Engine Bay - Part 1

Slowly, very slowly, the bodywork is reaching its end. There's a long way to go but when I consider where I started, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. If I sound a bit buoyant today it is because I started work on the engine bay.

Looking rather sad.

This is the last large area to be tackled, and will be a real shot in the arm when done. Somehow it is the heart of the car and it being all scabby has always been an elephant in the room. So, out with all sorts of abrasives, forward I went to sand back the last of the Flamenco paint.

Nice legs!

I am really surprised with this area, as it could have been awful. Yet the chassis legs are mint, as are the turret tops. How can a car that was so rotten in other areas have turret tops so good? I remember the nightmare that lurked below the passenger seat (see pic) and thank my lucky stars that the engine bay is in such good condition.

How can one notorious rot trap be so bad...

...yet this be so good?

After much rubbing, sanding hot-air-gunning and general scraping, I put on a coat of primer. This was then rubbed down again, to feather in the edges of any residual Flamenco left behind.

Paint off, primer on..

This area is going to take a bit of time to get right, particularly in the flitch repair panels. These were welded in some time ago (I would do it better these days) and although strong they do need some attention, like dressing down the welds and generally shaping up the arches. How I am going to get to some of the welds with a grinder baffles me - any ideas?

Left-hand turret top looks good, but those welds definitely need sorting.

The inner flitch panel was, I think, pretty much the first repair panel I ever welded in and it shows. Again, it is going to need a lot of grinding with a small grinder (I wonder if Fisher Price make one of the right size?) if it is ever to look good. There is also a seam where the bulkhead meets the inner wheel arch which is sound, but a bit messy. This is going to need some cleaning.

Inner wing to bulkhead seam.

Finally, the left side engine mount was given a good rub down, followed by some rust eater, a coat of primer and some steel wheel paint. I read somewhere that it is a good substitute for the bare metal finish of these components ex-factory.

Rusty engine mount.

Primed...

...and painted.