The Camaro Club (UK)

Took a bit longer as usual but it's repainted now.

Definitely something wrong that paint, stay clear of Nexa Autocolour!

I laid down a thin mist coat of red first, then did a normal coat of red. Mixed according to TDS and followed the timings. Did the first coat of clear as a mist coat. As i was getting ready for the 2nd coat of clear i noticed a streak in the fender. I looked closer and it looked like there was a mini run, but as a line (couldn't be a run, it was only a mist coat and it looked foggy on the panel. Then i noticed another. The second coat of red wasn't heavy at all, so i cannot figure out how there was any type of run, but there were 2 streaks, purple in colour, almost like when you get a bug fall in a paint job and go for a walk, but there was not bug. Luckily i has some red paint left, still mixed up. So poured out the clear, poured in the red, set the fan to narrow and choked the fluid control down and misted on some colour to get it the same red. Took a couple of coats, waited about 5 minutes between each and it seemed ok then. Then carried on with the regular clear coat process.

It's turned out ok. Not as good as before, seems to be a bit trash in it this time and got some orange peel as i didn't want to pound the clear on with this paint, so it will need flatting but it's ok.

Next job is the dash panel, working on that tonight / tomorrow whilst everything is masked off. Then the trim and side windows can go in, sub frame connector can get welded in and fuel can be put it (don't want to weld with fuel and brake fluid in the lines).

There was a glass fitter down my road replacing a BMW windscreen. Popped over and said hi, nice chap, said he would normally help out but he's not local and he had another 4 jobs to do in the area as he was doing cover work. Didn't have details on anyone local but he gave me the phone number of the company and said to give them a call. He said i did the right thing to ask as personally to the fitter as normally they could do it cheaper but he was too busy. Close, good to know that he was approachable about it.

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Don't get these problems with Dulux eggshell. . Or Crown kitchen and bathroom satin..


Are you using the correct roller ?

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“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Ye the roller seems to meet the specs, easy to get wrong though. I think it's because i used kitchen and bathroom cleaner instead of multipurpose cleaner, so there was probably some sort of reaction. Lesson learned!

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Almost got everything sorted that was on the list.

Got the door and fender and trunk fill panel repainted.
Got the holes in the dash filled, repainted the dash.
Got the bonnet installed (need to align).
Got the door locks and handles fitted (a bolt on the door handle broke when tighten the nut, pos made in Taiwan cr*p).
Got the battery installed... was going to modify the tray to fit the extra width but turns out the feet on the battery could be cut off so was able to save cutting and welding of the tray. Terminals aren't connected but they're in place. Need to run the wire for the fuel pump and rear fog light. Need to also make a mount for the the rear fog light.
Got the exhaust clamps sorted. Had to remove the muffler to cut some slits in it to ensure it sealed with the clamps over it.
Got the side glass in, need to align and put in top stops. Passenger side seems ok, Just drivers sides is a bit off.
Got the rear glass placed in (for weight).
Need to to place the front glass in (for weight).
Once front glass is in, then i can weld in the subframe connectors and bolt them in at the front.
Once that and the wiring is done, it can be started

Then i can do the remaining things i.e install the weather stripping, mirrors and anything else that's left.

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Got the bonnet aligned to a decent level, it's not perfect. It sits a little high towards the back, about half an inch, maybe a bit less but the hinges don't go any further down, so not sure what's going on there. Will leave it down so that it rests and hopefully settles lower into place over the next day or two. Had to make some spacers for the bonnet catch as it was sitting a bit low. Had some scrap aluminium bar from some furniture or something, so cut that to size, drilled some holes and it sat level afterwards. Also got the hood pins installed. Fitted the fuel pressure gauge too.

Next is to sit the front windscreen in, then i can weld in the subframe connector as the final weight will be in the car.
Then get the wiring run for the fuel pump and rear fog light (they will run side by side, so may as well get it all done at once).

It's starting to look like a car now!

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“You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.”

Lol cheers dude!

Got the front windscreen placed in. I spent the rest of the evening cutting off bits from a bike frame. The bits i need are the little loops that route the brake and gear shift cables. The handbrake (or emergency brake) cables that run under the car tap on the exhaust pipe. I couldn't move the exhaust pipe any higher, so i'm going to weld onto the pipe these small eyelet loop things to keep them in place. Reckon it will take me all evening to get those sized in and welded in. If i get enough time i can then weld in the frame connectors, likely that will happen tomorrow now. So can probably start it Friday / Saturday. It's the small things that seem to take a long time.

Taking a day off next week too. Giving the glass installation guy a call today too.

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Looks like there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel
Restoration- there is a fine line between doing it right and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder .
Hope to see the finished car out and about before the bad weather and dark evenings hit us .

Haha that's so true! It should come with a warning label too.
Yes definitely. The glass guy is booked for the 24th of this month. Slight chance i could make it for Ace Cafe on the Saturday following. I could book the MOT for the Saturday morning and if all goes well, then, well, all is well.

I finished the routing of the cables through eyelets under the exhaust last night, no more cables running on subframes, floorbaords and exhaust and also clanking against them whilst the parking brake is not in use.

Subframe connectors tonight, then onto the wiring for the fuel pump, fog lights, then connect the battery, make sure everything is ok and all the lights work, then start 'er up.

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Well, it runs!

Cranked a couple of times for oil, then turned the fuel pump on. Started straight away! Idled nicely, so i have a feeling that it may be running a bit rich. Didn't run it for too long as all the dust and whatever else had settled on the headers, was getting smokey.

Next thing to do then was to make sure all the lights were still working. Strangely enough the front drivers side was giving me grief. I have a clear lens housing with a dual colour led but the white running light wouldn't come on. So spent hours trying to figure it out, even cutting out and putting in a different socket. Turns out the led had blown a circuit on the running light circuit and the filament bulb i was cross testing with, also had a blown filament on the running light, even though it looked intact, a voltmeter said otherwise. What are the chances. Luckily i had a spare dual colour LEd from a different seller (original ones were from U.S and cost a fair bit) but the amber leds are too dim in comparison to the running light. The working one on the passenger side works in such a way that the white light is on when the running lights are on, then when you use the indicator it switched off the running light during the time amber light is on, then switches back to running (hence the naming convention switchback). I can't run the setup as is, as the drivers side has the white LED on all the time and it over powers the amber so the two sides don't match. thinking that i'm gonna have to take out the headlights, drill a big hole in the bucket so that i can wire up the built in running light in the headlamp, then have the running lights as just indicators. Bit of a bugger as it looked good with white running light in the running light place. So that's tonight's job.

In other news, got the subframe connectors welded and bolted in. I don't know how people manage to drill the holes, there's a good 8mm of steel to cut through and the rocker lip gets in the way of drilling straight, so you have to go at an angle.

Got all of the wiring sorted, just need to run it long enough to make sure the fan works.

Working through a list of other stuff. Once the lights are sorted, then i'll put the weather seals in as that will allow me to do final alignment for the glass, door catch etc.

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