1980 Austin Princess mild custom - 1951 Lanchester LD10

[vulgalour]

Ran out of welding gas today. Obviously this happened after a handful of tacks to hold the new jacking point in place that were not strong enough to keep it in place so the Princess is grounded until I can afford a new gas bottle.

Normally I make it a point to check I've got enough spare for gas, paint, etc. before starting a job and just didn't think to this time. It's been a spendy month so I'm skint until July, which is a nuisance.

On the plus side, I didn't uncover any new horrors and the new jacking point was actually really easy to make so in a few days I'm looking forward to getting this all built up again. For now the Princess will just have to stay on the axle stand since I don't have a jacking point to make use of to get it off the axle stand.

[vulgalour]

Unexpected free time and good weather? That means it's time to sample these paints to see if I like them.

First up, prime the donor panel, a dented up old Rover wing destined for scrap. Dark grey primer, a white primer barrier (no top coat on that one), and light grey primer. We weren't sure which grey would be best under the colour coats.

Next, tape it off into sections so there's reference for what primer is where, and hit it with some colour coats.  We're using Nissan Cerise and Peugeot Raven Black here.

The pink goes over the light grey much better and the colour pops more than it does over the dark grey.  The black doesn't really seem to care either way.  Interestingly, the black has quite a lot of green tint in it and that works really well against the pink to make both colours look richer.  The black looks blacker than the black gloss on the car, funnily enough.  The pink is also quite hard to photograph 'accurately' because depending on the light, the camera, and the viewing angle it can look pink, purple, or red.

Get the tape off and hang this wing up so we can see it in the orientation it'll be on the car, if we pretend this is a Princess wing of course.

Nissan Cerise is a total winner here for me.  It's such an interesting and vibrant colour, I'm so glad it was pointed out as being a potential candidate because I'm not sure I would have gone looking for it.  In combination with the Peugeot Raven Black the two colours play so well off each other that I don't feel any need to go looking for an alternative.  It's going to be quite an improvement over the current colour choices which almost look boring now.

[maf260]

Those colours look awesome! I also like the effect in the photos of the horizontal separating stripe which looks silver - that would really work.

[vulgalour]

Now you mention it... funny what you don't see until someone points it out.

[bmcnut]

Agreed those colours really work, and the stripe, but maybe a nice thin silver pin stripe, would match with the stripe in the headlights and allow for some fancy pinstriping elsewhere? I also think painting below the grill black and the grill itself in the same metallic black might help the front abit. Worth a try?

[vulgalour]

I want to keep the grille in black plastic to match the mirrors, but might repaint in satin black rather than trying to spruce up the faded plastics with potions.

I've got a couple of ideas for coach striping, need to try a few ideas out before I settle on something.

One thing I have considered is adding an over rider grille in the big lower jaw, maybe using something like MG B overriders... need to get some parts to mock that one up, it's an odd shaped space. Something like this, but less.

[vulgalour]

Okay, had a surprise phone call today. I've been applying for jobs, ideally looking for something local, admin, and part time. Had a rollercoaster of an interview application for just such a position and wasn't successful but got some excellent feedback so the plan was to revise and apply again.

Today, that surprise phone call was to offer me the job! One of the other candidates turned down the offer and I was next in line. No start date yet, got to complete the final paperwork since it's NHS so there's some security stuff to do, but this is such a big boost.

I get a stable income and hours underpinning everything I do that pays enough to cover my bills. The artwork can carry on with slight restructuring which shouldn't affect my income too badly since I can streamline things now and focus just on what's making money regularly. It puts me in an excellent position giving me financial and creative stability and, should my mental health cause me problems in the future again I can ease off on the artwork to make time to get better.

I'm really quite excited about this direction, especially since I know I'm moving house in a couple of years when the current place goes on the market. I can now more easily make plans. The goals are to get as much done on the Princess as I can and save up as much money as I can so I'm all set for the next house move. Things might just work out.

[glenanderson]

Great news. Really pleased for you. 👍

[eurogranada]

Sometimes you deserve things to just go your way for a change! I hope it brings you all you hope to gain from it!!

[vulgalour]

Thanks for the well wishes there

---

Did quite a bit of welding today, car is back on its wheels again which is good times. Wanted a little fun reward after the misery that is welding upside down on the drive outside so I blanked off the holes where the MG B units were on the front, returning the panel under the headlights back to stock. Threw a bit of paint on too, nothing crazy since it's getting repainted properly soon anyway. Was pretty impressed at the finish for it having no filler, especially given the odd shape of the area. I'll be dressing out the imperfections and whatnot when final paint goes on in the near future, for now I just wanted it better than it was, which it is.






Unfortunately for me, the next bit of welding really ought to be the driver's side outer sill. It's the biggest piece of welding the car needs and the only structural item (that I'm aware of) so once I get that out of the way everything else will be fun cosmetic stuff. Outer sills on these aren't too bad to do providing you've got a panel, and I know I'm going to find rot on the inner and intermediate sills just like I did on the passenger side a few years ago. Thing is I can't sort the doors out until I've done the sills since the top of the sill is the datum point for the bottom of the doors

[horrido]

Quick mock up...

[vulgalour]

I wish that front arch split looked as good in person as it does in photos and mock-ups, it's the one bit of the design that really bugs me. I am planning to split colour the wheels like that as it happens, black centres with pink rims since that will work with all the trims I have and match the car. I've also been thinking about that silver split, you can do it in paint or you can get stick-on-stainless trim these days... let me share a few ideas with you to add to horrido 's excellent thought experiment.

Top one is about where we are now, although I forgot to put the high level indicators in there.

Second one has a bit of trim/silver paint added at the waist and the wheels have been updated with paint and P6 trims.  The waist trim would go from the back of the front door handles and over the top of the spoiler in one continuous run.

Third has the Club 100 style colour split but would probably benefit from the sill trim being deleted or painted/wrapped in black

Fourth is all out, with extra trim/paint from the front arch to the front door handle, pink sills (which makes more sense of the stainless sill trim) and whiteline tyres.

Just ideas really here, it's fun to play about with what ifs.

[bmcnut]

Number 4 for me. Front end would look better all pink with black grill and details too. Had you thought about getting rid of the vinyl on the rear pillar?

[vulgalour]

It hasn't had physical vinyl on the C pillar since almost the day I bought the car, the factory stuff was trapping all the water that ran off the end of the gutter so I deleted it and went with satin black paint. Having the C pillar in vinyl/satin is one of my favourite features of the car, helps the flow of the glass house because of the door frames being satin black, and of course runs across the top of the boot lid, so it all helps that stainless waist trim make sense.

For me, a Princess with a vinyl/satin C pillar and bodycoloured roof is the best combo.

[bmcnut]

I agree. I just did a really shoddy one on my phone and it makes it look really lardy.

[horrido]

Personally (and yes....not my car, not my money/choices) I'd embrace the futuristic design of it as much as possible. It always seemed really jarring to me that they made a car this shape and then chickened out of going fully futurist, by adding a vinyl roof and chrome trim, just to make it more palateable for their usual buyers. So from my point of view, any fifties or sixties custom touches, like whitewalls and chrome look doubly out of place. I'd black out the whole roof from the window line up (as too much of that cerise might be overpowering) and I was even wondering if you could bond in the front and rear screens, to smooth it all out more. I think some larger wheels would help too. The stripe down the side could be vinyl (like the Princess Special Six) in a graphite silver, painted to match the wheels and the front grille.

[vulgalour]

I fully agree with the futuristic look. Kitting it out with digital displays inside, flush fit glass, hidden door handles, cameras instead of mirrors, smooth disc wheels, minimal chrome... yeah that'd be amazing! Unfortunately, my pockets aren't that deep, if I'm going that route I want it done right and the level of fit and finish required just isn't possible for me. I haven't the skill to DIY to the standard needed, and I certainly couldn't afford to pay someone else.  That and the fact this is a daily driver, I've got enough on just looking after it, let alone worrying about the fancy stuff!

I've mentioned Syd Mead before, his art is a big influence on what I like, that mashing together of then current styles, with older elements into a retro-futuristic thing. Like this:

What I like is a montage, a scrapbook, of different things.  I'm not looking to build something pretty, or conventional, or fast.  I want something that makes me smile, that makes me want to own it.  Something a bit weird and left field not just for the sake of it, but because that's what I like.  Personal taste is just that.

I love that it's evolving into a sort of life-sized diecast toy.  That wasn't my initial vision for it.  I'm pulling inspiration from all sorts of places and just seeing what sticks.  The whole thing is experimental, I'm really only aiming to please myself.

BUT, I also love that it sparks conversation, that even if people don't like it they'll often say "if it were mine I'd do X" and I think that's great!  Getting other people's creativity flowing, even if they don't go out and built their own custom Princess, is all part of it.  Especially since sometimes that creativity gets filtered back in to the project with things I might never have considered.

Whether people like it or not doesn't matter.  Whether or not it inspires them to do their own thing does.

[horrido]

Here's a thought, that will avoid the "up and over the wheelarch" paint split...



Syd Mead - absolute Legend! There was a guy who saw things differently.

[vulgalour]

Actually love that. If I'd kept the bumpers and stock lights that would have been seriously tempting. Totally different approach with the same basic ingredients, absolutely excellent.

[glenanderson]

Jun 30, 2024 11:51:03 GMT vulgalour said:

Third has the Club 100 style colour split but would probably benefit from the sill trim being deleted or painted/wrapped in black.

Number three for me. 👍😃