final bodywork and re-spray
Now that Billy was level and structurally sound, and his aluminium panels in place, it was time to move on to the last of his body repairs and preparation, ready for his final re-spray.
It was essential that Billy was absolutely watertight, so I focused on making sure even the tiniest hole was found and filled, and that sealant ensured there were no gaps in any panel joins or seams.
Work had been completed to instal new wiring throughout. The engine had a new wiring loom, along with leisure battery, and wiring for power in the rear living area.
So while the experts moved on to the re-spray, I cleaned, rubbed down and polished every bit of chromework and aluminium detail that would be replaced.
BODYWORK REPAIRS
There were a few small dints on the bonnet that needed to be knocked out, and holes to be filled where I'd removed the old emergency light on the cab roof, but otherwise the front bodywork was in good condition. The only rust was on the bottom of the passenger door and the door sill. Once these were repaird, the full body preparation could begin.
BODYWORK PREPARATION
Having made sure all the metalwork was fully repaired and prepared, the overlaid joins on the aluminium panels were sealed, the gutter rails re-attached, and the entire bodywork rubbed down, ready for the first of two primer coats.
THE RE-SPRAY
Billy is in two colours, and the full re-spray had to be carried out in a number of stages. And with him being so tall, he didn't fit into the spray booth, so the drying time between applications was much longer than is usual. The primer undercoat was sprayed with white primer, as a base for the final colour. I'd chosen the main colour as what I called metallic 'Liquid Caramel'. And applying the contrasting colour, 'English White', was in itself a three-stage process.
IT'S ALL IN THE DETAIL
The final work was to spray the front wheel arches. The line of the arches curves over the cab doors, so these had to be in place to complete the spraying to ensure we achieved a true and beautiful line.
A NEW BILLY
The full re-spray was a lengthy process, and took a lot of skill - but was worth all the effort. Billy looks stunning!
Once all the doors and the bonnet were put back on, and the windscreen was in, I could move on to the final bodywork detailing, fitting new aluminium extrusion trims along all the panel joins at the rear.
