The Alkimiya
of turning a simple
Ford Falcon Coupé
into
a replica of the
'Interceptor' Pursuit Special
from the original,
Mad Max movie.
So, I was grovelling about in Bobby Bear's shed one day, and in comes this guy who is building replica cars out of the Mad Max movie, as a hobby, and he is looking for a decent painter, to finish off his latest Interceptor replica... Hmm.. well, he told us that he and his friend were only learning to panel-beat and paint, and asked, were we interested in finishing this one off for them..
Hmm... (once more :-)) let's roll some pics. Unfortunately Bob didn't get his digital camera until after the job had started, and also we missed some parts of the progress when someone else had the camera.. Ah well, never mind, I had to select a mere 38 images out of about six hundred as it was, so that I could show you the general alchemical journey that this second-hand crud-bucket went through...
First thing I told Gordon was that the bonnet would have to be made to fit.. You can't see it here because it had already been stripped of about half a ton of plastic, and dressed down to meet the custom fibre-glass nose-panel. I then refinished it with a lot less bog (plastic filler) than before. Except before, where you could see under the bonnet into the engine bay, it now fits properly..
Most of the fibre-glass moldings are of poor quality and are quite rippled and wavy here and there, so plastic is applied over the imperfections, to be shaped back down later with the speed file.. By hand. Always by hand, we never use power tools for finishing work.
There is much bare metal at the front, after the extensive panel-finishing, so the windscreen is masked off, in preparation for a couple of coats of primer to protect the surface from rusting.
Here you see some of the extensive work that has been going on at the back, simultaneously with the finishing of the front. Note the old paint and plastic work beyond the molding-in work, has to be feathered to a perfect smooth and true finish.
Here at the right rear for example, you can pretty much see the three-dimensional rise off the bare metal in front of that rear molding, as the acres of old filler rear up and ripple their way right up to the front door. I chased these edges all the way there and had to re-beat much of the old work to get that waistline in the middle straight and true.
In this shot you can start to see the cars lines better as the front now has a protective two coats of primer on board.
Now we "do the timewarp again", as in this shot you see the car with the final three double-header coats of primer-finisher on it. Between the previous shot and this one, we finished the panel work.. Spent several days on that right rear quarter.. and applied four double-headers all over, of primer-filler, which was then guide-coated and sanded back with 180 fre-cut paper on the speed-file.. Then the coats you see above were applied.
Oops.. note the knife-putty on the left rear quarter! Bit of a 'Woof' in it (wobble) there was. The car had previously been repaired with a cut and shut half-rear-quarter here and the blocking back of the guide-coat had revealed this, although the primer finisher did not manage to correct this entirely, two or three hits of knifing putty, knocked back inbetween, and a final blend in with local primer-finisher fixed that.. Meanwhile as that dries, the rest of the primer is rubbed back wet with 600 grit paper on the small rubber block, and by hand.
Rub a dub-dub, the last primer must be rubbed to a perfectly smooth and flawless finish...
Afterwards all the slurry must be washed off promptly and the surface wiped clean and dry. If you're wondering what's under the bonnet?... Let's just say that before it was rebuilt, this car with this engine was pulling 11 second standing start quarters! So yup, it's got grunt and will do the business as well as look the part. :-) :-) :-)
The surface is caressed fondly by Al Kimiya, as he is addicted to the sensuous touch of the velvety soft smooth 600 finish on the primer!! If I had my way I would put them all into glass cases at this point and then charge the public five buckeroonis a pop, to go in and have a fondle! :-) Bobby Bear thinks I am mad I daresay, but then who doesn't these days.
Here you see a good shot of that aforementioned delightful surface, at the left rear. I suppose I am pretty good at this job, as although I retired long ago, and only do this now for the love of it and to keep fit, and my skills practiced, I did do it professionally for more than thirty years. I was trained on Vintage and Sports cars, including the famous Rolls Royces, so my teacher was no idiot. Hey Gordon (coincidentally) how's it going Shipmate? :-) Peace be with you. Hope you're still kicking.
Finally all that hard work is to be capped off in four double-header coats of high quality acrylic lacquer in midnight black. First the insides of doors, bonnet and boot are painted.
And now that the black is going on, let us move to a new page, so as to minimise download times.