Duetto work so far

After sorting out the mechanicals, sound system and insulation and fixed the gas items I have now started on the outside.
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Replacement ford badges from ebay , next Farecla Gel Coat Restorer and Wax for the roof,we used "scratch x" on the decals and need to give the whole bodywork a clay and polish. Should take a while!

Looking good. What does 'scratch x' do, I've not heard of it?

this stuff, helps renovate the decals but use sparingly.
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Hi jennyandpete
Well done Looking good, best of luck with the big clean

John

I've just Tcut and waxed mine sans roof and it's taken 17 hours so far.
@jennyandpeter
Could you let me know how you get on with the Fericia, I was going to t cut it but if there's a special product that will restore it back to the original colour I'll use that.

Your Back bumper end caps are smaller than ours......................

Looking Great

jennyandpeter wrote:
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Very nice! the duetto looks pretty good too


Dave

Hi all,
Looks like some good work going on there but I have a question. This is the second time I have heard reference to something called 'clay' as a polishing aid in the last couple of weeks. What is it and how is it used?
Thanks
KR
Ken

jennyandpeter wrote:
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Hi there,

Looking good!

When you have finished, if you fancy a tour up to Skegness there's another Duetto up here that could do with a good clean and polish!

Wine will be provided!

Best regards,

The picture of the van is on the day we purchased it so has not started doing it up. Claying is like a block of plasticine that is rubbed over the surface of the paintwork with a lubricant cleans off surface contamination prior to polishing. Nice evening last night so carried on doing the decals.Before and after.
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Spent a year learning how to polish on jenny's car very pleased that the duetto is not black.
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Interesting, I had wondered about the clay and thanks for the answer. Be nice to see more pics when you are completely happy with the van.
Thanks

jennyandpeter wrote:After sorting out the mechanicals, sound system and insulation and fixed the gas items I have now started on the outside.

Replacement ford badges from ebay , next Farecla Gel Coat Restorer and Wax for the roof,we used "scratch x" on the decals and need to give the whole bodywork a clay and polish. Should take a while!

jennyandpeter wrote:
Spent a year learning how to polish on jenny's car very pleased that the duetto is not black.

Very impressed.......and exactly what i've been looking for! I'm after someone to do my roof......how are you fixed?

How much Farecla Restorer and wax did you need to do the roof? I'm thinking of asking a bodywork guy whose doing a small job on my van in a couple of weeks if he'd be up for the job as my days of clambering are over!

You are right about black too.....only ever owned one car in black and never again! No sooner had it been cleaned it was dirty again the first time out. Best colour has been metallic silver. Dead boring and common as muck......except that's what it doesn't attract! My car is silver which gets a wash 'n wax twice a year!

Nice day yesterday so spent 8 hours doing the roof .Tried a rotary polisher but found it was better doing it by hand.
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Previously the roof was totally matt.
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Farecla Restorer and wax, purchased one bottle and used about half of it.

jennyandpeter wrote:Nice day yesterday so spent 8 hours doing the roof. Tried a rotary polisher but found it was better doing it by hand.
Farecla Restorer and wax, purchased one bottle and used about half of it.

I'm not surprised at the time spent, and by hand too......that's real physical graft! But the end result is superb and a credit to you.

Afraid my days of clambering are over and having a dodgy knee plus Osteoarthritis confines any working at heights valeting to a 'spectator sport'......i've got a mobile valeter coming out tomorrow to have a look at doing my roof and will show him your end results as that's exactly what I would hope for.

Fitted a carbon monoxide detector and then set about finding why the habitation battery was flat, the previous owners only used hook-up so it would not have been a problem. A while ago they had a new alternator fitted so thinking this could be the cause started investigating. Working in a university helps as friend from electronics checked the relay, works ok but on at the wrong time .E.g. charging while engine off ( causing current drain ) and off while the engine running. Turns out whoever fitted the alternator fitted one of the relay wires to a 12v live rather than to an earth. Changed over and should all be working now, will take for a run lunchtime and find out.
Next stage rust treatment and paintwork polishing, followed by some time to relax and use it.

Just had this Mobile Valeter round to 'view the job'.

£125 which includes clean/prep, a polish then a protective sealant 'finisher'. He uses a buffer for final finish but did mention unless you know what you are doing with them, you can actually 'burn' the GRP leaving marks you would struggle to get out, so it looks like you made a wise decision to finish by hand.

Not a bad price will be interested on what it looks like when done.

Have you had the roof done yet? Interested on how others find the job. Gave the paintwork a coat of wax for the first time at the weekend , so much bodywork! Found some of the screws holding on the black plastic side panels have rusted so will try and find some replacements.
Underside rust treatment next , wings and arches will have to wait for another year.

jennyandpeter wrote:Have you had the roof done yet? Interested on how others find the job. Gave the paintwork a coat of wax for the first time at the weekend , so much bodywork! Found some of the screws holding on the black plastic side panels have rusted so will try and find some replacements.
Underside rust treatment next , wings and arches will have to wait for another year.

No though he has been round to view the van and given me a price. But my van was going in to a local Body worker to have some remedial work done.....the usual Transit problem areas. Slight bubbling on both door tops between window and quarter light, also the same on the OS rear door. Only just got the van back and now waiting for the Valeter guy to pick a day where the weather isn't against him. Only problem is i'm on limited time now as i'm off on my travels from the 31st.

Incidentally if anyone is looking for a top class body worker, the chap I use comes on the highest recommendations.

All Transits suffered the rust spots I describe and if allowed to go too far, you will be looking at a very expensive total replacement of the door/s. The rust spots can be rubbed down, filled and then sprayed, but Ian takes an entirely different approach by cutting the corroded metal completely out and 'letting in' sections of new metal. And this is where the real skill comes in as I would challenge anyone to attempt to spot where he has done this on the doors......it's totally flush and invisible. To do it on the passenger and driver door of course he had to remove the quarter light glass and seal. The rear door was a little easier. But being the perfectionist he is, though the NS rear door was perfectly sound, he flatted that back and resprayed that also as he rightly points out paintwork 'weathers' and he could easily tell if only one door had been newly sprayed.

He is based in Stoke-on-Trent but for anyone needing any kind of bodywork done to a top class standard.....definitely well worth travelling to.

He can be contacted on 01782-594125 or mob 07980-616117 or email; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

His Bodyshop address; Ian Taylor UK Ltd, Mossfield Road, Adderley Green, Stoke-on-Trent

After hearing a lot of horror stories I was getting worried about the underside, purchased some bilt hamber uc wax cans and dressed suitably crawled under dougle. It is nice that you can get under almost all of the van .Bodywork looks a lot better than I had hoped for so after cleaning gave all the exposed seams and box sections a coat of clear uc wax that comes in huge cans .
 Just needs the wheel arches doing, but as the only proper way is to cut and weld new ones in that will have to wait until next year.

18 months later 2 MOT's passed and getting her ready for half term away. New curtains fitted small microwave purchased as well as tickets for the Peterborough show.
Uprated the headlights as driving around Suffolk in October showed up just how yellow the bulbs were, they may have been the original fit ones.

Very informative thread from you and bulletguy, good for info of body specialist in Stoke on Trent as it's just around the corner from us.
Also very nice van jennyandpeter.
Just had my Broadway back from Auto Sleepers after having minor accident damaged repaired, and warranty work.

John.

Good job it's look like a new one

Hi there,

Just brilliant ....     

.... glad to see that you are still enjoying the experience ....   

.... and I still get a tinge of embarrassment when I see the photograph of the roof!   

Best regards,