Early Elan

[mr.vman]

Gary,
Thank you for posting the pictures on your early Elan. In the interior of the car, is the lattice work also attached with, "cloth"? Both sides of car have, "cloth" attaching the lattice work? Bottom of car, light coat of paint or just gel coat for color? Any information if Bourne painted the bottom of the car? The car is a Bourne car, could have many unique features?
Steve V. Arizona USA

[GLB]

Steve, the lattice is held everywhere with cloth. The gel coat was not painted. I have had private message that has been very helpful. Gary

[GLB]

some more progress. Evidently Bourne cars had cloth used in high stress areas, like lattice attachments and to cover seams. The wheel wells were painted body color with no undercoating, the bottom of the car, underside of boot and bonnet, inside of boot and engine compartment were just gel coat, ie gray. The underside of my boot lid has never been painted but the bonnet underside, the boot and engine compartment have been and I will paint them a gray that I had matched to the underside of the boot lid, close but the original gel coat is not uniform.
Still a question about the top of the foot boxes and the upper fire wall.
Here are some pictures of the repaired crack in the bottom from a jack probably. Will need some work from the inside but it is now strong and even. Normal bevel and fill repair. The gel coat was very thick, probably settled into the low spots of the ribs, the glass was fairly thin. beveled back about 10 to 1, if was 1/8 inch thick beveled back about 1 inch or slightly more on each side of the crack. I opened up the crack with a reciprocating saw, shimmed into place and reglassed. Gary

[knockoffnut]

Tim, That is so cool. I never realized that Bourne bodies have corrugated floors! While I am on here, I have a misplaced question: Did early (S2) Elans have the inside surfaces of their bootlid (trunklid) painted body colour, or satin black? Thank you.

I have attached a photo of a body, just out of the mould at Bourne.

Tim

[GLB]

weather still good and warm so more work. First picture is with yellow epoxy primer surfacer. Two coats sanded between to 400 grit. White is sealer, to be sanded to 600 before paint. The gray is acylic urethane , I think it is a pretty good color match to the original Bourne gel coat. It will get splattered with cirrus white top coat but I think that is how it looked originally from my forensic sanding. I am going to put some 3 M body Schutz undercoating in the top of the wheel wells to try and minimize rock stars from the inside, then turn it back right side up tomorrow. Gary

[Certified Lotus]

Looks good Gary. I always admire the people who can paint. One of my down falls and realize I have no business doing it.

[The Veg]

Nice work Gary!

I've always envied those who have these skills. Not that it's beyond my ability- I actually don't know if it is, as I've never had any training or even a chance to do the work with a mentor giving advice. The curiosity lingers but is it something I really want to take on.

Oh and extra credit given for the Sunbeam in the background! My dad had a bunch of them when I was a young lad.

[GLB]

work continues, I have righted the body and covered the car in deck cloth and epoxy. First some background. I learned to work with fiberglass structures by building homebuilt aircraft. Scratch built a fiberglass Veri eze from plans, then two kit built fiberglass aircraft called Velocity. Then most of a plane called a GP4, built of wood. The GP 4 specified this final finish of deck cloth, a very finely woven, almost shear cloth in an epoxy matrix. It gives a very fine, hard impervious surface to proceed to primer surfacer. I use West System epoxy and have been very pleased with the result on aircraft and on my +2s. The weave is so fine as to be undectable and it is impervious to moisture and chemicals with the epoxy matrix. It replaces tissue. I have yet to see a pin hole in the finished surface so it saves a lot of time not having to deal with that. The yellow primer is an epoxy 1-1 material. No shrinkage and great color hold out. I top it off with the white sealer, a Sherwin Williams 2k product that gives great holdout and easy coverage of the cirrus white top coat. I know this is not the accepted method and will probably get some flack but the system works for me. Hope to sand it before it cools off and maybe get it sealed before winter. then paint next spring. Gary

[GLB]

got white sealer coat on today. Will block with 400. The body seems very straight and I am happy with it now. May try for color next week end if the weather holds and I don't die from sanding. I am pretty sick of that. May be the last time until blocking and polishing at the end. Gary

[Quart Meg Miles]

Did early (S2) Elans have the inside surfaces of their bootlid (trunklid) painted body colour, or satin black? Thank you.

Mine is still grey like the interior of the car (crash pad, door mouldings, gear surround). Possibly definitive S2s became black to match their interiors.

I used cloth to replace my lattices but assumed they originally used matting as the cloth was difficult to wrap around the rods.

Lovely work, Gary, wish I had your skill and patience!

[Andy8421]

work continues, I have righted the body and covered the car in deck cloth and epoxy. First some background. I learned to work with fiberglass structures by building homebuilt aircraft. Scratch built a fiberglass Veri eze from plans, then two kit built fiberglass aircraft called Velocity. Then most of a plane called a GP4, built of wood. The GP 4 specified this final finish of deck cloth, a very finely woven, almost shear cloth in an epoxy matrix. It gives a very fine, hard impervious surface to proceed to primer surfacer. I use West System epoxy and have been very pleased with the result on aircraft and on my +2s. The weave is so fine as to be undectable and it is impervious to moisture and chemicals with the epoxy matrix. It replaces tissue. I have yet to see a pin hole in the finished surface so it saves a lot of time not having to deal with that. The yellow primer is an epoxy 1-1 material. No shrinkage and great color hold out. I top it off with the white sealer, a Sherwin Williams 2k product that gives great holdout and easy coverage of the cirrus white top coat. I know this is not the accepted method and will probably get some flack but the system works for me. Hope to sand it before it cools off and maybe get it sealed before winter. then paint next spring. Gary

Gary,

I am very interested in your approach to preparing the body. A lot has moved on with paint and grp since Miles wrote his book on fibreglass restoration, and I would like to take advantage of modern materials, particularly if it avoids the dreaded microblister pox and pinhole hell.

A few questions if you don't mind.

West System is available in the UK, could you list the exact products you used?

Could you explain how you managed to get the woven cloth around body openings (bonnet, doors etc)

... and any more details you think would be helpful.

Thanks,

Andy.

[GLB]

I did get it painted yesterday. The light is a bit harsh, I'll shoot some more when the sun starts to go down. Notice my helper. Gary

[Frogelan]

Very useful photos and notes accompanying this, thank you.

[Certified Lotus]

Gary, do you have a paint booth or are you painting in the open air?

[fj55mike]

Just a reminder of where this car started in November of 2010. Bondoed bumper, giant driving lights (way more current draw than the generator can handle), and newspaper-and-bondo flares. Note roll cage not attached to the chassis and poor bonnet fit.