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Post by sutcac on Aug 5, 2014 20:35:42 GMT 10
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Post by Franklin1 on Aug 5, 2014 21:12:58 GMT 10
The link says I don't have permission to access this post. Access is only for members of that forum?
cheers, Al.
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Post by sutcac on Aug 6, 2014 6:27:23 GMT 10
OK. Thanks Al Guess I'll have to cut n paste or something? " .......but sure ain't going to type it up and post pictures twice! " .....OK ......maybe I will.......
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Post by sutcac on Aug 6, 2014 7:06:47 GMT 10
Well, I've always said that a Sunliner takes a bit of beating in the Vintage Van stakes!!!!! ** Lightweight ** Aerodynamic/tows incredibly well /less fuel consumption ** Can be stored outside and cop a bit of weather ** 'cute' rounded retro shape ** strong space frame chassis with independent coil over suspension.....etc etc blah blah Probably preaching to the converted here anyway.!! When I/we first got interested in V V's a decade or so ago, we narrowed our choice down to either an Olympic or a Sunny. Ended up with a good original Sunny from Sydney. Did the resto and painted to match our EH Prem tow car. Long story, short ended up with 2 V V 's and decided to keep which ever one sold last. Hence we ended up with Fugly foldout which has been an excellent ,practical and very useable little van. Obi and Lyn ended up with our first Sunny. Have always had a hankering for another one and in March this year ,found one out at Gatton which had had a new chassis put under it with all running gear renewed.(and not much else!) So that seemed to be a good starting point and reckoned it should match the new tow car OK(EJ Holden yoot) Towed it home with the use of tradeplate and light board(thanks Brendo) and work began............. Saw the magic paint job Pete(peteandtrish) did on their recently completed Sunny,(Tilly) and Pete was only too willing to divulge his secrets to help me with the preparation and painting of my new project....thanks Pete!!!...appreciate your kind assistance, Pete and Trish's "Tilly"
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Post by sutcac on Aug 6, 2014 7:29:40 GMT 10
. Started by spending huge amounts of time and effort trying to take some of the 'whoop de do's out of the sunliner shell using "Q Cells" and resin filler..........an exercise that I won't be repeating anytime soon!!!!!!!!! ....than added a new ply floor and some furniture. ..........gave the inside a coat of off white 2 K. ....lots of fiddly bits to paint. .....and bake in 'natures oven' .....after months of filling and sanding,finally in guide coat for last rub down in preparation for top coats of paint .....decisions,decisions. Where to run the break up line for the two tone paint scheme?? ...reversed masked ready for 'Gaythorne green' (EJ Holden colour) ...on the homeward stretch now.....more piccies to follow!!!
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Post by strugglebrook on Aug 6, 2014 8:45:03 GMT 10
Hang in there Fugly Daddy just has a fascination for this absolutely beautiful Sunny. Just because it`s all fresh and stunning sitting there gleaming in the drive it don`t mean nothing . You have history. You`ve seen off countless lovely classic cars and another Sunny !! Be patient you`ll get another fresh coat soon and a big new slogan on the back ready for the next Toads and Roaches Tour. Rattcliffe will be looking forward to catching up with your wheels again and Meggsie of course.
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Post by atouchofglass on Aug 6, 2014 9:58:07 GMT 10
Hey Sutcac They are a beautifully shaped van. You've done some nice work on her so far, looking forward to future photos. Didn't think of painting it aluminium with rust spots? Oh that's right.... it's already been done. Now your Missus gets a chance to start collecting more 50's memorabilia to outfit the van. Atog
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Post by sutcac on Aug 6, 2014 17:48:46 GMT 10
Hi there strugglebrook. No...no...no..... yes I overheard Sutcac talking to Mrs Sutcac the other day and he said that their new Sunny is definitely a "keeper" and that I would be put on Evil Bay(whatever that is) later on when their Sunny is finished. Maybe that's not so bad, cause by the look of the new tow car that poor new Sunny is going to have its drawbar s t r e t c h e d pretty seriously!!! ........ and I'm getting too old for that nonsense!!!!!!!!!!! Meggsy was asleep next to me in the garage the other night and all I could hear was her murmuring "Ratcliffe.....where art thow Ratcliffe" Cheers, Fugly.
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Post by sutcac on Aug 6, 2014 18:05:06 GMT 10
Hi atog. Yes ,the Sunnies are a beaut shape, aren't they? Only a handful of us that I know of(JBJ,peteandtrish,tuckey, rodnet) have endeavoured to get a Sunny straight using filler and sanding boards. I don't reckon any of us will come back for a second go. Anyone considering doing this should have plenty of time, patience and a sense of humour . Or plenty of $$$$$$$$$$ to pay someone else to do it.!!!!!!!! My advice to any future Sunny restorers would be to seriously consider painting their van with a roller using flat or satin paint!! . And what the heck? They came from the factory with a lot of imperfections anyway!! Thanks for the encouraging comments Mrs Sutcac has started collecting already!!
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Post by JBJ on Aug 6, 2014 18:51:24 GMT 10
Hi Sutcac,
You should have known better after seeing what work that we other silly buggers put in, but I always believe that the pain & suffering doing something well diminishes as you finish it. Couple of weeks you will have forgotten how much work it was. You've done a great job. Now you need to go & find a big blackboard, a box of Celco chalk, & write 1000 times "I will not be stupid & sell this Sunliner". I imagine you can remember getting bad kids to fill the blackboard with written lines in their lunch breaks??
Its all fun
JBJ
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Post by Koala on Aug 6, 2014 20:10:17 GMT 10
Hey Sutcac, I look forward to seeing your Sunliner. You must have a lot of patience to end with a finished product like that. I'm sure that you will find the van comfortable. Koala
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Post by sage60a on Aug 6, 2014 21:09:18 GMT 10
Hi sutac Thank you so much for posting that. I love your paintwork it is similar to how I want mine to end up, think its great for the curves. I have found a lot with that style of paintwork, do you know if they were ever originally like that or was it just the flash? Just wondering what type of ply you used on the floor and did you lay it over the existing floor or did you replace the whole floor? my floor is not rotted but a bit soft in a couple of places. Such a huge inspiration to see another one on the way to being beautifully restored. I have wanted a sunliner for about 10 years and finally found one that needed an awful lot of work but slowly is getting there, have hit a bit of a speed bump that should take about 9 months!!!!!! Any ideas how to incorporate a bassinet into a sunliner? Ha ha
Good luck with the rest of your restoration can't wait to see some updates. Anita
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Post by Roehm3108 on Aug 6, 2014 21:09:57 GMT 10
Hi there strugglebrook. No...no...no..... yes I overheard Sutcac talking to Mrs Sutcac the other day and he said that their new Sunny is definitely a "keeper" and that I would be put on Evil Bay(whatever that is) later on when their Sunny is finished. Maybe that's not so bad, cause by the look of the new tow car that poor new Sunny is going to have its drawbar s t r e t c h e d pretty seriously!!! ........ and I'm getting too old for that nonsense!!!!!!!!!!! Meggsy was asleep next to me in the garage the other night and all I could hear was her murmuring "Ratcliffe.....where art thow Ratcliffe" Cheers, Fugly. We're gunna go through all that again? Fugly or the Sunnie??? HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME SUTCAC, AFTER ALL THOSE FUN AND FAITHFUL YEARS OF LOVE FUGLY GAVE YOU, YOU'RE JUST GUNNA GET RID OF HER LIKE A USED DISHCLOTH?
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Post by humpty2 on Aug 6, 2014 21:26:33 GMT 10
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Post by sutcac on Aug 7, 2014 7:32:11 GMT 10
Hi sage60a. Mostly just the 'lightning strike' flash from the factory, I think I'm guessing it was a matter of expediency to easily mask up the straight line flash for painting? Aesthetically, I much prefer a curved line on the rounded surface, like yourself, while many restorers prefer to stick with the original factory scheme. Each to their own! My floor was like yours. Not rotten, but soft in places. I used cheapish 10mm ply from Bunnings. Laid it straight over the original floor. Fixed with glue / screws. All the best with your resto. It will be worth all the effort. Oh, all the best with your 'speed bump' too!!
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Post by 53vicky on Aug 7, 2014 7:46:17 GMT 10
I am also restoring fibre glass van and am very interested to find out abit more on the resin filler you used. I have got a few large woofs along the side of the van up towards the top which were probably there from new as it is just below the roof radii on one side but would like to address it prior to painting. Great van.......cheers ted
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Post by sutcac on Aug 7, 2014 7:47:25 GMT 10
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Post by sutcac on Aug 7, 2014 14:52:06 GMT 10
Hi Ted. Your local fibreglass store can supply all you need. * A quantity of Polyester resin. Make sue its "waxed"... or otherwise it will dry sticky!! *Some hardener.(MEKP). Disposable eye dropper for measuring...about 1% depending on temp of day * A quantity of Q Cells.... * Plastic measuring containers 1L * Dry sandpaper 60/80 grit up to 320 This filler is commonly used in fibreglass surfboard repairs. Also in the boat building/repairing trade(above waterline) The trick is to mix it in batches(smaller rather than larger) as it can go off fairly quickly, depending on temp and hardener ratio. Can be a bit tricky getting the right consistency .Something between toothpaste and creamy peanut butter is the best I can describe it. Or car bog, if you've used that. Once I got a handle on the mixing and because I was doing the whole van, I would mix batches of roughly 400ml/600ml of resin to roughly double that(by volume) of Q Cells with 1% / 1.5% of hardener, depending on the temp of the day. You might like to start off with a batch about half that, until you get a bit used to it. The thicker the mix, the better/easier the sanding. I mixed it in a 4 litre icecream container using a paint stirrer on a variable speed drill. Mix your resin and hardener , then slowly add the Q Cells until you reach the desired consistency. I placed the 4L container in the bottom of clean(new) plastic garbage bin to stir the mixture because the Q Cells is finer than talcum powder and no matter how careful you are, you will have spillage into the garbage bin, allowing you to catch and reuse the spilt Q Cells. I also used a quality breathing mask while mixing. Disposable gloves are handy too I tried both plastic and metal applicators, but ended up using a 4" stainless one for most of it. Feel free to ask more questions if you need to. Good Luck with it. Sutcac.
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Post by 53vicky on Aug 8, 2014 6:58:05 GMT 10
Hi Sutcac Thanks for the detailed information, I will try to find a local guy who stocks all of that. Is it fully set prior to any sanding or can you give it a rough sand similar to auto filler to smooth out a little? I presume its a tough job surfacing with this fibreglass product and you finish with high fill surfacer? Cheers Ted
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Post by atouchofglass on Aug 8, 2014 7:10:03 GMT 10
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Post by sutcac on Aug 8, 2014 7:45:02 GMT 10
Hi Ted. I let it go off then set overnight. Get into it with 40/60/80 grit to get most of it back to what you want. Surfacing is OK .It's nice to sand. Better than car bog. I finished with 320 then used a 2K high fill primer/filler. Guide coat, then back to 320(dry) for final 2K.
Love what your doing with your van btw. It will come up great! What will you tow it with?
Cheers Cutcac
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Post by 53vicky on Aug 8, 2014 8:50:58 GMT 10
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Post by sutcac on Aug 8, 2014 14:16:26 GMT 10
Hi Ted . Nice cars, both. Love the Vicky.
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Post by sutcac on Aug 9, 2014 15:36:29 GMT 10
Getting a bit more done. Windows with new rubbers....(thanks Tony) /flyscreens in with original opening apparatus. Old brass Lockwood polished up OK. And a bit of painting inside cupboard doors n drawers.
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Post by claireandruth on Aug 10, 2014 18:50:10 GMT 10
she is beautiful! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
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