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It's gettin' done, slowly...

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Jerry - at least you'll have a car at the show. Mine will be in my garage and I'll be walking around with a photo album showing "my progress". Hah!
Looking forward to coming over and helping you get started on your body work. And tuning your new spray guns!

pat
 
Pat
WOW you are doing fantistac work. I really got to make the drive up and see it in person.
Jerry I think I saw your TR3 at American when I picked up My Wife's TR 250. The TR3 looks really solid I think that you have something really good to start with.
 
The photos of "the before" TR3 look like mine did in 1958 as I was starting my 3-year restoration. Since 1990, I've enjoyed 110,000 miles of fabulous driving - and you will too !!!!!
 
If you compare my starting point with Pat's, I had some brown spots, Pat had RUST. I rebuilt the rocker arms today and tried to find one generator (out of 4 that I have) that works. I am going to take one to get rebuilt, but which one?

Jerry
 
Jerry said:
I am going to take one to get rebuilt, but which one?
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The worst one, of course. Most likely they're going to charge you the same even if all they do is replace the brushes and paint it; might as well get the other stuff repaired as well.
 
Hey Guys
Update on my progress.
Finished blocking out all panels and tub. Everything is ready to spray. I probably had to reprime my bonnet 5 times to get it flat. I really need a vacation from block sanding.
Last weekend, I cleaned out about 2/3 of garage and started building spray booth. 1.25 inch PVC frame covered with plastic, small filtered air plenum, and a couple paint mist removal filters on exhaust. Will use my little Harbor Freight blower and see if it will move enough air to clear the spray mist. I have a HobbyAir supplied air hood, which will keep my liver relatively safe when spraying. Hope to have some finished parts photos to share next week.
Pat
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Block, block, block, block.... Reprime. Block, block, block, block

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No Plastic Sheeting Yet

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Intake filters.

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Exhaust paint mist filters in frame
 
I agree with all the acolades above ! Mine looked just like that (but in black) in 1989 when we lowered the painted body back onto the frame. Since then, I've enjoyed driving my 1958 TR3A a total of 109,000 miles and if I work on the bottom with some elbow grease, some old rags and white spirits, it looks just like it did 24 years ago.

Drive it as if it were a TR3A (which it is) and you'll enjoy it for years - as well as for miles too.

Don Elliott, Original Owner, 1958 TR3A TS 27489 LO
 
Big weekend of painting. Finished two rear wings, two doors, spare tire compartment cover, both sides of bonnet and boot lid. I am lucky my neighbors didn't complain. Painting is not for the faint of heart. I'm very happy with the results but not sure that I'd do this again...

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AND Where I started...

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Looking really great Pat. I am envious. Can you tell me about your choice of paint please. I am assuming that it is base/clear? If so, what brand base/clear and what color?

I hope to be painting mine as you are within the next couple of months once it gets a little warmer here.

Cheers
David
 
M_Pied_Lourd said:
Looking really great Pat. I am envious. Can you tell me about your choice of paint please. I am assuming that it is base/clear? If so, what brand base/clear and what color?
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Hi David

I used urethane primer and final sanded to 400 grit for solid color. Paint sequence was:
1) One coat epoxy sealer (I used white Southern Polyurethanes [SPI] epoxy, reduced by 50%). Other sealers are equally good. Provides nice even white base, fills some fine scratches, and greatly increases basecoat adhesion).
2) Two coats (to cover) of PPG DBU, Mercedes Benz Arctic White. Very nice product. Easy to spray.
3) Four coats SPI Universal Clear (great clear product - I really like this stuff). Four coats as I plan to color sand and buff panels. I have some dust nibs in paint that require sanding too.
4) For some panels, I went two coats clear, then will wet sand with 1000 grit and lay down a black stripe. Then 3 or 4 more coats clear to bury stripe in the paint.

PPG DBU is an old product - they discontinued it here in CA due to emissions and went to waterborne paints. If I were to do it again, I'd buy an activated (i.e., includes hardner) basecoat product from Sikkens or Glasurit.
You can go to your local paint supplier and buy as little as 4-8 ounces of whatever color you want. Take it home and shoot it. It might cost you $30 for a small can of paint, but you can paint a test panel, clear coat it, and see how you like the color and the product. And if you haven't sprayed paint before, you'll definitely want to paint a few test panels and maybe a practice fender or three.

This stuff is expensive. For two sprayable gallons of DBU, it was about $400 (I bought way too much). Two sprayable gallons of clear is about $250. Epoxy primer is about $100 per gallon. Urethane primer is about $100 per gallon (I've shot nearly 3 gallons of epoxy, a gallon of urethane, and 1.5 gallons of polyester primer). Just in sprayables, I'm at about $1200. (this is for full paint, including frame, inside and outside of every panel). Add in 3 paint guns totaling more than $900, fillers, and sandpaper (probably $400). This is expensive.
But, to pay someone to do what I'm doing would easily cost $15- $25K, I think. My buddy just paid $9K for full paint (and minor body repair, no rust) on his 240Z. This is easily twice as much work as that and probably more.

Pat
 
Pat,

Very nice looking and I'm envious of your body-working and painting skills!

Scott
 
Looks like a great job, the next round of sanding won't anything like the first. Take your time and have fun doing it.
 
Hi Pat,

Thanks very much for the reply. I am pretty much going down the same road as you. So far have used 2 quarts of self etch, 4 quarts of epoxy and haven't sprayed the body tub or front apron yet. I did the top and interior of the tub with POR15 and topcoated with POR15 Whitecoat. I topcoated the Whitecoat inside the trunk area with POR Self Etching Primer as I plan to spray that with my topcoat to match the body color. As you may recall, I am going to pretty much do as you have done and my next step will be to spray over my epoxy with something like Slicksand. This will be followed with a 2K primer and then Base/Clear. Since I have been using Matrix products thus far, my Color and Clear will most likely be from their product line as well. Did you go with a high solid/high glass clear (European Style) on yours?

Sounds also like you are going with a black stripe (As I am). Have you decided on your stripe style? I was thinking of doing a Vinyl/3M stripe on mine but you may convince me to paint mine as well.....

Look forward to seeing more progress. Definately an inspiration for me.

Cheers
David
 
Hi Pat,

I have been admiring the great work. It is really impressive. One question I have that would help on something I am considering to do in the future. Regarding the trunk floor replacement, is the floor section where it buts up against the inner fender well welded? Does this section have a 90 degree bend so that it will weld up (plug weld) up against the inner fender well? Not sure if I have explained this correctly, but wanted to check.

Thanks,

Steve
 
Jeez Pat,

When you get done with this you're not going to want to hang around with us common folk.
 
Hi Pat, thought of another painting question for you. I would be interested to know what gun(s) you painted with and needle sizes.

Cheers
David
 
Tugboat said:
Jeez Pat,

When you get done with this you're not going to want to hang around with us common folk.
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Hi Mike. At least you have Triumphs that runs - I'll have to hang around you commoners, just so I'll have a ride to the shows!
 
SteveBones said:
Hi Pat,

I have been admiring the great work. It is really impressive. One question I have that would help on something I am considering to do in the future. Regarding the trunk floor replacement, is the floor section where it buts up against the inner fender well welded? Does this section have a 90 degree bend so that it will weld up (plug weld) up against the inner fender well? Not sure if I have explained this correctly, but wanted to check.

Thanks,

Steve
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Hi Steve. The trunk floor panel (from TRF) has flanged (bent down) sections along the sides. After you slip it into place, you can plug weld those vertical flanges (from underneath the car) to the lower skirt of the wheel wells and to the small panels that are located in the back corners of the trunk floor (I have early TR3A and I had to make those two small horizontal panels that fit between the trunk floor sides, the back tail lights area, and the back of the wheel wells. I filled the gaps with seal sealer, so my welds didn't show much and it was water tight. I seam sealed the bottom too. I had the entire rear apron off the car when I replaced the trunk floor. I'm sure others can share their experience on how this is done. It was challenging.

Pat
 
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