Re-Spray
After lots of sanding and fettling the Capri was masked up ready for her re-spray. The bonnet, doors, sunroof and tailgate were all removed for spraying off the car. Quest Brothers has their own spray room with extraction and dust control. As the photos show after masking up the car was then sprayed with undercoat followed by a black guide coat. The guide coat was then rubbed down until it basically vanished - the idea being that any imperfections show up and can be dealt with before the top coat is applied. The top coat was applied in four to five coats depending on the location. In particular the front nose received an additional coat to assist with stone chip protection. I wasn’t allowed to see the car being sprayed but was able to grab some photos in between coats.
The bonnet proved to be very problematic as the paint kept reacting with something under neath. After two failed attempts Dennis had to rub her back to bear metal and start from scratch. It is so important to get such a huge panel correct as any defects are easily seen. The doors and tailgate were painted separately; the tailgate kept the rear screen in place during the re-spray. Only the screen seal was removed.
The results speak for themselves and after a lot of polishing and cutting the car was wheeled out in to the sunshine for a close inspection. A lot of work remained to be done to get her back in one piece.
With everything masked up the undercoat and guide coat were applied.
The front valance received an extra coat of paint to make it more resistant to stone chips
The roof which had so much repair work required a lot of fettling and additional rubbing down to get it super smooth
The new scuttle panel area and genuine Ford wings after the guide coat has ben applied and rubbed down
The top finish paint of Ford Diamond White was applied in several coats, allowing drying time in between
New rear lower panels and tailgate area were prepared with undercoat and guide coat
First view of her after the re-spray with the masking tape removed
Top coat is initially applied to all the nooks and crannies of the engine bay area. The engine bay itself was left untouched.
Headlamp bowls and surrounding bezel all restored and painted
It is hard to believe that several inches of each side of the front valance were completely missing!
Brand new scuttle panel with two repaired ends looks amazing
The engine bay was left untouched to give the car the authentic look. The engine area is pretty tidy anyway
A posts all welded and repainted with new Ford wing fitted.
Rear quarter door slam area painted and finished
Same for the off-side rear quarter that includes the petrol flap area
New wheel arches are finally finished and repainted after a long wait
Fully repaired and painted scuttle panel. A badly fitted windscreen caused thousands in rot over the years
The roof skin looks amazing after all the hours of cutting, welding, filling, rubbing and painting. Sunroof works beautifully!
After two failed attempts due to old paint reacting, the bonnet was stripped to bear metal before repainting.
Sunroof area prior to the careful refitting. The sunroof took ages to get in the correct place as it is actually adjustable
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