Coupe finished !!!!

[gazzol]

When you deleted the sunroof, did you do that by cutting the skin and mechanicals out and re-skin or did you repalce the whole roof by cutting at the A+C pillars?

The job was done properly by replacing the whole roof skin, an item that I was extremely lucky to get especially as it was free!!!

Here is a sequence of photos related to the roof swap.

Inside view of the roof

The roof has been cut away, the frame has been de-rusted and treated with phosphoric acid and then painted with a very effective anti-rust paint. The seams were masked so as not to recieve any paint.

Here the roof is positioned on blocks of wood ready.............

to have the special adhesive applied. This is how modern body shops fix panels

Then the blocks were removed, the roof clamped in position and the pillar gaps welded up.

All that was left to do was clean up the weld.

And then stand back and admire

[/img]

 

[Malc]

Gazzol,
Your more than welcome, yes there's plenty of B&B in my area.
Like the "roof" job!
What's the name of the glue you used?
Ta
Malc

 

[gazzol]

What's the name of the glue you used?

Can't remember the exact brand but genericaly it's called panel bond. It's an epoxy resin glue very similar to JB Weld and comes in a mastic gun cartridge with a special nozzle on the end. When you pump the glue out you can see the individual components of the glue (black and white)in the nozzle turning to grey as they get to the end. It aint cheap though £40 ish I haggled hard and got it for £35. Also you would need to get some extra nozzles if you aren't going to use it all in one go and make sure you keep the plug that goes in the end. To give you some idea the roof took almost a full tube but would have took less if applied a little less liberally.

 

[Malc]

Thanks Gazzol,

I don't know what primer you have used but I use a product known as "Bonda Primer", which I have been using for years. It seems to be pretty effective and I have had good results considering I live near the sea, not a great environment for old BMWs!

Malc

 

[chicane]

Can you supply some interior pics, please?

 

[blumax]

roof transplant--easy for you

Here in the colonies finding competent metal guys has become a real challenge--as unlike the UK and elsewhere on the continent--the colonies no longer have panel beating apprenticeships or for that matter any other--many Americans have become very wasteful and instead of repairing or renewing we/they practice throw away--we are the losers largely due to not having specialists who were trained through a 4-5 year apprenticeship--all of which is contrary to my own up-bringing and Scottish heritage--eh--Malc.

Another BLUMAX story:

16 years ago I was looking for a quality painter to repaint the BLUMAX and fortunately came across a young English lad who was here on a "green card" and was then looking after a private auto collection--and he agreed to take on my work on the side--as it turned out according to Steve--he had gone through a panel beaters apprenticeship starting at age 15 or so and completed same at a large Rolls Royce facility on the outskirts of London and upon completion his interest turned toward painting--at the time he had some 10 years experience before coming to the colonies. 16 years have now passed and Steve had returned to the UK when his six months stay expired. So unlike the millions of our illegal non-green carders here today without any special skills, training or trades.

The quality of Steve's work still shows through and it is very common for people to ask me "where did you get that paint job"? I only wish Steve had stayed to ply his trade here in southern California--there are few I have met that are his equal in delivering professional painting workmanship.

I have often wondered if he returned to the large Rolls facility near London town.

 

[Malc]

Bluemax,
Here in the UK most of the good painters I know about have all gone to work for Mercedes Benz. :roll:
One of the reasons MB is trying to dump Chrysler and the fact they have nearly gone bust is the number of warranty claims for rust and corrosion on the 2000 - 2004 cars when the build quality was dreadful.
They take the car in replace doors, boot lid, bonnet and completely respray the car. In the MB garage in Inverness they are working 7 days a week to catch up on all the work.....

I know one "true" panel beater, he has now retired, he taught me how to lead load properly. Most of the young lads at the garages these days are fitters (through no fault of their own) simply replacing parts rather than repairing them.

Basically if your mad enough restore old cars you have to learn yourself or pay somebody who does know what they are doing a shed load of cash!
Malc

 

[gazzol]

Malc I too use Bonda, many years ago I read a review in one of the classics mags about anti-rust primers. Bonda came a close 3rd behind 2 other primers costing 5-6 times as much. I get mine from a local builders merchant and buy the 2.5 litre cans @£16.00 +vat and ended up buying 4 !!! Mind you I even injected the stuff in the sills (rockers) and the box sections of the rear suspension infact it went every where!

It is a very sad fact that all the true skills of the proper craftsmen are disappearing, this is down to market forces. Insurance companies want the job done as cheaply as possible which means changing a panel instead of spending hours repairing it.
There used to be a guy local to me called Roy Maple, sadly he passed away a few years ago. This Gentleman was one of the few real craftsmen left in the country. A friend of mine called Dave was restoring a Standard 10 and needed some outer sills so off he trotted to see Roy and asked him if he could make some. Dave half expected to be told to come back in a few days, " Aye lad, kettle's in't corner no sugar for me" came the reply. Roy came back a moment or two later to explain that he didn't have any steel which was long enough to do but if it was ok he'd piece bits together. The pieces were gas welded together and then shaped from memory and they fit! Oh and the welds needed no more than a rub with emery paper to finish them.
The only place where these skills are still practiced are places like India where labour and other associated costs are still cheap enough. As testified by a guy I met from Accrington who restores cars for a living. He has a guy working for him who comes from India and his work is of a quality you would be hard pressed to find.

These sort of skills will soon be lost in the sands of time its a real shame but the market place no longer needs them.

 

[Malc]

Yeap Depressing isn't it. However as you say the skills still exist in other countries.....

I was in Cairo a few years back for work and got a couple of days off. Found this area where it's wall to wall garages, or rather tiny little holes in the wall. THe work the guys were doing was amazing sorting everything
from modern cars to 1930's and 40's cars (citroen light 15's etc etc)
The din from all the panel beating going on was amazing. I asked why and it's mainly because cars are very expensive and the import duty is very high (100% of the cost of the vehicle new).
They do all sorts of tricks I was shown a 1940's Packard (I think) with a modern nissan diesel engine, landrover gearbox and old Land Cruiser back axle. It was a beautifully executed job, and it looked wonderful both inside and out

I suppose the other thing killing off some of these skills is the HSE and goverment regulations which force the smaller independents out of business
because they can't afford the £100,000 spray booth or don't have the turnover to justify the investment.
Ho Hum
Malc

 

[BlauMitWeiss]

Trades take second fiddle to us zecutive types!

Great comentary gents. I myself came up through the tools and the feeling is that there are no "REAL" tradesman and craftsmen left. This goes across the board, the mechanics call them selves Technicians?, The autobody guys call them selves Journeyman Technicians!

I still call myself a journeyman XXXXX, but add to it the engineering and pm letters as required. My success in the latter is from my success in the former.

The N/A economy from 1980 thru 2000 killed the trades, with the old guys retiring who filled the apprentice free work place, the industries where essentially gutted. The economy was not strong enough to call the young hands into the trades, 'nor were there jobs for them.

Now, every second day I hear, "we cant get people, not even bad people".

So goes the world of commerce.....

The good news is that there are still afew panel beaters, tin bangers and old mechanics out there, support them enough for them to take on learners and things should work out.

Pass the panel paste!

 

[CookeD]

I am lucky to have direct access to one of the best fabricators I've ever met-- My younger brother. At age 34 and a master diesel technician and general mechanical genius that fabricates on the side as a hobby, I am constantly telling him that he has a very desirable skill that could someday make him a few bucks.

We are just putting the starting pieces together for the resurrection of #2240739-- Agave/tan, and lost to time a while ago. A never-wrecked and fairly clean car from the doors back, with the front end a bit of a mess. Luckily he will have my never-disassembled and rust-free #2240859 to use as a reference tool when fabricating, so replication of the Karmann techniques of construction can hopefully be preserved.

Needless to say, we're both super-psyched to get the project started, and start cutting/welding... I'm hoping to photo-document the process, and post items of interest.

Don't worry fellas-- The craftsmen are still out there.

 

[Malc]

I am lucky to have direct access to one of the best fabricators I've ever met-- My younger brother.

Don't you ever let him out of your sight :shock:

May he use his skills to the benefit of all the restoration projects out there, he doesn't fancy a holiday in Scotland by chance? :wink:
Malc

 

[blumax]

An old expressn--Go West Young Man

There are many opportunities for a man of his several skills as there are many sizable collections still being assembled locally--and several hundred individual owners of special vehicles show up on Saturday mornings in Irvine for coffee 'n cars--the spontaneous gathering that has unfolded since Crystal Cove ended for us thanks to two or so key executive people from the FoMoCo Premier Auto Group.

Plus--I almost forgot--our weather is much kinder read drier and milder for E-9 longevity and months of Coupe outing opportunities than back east.

Although--offestting this environment--today putting up with California's stifling political atmosphere, attitudes and greed to further the interests of greater government control of our lives has made this former "land of milk and honey" more of a warring zone of societal change that more are rejecting than accepting by moving elsewhere--except for the ongoing non-military invasion of the un-skilled and un-educated from the south.

 

[Mar681]

E9

Just seen this car in the flesh today as i picked my car up, top marks all round:mrgreen::mrgreen: You can see a lot of blood sweat and tears went into it, keep up the good work:-D:-D

 

[coupe74]

stripping

From the photos, it looks like you left the (Alpina?) wheels on through the whole stripping process.

Looks like the kind of guy who likes his girls to leave their Manolo Blahnik heels on............

But here in California we like big bumpers instead....

Very pretty car indeed.