Paint Your Wagon

Not updated the blog for a week or so, but that doesn't mean that I've been idle, just too busy to be able to get my thoughts translated into the electronic ether.

Last weekend I spent some time getting the doors prepped ready for painting. The front doors both needed painting, both having been partially prepped. The passenger door was already mostly done with only a few minor blemishes requiring attention but the drivers door needed a fair amount of work. The drivers door has at some time been badly dented and could ideally do with a new door skin, but in a bid to get the bus on the road I decided to see if I could make it a little straighter then it was.

First off wast to remove the remaining paint from the drivers door, the door had been partially stripped when the initial repairs were made, the rest of the paint came off pretty easily with some paint stripper.

To get rid of the dent I decided to use the technique of quenching. This involves heating the dent around the edge with an oxy acetelene torch and then quickly cooling it by using cold water and a sponge. The idea is to heat and then quench the dent in several small areas around the edge to shrink the metal and pull the panel back into shape. I had limited success with this and decided that the torch that I was using was not big enough. I managed to get rid of one dent and partially remove another before giving up.

To get the door ready to paint I filled the low spots and sanded the filler back ready for primer. After the door was primed I blocked it back and refilled it again. I did this a couple of more times before I was happy. With the drivers door prepped I moved on to the passenger door. This needed minor filling and some stopper. I also took the time to strip the rear bumper and give that a coat of primer as well.

With everything prepped I laid down some top coat but unfortunately ran out. I did manage to get the passenger door finshed but the bumper and drivers door still need a few more coats. I will pick up some paint during the week and hopefully finish them off before the weekend. I also blew in a few of the primered patches on the bus itself, which is probably why I ran out of paint. The paint is a little patchy as it is a slightly different colour from the white that the bus currently wears, but this is no big drama. At least it is all one colour. I plan to give it a repaint next winter, so for the time being it will do. It's looking pretty cool now that it is all the same colour (ish) and I can't wait to get it finished and on the road.

Unfortunately, the getting it finished part suffered a little delay. My engine parts did not arrive from MOFOCO. After waiting 13 days for a 6- 10 day delivery nothing had arrived. I chased them up only to find that they haven't even been posted. The parts have now been sent by express post so I'm hoping that they will arrive this week but the most annoying thing is that I didn't even get an apology. That'll be the last time that I use them.

Tomorrow I will drop off the engine tin and a few other parts at the paint strippers. I tried in vain to strip it myself and decided that it was probably more cost effective to get them dipped as it was taking me too long. I did take some time to straighten the bent parts out and make sure that no repairs were needed. I also attacked the pre-loved exhaust that I purchased with the rotobrush in my grinder. There are a couple of stress cracks that need welding up at the flanges but other than that it is in pretty good condition. Once I've brazed the cracks up I will give it a couple of coats of grey paint. I will also give the heat exchanges the once over as well.