Oakie Dokey - Restoration to Roadtrip!

Hello there, Occasional Reader! It's been a few months since I've been on here, waffling on about old VWs, life, the universe and everything...there's been a lot going on in the background, which I won't go into right now.

There's also a lot done with one of my projects, so, settle back and read on.

Previous posts have hinted at progress back in the spring and early summer, but they don't tell half the story...

Okay, so we know that I took a trip to Cian's lock-up and cannibalised his Mk2 for a van load of parts, we know that Robbo was gonna take her away to throw a quick couple of coats of paint on to spruce her up and we know that I had started the stripdown in Cookie's workshop.
Here's the full story...

The stripdown started in April and the future seemed bright. My target of having her ready for the VAGE annual trip to GTi International was on track.

New back axle, brakes and suspension were fitted, old engine and gearbox were out, underneath was cleaned and resealed for future protection against the elements.

Robbo (Alan Robinson, proprietor of Robinson Autobody & Recovery here in Waterford) took the shell away to work his magic. Over the next few weeks, he started sending me pics back, just to tease me...the prep alone took a full week of filling, sanding, filling, rubbing down, till the body work was smoother than a politician's promises...

While all this was going on, I kept myself busy with the restoration off all the bits of the car that were going to be kept, as well as some parts that I had picked up along the way, namely plastic trim that I picked up from my good mate Danny Healy, a set of G60 steels that had been expertly banded by Noel Walsh, welder extraordinaire, and a few other bits n bobs.

To bring the wheels back to their former glory, I first sanded them back to a smooth finish, then treated them with this stuff...

 

Dinitrol rust converter, supplied by Larry in Cleancar.ie....check the website out; it's an Aladdin's cave of everything you could ever need for the protection and maintenance of your vehicle, added to the fact that Larry is one of the soundest people you could meet, always willing to give advice on whatever questions you might have. This Dinitrol stuff is epic; it sprays onto corroded metal and as it cures, chemically converts the corrosion into an inert metal, ready for repainting, with no risk of the dreaded tinworm returning if you do the job right! Highly recommended! 

A Word of Warning - make sure you wear one of these when doing any spraying, as some of the chemicals you need to use for this kind of work can seriously fuck you up!

 

Yes, I look a twat, but my lungs still work!

So, back to the wheels! I coated the Dinitrol treated wheels with Hycote grey primer once the rust converter had cured - you know this is done as it turns a blackish purple once it has done its job properly; you can see this is the pics below. Two coats of primer were applied, followed by six coats of my colour of choice, Plastikote Metallic Pewter hobby paint, which gives a lovely satin finish. 

Each coat was given 15mins to become touch dry before laying on the next; remember less is more here...several light coats will always give a much better finish than a few heavy coats, with less risk of runs and having to do it all over again! The pics below show the different stages of wheel restoration.

I also got the plastic trims restored; these only needed some light rubbing down with red scotchpads, then a good clean with Halfords own brand bumper preparation spray, followed by plenty of coats of their Black Plastic Bumper Paint...

...this stuff gives a fantastic, hard wearing finish when done properly with a bit of patience and correct prep.

Before...

After...

The last bit of spare part restoration was the front crossmembers, slam panel and radiator fan shroud; these were rubbed down with a wirebrush and red scotchpads, then sanded to a smooth finish. Once again, because they has a lot of surface rust, the Dinitrol was applied, then a couple of coats of Hycote grey primer and they were finished with Hammerite gloss or satin black rattlecans. This gives a fantastic finish that lasts well.

 The way things were going, I was gonna be finished way in advance of my target date...

Then, out of the blue, we were broadsided by disastrous news.

Sarah, my 23 year old daughter, became seriously ill and was rushed to hospital. It was a rough few days of hospital wards, tests, nurses, doctors, more tests, waiting...the news just kept getting worse and worse. I felt like I had been hit square in the chest with a sledgehammer. Looking back now, it was very tough time and I have to thank those of you in the Irish VW community who have showed so much support over the past few months, you know who you are.

Needless to say, everything else in our lives went on hold last May...