Reliant Rialto 2 Restoration Part 5

by Kevin Thompson

Wahey - it's the rubbing down or NOT on the body (GROAN). It was endless rubbing, sore fingers, countless hours rubbing in corners where the orbital could not go. Why don't they invent something to go in corners?  Oh - they did - it's called your fingers!

Oh well ... after a lengthy progress of rubbing and filling (who was it told me it's easy? Ha! By 'eck is it, like) so I finally got to a stage where it was ready for the under coat primer.  I did the engine bay first then got to do inside. As I was doing the whole lot I thought, "Why not?" and did the whole Reliant from top to bottom. After that was done I left it to dry. 

I went out to look at it the next day to see what a mess I had made, so cometh the next day and I was quite surprised. It was a pretty good outcome really as this was only my second attempt at spraying a car - yep, I was pleased. Now it was time to flatten down the primer as I had been told to do from an expert that I picked the paint from.

After I had done all this it was back to wiping it all down and clean from top to bottom and re masking it all again ready for the final top coat paint in the PINK.

So off I went in there with PINK and spray spray spray cough cough oh I forgot my respirator oops ok got it back on (mutter mutter) what I said (that's better lifting the respirator) it was going on pretty good too. Oops there's a run here and there but they came out when I put a second coat on later.

After a few hours I came out looking all pink - that was me I mean - but worth the job though. My wife Sheila was pleased, so while waiting it to dry for another day I made a start on other things that I will I leave for another episode - but I was still painting the body in between.

In the next installment - choosing the tone of PINK that was going on ... more next time in Part 6

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