1959 Peerless Restoration

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nigel c
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by nigel c »

got the file, thanks Dean.

on another area, did you build any supports into the A posts?
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HealeyBN7
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by HealeyBN7 »

nigel c wrote: did you build any supports into the A posts?
I filled the A-pillar cavity with foam, continued across the inside of the roof (a to b to c pillar), shaved it and then covered the foam with epoxy and kevlar cloth. It really changed the strength of the roof and overall body. The previous owner or originally it looks like there was a small rusted and delaminated steel tube glassed into the a-pillar. It wasn't attached to the roof or fender in any way.

I have to cut slots for the headliner bars, but I should be able to screw into the glass for the upper trim pieces.
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nigel c
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by nigel c »

good one. the original was a small dia steel tube and yes it didn't reach top or bottom!
I made a spreader plate to and bottom with holes drilled all over for bonding and solid bar up the inside of the pillar. all in stainless
and I still have a crack at the bottom both sides.
trouble is, this design was never meant to be produced in grp, it was a Ali construction and so would have been fine.
I have never seen another grp car with pillars so elegant (read: thin!)
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nigel c
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by nigel c »

oh and going back to your lovely gutter rails, when you come to do the final fit bed them in with mastic sealant or equivalent....I didn't, I just screwed them back on with stainless steel screws so I could take them off again if I needed too...and I did ....because the first time it rained it pissed through into the car!
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HealeyBN7
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by HealeyBN7 »

The body work continues... Tackled the top fender feature lines and continued to coat the body work in a gray clear gelcoat. It isn't too difficult to sand and block the gelcoat once it hardens, but the real goal here is to find the pinholes and create a boundary layer that will prevent the major repairs from coming back through the paint.

Once I am satisfied that I won't sand through the gelcoat while blocking, I'll coat the car in epoxy before adding a sandable prime coat.

It is starting to look like a car that could actually be painted one day.
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Martin Keller
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by Martin Keller »

Hi Dean,

Well that is looking good.
I remember it when it was not much more than just a disolving body inside of a chain link fence.
Very nice.

:drive
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by VWNate1 »

Wow ;

I can hardly wait until you bring it on one of our fun runs ! :thumbs: .

This car is beautiful and you're making sure it has no peers .
-Nate
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by tannyo »

Wow! It's really starting to look like a car once you put it on the frame. One might even say it looks beautiful.
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by HealeyBN7 »

tannyo wrote: One might even say it looks beautiful.
Let's not go overboard:)

I decided to finish up some of the sanding on the lift inside the barn. I had been resisting this due to the mess it will make, but with a vacuum near by and the damp weather it hasn't been too dusty.

First job was to finish up the front end. To fix some of the "sag" I chopped out a section of the lower right fender to bring it align it with the left side. It had to remove about 3/4 of an inch if material then reshape it to look somewhat like the other side.

While I don'ts have pictures of the changes to the number box, it too was cut and straightened. I don't think anyone will care or notice these adjustments, but I know I wouldn't have been able to look at the car on the lift knowing that I could/should have fixed these areas before paint.

Finally the chrome headlight trim rings needed to be test fitted. Good thing Larry and Nigel talked me into trying these on as it took a full day of sanding and adjusting to get them to look like they belonged.

The front now has a single coat of gelcoat. I have some more pinholes to fill and more areas to flatten, but I am going to hold off on that and work on the under tail section and get it to the same stage next...
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wellwoodautorestoration
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by wellwoodautorestoration »

Dean. I can really appreciate the job you have done on my old Peerless and the time and effort invloved! I don't think I would have ever gone to the lengths you have to build this car. So "Good Job!" Carry on and I hope to have a ride when it is all done.
Cheers, Dave
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by nigel c »

stop it now Dean, this is just getting boring........... :lol: :bow: :bow:
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by Steve Simmons »

It's making me self-conscious about the straightness of my own car. And my car is steel!
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by tannyo »

Steve Simmons wrote:It's making me self-conscious about the straightness of my own car. And my car is steel!
Me too.
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by Larry Kluss »

It looks great all one color! I can really picture the finished product now. I like the original headlight trim rings. They are so unique and help give the phase I cars a special character.
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by HealeyBN7 »

The last couple days have been bumper days...

The Peerless didn't come with bumpers. It should have, but they were long removed and lost years before I saw the car. So before finishing the body work getting bumpers to fit would be prudent.

Fortunately I had a slight head start. A few years ago Dave C lent his front bumpers to a fellow Peerless owner and he created two front urethane molds. Now, I just needed back bumpers to make molds and Dave graciously lent me his.

The process for filling the front mold to create a bumper and creating the rear mold are similar, so I decided to tackle both at the same time. The process looks like this:

1. wax the mold with mold release - parting wax 5 times
2. spray the parts with PVA (a mold release film that smells like white glue and creates flexible bag like film over the part)
3. coat the part with gelcoat (several layers)
4. lay in tissue to prevent the next layers of mat from showing through
5. load the part with mat and resin...repeat until strong enough
6. pray you can get them apart (and not damage Dave's bumpers)

Dean
Attachments
Dave's perfect Peerless bumpers
Dave's perfect Peerless bumpers
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Getting lots of wax and PVA
Getting lots of wax and PVA
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Drying
Drying
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Slopped with white gelcoat
Slopped with white gelcoat
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Applying tissue
Applying tissue
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Mat and resin getting applied
Mat and resin getting applied
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Removal!
Removal!
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First fit - Better to trim then to add...
First fit - Better to trim then to add...
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Last edited by HealeyBN7 on Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by HealeyBN7 »

a few more pictures....
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Dave's bumpers re-emerge
Dave's bumpers re-emerge
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This is why you can't use Warwick bumpers - different style
This is why you can't use Warwick bumpers - different style
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nigel c
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by nigel c »

aaaar I love the smell of resin first thing in the morning.......

nice work and I am going through just the same process at the moment in my workshop but would you believe seats for oil drums not Peerli parts! ho hum.....
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nigel c
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by nigel c »

just looking at the front of the Peerless there, how promanant are the "plinths" for the side light/indicators?
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by HealeyBN7 »

nigel c wrote:just looking at the front of the Peerless there, how promanant are the "plinths" for the side light/indicators?
Hmm Maybe a 1/4 inch at the bottom and they flatten back to the body below the headlight. I can check the Warwick...
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HealeyBN7
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by HealeyBN7 »

Here is a shot of the bodies at the James Whitson and Co factory.

In the second photo you can see original bumper fabricator working away with just a tub of resin, a couple mo(u)lds and a table top.

Not much change from today.
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bodies at james whitson factory.jpg
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by Steve Simmons »

I have a question about the original factory photo. Where are all the empty beer bottles?
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by Martin Keller »

Steve Simmons wrote:I have a question about the original factory photo. Where are all the empty beer bottles?
Under the table....... :D ........

:drive
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nigel c
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by nigel c »

I notice dean hasn't gone for the polythene off the shoulder number either, I thought this was a true replication of the original production line!

On the side light "plinths" matter that sounds about right. They are quite easy to rub off/loose in all the process' you have gone through....have to keep an eye on standards you understand..... :roll:
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by DaveC »

Wow - they look as good as new! Speedy-quick work too.
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Re: 1959 Peerless Restoration

Post by HealeyBN7 »

DaveC wrote:Wow - they look as good as new! Speedy-quick work too.
Dave, Thank you so much for lending me the bumpers. There were a few moments when I wondered if you made a wise decision.

Dean
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