key applying to it in the morning with a medium scotchbrite

Hung what loose panels I could so that these can go into colour at the same time





I don't have room to hang the front doors so I shall have to do these after the first batch have been done

Are you using suction feed, gravity feed, pressure cup spray guns, or a combination? Touchup gun for spotting in primer?

Looking good, enjoying the seminar,

All my spray guns are gravity feed and have been for the past 15 years - good quality professional spray guns are relatively inexpensive in todays market - I will post a pic later - my primer where small areas are concerned is a good quality professional aerosol - you will find this is commonplace in all bodyshops - it offers convenience & speed plus it's a very economical process when compared to mixing primer, using a spray gun then having to clean the gun etc once completed

Feb 23, 2018 at 4:37pm
Early start this morning has outside it was - 3 degrees
Paint of any type does not like these conditions - my workshop is only about 10 years old and well insulated none the less I checked the temperature of the van & panels - 10 degrees - ideally I need get them above 15 degrees - I had left the oil filled readiator on overnight on low just maintain an ambient temperature - I now turned this up to full and then also set up my stand mounted infra red bodyshop heaters



It's also a good idea to have the paint at a temperature above 10 degrees



My preferred gun for this task is a Devilbiss GTI Pro Lite - gravity fed - I use 3M PPS (Paint Preparation System) for my paint - that is the clear container that you see in the background - it fits has a sleeve to the plastic pot - the clear lid has a inbuilt fine mesh filter and is retained on top of the pot with a screw ring



Once filled with paint the whole lot just plugs on to the gun with a dedicated bayonet type fitting - like this



The benefits being is that it gives you a clean uncontaminated paint pot along with the filter for single use - reduces mess / clean up time / paint contamination etc and when you are done with it - just take it out of the holder and it goes straight into the bin - easy



The paint I am using is a 2 pack - ready mixed colour that has a catalyst hardener added to it - 2 parts paint to 1 part hardener you then have the option to add a thinner to the mixture normally 5 - 15% dependant upon how thick you want the paint - it's better to apply 1 light then a couple of medium density coats rather than 2 heavy coats or 4 light coats - it's critical that the correct personal protection equipment is worn - regardless of breathing equipment the paint can also be absorbed by bare skin - a good extraction system is also essential - ideally something that can exchange the whole air volume held within the spraying area at a rate of at least twice per minute



So once I had gone around the van & panels with a panel wipe to remove any trace elements of silicone and then again over all the surfaces to be painted with specialist cloth to remove any fine particles / dust prior to paint - so on with the paint then


Pretty happy with the gun finish - and I have a fair depth of paint on the panels and once I start to get the van assembled I will give the paint a light flat & polish


One of the important things to remember is to remove the edge tape from the roof gutter area - leave this on and the paint will cure over the tape - removing the tape with the paint dry would tend to pull the paint of the gutter trim and open the face edge of the paint



Infra red heaters now switched back on to bring the workshop temperature back up - with the extractor on during the spraying process filtered air is drawn through the workshop but obviously with it being quite cold outside the workshop temperature gets reduced - most paints - even 2 pack paints will not cure if the temperature is sub 5 degrees


Just been back into the workshop to reset the heater timers and it all looks very good - now just have to get the front doors into maroon - then I can start the task of getting the rest of the panels & parts painted black

Decades ago..., when I had a motorcycle shop and real paint booth, I quite often shot Imron base and clearcoats. Imron was two part, with normal curing time of eight hours, but with the addition of an accelerator the paint would be hard in two hours. At any point up until the two hours one could touch the paint and then watch the paint flow back out, erasing the blemish. When Imron DID harden it did so in a flash...., flowing one minute, then hard a minute or two later. Once hard, it was entirely unaffected by fuel spills, etc. (unlike lacquer), so made for a durable finish for street bikes...

What is cure time for the two-pack? Can cure time be controlled with accelerators or retarders?

- Curing time - touch dry normally in under 3 hours at + 15 degrees - even quicker in a booth / oven and accelerators can be added to speed this up - not normally required though - the range of hardeners for the paint takes care of it really - so you can use slow (good for higher summer temps) medium (good for mid range temps) and fast (winter temps) personally I like the medium one it gives time for the paint to flow out whilst drying over a realistic period - I always like to leave this type of paintwork at least overnight if not longer - the lacquers available in todays market are fantastic - and these can be accelerated to a 15 - 20 minute cure - great on the smaller repairs if you are just doing a couple of panels - on larger jobs I much prefer to leave longer curing times - but some major bodyshops are turning paint work around at an immense pace - but then again they need to given the size of the overheads that they carry

To be fair a good spray gun (not necessarily an expensive one) will give you an excellent finish as long as you get paint viscosity correct.

Can only but agree - a bit of research and hunting around online will secure a decent gun capable of a good finish for under the £100 barrier - I would avoid the low budget sub £50 stuff though - ideally for a good all round gun capable of applying most finishes I would recommend a gravity feed HVLP gun (High volume paint application - low pressure air requirements) with a 1.2mm / 1.3mm fluid tip & needle - something like this will be fine with a 100 - 150 litre compressor but you also need a good reliable water separator within your air supply to the gun - here's a link to my preferred spray equipment supplier whom hold a wide range of products at competitive prices http://www.spraygunsdirect.co.uk/

Not to be a jerk, but would the gun finish not be more true to the original?
Or is it a step to far (to little) in the process?

Although the spraying of vehicles commenced from the mid 1920's it was not really until the 40's that the process became commonplace on vehicle production lines however the equipment & paint materials that are available today are generations ahead of what was available when this van was new - the original finish can be replicated by flatting back & using a medium compound and leaving it at this point which in general would give a shine to the paint but with a hazed finish and not too much depth - however most paint finishes are fully polished a further 3 stages from the medium compound stage to give a high gloss with deep depth to the finish - although not true to the factory finish it's a finish that will stand up to the elements better with very little for water / dirt / dust to adhere to - I will aim for some where between a first stage and final stage polish effect and that should be fine - sort of a mid point of a step too far

[Keith Clements]

Feb 24, 2018 at 8:22pm
Just a couple of hours in the workshop today - I removed the masking from the chassis / engine & cab areas



Then started to fasten the vehicle ID plates & the coil back to the bulkhead



The regulator box had seen better days - it had a cracked base & cracked cover and was also of a unknown quantity



So a decision was made to replace it - expensive though at £155 - the van is 6 volt



The insulation on the individual wires retained within the wiring harness is generally good however the braiding on the harness itself has rotted through in several places - unsurprising has it's 71 years old - I will repair the sections has required with harness tape that gives a period look - that said very little of the harness is seen once all the van is fitted back up




I have put some of the smaller loose panels that I painted yesterday away upstairs in the loft storage area - however the best place to put the larger panels is back on the van so I refitted the rear doors




Finally a couple of full side shots that I could not obtain yesterday due the painted panels that were hung up in the workshop



Feb 25, 2018 at 9:30pm

Bit more progress today - Stripped what was left of the rotten cotton braid off the wiring harness


Then taped the cables at intervals



Then wrapped the harness in a harness tape



I can certainly recommend this stuff - gives a good finish and is not overly expensive - significantly better to use than any ordinary insulation tape



The rubber insulation on all of the bullet connectors had perished to nothing - leaving the connectors bare / live



Soon sorted - I am having to clean up all connections has they have oxidized quite badly



Finish on the harness once wrapped



The harness running power feeds to the rear of the van required the same rewrapping treatment



As did the spur that supplies the coil / distributor & dynamo



When was the last time you came across plugs like this for a dynamo



Harness sorted and clipped to the bulkhead / connected to the rear spur with new connectors - the front lamp & horn feed gets placed has the inner wings get reattached to the chassis



Started to strip the dash panel out (this is rotten and I have a replacement panel that is ready for paint)



Little slack on the cables to the rear of the instrument panel so it puts up a fight to remove it


I eventually get it part company with the van - it will receive a lick of paint before refitting



And the gauges respond pretty well to a quick clean up



As does the switch gear



Wiring for the column stem switchgear travels through the dash board so this all has to be disconnected before the dashboard can be removed



And eventually the dashboard can be removed



Feb 26, 2018 at 9:34pm
So a very busy Monday sorting no end of things out in order to progress the van but not much to show for it - some days - even weeks are like this when restoring vehicles then all of a sudden you spend a few days fitting everything back together and the vehicle comes together a lot quicker that you were expecting

Stripped the remaining gauges & switch gear from the instrument panel



Then cleaned the black paint off that had been daubed all over it



It looks like it was Close to Old English White on the rear of the panel originally so I plan to return it back to this colourway



Now in Primer



I sorted through the rest of the gauges & switch gear - cleaned them up has required and then placed them to safe storage



The inner choke cable had sheared directly behind the pull knob - although a replacement is available - the knob is black and it does not have the lettering like the original



The inner cable is a solid copper wire that is soldered on to the brass stem of the pull knob - so I drilled the stem out and then re-soldered the inner cable to it



Cleaned it up and it's ready to go again



Feb 27, 2018 at 9:27pm

More paint prep - in fact a small mountain of parts that will be painted black - just need to get it all sanded back - I reckon that I got through two thirds of it today



Lots of fiddly little parts to get through yet

[Keith Clements]

Mar 1, 2018 at 9:42pm
A day spent sanding all the other metal trims /parts / panels in preparation for final colour - minus 6 here so first move was to ensure I had the correct working conditions - handy things these infra red lamps



Then just worked my way through the pile of tedious sanding back awkward shaped parts

How hot do the IR heaters get, GN? Like the old "Cannon" blow heaters only within the smell, fumes and dust blown everywhere?

You cannot stand directly in front of them they are well capable of throwing 100c + out - you have to take care that you don't place them too close to the panel has you could distort it with the heat or melt a plastic bumper - but they are great bits of kit for curing materials & paints

So spent some time and got the final prep complete on the front doors and then hung them ready for paint



Then applied the paint




Its currently minus 4 outside so I took the option of using a fast hardener in the paint and then left the infa red panel lamps on in the background



Beauty of the workshop being 20 seconds from the house is that I can spray the doors then leave the lamps on and wonder over there in another 30 mins and switch them off by which time the paint will be well on the way to curing - if I had just left them with wet paint overnight in this climate there would be a good chance that paint would not have cured (something to do with the molecular structure of the paint and the reaction with the hardener which will not occur at temperatures less than 5 degrees)

Mar 4, 2018 at 11:24am
Spent a few hours on it yesterday - I wanted to get the petrol pipe and wiring harness fastened back up to the chassis prior to fitting the front doors has it makes for easier access



Then hung the front doors - prior marking up for identification of the hinge packers / blocks at the trial fitting stage just saves so much hassle when it comes to hanging a painted panel


Mar 4, 2018 at 9:30pm

Got most of the remaining panels & parts hung and prepped for painting black



My favourite way of hanging lots of small parts for painting is a length of dexion shelf racking



Then on with the paint



I have gone heavy with the paint on the front wings - these tend get a fair share of the wear due to the fact of engine access and the wings being broad in width tend to get leaned over quite a bit - so paint has some 'peel' to it but this will flat back & polish up nicely - I would much prefer this than to just put a couple of coats of paint on them and have the paint getting over worn within a short period of use



There are a few items / parts that I did not have the hanging room for that will be painted in a second batch - so just the 2 rear wings, front bumper & the front number plate plinth to paint up in black then remaining interior metal trim to paint in Old English white

With the little bits - how do you get round them swinging wildly with the air pressure from the spray gun?

I always struggle with this.

I always reduce the pressure on the gun to 1 bar for the small items - quite often if they have a hole both at the top & bottom I will use the top one to hang it from and the bottom one I have a welding wire hook that I can use to pull gently down on leaving my other hand for the spray gun to paint it - bit of a faff but it tends to work - of course not everything has a hole top & bottom either !

[David Kemp]

Probably too late to do, but extending the rain gutter from the top of the door down past the hinges , is a good modification that keeps the door posts dry.

[Keith Clements]

Very busy week with a lot happening in the shape of new to myself vehicles arriving, preparations for the forthcoming NEC Restoration Show where I manage the Jowett Car Club stand but progress is also happening with the Bradford van too - so I wanted to polish the paint around the bulkhead before I fit the windscreen & front panels - it's just easier to do at this stage rather than have to polish in around fittings, panels & trim

With the windscreen aperture & engine / front chassis areas loosely masked off I flatted the paint carefully with wet & dry 1500 - a little soap (nothing fancy just a bar of plain household soap) helps prevent the wet & dry paper cutting / digging in to the paint





Once flatted I went over the areas again with 2000 wet & dry - always flat with a rubber block or the flat of your hand (where the term 'flatting' originates) and never with the tips of your fingers - you just hollow out furrows in the paint that will be difficult to remove



Then machine polished with a medium grade compound - only ever machine polish at low speeds - you need to be sub 900 rpm ideally





Results from the first stage polish gives a flatter paint profile and removes any minor dust particles



Probably not visible in the image is the slight haze to the paint which will be removed with the second phase machine polishing - I will then commence assembly and polish the panels on / off the van has required - the final 2 stages of polish will be undertaken has the van is completed / fully assembled

[Keith Clements]

Flatted the lower bulkhead panel areas on both sides



Then second stage polished all the bulkhead / windscreen aperture areas


Unsure if it will show the difference in the image below but left hand side is polished lower bulkhead and the right panel is the unflatted / unpolished door


Then commenced fitting the front inner wings & routing the wiring harness in at the front



Along with the wing / headlamp brackets & stabilisers


Horn also refitted



Flatted and polished the radiator cowl prior to fitting the grille mesh



Old cowl logo badge had seen better days but Tim had sourced a new old stock one



Radiator cowl loosely fitted to the inner wings & radiator


A day of much chasing about so not has much done today has I had planned so I can see some weekend catching up with the refitting - however sorted & assembled the air filter housing and refitted it


Then flatted the nearside front apron panel


very awkward to polish has a loose panel but needs to be done to ensure uniform polishing across the panel and to include the edges



Then set about fitting / bolting it up - could have done 3 pairs of hands has the piping bead has to be located at the same time

Chris,

To hold many of the panels you encounter, for prep, sanding, polishing, etc., you might consider putting together some vacuum suction cups tied to a vacuum pump powered by compressed air, perhaps activated/deactivated by foot pedal. Suction cups which confirm to irregular shapes are available in several styles, one of which is shown below:



The "arms" holding the suction cups could be readily attached to the folding pipe stands you use, with clamps similar to the one below:

This company, one of many,link shows the many types of suction cups available, such as those below:

With suction cups on a stand with adjustable arms, they could also obviate the need for you to grow another hand when positioning/attaching panels...

[Keith Clements]

I needed to get the toe board and first part of the floor fastened in before I fitted the front wings (I could have fitted them afterwards but would not have been that easy to reach over into the engine bay with the wings in the way) - so I dug the toe board & front floor sections out that I had previously pre cut



I drilled the holes to match the bulkhead and floor supports then applied a coat of oil to both sides in order to protect them - the originals were just bare ply



Then bolted the new angle brackets to the toe board - I had made these up earlier & painted them when I sprayed the chassis



Then bolted the toe board up to the bulkhead


The commenced bolting the front floor sections & gearbox tunnel to the toe board & floor supports

So how do you stop a bolt from being pushed back through the hole whilst you fit the nut & washer to it - when you are single handed ?



I use welding magnets against the bolt - this also helps with the washer has the magnets retain it to the bolt whilst you thread the nut on



These are cheap and very effective - normally used for holding / positioning metal in place to enable you to tack welds to it - I use them for a whole manner of other things



Front floor sections & gearbox tunnel all bolted up



SWMBO had made me up a new gear stick gaiter in leather - the old one had disintegrated



Flatted & polished the offside front apron then fitted it



Next was the nearside front wing - I flatted the edge close to the piping bead with wing off the van has this would be impossible do with the wing fitted



Then polished the edge up



Set out the pre cut piping bead



Then loosely fastened the wing on



The wing just needs aligning while being fastened up and the piping bead being correctly positioned at the same time



I will flat & polish the wing once it is all fastened up and retained with it's stays / brackets - much easier to work this way rather than attempt it has a loose panel


Aligned the nearside wing and bolted it up



Now complete with brackets & stays



Then repeated the process for the offside front wing



Then started to flat the paint back on the nearside wing - I would rather do the polishing on a panel by panel basis rather than just attempt to do the entire van in one mammoth flatting & polish session

[Keith Clements]

Pushed on and got the first stage compound polishing done on the nearside front wing



Compound polishes have filling agents in them - it's always a good idea to wash these off the panel if you are going to polish again with a finer compound or polish - I use nothing other than a household spray window cleaner and wipe it off with paper towel



Second stage fine compounding completed



I will leave it at this for now but once the van is fitted up I shall go over it again with a yet finer polish prior to waxing



I loosely masked the wing up to prevent any undue scratches to the paint whilst the van continues to be fitted up / flatted & polished in other areas



Then 1st & 2nd stage polished the offside front wing - also masking that off when completed



Next was the fiddly job of fitting the bonnet edge tape to both sides of the radiator cowl



Again masking the radiator cowl area up in order to protect the paint work



Then fitted the bonnet edge tape to the bulkhead



I will hopefully get the bonnet flatted & polished tomorrow and can then can start to assemble and fit it to the van

[k. rogers]

Oh my gosh! I don't know about JCC concours winner, but I think this one should be invited to Pebble Beach - superb work, Chris!

[Keith Clements]

Some tips on flatting & machine polishing

Loose panels should be placed on a firm table / bench / stand - scratching to the paint on underside can be prevented by using a foam mat / blankets etc



Set your work area up and make it easy so that polish / machine are easy to hand - and you don't have to place it on the floor - even the bucket can be raised on a crate in order to prevent stooping / bending down to it too far - you will be surprised at what a difference this makes



I use a 3M polish system - colour coded necks on the bottles and separate colour coded mops to match - wash the mops through on a regular basis and then spin the water out of them on the polisher at high speed - Green is medium course compound, yellow is a fine compound and the blue is a polymer finishing polish - other brands are out there but you get what you pay for - poor quality compounds / polishes give equally poor quality results



The majority of the polish systems now have a Velcro hook system - backing pad remains on the machine and the mops retained by a strong velcro - makes the system very easy to utilise



Always use a rubbing block on the flat sections of panels - I use a little dab of soap with plenty of water for flatting - I tend to use 1500 wet & dry first followed by 2000 - you can utilise the edge of the rubber block for removing excess water from the panel - take care not to rub through the paint on panel edges / raised profiles / swaged areas



I would highly recommend masking / protecting any trim items especially cloth / rubber seals - coloured rubbing down water & polish is a pain to remove when dry and it stains cloth trim easily



Once fully flatted you can commence polishing - I apply the compound to the mop and then use the mop to spread the compound or polish onto the panel without the machine running - just splodge it on to the mop and start the machine and it will fly and splatter everything
in sight



When using a course - medium compound I would recommend that you angle the mop at 20 - 30 degrees and let about a third of the mop make contact with the panel at anyone time - place the all of the mop on the panel and you risk burning or digging into the paint - you need no more than 900 rpm and constantly keep moving the mop / machine - I would only tackle a panel area of about 400mm x 400mm at a time and it should not take long - a few minutes is all it takes - buff off with a cloth to assess the finish and then go at it again has required before moving on to the next panel area




Once complete with the first stage compound polish you can then wash the panel off and apply the second stage polish by machine which should start to yield good results



Post up any questions that may you have on the process and I will do my best to answer them

So with the initial polishing done the upper bonnet sections could be fitted to the van



Then the final alignment with the radiator cowl set & fastened up



Along with the bulkhead




Took a break from the polishing & panel fitting - Cleaned the windscreen up then cut and mitred the corners on the windscreen rubber (these come has endless section rubber and not preformed to the screen shape)



Although a string in type windscreen rubber it's unusual in the respect that it strings in from the inside out and not the outside in like the majority of other rubber / non bonded windscreen fitments



There is an internal metal windscreen trim that fits the aperture and sits flush against the windscreen rubber and will push any areas of rucking on the rubber flush



There are a load of products in the market for windscreen sealing and the vast majority of them are rubbish - I have been using this product for 35 years though has it is very effective at doing what it says it does - I always seal both sides of the rubber i.e. glass to rubber & body to rubber



Sealed - just requires cleaning up



Windscreen done



Back to the flatting & polishing - nearside bonnet side panel - note the masking tape over the raised rivet heads to prevent flatting / polishing the paint off them



Once polished to second stage I fitted the rubber corner protectors to the panel - these were fitted from new to most 4 piece bonnets like this - I will need to trim these down slightly but need to fit the panel first to discover how much to trim them down by



Then fitted the rod to the hinge leaf - I applied a thin smear of copper slip to the rod has I tapped it home with a mallet



The bonnet will sit better once the catches are fitted to retain it in place



Enough for one day I think