My wheels were new and came primed, I just shot them with VHT black and called it done. I generally use rattle can primers after I wash the parts to be painted.
I've been following this for a while and have finally signed up to the HAMB. This is a cracking restoration, great to see it getting some quality tlc. I have a Hawk, it did have a Rover 215 in it but it's gained a bit now. Chrysler 318 with Comp cam, ported heads, KB pistons, airgap manifold and there's a 600 Holley to go on. It's connected to a 904 with uprated clutches and bands and a Transgo kit.
Ummm... I need to see more pictures of that Paul! I think we all do! (And I might slide into your DMs to pick your brains about headers, engine mounts etc. if that's alright?)
So, after sanding own the wheels, re-epoxying them and then re-painting them, I'm calling them done... for now... Now, they're still not 100% - and there are a couple of fish-eyes still, but I'm doing this in my garage, where everything else happens, so I guess its as good as I can expect. Still, all they've cost me is time and paint - I've so far resisted a trip to the powder coaters - and I'm proud of that! While the wheels have been baking in the unusually hot UK sun, I've been cracking on with some other things... I've probably said this about every little job on the car - but this was the worst! Fitting that stainless trim to the rubber on the glass before fitting to the car was a ball-ache! I know a lot of cars use a system whereby the stainless trim locks everything in place once its installed in the aperture - but this setup requires that everything gets pre-fitted, and then it more or less falls into the hole. I spent hours sweating over that piece of glass... But its in! For the first time in about 10 years! It feels a little backwards putting the screen back in before a topcoat of paint - but I'm at a point now where I just want to get it back on the road - even if its in epoxy primer for the time-being. I can either pull it out to paint it, or the rubber lays in such a way that it looks like I can lift it and pack something underneath to get some paint in there if need be. Anyway - Milestone unlocked! It has a rear screen! In a bid to get it back on the road and into the realms of 'rolling restoration' status - I've been messing around with the seemingly insignificant bits... Gave the steering wheel and dash a freshen and tighten-up... And as resurrecting the electrics wasn't as bad as I was expecting, I've been messing about with the taillight lenses in a bid to clean up the rear end. All the classics over here seem to have amber and red taillights, but apparently, because this is pre-65' I can get away with red alone... So that's what I did... It's a really small touch, but I think it cleans up the look of the rear end nicely. The chrome is a little pitted, but it cleaned up nicely. And I've got some reflectors coming for the 'petrol filler'. I know this is kind of a dry-run and when it comes to painting, I'll be pulling all this off again, which seems a little counterintuitive, but its nice to work around all the little bits for a change... Its starting to feel like a car again. Now the question is... to blue-dot or not to blue-dot...
Nice work Matt, coming along nicely. The screens are fun, be prepared to go around with Arbomast if you haven't already. My front screen was a pain to seal (and I hadn't taken it out, PO just lived with it pissing water in!).
A little more progress today… Made it off the driveway for the first time in 10 or so years!! The rear axle is really noisy, so I didn’t venture far, and it looks like I’ll be replacing the oil and checking the hub bearings pretty soon. loads of little bits to work through… trim holes to weld up… decisions to make, but I’m a happy dude right now! Feels like a car again!
I have always liked those cars. I mentioned someone local having a pair of them when I was a kid, both were complete cars. They have sort of a '55 Chevy vibe to them.
I like the all-red tail light lenses, and I feel like that makes it custom-enough without adding blue dots, which I'm personally not a fan of. I've seen body shop guys push a piece of small diameter rope into the outside lip of a rear window gasket when painting, it's just enough to hold the lip up so paint goes behind the edge of the lip, then when the paint is dry you pull the little rope/string out and the gasket lays over the top of the paint line and it looks just like it was painted with the window out. Looks like it's coming together real nice. It's gotta feel good to see it all in one piece, solid and straight again, after starting with a real bog-monster.
Thought I'd better put some more progress pics up... - I've painted the body (except the roof) in Epoxy Primer to seal it from the elements while I play with the rest. Its a bit leathery in texture (I rolled it on) but sands pretty well still, so I think I'll be okay to filler prime overtop when the time comes... - Played around with some chrome bullets as center caps, but I've decided I prefer the stock hubcaps. - Made some decent center rings for said hubcaps using my son's UV resin kit - I've carried on putting it all back together to make sure I've got all the bits still. I'm slowly building up the courage to paint it - but for the time being, I'm still working towards getting it back to 'rolling resto' stage. Its got all new fluids, greased nips, and the interior is coming back together. Oh, the blue dots are staying for the time being Squablow - Just getting it outta my system ;-)
That's such a neat little car. You've done it well. You might want to look into that steering wheel. I think it's on the wrong side. ;-) Devin
Just now finding your thread. Neat car and you are making good progress! I will be following along now.
I have been lurking in this thread since the front page and all I can say is... GREAT WORK, and amazing progress!
Thanks for the kind words man! Far from perfection - but I'm always trying to do better than I found it when I tackle these jobs...
He's suggesting that you wire some kind of lighting behind the red (plastic?) Humber insert on the hood. Lots of folks put a light behind the plastic Indian head ornament on the hoods of early-'50s Pontiacs.
Ahhh - I see what you mean now... The biggest challenge with that will be the fact that its not a clear red lense as such - its just red resin over the chrome base which has a 'bubbly' texture. I like the idea though - I'm sure a lense could be made to fit the hollowed out shoroud somehow...
I suspect that local regulations might prohibit you from turning that hood ornament to red lighting. Too bad it isn't on the rear of the car to serve as a third brake light...
Just for fun, photoshopped a hardtopped version... The screen is stock, and the roof flattened out towards the front, in order to lower the back (as it goes uphill quite a lot from the screen back, originally). The rear screen is chopped, so I guess you'd need plexi for that one. Side windows I looked at '56 Olds, which might be a good place to start. Easier to make windows smaller than larger after all.
The Jalopy Journal
