S1A-pocalypse

[Chuck Nukem]

Can't tell which were done with the cheap gun. They all look great!

Thanks BDA! It is moving along!!

[Chuck Nukem]

Went Slicksand on round 2 of the S1. So far so good! Like the twin cam I am anticipating only one more coat will be needed. Hopefully the doors aren't as far out...I have yet to graft the rear section on because I have not made the mold yet... Now we are expecting rain for a week so I should have plenty to sand in the mean time

Sanity check- would it be as foolish as I think it would be to try and paint this car before bonding the frame in place? My frame needs work and I am even debating making a replacement/47 style. My painting work flow is going full steam, but as it stands I will be ready to spray this body before a frame is suitable for bonding. This is the project inertia talking....

I could always stop at sealer coat and pause the restoration until I have a suitable frame, but then who knows what month it will be by the time I get back to painting... I am afraid that could push me back a year... Since the frame was cut out of the floor and I have the cut outs I was imagining riveting the frame to the body and then laminating the floor back in place. Seems like it could be done on a painted car...

[BDA]

She looks great, Chuck!

[dakazman]

  Nothing like a fresh coat of primer! It brings out the beauty of the design. It’s hard to break the momentum of painting. Greasy hands on a primed body is asking for problems. It may be better to get to the sealer then break off. It may even better to let the body sit and shrink up.
  Looking Great!
Dakazman

[BDA]

If you have an S1, do you need to bond the chassis to the body?

[Chuck Nukem]

She looks great, Chuck!

Thanks BDA!

If you have an S1, do you need to bond the chassis to the body?

I think for the sake of the rigidity and integrity of the body it works best if the floor joins everything together. With the Frame piece cut away from the floor it just flaps around.

  Nothing like a fresh coat of primer! It brings out the beauty of the design. It’s hard to break the momentum of painting. Greasy hands on a primed body is asking for problems. It may be better to get to the sealer then break off. It may even better to let the body sit and shrink up.
  Looking Great!
Dakazman

Thanks Dman! Yes I was planning to roll it outside and let it sit in the sun like an iguana for a few days I think the sensible thing is probably to take it to 400 or even 600 grit in primer and stop until the frame is finished. Then when I am ready I can either make a jig like Serge has done, or try bonding it from the underside. I can just see the resin dripping on me now!

[Chuck Nukem]

English Iguanas!

After all the tweaks on the TC doors it was refreshing to have one that appears to fit! It is sitting loose in the picture, but just holding it up to the body it appears I might get away with it

[BDA]

Two primed Europas!! Things are starting to get exciting!

[Chuck Nukem]

Two primed Europas!! Things are starting to get exciting!

Compared to her tempermental TC sister, the S1 is behaving rather angelically. I have the bulk of it down to 320 grit and I am getting excited! I offered the doors up to her and they appear to fit beautifully. The Lotus gods are pleased.

Just a few little low spots to hit with filler and she will be ready for the final prime.

[Chuck Nukem]

Big update boys!!

My green S1A had damage in the rear. My red S1A had even more damage in the rear. Being that there aren't that many of these floating around I resolved to repair the one with less damage, and mold it so I could repair my current restoration.

I also had a missing piece of the front storage area just above where the pedals go. I decided to mold this too.

After many frustrating rotations of sanding, filling, sanding, filling, and more sanding, and more filling, I finally reached a point where I felt good with the shape of it.

3 gallons of Iso tooling resin later and I have an S1 rear tail panel mold!!! Finally the wrongs can be righted!

The outside of my mold looks like it has leprosy because I was mixing this stuff in June in TX... 95 degrees and poly resin dont play so well together. It would get hard before I could roll it out all the way. bubbles grew on bubbles. I did this in the shade but it only barely made it possible...Still a win is a win in my book!!

[BDA]

Great stuff, Chuck! Making a mold seemed pretty radical but it is the real solution. Great work! 

[Chuck Nukem]

Great stuff, Chuck! Making a mold seemed pretty radical but it is the real solution. Great work! 

Thanks BDA. The rear section on the red car looks ok from a picture, but in truth there is very little structure there. It is mostly body filler around the bumper section. A PO had tried fiberglassing a piece of timber inside the bumper cavity to give it structure.

Part of my reasoning behind doing this was practice for molding the boot and bonnet since I need those too.

[lotusfanatic]

Hello Chuck!

Fantastic progress! 

Mark 

[GavinT]

Looks brilliant, Chuck.
It's often not appreciated just how much time, effort and fiddling go into a mould.

[Chuck Nukem]

Hello Chuck!

Fantastic progress! 

Mark 

Thank you Mark!

Looks brilliant, Chuck.
It's often not appreciated just how much time, effort and fiddling go into a mould.

Thanks Gavin, you are so right! My god it is a tedious affair!! I can't tell you how many times I thought the surface was ready only to find a little wisp of a low spot I had missed...

The Aussie mold man I have been watching makes it look so seamless. A testament to his skill!

Right up to the point before I pulled it off I was thinking. "Damn I am really crazy to go through with molding all these replacement panels..." Then the mold popped off so easily and once I saw... it was immediately worth the effort. I only used wax on the plug, I did not use PVA. I am planning to use PVA on the first few parts I pull.

Right now my remaining to do list of molds is as follows;

S1

bonnet
boot
Doors
Luggage box - this will be much later. The only one I have is from the green S1 and it needs work... 

TC

front and rear bumper
chin spoiler