Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

There were very many fine classic cars at this year's Betws y Coed Classic Show in August and I believe I examined every entrant vehicle closely.
One car however, took my attention in the form of an absolutely immaculate late Triumph Vitesse. The owner was not with his vehicle when I first noticed it but had returned when I went back with my camera.

Have a look at these photos and I will you tell the car's story afterwards :

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The owner was from Oldham and when I asked him about the Vitesse's breathtaking condition he went on to explain that he had restored the car himself. He had bought the Vitesse in the late 1970s as an ordinary second hand purchase and just kept it running as his daily drive.
Twenty five odd years later it had started to looking tired and scruffy and after receiving quotations and estimates for a restoration he decided to do it himself.
It was the quality of the paintwork that fascinated me and I asked as to whom had applied the colour coats. When he told me that he had done it himself with aerosols, at first I did not believe him.

But, he had resprayed the entire car himself with aerosol cans!

He had arranged for dozens to be mixed by one paint supplier and the quality of the paintwork was the result of months of work by him in preparation and flatting.
Each panel was painted separately, the bonnet in three sections.
I was astonished by the quality of his work and the minute attention to detail on every part of the Vitesse.
And no, he was not in any way employed or connected to the Motor Trade.

I had to ask him what type of polish he used. The answer was One1Grand Blitz Wax.

Ellis
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Starting Handle Expert

1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[ukdave2002]

Thats a nice job and just shows what you can achieve without expensive equipment.

When I painted my MGA shell recently, I had paint mixed in 2k for normal spraying, and got them to make me up a couple of aerosols in 1k acrylic. The aerosols were really useful to paint areas where it was difficult to get a gun to, I also used them a lot to touch up areas that I'd gone through to the primer when compounding the paint.

My local paint supplier charges £3 (for cash !) for a 500ml mixed aerosol, it will take longer to paint a car, but as you have illustrated no reason why the end result wont be as good

Dave

[Rick]

When I first got interested in Spitfires, in the late 1980s, there was a red Mk3 doing the rounds that was one of the best in the country, and I'm sure that was also done in aerosols. I did mine that way, but I think my "prep" (such as it was) left a lot to be desired. The Vit looks fab

RJ
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[peter scott]

That certainly is an amazing job given that it was done with aerosols.

My first thought was that it must have cost a fortune.

Peter
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https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[bob2]

Looks immaculate, you'd never ever think of it being aerosol paint, goes to show how much the prep work before applying paint makes and breaks a car the most not the sort of paint used!!

[gresham flyer]

A bit like the chap on one of those property renovation programmes who spent months plastering his lath and plaster cieling with what looked like a metal spoon.,instead of a plasterers hawk and steel float.
Then spent nearly a year repointing the stonework on the outside of the property,with toytown tools.

Or better still why not make a homemade torque wrench and then make a clicking sound with your mouth when the head bolt feels tight.

I think if I did not have any equipment I would have hired a compressor,gun and breathing mask etc.

Must get back to the workshop and finish that bicycle driven lathe I have designed...
Gresham Flyer

[P3steve]

"Or better still why not make a homemade torque wrench and then make a clicking sound with your mouth when the head bolt feels tight".

I find that as I get older my joints make the clicking sound doing the job for me
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If the world didn't suck we'd all fall off

[Den]

Quite impressive.
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Den.
Reporter-"How's it feel to be Henry Ford the Second?"
Henry Ford ll-"I don't know. I've never been anyone else."