FEE From Trundle

[leon]

 :)G Day Fellows & Laddies.
Here is is one of the latest photos of the under carrage.
I painted it black keeping with its originalty.
Regards. Leon

[zulu]

Lookin good Leon, what did you use to lay undrneath it while on it's side?
Gary

[fe2ek]

I remember when this car was on Ebay.Was there any rust in it that you had to repair.You seem to be making quick progress,keep up the good work.

Cheers Geoff

[leon]

 :)Garry I just rolled it onto an old foam mattress.
It doesn't have much weight in it as I can move it around by myself.
Geof as for rust there wasn't any only surface so I had a great head start.
Here is a before shot as I was in the process of cleaning  the under carrage,  you can see the mattress.
Thanks fellows for your intrest and support.
Regards. Leon.

[Trevor_B]

Leon,
I envy you being able to do the underside like this.
I have just completed 3 days of work during the last month doing similar. I used ramps to raise the front or rear and worked on my back on the garage floor.
Also took mine back to metal, then primed, coat of bitumen paint with the a final of gloss black enamel.  The only good side of it for me as this was about the last major job left - I should have my FC on the road in he next month.
Regards,
Trevor_B

[Martin]

Trevor,

Since you've left the underside to last - tell me:

My recently purchased car is in very good original condition and I don't intend to give it a paint job for 12 months or so.  But I don't want the white ants (or red ones) to get into the car - the bottom looks much like Leon's.  So I've started from the back, working forwards, on my back like you, with elbow grease, wire brushes and wheels etc., cleaning and sealing the underside.  As I clean, all the removable bits come off, get cleaned & painted and put back.

My question is:  should this be the LAST job I do - is there any problem with doing it now and doing the paint job later? Am I creating more work for myseld by doing the bottom now?

Your advice (or anybody else's) will be appreciated.

Martin

[Trevor_B]

Hi Martin,
I left the underside for last because it seemed the hardest and least satisfying task! The only one who will know how good a job that has been done is me (although other enthusiasts would appreciate the effort). It really is a job to ensure the long term future of the car.

Only draw backs that I can think of is that you might get overspray from the body paint job or find other rust a little higher up that may mean patching up your earlier work. I had to replace the RH outer sill, lower sections of front guards and rear floor pans.

If you can do the underside early then I would. I just wish I had the room to do like Leon - all my work done inside a single garage.

Regards,
Trevor_B
with apologies to leon for hijacking your thread.

[Burnsy]

Leon, looks great, probably better than new

What paint did you use?  Can anybody comment on whether it is better to use a standard car acrylic or a killrust type brand paint for under car parts?

[fastjbav6]

I hear POR-15 is good.
Brush it on & when dry it looks as if it were sprayed on.
Its like a rust proof paint.

Seb

[Ed]

looking great leon.

I painted my underside first... least satisfying job out of the way, can only get better now.  also allowed me to re-fit brake lines and fuel lines etc.

paint wise... I used POR15, then stone guard, then 2pack black.

Cheers

Ed

[Wayne]

Hi Leon
      The car is coming on realy good. The car was in good shape when brought but with all the work you are putting into it  you will have a TOP car may even be better than the other one  which is already a top car.Keep up the good work
WAYNE

[oldgmh]

Leon,

great looking job... would you do my car if I dropped it off at your place ??

Earlee

[leon]

 :)G Day fellows. the underside to me was the easyest this time as the car is on it side. When I did the restoration on my FE standard I did the underside last on my back with a brush on the end of a drill with my glasses on gogels  a hat and a mask it was a difficult time   I would jack up the front first go half way then jack up the back.
As for the paint I used POR-15 rust preventive paint and topped it off with POR-15 chassis coat semi gloss I just sprayed it on as it goes into every little crevice While all this is going on in between I would clean all my pipe lines before I take it all to be zinc coated like every other nut, bolt, washer, cable. It's a big job and it takes time and patience. I don't mind the under side getting colour over spray on it as it originaly had over spray on the outer under side.
As for under the carpet I hand painted with a kill rust oxide paint turps base.
As for weather it will be any better than FEE NO. 1 it would come close Wayne.
Answer to weather I would do your car Earlee? I don't think so mate but I would gladly advise.
Regards. Leon

[streetneat]

Gday Leon...
I seem to remember talking to you at the summernats in Canberra a few years back.( correct me if I'm wrong) Loved the FE ... One thing that continually bothers me is the fact that some guys go to a lot of trouble to paint the underside of their cars  just to let the  outside overspray waft all over the floorpans.. this is the case I realise for originalities sake - but heres a news flash - After speaking to a dealer in Cairns some years ago he told me that one of the first things that, not just he - but many other dealers did  as part of the pre delivery of the vehicle was to go through and touch up the black underneath to elimate the  overspray  before people saw it- one of the negative comments Holdens used to attract was about the poor paint finish. To many a casual observer  they appreciate a car that has been finished nicely - Why deliberatly reproduce the factories sloppyness?... especially seeing how this was remedied at the dealers in most cases and future models  where finished properly due to the negative feedback from prospective purchasers.  I also refer to a past issue of restored cars magazine addressing this very issue- (unfortunatly I cannot lay my hands on wich issue - but it was back in the eighties) for one cannot see the sense to reproduce the factories faults and to most of the observors they would like to see a tidy job -  I noticed that this overspray had to be constantly explained - as if to justify it... Don't tell me you will acheive more points  by putting overspray back into a restoration- the Chief  Judging Steward  for the ASMF- Owen Webb had this discussion with me some time back  and he and his judges will deduct points for this.. Even the Yanks at the Pebbles Beach concourse  have agreed on this very point.... ( sourced from Rodders Journal)
Other than that love your work!
Cheers streetneat

[leon]

 :)G Day Streetneat.
Thanks for your interesting response. I never went to the summernats. It may have been the other Leon Julian.
Re, the undercarriage colour I only know what I've been told these past two or so years. Looking at my Fe standard before I restored it and this one I'm doing now they both tell me the way it was for them and that it was black under with colour  over spray.
It makes sence to me when they colour sprayed under the front gaurds and to leave under the back gaurds black wouldn't  look finnished. (See photo).
Although some of the colour is worn away from all the dirt roads this car has been over.
I've also been told on older models they would colour spray over and under the body.
Car dealers painting the under outer edges black thats new to me and could well have been normal practise for some  dealers. You could well be right.
It would be intersting to get any additional imformation from someone RE, under carrage colour and judges thoughts  on over spray.
Thanks for your interesting response.
Regards. Leon.

[customFC]

Hey Leon.
I guess it depends on whether you want an "authentic" restoration or a show restoration. Most judges would mark you down for the overspray, though CMC judges might look at it in a different way to ASRF judges. At the next Eastern Ck Classic show, ask the judges themselves.
Regards
Alex

[zulu]

I recall overspray under my FE when I was removing the proofcote & paint also Leon.
Along with this there were several places on the drive line that were daubed with different colour paint spots, I assume that these were items that had been inspected & marked during manufacture.
I went to the trouble of replacing these markings when restoring my FE.
From memory there were 3 white spots of paint along the drive shaft, a dob of paint on the diff filler plug & water pump heater plug & also on the front head bolt.
I feel that if you are attempting to restore a car as close as possible to factory that these things are important.
Gary

[streetneat]

Yep I 'm all for replacing the factory paint spot markings - thats general practice to replicate the inspection dabs- Its not something that will win you awards but in close competition  it may come down to the judges have to decide between two cars and if everything else is spot on on  both cars it may come down to those paint dabs on tailshafts and suspension components. In my experience  it didnt ever come down to overspray!
I have been involved in the restoration industry for over twenty years and I have done many restos for concourse events - I found the GT Falcon boys to be the worst offenders in this reguard - many  a time I would have these guys and their mates debating these mute points in my workshop... in all honesty  these cars come down to different fine points in the final judging -
A car with a rarer colour combination or accessory will beat a car with the right paint dabs... this starts off many heated debates over authenticity and whats more important.
I remember that in the GT circles at least some of the factories sloppiness was reproduced faithfully and often critisised as a result- its an area where the same slopiness could not be replicated the same way every time - it became the accepted practise to "clean" up these areas  without going overboard.
Case in point- the number one prototype  48- 215 Holden was over restored in some areas and hammer marks etc left in other areas. Some Purists argued the car was never this good - which was true - but as the car was in the public spotlight - they could hardly leave all the rough edges or poor paint quality left unchecked - As a result this car fetched over $350 000 at auction - as it was deemed to be of a very high standard.
So my point being is to not replicate factory slopiness - as you will be sorely dissapointed at the negative comments and show results - rather  you should in my opinion have all the factory markings and best finishes  possible as well as all the right accesories  for a more than pleasing result. Remember - the general veiwing public will not understand nor accept overspray -  especially as the rest of the car will be of a very high standard.  So aim for the wider audience instead of satisfying a minority of peers. At the end of the day  it comes down to what you want and how you want the car to be perceived. I'm sure after seeing your previous work it will be splendid
Cheers streetneat

[gp]

Hi Guys,
I am one of those who did replicate the overspray, paint runs and factory sloppiness when restoring my FC. I took photos of all this stuff as we were pulling the car apart, so that I could faithfully reproduce what the factory did. Whether you think that's right or wrong is irrelevant. I didn't do that to impress the judges (or anyone else). I felt that there were too many restorations that were not representative of how these cars were manufactured. In years to come, if all that's left is a bunch of over-restored cars, people will think that's how they were made, which we all know is not true.

Just my 2 bobs worth  

Cheers,

Graham.