Morris Minor

Matt’s convertible is stripped and ready for action

When I last reported on my convertible project, it was having the underside and wheel arches treated at Rustbuster Ltd after I declared the welding complete. Now back in the Practical Classics workshop, progress has continued and I’m pleased to report that it’s getting somewhere. Stripping the shell to metal was a fairly lengthy but satisfying process. I began by scuffing the paint surface with 80 grit, standing the car on a sheet of cardboard to catch excess chemical, and lathering it in an industrial paint stripper.

The car wore its factory paint and primer with one blow-over cellulose respray on top, so it wasn’t too long before the surface erupted in bubbling paint. Had this not been the case, I could have covered it in plastic wrap to stop it evaporating and left it overnight. It was then simply a case of peeling back the layers with a sharp scraper and applying another coat.

With the bulk of the paint removed I flooded the surface with gunwash thinners and, taking great care with skin and eyes, used Scotch-brite to remove any remaining paint and stripper. A final flurry with a rotary wire brush took care of nooks and crannies before I finished the whole surface with a DA sander equipped with a 180 then 320 grit disc to give a key for the primer. I opted for Rustbuster’s 4-2-1 Epoxy Primer, specifically because it’s non-porous. It now doesn’t matter how long the car stands in the corner of the workshop before paint… it wont be absorbing moisture in the same way as with a conventional primer.

Take the easy route

After that ordeal, on only a small surface area in real terms, I couldn’t face it with the panels, too. A quick phone call to Enviro Strip (UK) Ltd and I was making my way to Birmingham with a car full of… car. On my way over, I reflected a little more on the project and on how far it’s come. In hindsight I should probably have braced and then dipped the shell to start with, allowing myself to see what I had to work with. It’s a service that Enviro Strip carries out for owners on a daily basis