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I am really grateful that I did not take any really close up photo's for this section. My paint skills are rudamentary at the very best. I promised I wouldn't quit my day job for a paint career! Just a few odd little facts first. I used a siphon feed gun (Thanks Keith!) to put the etching primer on and a HVLP for the remainder of painting. Honestly, I coul dnot ell much difference, but whadda I knpw? I used DuPont primer and Acrylic Enamel along with their reducers and hardeners.
It is fitting that here I describe my graphics, graphics that my Tiger and Alpine list associates defined for me. My numbers are 1542 which just happens to be my birthday. These will be 12 inches tall and will be a contrasting yellow with black border. The Class engine size is "C" and the class is Blown Fuel Modified Sport. So the secondary data alonside the numbers will be "C / BFMS" again in contrasting color of yellow. On the passenger side rear fender will be acknowledgement to all the email lists which have in some small way contributed. I simply could not have gotten this far without the help of members on these lists: Tigers, Alpines, Fordnatics, Tweecer, EECTuner, JYTurbo, Land-Speed. The Team name is "Team Beam" and will have the acknowledgements just under the team name. Again in contrasting yellow. On the hood will be a tribute and homage to the original land speed race car: crossed British and American Flags. They will be updated however and will be waving rather than the static ones on the original car. On the deck lid wil be the final graphic and that is a sunburst with "Spirit of Sunbeam" coming out of it. At least these are my plans and I have one each Bob Denton, a LSR famous person, doing them for me. The graphics are expected to be available in November or so. When they get put on, I'll add them through another new page.
Trunk Primer and Other Details
I vacuumed out the trunk and wiped it down with clean rags, no tack cloth. I am not that sophisticated! I primed everything I could get the gun on as at best a barrier to salt corrosion. Looks smooth doesn't it? Don't let looks fool ya. The four holes are the holes where I bolt the water tank and battery box mounting bar. They go through the frame rails so that the bolts bear on the botton side of the frame. I used grade 8 bolts and nylock grade 8 nuts. Also seen are 2 of the four parachute attachment bolt locations. This mount is welded to the cross member and also has 2 straps that go to the frame rails. The hole on the valence is where the master cutoff switch goes.
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Hood and Deck Lid Etching Primer
Ahhh, the wondeful etching primer. I had so much bondo I probably didn't need this. But I put it on anyway. At least it is on the exterior of all body panels. I put it on way to heavy...hey, nobody told me! I did put it on the body way less though, than on these 2 pieces.
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Cockpit and Roll Bar Primer
Nothing special about the paint here except I tried to cover everything! I had added some roll cage gussets for both for and aft and well as laterally...just in case I get upside down and backwards! Painting all those nooks and crannies is a pain in the butt.
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Body Primer
Just anther shot, but you can see that I now have gray primer on everything, including the headlight eyebrows.
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Hood and Deck Lid Color Coat
The first thing I painted red was the hood and decklid. The color is a Ford color, and is called Russo Red. I had wet sanded the primer and in between the color coats. Hell, it didn't do me much good! I am too impatient! And no, I did not sneak the kitchen chairs out for paint stands... Theunderside of the hood and deck lid are yet to be painted. I am going to paint them white like the inside of the trunk. Ditto for the windscreen frame. Notice a theme here...red, white and...blue? This paint is as ugly as the primer, but you know what? I can ding it without having a coniption fit.
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Body Color Coat
Here is the body coat. Like the deck lid and hood, I put on 2 coats with some light wet sanding (an effort to remove runs), in between. Didn't work! As you can see, the engine compartment is blue as is the cockpit. This color is also a Ford color, Grabber Blue. I like it a lot and it covers a lot better than the red. Some assembly has started already. As with the other pieces, this paint isnothing to write home about. I am hoping that graphics will help hide the erros or at least distract the looker. I want to tell you that when I was pretty throgh with the bondo, I was almost certain I had a reasonably smooth car...NOT! You can see every ding and dimple in this sucker. But that's ok. It is a Salt race car, not a hanger queen.
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