1977 Vauxhall Cavalier 1.6 GL

[sleag40]

This is the reason all the exterior paint has to come off -



Most of the roof, boot lid and the top half of the door skins had blistered. The roof is definitely the worst affected panel - the doors and boot lid didn't show much blistering, but there was lots of little rust spots under the paint that hadn't yet made it to the surface. If the doors, boot lid etc. had been painted without stripping right back first, it would have blistered through the new paint soon enough.

[VW]

What causes that?

[shielsy68]

moisture

[VW]

Err, yeah, but trapped underneath from when it was painted or has the paint gone porus over time?

[sleag40]

I'm guessing that as it's only the upwards facing parts of the car that are affected, UV damage may have made the paint go porous? I've seen a few of these early cavs go the same way - that metallic green one on here springs to mind.

[cavboy80]

I'm surprised the painters allowed the wings go with the faults. I's never do that, though i'd be careful not to polish away the paint. That aside it's looking very nice indeed.

[sleag40]

May 11, 2016 18:05:19 GMT cavboy80 said:

I'm surprised the painters allowed the wings go with the faults. I's never do that, though i'd be careful not to polish away the paint. That aside it's looking very nice indeed.

It turns out that he knew about it, but needed my panels out of the way, so they were put in my unit.

Wednesday saw everything covered in plastic sheeting to prepare for the dust storm ahead -



Thursday I stripped the scuttle panel back -



Today was mostly about getting half of the roof back to the metal - stripping the top coat off with paint stripper first means that I don't put as much heat into it, so there is a lot less chance of warpage -



I'll probably be at this most of the weekend.

[sleag40]

The rest of the roof, as well as the nearside door apertures were stripped today. It's a properly unpleasant job, but I don't care - the end of paint removal is not far off now!

[VW]

Cool beans

Painted by end of next week?

[sleag40]

May 14, 2016 19:10:06 GMT VW said:

Painted by end of next week?

I wish! The bonnet and boot lid are not done yet - hopefully it'll be getting some paint in the next couple of weeks, but I'm at the mercy of the paint blokes.

[sleag40]

Got a bit more off today -

[sleag40]

Nearly all off now - just the n/s rear quarter and rear scuttle left -





Should be done by the weekend, then it'll get a good sanding with 80 grit paper and be ready for paint. (At the mercy of the paint blokes for the last bit!)

[cavboy80]

[sleag40]

A couple of hours this afternoon saw the nearside rear quarter paint free -



A short stint on the rear scuttle tomorrow, and the noisy stuff is over!

[sleag40]

Been at it with the 80 grit today - door apertures, a-pillars and front scuttle done so far.



I think I'm gonna need an orbital sander for the roof due to the rust pitting, I don't think my hands are up to the job!

[sleag40]

Comparison of the new paint colour with the original non oxidised paint from under the rear window seal.



It looks pretty close, but it's very different to that which has just been removed!

Got some more sanding done earlier - just the roof left to do.





Fingers crossed so hopefully the paint blokes will be ready for it before it all goes rusty. Don't really want to sand it again!

[VW]

New paint looks a little bluer?

Current paints always seem a bit brighter, like they find it hard to recreate that slight edge of drearyness the old 70's shades have.

Hope it doesnt end up looking too modern.

[fr€$h&m1nt¥]

I do like seeing a car in bare metal

The paint match looks good to me and as you say that's an area that hasn't aged so would have looked like that all over back in the days of beards and flares.

[sleag40]

The angle the petrol flap was held at probably didn't help the comparison - a piece of masking tape with paint on it compares more favourably. Pictured here with and without flash next to the original paint under a rear door seal.





Just waiting for the shell to be painted now.

[stealthstylz]

That's the straightest Cavalier i've ever seen.