S2 resurrection after 25 years in storage

[Rolls 201]

Latest update on the rebuilt arches:

 

[Rolls 201]

Bugger - ran out of memory for the finished product shot  Will load once I have more memory allocation.

[Rolls 201]

There is very little filler in this guard now. It’s been sprayed lightly with Upol reface. 

Once the whole car is at this standard and all of the panels are mounted I will knock down the edges.

[Lotusfab 3,174]

Wow, great job! Did you make a mould from the original arch?

[Rolls 201]

Moulds were made from the opposite side and flipped.

[silverfrost 1,387]

Fantastic work Roland    That is what i call glass work skills,  I  think you have mastered it know !

[GTK 643]

Lovely work Rolls. So the arches are symmetrical fore to aft?

[DaveyT 244]

That Upol reface is a godsend, isn't it?

Excellent as a conversion coat and surface filler. Glad to see you're still cracking on! Should be doing the front bodyline trim on mine today if it doesnt rain.

[Rolls 201]

12 hours ago, GTK said:

Lovely work Rolls. So the arches are symmetrical fore to aft?

Yes it is.

I’ve had a lot of help from some great guys at “quality Fiberglass products”.  One of them has a boat building background. Lots of things has had to be done twice

The biggest waste of time time was trying to hand sanding the car down to the gel coat. I should have bead blasted it from the outset. Wasted over 6 months.

Anyway, mounting the doors and headlight pods next.

[Rolls 201]

Quick question from left field  - Is there a more modern engine and transaxle that is easily transferred into a series 2 that doesn’t require a heap of irresversible modifications? Probably dreaming but worth asking as it will help me get the car on the road sooner..

Im thinking of grabbing something now and then I can take my time with the original engine restoration. 

[Jeanvm 105]

Try a Excel HC 912S engine with the new goodies; electronic ignition, 2.5 ltr cilinder/crank . And take your time that is the better way.

[Rolls 201]

Thanks but I’m hoping for something a bit more main stream. Any other suggestions?

[silverfrost 1,387]

Chap on here purchased an S2 , With a 2.0 rover engine ?

[GTK 643]

There's nothing off the shelf Rolls. Anything you do will need a conversion plate and bespoke mounts. You could try and find an SM engine and bell housing - but no way that's any easier.

The car Dan is referring to can be found here; 

 iirc the engine was being removed so maybe there's hope there?

Good luck

 

[Rolls 201]

Slowly getting there with the Fiberglass.

I need to start thinking more seriously about painting. As we all know black is the worst colour for fiberglass. However, I’m conflicted as I would like to keep the vehicle as original as possible.

I was thinking about leaving the car in epoxy primer and then wrapping it. Therefore leaving the final colour option up my sleeve for a later date. This will also keep the glass in better condition. Reduce chipping etc.

What does everyone think?

[Jeanvm 105]

I have no problems with technical improvements. In mine opinion design (style) must remain original. Also the colour.

[TAR 395]

Your car and your investment. I would do whatever you want with it. It would appear that you are just putting off the decision if you wrap it.

If you wrapped it, what colour would you choose?

 

[Freemason 97]

I would commit to the original colour, black, which looks superb on the S2. Vinyl wrapping belongs to a different scene altogether and a classic car should never, ever, ever be wrapped IMO.

Engine transplant idea is intriguing though...

Edited October 20, 2018 by Freemason

[RichardJGC 372]

Years ago I saw a ‘non JPS’ S2 in black with a gold pinstripe and it looked stunning, but it is your choice at the end of the day.

Come to think of it....could it have been your car i saw (we are talking late 80’s in Northampton and yours appears to have a Northampton NH reg number?

[silverfrost 1,387]

Black with gold speedlines all day long 

Not sure how much a wrap is Roland on your side of the pond,  but seems an expensive process and would look more into the affects of wrap on primer and what the effects would be,  

Most wraps now have tiny little holes in the shhet to allow air bubbles to escape during the wrapping process,   which in my eyes would cause water ingress and most primers are pourous apart from sealer primer iirc,  so you could damage all your hard work.

Would be a shame to wrap it at great expense only to peel it a few years later and possibly have a car full of micro blisters in the primer that will of soaked into the glass work ? 

Did you pm about that member about the engine or conversion plate ? 

[GTK 643]

 

Paint it the colour you think it'll look coolest in, and if that's a dark colour and you're worried...  park it in shade. I'm with Antonio, wrap has no place on a classic of this calibre.

[Rolls 201]

Done correctly it’s very difficult to tell it’s been wrapped. 99% of people wouldn’t pick it. I’ve seen a Ferrari that’s been wrapped and it’s impressive.

Black is absolutely stunning, but it’s the very worst colour for a glass car. For heat retention (which leads to cracking) and also the time it takes to get it right (like a mirror). My fiberglasser has said it’s not a question of if a black car will crack, it’s a matter of when. 

To wrap a car here is approx $5k AUD using the best materials. To paint in black, to the standard I would want would be $25k +.

I also like the fact that I won’t have to be precious about it. I could drive the car on sunny days. Swirl marks. Scratches (I have kids flying around), Stone chips. Repairs are easy etc. This would also mean I could get the car on the road a LOT sooner.

Remember the wrap can be removed within a few hours and then she can be sent off to the painters at any time for its original skin.

As I’m sure you’ve worked out from my quick fix engine post (whilst I take my time with the original engine), I’m keen to get this thing on the road. I have another two projects coming through and I need it up and running. I can see at least another year of putting it all back together once the body is done.

[GTK 643]

Fair enough, you seem resolute. What I would say is ask about the primer under the wrap, I'd have thought that for a good result it'll still have to be flatted back to a decent standard anyway, that's a maybe a quarter of the work of a good paint job [I'm guessing]. I'd be concerned that any little pin hole in the wrap as Dan has mentioned is an avenue for moisture. Primer is porous as far as I know so you have no idea what's going on under there. Same goes for whether the bodywork would be any less susceptible to cracking under a black wrap, I mean would the heat transfer or retention be any less than that of a paint job?

Is the car going to be outside a lot? You real worry is the car sitting in direct sunlight for any length of time. In Greece we park the car in the garage or find shade if we're out and about with temps hitting mid 40's more frequently these days. Some carry a thin reflective sun cover onboard, that could be a solution too.

 

[drdoom 398]

Hello Roland

I too gave some thought to the wrap solution when reckoning with the surprising cost of a paint job these days. For perspective, when I had my Elan done in '85 by a local ace the very good deal he offered ( he is celebrated in the region for having done a great many classics over the years ) was $1600 for considerable body finishing and 2K paint. It was a stunner of a result, by the way. Today, I'm told that sum might cover the cost of the paint materials alone for my Esprit.

I'm going to stick with paint but were it to be wrapped I might go with a satin white, of all things. I saw a modern Aston Martin in that once and it looked for all the world like it was carved from marble.

Cheers

[Rolls 201]

G’day everyone,

Wiring loom: mine is wrapped in electrical tape. Could someone please confirm what the original finish should be? Loom tape? Electrical? Etc. thanks

BTW - I’ve killed the wrapping idea. Suppliers said I need a very good base paint to work off which defeats the purpose of what I’m trying to achieve. Only upside is that the wrap would offer some protection for the Fiberglass and rather expensive paint job.