Restoration story of my Spitfire convertible

Tags: #<Tag:0x007f46c4889f98>

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 18:34:24 +0500 #4561

Pressing with glass plate while hot.....Actually vinyl becomes soft with heating...and pressing with flat surface removes small irregularities....

qwertypoiu (qwertypoiu) 2010-10-24 18:36:52 +0500 #4562

very nice. like the attention to detail

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 18:37:51 +0500 #4563

Some more heating......

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 18:40:55 +0500 #4564

@qwertypoiu....
Thanks dear......we could complete this restoration a year or more earlier if not doing so....

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 18:47:36 +0500 #4565

After heating more pressing towards the edge......all this exercise was to get maximum finish for recovering...

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 18:52:45 +0500 #4566

Repaired this small crack as well..

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 18:59:43 +0500 #4567

wind screen vent /demister slit being filed....
I tell you one interesting thing here.As you can see that we are going in very minor details....but still missed something here.... and we had to remove the fascia top after fixing to rectify the fault....

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 19:03:03 +0500 #4568

Filled this small crack too...and then finished with sand paper.....

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 19:12:12 +0500 #4569

Sanded/roughened whole surface for adhesive to stick strongly....

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 19:16:24 +0500 #4570

Nice n smooth edge and surface is achieved by filling/grinding/heating/pressing...etc

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 19:19:32 +0500 #4571

Noticed some small dibs at a couple of places....filled them as well...

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 19:26:45 +0500 #4572

Now we moved towards the steps to re-cover the whole fascia top with leatherite....
First of all I thought to use real leather all over but then decided against it after considering maintenance factor....
Making "Farma " of the shape which surrounds ashtray... If you see previous pic...you can notice this deep shape...

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 19:30:32 +0500 #4573

This was the shape I was talking about....

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 19:33:58 +0500 #4574

After having an impression of this shape on the chart paper and cutting it.....transferred it on the hard board...

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 19:37:12 +0500 #4575

After cutting hard board of the same shape.....smoothing out the edges with file...

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 19:43:56 +0500 #4576

And then tapering/rounding from one side...So that it sits in that shape nicely...because if you see closely,you can notice that ashtray surrounds area is round at the lower side....

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 19:47:59 +0500 #4577

A better view of what we are doing ......The only purpose to fabricate this is to make a "PRESS" to fix letherite precisely into that ditch/ashtray surrounding area.....
You don't understand???ok...you will see in the coming pics...

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 19:50:49 +0500 #4578

You see...our fabricated "PRESS" sits neatly and precisely in the ashtray area...

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 20:03:40 +0500 #4579

Another view of the fabricated piece of hardboard to be used to press the leatherire in place....notice nice n round edges....

spitfire (spitfire) 2010-10-24 20:07:56 +0500 #4580

I chose imported very good quality material.....looks like real leather....