Armed with said paint 5 days ago I did manage to paint the metal rear pockets (not sure what they are called, like very deep door bins but obviously they are not attached to doors), all door pillars and the boot which went fairly well with just a boot scuff on one of the rear pockets where I was climbing in and out to get the pillars done but that is all retouched now and a clear coat has been applied. It was not that easy due to a lack of space to work but quite happy in the end and the gun survived a quick clean up as I had to rush straight out on a family matter. I don't seem to have any pictures of the painting but to be fair even if I did I don't think the light is good enough for the phone camera.
So whilst in a spending mission !!! I have now ordered a truck load of parts to make sure the next stage can happen. Yes next stage ! That would be compression testing the engine and if successful straight onto getting it running in the test jig, so that would be bolt ancillaries on ..... so I needed gaskets, hoses a few bolts, card needle & jet, you know minor things! But they need to be bought at some point. I did also buy a very nice inline regulator for the spray gun as I didn't mind chancing it at home with a short airline but no way was I doing that for the next stage when I want the best quality I can muster for the outside and there will be 20-30 meters of airline to loose pressure from the gauge on the compressor.
The engine parts I ordered was a bloody night mare, I had researched some of the parts to get the right variant but my word there has been a lot of changes and versions of parts in the engine bay, fingers crossed they all bolt up ok when the time comes and I haven't wasted 1/2 a day checking and then sourcing those parts.
The next time slot I had was a few days later and realised I really did need to get on with the next potential problem ....the boot lid. I could see it coming, if all the body panels looked ok but when I stated to block sand them realised they only looked ok because they where mat colour and where actually barely half prepped surely the smoothed over boot lid would just as much of a pain. But I needed my sanding frame back so I could work on the boot lid ontop of the engine bay like I did for the bonnet. That would be the frame I had moved outside so I had more room to paint the inside of the car, yep that would be the very wet frame. Brought that inside to dry and settled for cleaning up the oil filter housing and a quick painting of that.
Poop, I was so right about the boot lid. A quick block sanding revealed what I had thought so I got the P38 out again :( Fortunately work has been relatively quick and I was able to get the inside prepped, primed and started on the outside in one evening. That evening might have been from about 7pm to 2.30 am but I finished that night not feeling to bad about it.
The need for a solid push is I have a recovery truck booked for the weekend and that night was Wednesday ....it might also be last day of work on Friday and that means there will be a bit of drinking aka no last minute working on the mini that night.
Tonight I have been in the garage already and sanded back what I had left drying, quietly pleased with how far I got and there is a fair chance I can finish it off tonight with a coat or 2 of primer. It is not essential but would be really nice.
The plan is to get the mini in my works unit, give the shell and all doors, boot & bonnet the final sand, wash down and clean. Set up the spray booth and mask off. Weather I get round to shooting some paint I don't know as we are out that evening. But it will be shell painted and clear coated one day and then the rest done on another day. I did manage to make some stands for the doors, boot, bonnet and one for the spray gun as well today, so they are sat ready and waiting at work.
Well I think the last (fingers crossed) round of filling should be very dry now and it is time to go do some sanding, it is 10pm so we will see if I get back inside the house before midnight ?
This is the state of the boot lid before I came in to wash up and write this, what ever those layers of paint is better not give me grief on contamination bleeding through the primer, time will tell. The red was all over when I started, so you kind of see there was a bit of leveling/smoothing out to do !
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