Bristol 411 bodywork

[mike5352]

Hi All,

I am currently trying to restore the exterior of my father’s Bristol 411. It is either a series 1 or 2 as it has 2 large and 2 smaller headlamps. I am a novice when it comes to body work, but the aim is try to do as much of the work ourselves.

I have stripped most of the paint down to the primer using Nitromors paint remover and A LOT of patience!

I am unsure of how to remove the front headlamps so as to get a proper finish to the paint stripping, and future painting. Any tips?

There is a small dent in the roof (just above where the rear-view mirror attaches). What sort of filler should I use on this? Any tips for doing this?

The car is made from aluminium so is there a special kind of primer we should use? And also special type of paint for the top coat?

Any advice, hints, tips or pointers would be very much appreciated.

Mike

[GREG]

Pull the chrome rims off the light and remove the lights and bowls from the body.

If you are using a professional painter --- highly recommend. Let him worry about the acid etch primer and non porous filler. Just concentrate on getting all the lights and trim off - and old paint.

If you are keeping it the same colour and thee paint is sound you maybe just need to etch the surface.-- get advise from whoever is painting it.

Bristol Cars have the screen rubbers you will need. Get a glass specialist to remove and replace the glass.

Shop around for painters and look at their other work.

Good luck

[Janne]

You will propably find that the light bowls are really rusty.
You can get new ones easily.
The same applies for the chromed surrounds.

Personally, i would not tackle the actual paintjob myself, I think you are a very brave man!

Do not forget, that those large, flat areas need to be expertly painted.

[Claude]

Originally Posted by mike5352

Hi All,

I am currently trying to restore the exterior of my father’s Bristol 411. It is either a series 1 or 2 as it has 2 large and 2 smaller headlamps. I am a novice when it comes to body work, but the aim is try to do as much of the work ourselves.

I have stripped most of the paint down to the primer using Nitromors paint remover and A LOT of patience!

I am unsure of how to remove the front headlamps so as to get a proper finish to the paint stripping, and future painting. Any tips?

There is a small dent in the roof (just above where the rear-view mirror attaches). What sort of filler should I use on this? Any tips for doing this?

The car is made from aluminium so is there a special kind of primer we should use? And also special type of paint for the top coat?

Any advice, hints, tips or pointers would be very much appreciated.

Mike

Hi Mike,

Where are you located (what country) and what experience do you have in classic car restoration? If novice means very little, you really should consider finding an old, cheap aluminium bodied Land Rover and practice on it. The 411 is considered by many to be the best of the V8 classic Bristols, and the company's owner, Toby Silverton is buying 411's to turn them into 411-mark 6 rebuilt models. It really is not the best car to learn restoration on.

On dents, aluminium is better beaten out with a skilled hand than filled with bog. On painting, aluminium requires far more skill to get right. It requires an etch primer, but it also requires perfect temperature, humidity and dust controlled conditions or a few years down the road you will regret wasting the time. As others have noted, the headlamp buckets are screwed in, but it probably is all is rusted out. If so buy new buckets first and when you have them, use a grinder to destroy the rusted buckets without damaging the aluminium to which they are affixed. Also, you may have corrosion where electrolysis is the result of the aluminium body touching the steel wheel wells, and even if not, you should make sure you detail that part right by preventing the two metals from touching, or in a few years it will bubble again and mess up the paint. If you do have corrosion, which you may find behind the headlights as well, this should be repaired by a skilled aluminium welder, not bog. It's worth it to spend the money.

If I can give you advice, keep on with the messy, but essentially low-skill work of preparation. Remove all the paint and bad bog, replace all the rusted screws, take off everything that gets in the way of a painter (but have a professional remove and reinstall the glass - it's easy to break and expensive to replace). Then pay a recommended professional who knows aluminium to prepare the body, prime it, probably spend three weeks with long block sanding and top coating. It's not a prime-top coat finish, but instead will be etch coat, several prime coats, several top coats and optionally a clear coat on top of all.

Alternatively, have a professional skim and etch coat it to assure the paint will bond to the metal, then you prime it and then go to a World-War II Bristol aeroplane museum, note the military matt-colours and spray it in some tint of flat or matt green and grey with appropriate military decals. Going this route, all of the imperfections that will show up are part of the image, and when someone does invest the funds required to do the proper top coating, the protective paint will serve as a good scratch coat (used in sanding to find the high and low spots).

Claude

PS: See http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum...8e711574c8331c

[mike5352]

Gregg, Janne, Claude - thanks for your honest and extensive advice. We will have to discuss how best to go forwards with the respray. For now we will continue to prepare the car, ensuring everything is stripped and ready.

[Janne]

Please be very gentle with the front widscreen. A replacement is very costly.

I forgot to ask: Are you planning to restore the whole car, ie engine, driveline, interior, everything?

I forgot to tell you: If the doors sag a little bit, replace the hinges before any preparation and paintwork. Those newly painted edges chip easily!

[mike5352]

Hi, the engine is pretty sound mechanically (we hope). The MOT is due late February so we shall find out then! The interior is in very good condition.

I have a few claifying questions. To remove the front lamps you say to pop off the silver housing, is this just done by levering off with a screw driver or similar? I do not want to damage the lamps as they are in fairly good condition. There is a screw I can see on the underside of the lamp housing but it is not easily accessible.

Also, the silver trim that runs the length of the car, is this glued on? I do not want to damage anything when trying to remove these.

Also the front grill, this will need to be removed for complete stripping and painting, any tips or advice for this?

I think we shall need to replace the rubber seal for the front and back windscreens, for this I think we'll have to go to a professional.

Mike

Claude - the link to that thread is great! many thanks.

[GREG]

oCoop - Halogen Headlights - Classic Mini Cooper Enthusiasts

removal of Mini headlamp - same.

cranked screw driver items - Get great deals on Home Garden items on eBay UK!

Side trim is bolted on. Your painter may not need the grill removing.

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by mike5352

Also, the silver trim that runs the length of the car, is this glued on? I do not want to damage anything when trying to remove these.

I don't know about the trim on the 411 S1/2 but on my 411 S5 the rubber section of the trim is falling off, possibly due to the heat over the last month. As you can see from attached photo.

Looking at the rusty screws underneath I am glad it did fall off, but how does the rubber stay in place? I can only assume it is glued in place!

Anyone know for sure?

Kevin