TD Coupe --(arbs)

[old forum]

I just started working on my td coupe which used to belong to my parents but has been sitting in the yard for a year and has alot of rust.im basically filling the rust holes with body filler after applying rust converter and i was wondering if that was the way to go.Also im looking to get a new paint job and i wanna know roughly how much that is gonna cost me
thanks

ps-interceptors look awesome on a td coupe

[old forum]

Ok, bog (AKA polyester body filler) isn't a good way to do anything, it is a nasty shoddy approach, that said even my beloved gertrude carries a fair bit of it. For the simple reason that while it may be nasty, it is cheap and it is (in the short term) effective.

You have two other options, chase replacement panels, usually you can find some with 'less' rust, hoping for no rust would be getting a little too optimistic.

Once you have decided to either stick with what you've got or source replacement panels find someone with a mig/tig/high quality bodyshop grade oxy and get them to carefully and neatly weld metal into the rust holes, using the very least amount of heat necessary to avoid warping and allow the welds to cool regularly as you work. The grind and file the welds back to a smooth finish then apply either a thin smear of bog or a coat of anti corrosive etch primer followed a few coats of high build primer.

It sounds hard but it is something that once you have messed around for a while becomes fairly straight forward.

As far as painting goes you have choices, bodyshop or home, my gertrude ( http://members.nbci.com/geminisedan/Big%20Gun.jpg ) is a home spray job, and the gunwork is immaculate (although my preparation is abysmal) the total cost was 4 litres of primer, 4 litres of clear, 4 litres of Atlantis Blue Metallic Acrylic, 20 litres of thinners, 1 litre of retarder, shitloads of sandpaper, a few spraycans of misc other paints, a sanding block, two rolls of masking tape, a newspaper (free) and some new filters for the face mask.

I spent literally hours ringing around chasing prices for thinners and paints etc and was surprised to find that Autobarn was by far and away the cheapest source. Once you have all your bits and pieces you will either need to find a friend with or hire a compressor, spray gun, regulator, air-oil seperator. Spend hours getting your panels immaculately straight, I can not stress this enough, I did a lousy job on gertrude and I am still kicking myself to this day.

If you are still deciding on a colour, don't, don't use a colour, it isn't worth it, paint your car white, use a really generic white, eg. motospray high opacity white. It is cheap, effective, attractive, visible, clean, hides dints and incredibly easy to paint. Any future gemini I own will be painted with motospray high opacity white, inside, outside, underneath, everything.

Now I know you asked for a price estimate but I painted my car over a year ago meaning prices will change, go to your local autobarn and get a price for 4 litres of motospray high opacity white, 4 litres of primer filler, 4 litres of acrylic clear, 20 litres of painting grade thinners and if it is hot and humid (aka my house at the moment) consider investing in some retarder. Then pick the paint guys brains about preparation etc. Make sure you get the paint fact sheets with anything you either buy or even if you are just browsing.

[old forum]

Thanks alot for your help/Your td is exactly the same as mine including colour with the exception of the rust and the lights on mine are rectangular.I dont really have enough confidence at the moment to paint it myself so could you give me a rough estimate on how much a respray would cost (red or black)
thanks adam

[old forum]

The second reason I fitted round headlights to my TD was that it was much easier to then source H4 style headlights and fit upgraded bulbs.

If you want to know the first reason check the price of a new TD headlight.

[old forum]

i agree with adam
after painting my gemi british racing green
sick finish like a mirror
but it shows up all the dents that i was to lazy to fix
errgh
white is the best
a bloke at work painted his datto ute in that motospray white
and it looks like some one had a party on his roof and u have to look close to see it
arghhh