Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

MattF · Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2017 7:27 am Post subject: My first Eight (NewZealand)

Hi guys. I keep running into different problems on my old girl "Bella" (S1 Eight, original interior and paint in black over green) So instead of starting a new topic each time I find a problem o thought I could just start this and when I need some help I'll just ask it hear Smile

I think it was 9 years ago that I was labouring in a joinery shop, over winter we didn't have much work on for a month or two so my boss brought his wife's S1 two seater in for a respray (we had a spray booth and did our own kitchen spray painting) The car was a yuck mid green and the bosses wife decided on an even yucker apple green!!! But that was how I came to love the old eights. Six months later we were chatting with a client about it and she said she had a two door fixed hood eight parked up in her garage. I was so interested that she asked if I wanted a look, when she saw my face light up she said "it's yours, no I don't want anything for it". Up until 10 years before then it had been her every day driver but as she was getting older aircon and a heater made her buy a mod car.
Bella I'm sorry to say spent the next 3 years under a tarp at my penance house which didn't do any good to the paint (it rubbed quite bad and cracked a little in some places) I always meant to build a garage but when your 19-22 years old you know, it just never happened.
Three years ago I decided to get married and Bella was to be our wedding car so I tried getting her road legal - had a few things that needed sorting when I went for a certificat of fitness (NZ's MOT) and over hear you have 20 days to get those things sorted. When I took her back the young guy doing the recheck decided he could hear an exhausted leak and try as much as I could I never found that "leak" (an air silencer recently sorted the sound he was hearing)
So we had the wedding, and I drove her illegally in some of the worst conditions I have ever had to drive in!! It was still a fun day even tough we got soaked.
I then parked her up intending to het her on the road but between work, a new house that still needs plenty of work done on it, and a daughter it just never happened.
Four weeks ago daughter no 2 arrived and I have had the last four weeks off work to help wifey looking after out first. Half way through my time off i tought it would be a good time to get the old girl driving again.
Wednesday she went in for the inspection and all I had that needed fixing was the wiper!! Yesterday we had the final paperwork sorted and now after about 18-19 years shes roadworthy Smile

That's all for now sorry, number two and wife are asleep but number one is getting hungry so I better sort us out some dinner. Will try post some pics later.

MattF · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 5:49 am Post subject:

MattF · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 5:53 am Post subject:

MattF · Posted: Sun Jul 09, 2017 5:57 am Post subject:

In this photo you can see I had to get some work done on the drivers door to get her on the road. First question is: what sort of paint should I use to touch it up? Am guessing enamel was what was used so would be best to touch up with??