SENC Posted April 7 Author Share Posted April 7 On 4/5/2021 at 5:50 AM, Croc said: Don't jinx yourself! I said that once until Christmas Eve 2020 in an Oregon logging town....it can be done You make a good point. It really isn't that hard to imagine the Lucas/Lotus gods causing a plague of generator issues with bravado like that! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SENC Posted April 10 Author Share Posted April 10 Made a rig to reinstall my coil springs. Little by little getting things ready to get the Seven back together. These are what I believe to be the original 60s Armstrong dampers and springs, which all tested in spec. The vice grips are just to keep the compression hooks from slipping down the coils. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SENC Posted June 5 Author Share Posted June 5 While waiting on the engine boring to be completed, I talked myself into polishing up the aluminum... so prepped today by removing all the fiberglass. Looks nekid! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SENC Posted June 13 Author Share Posted June 13 Firsts efforts on the rear of the car - I figured if I didn't like the look it wouldn't be too visible with the spare in place. In sequence are the before, after compounding with a 7.5" wool wheel and Nuvite IIF7, after polishing with the Cyclo and Nuvite IIF7, and after polishing with the Cyclos and Nuvite IIS. As mentioned previously, this car was originally painted all over and scraped by a prior owner around 2008. Deep scratches from the scraping along with other dings and imperfections from 55+ years of life won't be removable without major sanding (even if then), so I knew the result would be far from perfection - and debated a long time whether polishing would be an improvement over oxidized state or just highlight the flaws. In the end, I'm pleased with the result and will continue on - though it is a laborious and dirty job! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
panamericano Posted June 13 Share Posted June 13 Looks like the ghost of a tool box emerging from the boot. Great job. You can come strip mine any day. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SENC Posted June 14 Author Share Posted June 14 20 hours ago, panamericano said: Looks like the ghost of a tool box emerging from the boot. Great job. You can come strip mine any day. Thanks, it was kind of fun to see more and more reflective detail. My concern with polishing is that it may show fingerprints more than oxidized as I get in and out, remove/install the bonnet, etc. I've had a recommendation from a detailer to use wheel coating designed for alu wheels to seal it, so may give that a try - if I find I'm having to polish or clean more frequently to keep it up, it will go back to the oxidized look quickly. My intent is to spend more time using it and less time cleaning it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sportscarnut Posted June 16 Share Posted June 16 Hey Henry, that looks terrific! I’m sure it’s very time consuming, but it looks absolutely incredible. Been thinking about doing mine. Any tips? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SENC Posted June 17 Author Share Posted June 17 2 hours ago, Sportscarnut said: Hey Henry, that looks terrific! I’m sure it’s very time consuming, but it looks absolutely incredible. Been thinking about doing mine. Any tips? Thanks Chris! I'm going to work on it a bit more this weekend, so let me get a bit more done before I start giving how-to advice... but I will say the guidance I was given on starting with a standard rotary polisher, 7.5" wool pad, and Nuvite IIF7 was spot-on. With the size and depth of scratches in mine the Nuvite IIF9 (more aggressive) would probably have even been better, but to really remove them would require wet-sanding and my goal wasn't getting it to perfect - just to a good state of clean. And because of the flaws, I could probably skip the final polish with the IIS. I'll let you know how I get along this weekend. The big test will be how it holds up to prints, etc. and how often it needs to be polished. I've gotten a recommendation from Mike Phillips (autogeek detailing guru) to try Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Wheel Coating to seal the aluminum, so will be trying that in hopes that I can limit polishing to once a year. I am told that polishing aluminum gets easier every time you do it, as the process helps "heal" aluminum. I'm skeptical (and lazy), but we'll see. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SENC Posted June 20 Author Share Posted June 20 A dirty and sweaty Father's Day weekend, but satisfying nonetheless. Polishing took a full 12 hours. Still far from perfect, and the areas exposed to road rash are rougher than the rear, but fun to see it shine without the oxidization. I still need to put the sealant on it, in hopes it will preserve the finish a little longer, but needed a break from wiping so finished the day by replacing the propshaft u-joints instead. Progress. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
11Budlite Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 Looking good Henry! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
feynmanfan Posted June 21 Share Posted June 21 (edited) Looks great Henry! My body has too many dents/bruises (my 7 too) to count so removing them is not the goal maybe even feature those hard earned ones with the polished surfaces. I'll try some of the tips/products you have. Each one has a story wish I knew some of them. Steve Edited June 21 by feynmanfan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bball7754 Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 I would be concerned that the sealant would not appreciably prevent the aluminum from dulling, but would/could make a repolish substantially more difficult. But I haven’t researched repolishing sealed aluminum, so could be way off base. Steve Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bball7754 Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 Oh, and it does look great! Pulling the fenders, etc. is the way to go, in my opinion. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SENC Posted June 22 Author Share Posted June 22 4 hours ago, bball7754 said: I would be concerned that the sealant would not appreciably prevent the aluminum from dulling, but would/could make a repolish substantially more difficult. But I haven’t researched repolishing sealed aluminum, so could be way off base. Steve It is a bit of an experiment, for sure. The recommendation came from a well-known car detailing guru, not because he has done a lot of aluminum work but he was sharing a recommendation from a colleague that does a lot of Harley Davidson work and that swears by it as the best solution he's found for the aluminum bits. Note, this isn't a thick/hard/"permanent" coat type of sealant - rather a wipe on, much like using a ceramic sealant or even wax as a protective sealant on paint, so it will wear and when its is time to polish anything remaining will polish right off. Pinnacle Black Label Diamond Wheel Coating (pinnaclewax.com) is the product that was recommended. Logically it makes sense to me that a sealant should reduce oxidization (in addition to making waterless washes more effective) - but I do wonder how long it will last and whether it will wear evenly or unevenly. I'm also a long way from an expert on this, so welcome any contrary thoughts, experience or advice! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
toldfield Posted June 23 Share Posted June 23 Owners of vintage Airstream trailers are somewhat obsessive about polishing aluminum. Vintage Trailer supply has a pretty good page on how to do it, and they also have the supplies. https://www.vintagetrailersupply.com/blog/how-to-polish-aluminum/?sscid=61k5_umx61 Tom Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SENC Posted July 17 Author Share Posted July 17 I tested the sealant on the hood, but it added a bit of cloudiness/haze, so I wiped it back off with mineral spirits and will just go bare. I'm happy with how it looks, far from perfect but a big improvement. Finally got my block back from boring and honing. Getting paint on things and hoping to find time in the next few weeks to begin re-assembly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
anduril3019 Posted July 18 Share Posted July 18 Mind if I ask what you used for the red? The color looks great! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SENC Posted July 18 Author Share Posted July 18 54 minutes ago, anduril3019 said: Mind if I ask what you used for the red? The color looks great! POR-15 Engine Enamel, MG Maroon. This is pretty close, I think, to the way the 1500 Cosworth engines were originally painted - or in the same color family, anyway. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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