NEW CAR AGAIN.... 1956 Bristol 405 CHASSIS - 4106. 405GMT

[hesketh786]

Hiya Geoff,

Thanks for the message.

I may put "7SHM" on the 405 once finished but your correct at the moment 405GMT is currently registered to the car.

I did try paint stripper on a few panels - but i found it clogged up my sanding discs when i came to sand.

So 90% i just sanded without any stripper.

Yes the car is very straight which i'm so happy about !

And maybe yes - i'm in talks with R Hackett as he has found me an engine & gearbox

all the best

H

p.s - both bumpers are now off !

[Geoff Dowdle]

"H",
I have stripped the paint off many Bristol's over the years and found paint stripper and scraper works the best . Sometimes it needs three applications and the final one needs to be finished with various grades of wet and dry sandpaper with plenty of water.
Your method sounds quite slow and therefore time consuming .
But you have most of it off the external body skin now .
Are you planning the strip the paint off the door , boot and bonnet openings/frames? If so this will have to be done with paint stripper , scraper and wet and dry sandpaper.

There are plenty of Bristol engines and gearboxes available but prices vary a lot depending on type and condition. I have heard the family of the late Brian May could have at least ten engines and fifteen gearboxes that would all be for sale .
Condition of any Bristol 6 cylinder motor or gearbox is most important as the rebuild cost could be more than the purchase price.
What is the saying "Buyer beware"

Regards
Geoff

[hesketh786]

Evening Geoff,

Ahhh i see, i only applied one heavy layer then covered it in industrial cling-film, ill give it another shot and yes all the places you mentioned i will also strip the paint. Thanks for the tip !

Oh really - thats great news ill call his daughter Fiona sometime soon and ask her whats available.

And absolutely agree, its all about the condition that matters most hence why i've not bought anything straight away without assessing all the ones available !

best,
h

[David C]

I'm curious to know if anyone has recently found a paint stripper that works. I did half a job with an old can of Nitromors that I had on the shelf and then bought a new can of a modern replacement. It really didn't work very well.
The active ingredient in the older stuff has been outlawed and there doesn't seem to be a very effective replacement yet.

[Raymond]

I have found quite good results can be achieved by careful use of an electric hot air gun. Just remember to keep the heat away from rubber parts.

I say careful, because too much heat could cause distortion of aluminium... but you would need to be pretty brutal to do any damage.!!

Assuming the paint is nitro cellulose, quite a good way to remove what is left after scraping it would be to wipe it over with thinners.

[Kevin H]

Originally Posted by Raymond

Assuming the paint is nitro cellulose, quite a good way to remove what is left after scraping it would be to wipe it over with thinners.

Nitrocellulose? I hope not!

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by Kevin H

Nitrocellulose? I hope not!

So forgive me ... but what do you think they painted cars with in the 1950s?