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 Posted: Sep 8, 2018 09:41PM
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Member since:Jun 21, 2011
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@bluedragon, thanks for the amazing info, you've definitely helped me narrow down my search so I'll know what to order in the next week or so. 

@thewerewolf, I'm in Las Vegas and this project is going to be as DIY as I can possibly make it. Painting is something I've always wanted to learn and I've taught myself a lot of random things so I love the trial and error process. Also, I just got done building my 99 GSX so I've gained the confidence to tackle my mini with the help of this forum and a lot of internet searching of course, lol.

Thanks to everyone as always. This forum rocks.

 Posted: Sep 8, 2018 12:50PM
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highfade.. where are you ?/ maybe someone can recommend a paint and body shop to finish..  later bc

 Posted: Sep 8, 2018 12:19PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by highfade
The New Project

Hello again, I’m back for more advice from the mini experts.


As you can see from my profile pic and the link images my little beauty is in need of some TLC. Mechanically I couldn’t be happier, the previous owner spared no expense and she runs and rides like a champ. Outside it’s another story, lol.


What I need opinions and help on are a few things because I like gathering as much info as possible, 

        1. 1. The fender flares (wheel arches) are fiberglass, the Fortech Kit I believe, and the body is, you guessed it, metal. I’m going to roughen the surface before priming but I’m finding mixed messages as far as primer goes. Should I use and epoxy primer because I’m dealing with multiple surface materials or is a urethane primer good enough?
          Thanks in advance for any help, I appreciate it, I'd rather ask the simple questions now and triple check everything before I screw something up.  



The primary advantage to epoxy primer is corrosion resistance, which isn't an issue for fiberglass. If you haven't bought any primer yet, I'd go for the epoxy, especially if you think you're going to prime bare metal as well. But if you already have the urethane primer at hand, and don't plan to prime any metal, the urethane primer will be OK. 

You may end up getting both anyway. If you choose the epoxy primer, and find that the flares need finishing work to make them perfectly smooth, you might end up wanting a high-build (heavy thickness) primer for sanding and leveling purposes. These are typically urethane primers. Epoxies aren't high-build primers for leveling surface defects.
Quote:
Originally Posted by highfade
  •  
  • 2. Speaking of the Flares, they have been riveted on. I’m going to use an undercoating on the bottom of the car and inside the wheel arches but am torn on whether I should drill out the rivets to prime every surface and then reattach. Or can I finish the rivet job, prime everything, undercoat and then seal the gap between the car and flares? Thoughts?
Ideally I'd redrill. On many arched Minis you will find corrosion where the flares and metal meet. In a dry climate though you might be OK. A flexible barrier, be it a durable sealant or a flexible gasket, would help prevent this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by highfade
  • 3. Any experience or thoughts on using acrylic lacquer auto paint compared to the single stage? Again, I’m torn between the base/clear coat vs the single stage. I live in Vegas so there is no avoiding the sun so I’m curious as to anyone’s experience with durability and UV holdup.
  •  
In Las Vegas, not lacquer (unless the car is usually garaged and not driven in the sun.) Lacquer is much more prone to fading, chipping, and cracking than a enamel. Ideally, a two stage enamel (urethane) would be used if you want to approach modern paint durability, but you need safety equipment (good respirator and protection for exposed skin) to safely spray these paints. I don't know to what extent you already have the equipment. At least an enamel with hardener. The ultimate would be a polyurethane clear coat for durability, but these are very dangerous to health and absolutely require an air respirator to spray safely (and if the rest of the car isn't clear coated, it won't match correctly.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by highfade
  •  
  • 4. Last thing, any clear instructions floating around on attaching the Flares without using rivets. I’ve seen pics of lots of different flares and they seem to blend into the body, including the actual Fortech race cars, is this done with an adhesive to hold the flares in place and then fiberglass or body filler to blend before prime/paint? 
I'm not sure myself what the actual Fortech cars used, but there are special two part adhesives (such as ones by 3M) that will bond fiberglass to metal. You can then use body filler to blend it in, but because fiberglass and metal expand and flex at different rates, you have to expect that some sort of crack at the join will appear eventually. Here's some information on glues. //multimedia.3m.com/mws/media/328280O/3mtm-scotch-weldtm-structural-adhesives-sel-gd.pdf?fn=Final%20Structural%20Adhesive%20Guide

I'd use epoxy primer wherever bare metal is encountered.

DLY
 Posted: Sep 8, 2018 09:09AM
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Member since:Jun 21, 2011
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Thanks very much for all the info.

Makes sense about the flares not being attached permanently for repair reasons, the one good thing is that I know the rivets are stainless steel, the previous owner included a box with the car to finish off the process but I really like the idea of being able to take them on and off.

I'd think using rivnuts (aka threaded inserts) for the screws over something like Teks Screws would be the correct way to approach removable flares, correct?

Paint makes sense too.

Thanks again!!!

 Posted: Sep 8, 2018 08:47AM
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US
epoxy primer is superior

rivets made of aluminum will cause a galvanic reaction and eventually become the sacrificial metal when in contact with another metal.

You could attach the flares with stainless sheet metal screws. Flares get broken and I'd personally rather not have to remove a bonded flare from the fender. Bondo'd or glued.

Two stage paint is easier to do touchups.  Color is blended into defect and the clear makes it invisible.

 Posted: Sep 7, 2018 11:43PM
Total posts: 19
Last post: Nov 8, 2018
Member since:Jun 21, 2011
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The New Project

Hello again, I’m back for more advice from the mini experts.


As you can see from my profile pic and the link images my little beauty is in need of some TLC. Mechanically I couldn’t be happier, the previous owner spared no expense and she runs and rides like a champ. Outside it’s another story, lol.


What I need opinions and help on are a few things because I like gathering as much info as possible, 

  1. 1. The fender flares (wheel arches) are fiberglass, the Fortech Kit I believe, and the body is, you guessed it, metal. I’m going to roughen the surface before priming but I’m finding mixed messages as far as primer goes. Should I use and epoxy primer because I’m dealing with multiple surface materials or is a urethane primer good enough?
  2.  
  3. 2. Speaking of the Flares, they have been riveted on. I’m going to use an undercoating on the bottom of the car and inside the wheel arches but am torn on whether I should drill out the rivets to prime every surface and then reattach. Or can I finish the rivet job, prime everything, undercoat and then seal the gap between the car and flares? Thoughts?
  4.  
  5. 3. Any experience or thoughts on using acrylic lacquer auto paint compared to the single stage? Again, I’m torn between the base/clear coat vs the single stage. I live in Vegas so there is no avoiding the sun so I’m curious as to anyone’s experience with durability and UV holdup.
  6.  
  7. 4. Last thing, any clear instructions floating around on attaching the Flares without using rivets. I’ve seen pics of lots of different flares and they seem to blend into the body, including the actual Fortech race cars, is this done with an adhesive to hold the flares in place and then fiberglass or body filler to blend before prime/paint? 

Thanks in advance for any help, I appreciate it, I'd rather ask the simple questions now and triple check everything before I screw something up.