TR2/3/3A Paint and hardtop - TR3A

[NutmegCT]

A couple questions:

1. I believe the car was painted a few years ago. Not exactly a top of the line job; I can see and feel dust specks in the surface. How should that be handled? Wetsand with 1000, then 1500, then rubbing compound, all by hand, then polishing compound with buffing wheel, then wax? The paint is tight, but the "specks" are over the entire surface.

2. The hardtop (steel) has no liner or front seal. Does anyone have a picture of what the liner is supposed to look like, what it's made from, and how it's attached? And how the front seal is attached? There are six miscellaneous size/thread screws across that sealing surface on the front lip of the hardtop, but it seems that silicone adhesive would do the same job. I received the new seal from TRF.

3. The steering wheel hub is faded and streaked (see picture). How, and with what, should that be finished? Black glossy spraypaint? Black shoe polish?

Thanks all.
Tom

 

[Harry_Ward]

A couple questions:

1. I believe the car was painted a few years ago. Not exactly a top of the line job; I can see and feel dust specks in the surface. How should that be handled? Wet sand with 1000, then 1500, then rubbing compound, all by hand, then polishing compound with buffing wheel, then wax? The paint is tight, but the "specks" are over the entire surface.


3. The steering wheel hub is faded and streaked (see picture). How, and with what, should that be finished? Black glossy spray paint? Black shoe polish?

Thanks all.
Tom

Tom

I would experiment in a not so visible area with the finest wet sand grit sandpaper possible first. Maybe try 2000, or 1800, and see what removes the "grit" to minimize any scratching that will have to be buffed out later. Then Dupont color match swirl remover compound by hand. You may remove too much paint with higher grits and coarse compounds unless you're real good with the power compound buffer.

If the specs are really blisters they may go down to the primer coat and you may not want to mess with it. Try an area not to readily visible and see how deep the grit specs go first.

For the steering wheel I kept applying silicone and often until the color and shine came back. Took a long time and many applications.

I would have too look up the hardtop installation question since I do not have one but I'm sure someone knows this. If not I'll get the book out of the garage.

 

[YankeeTR]

Use 1000 grit with plenty of water and a squirt of dish soap for some lube. Use a flexible foam rubber block wiith the wet or dry paper.

Then buff it (or have it buffed) with a good polishing compound like Meguiars. Pretty simple deal.

 

[TR6oldtimer]

This guy painted his jeep in a garage and had some issues with dust and orange peel. He used 1500 grit for the first sanding, then 2500 to remove the scratches from the 1500, then polished the work from the 2500 grit paper, then buffed the swirls. Might want to check it out.

Some paint or detail shops do this work. $$

https://www.manoian.net/jeep/amber_fire_pearlcoat_paint.html

 

[RedTR3]

If the paint is not too bad you can even use 3000 grit. That's what I used and it worked great.

Then, with the modern polishing compounds available these days (I used 3M Perfect-it II) even an amateur like me can achieve good results after the color sanding.

 

[Russ Austin]

Part 2. I have not run across a picture of a correct headliner, I am aware that the Roadster Factory sell the headliner in one color Fawn it has a wire that runs across the inside of the hardtop to keep the haedliner taunt. As for the screws in the front lip of the hardtop (NO never were never should be) Put the gasket on with a silicone adhesive, do the same with the back edge gasket.