"Eric" the Ferrets Respray

[Richard Grosvenor]

Well after lots and lots of rubbing down Eric's makeover is more a less complete.

 

This is how he looked before

Not too bad but the paint was very soft and matt and marked very easily so....

this winter into the work shop he goes.

 

I started on the wheel arches and found the paint to be very loose so had to scrape it all off

 

Before priming

 

And then finish coat. Lovely 8)

 

I did all four wheel arches before turning to the long, hard, boring job of rubbing down :cry:

 

This photo shows how the dirt had gone into the soft paint. I used it almost like a high build primer and sanded it until I got to the clean layer of paint underneath

 

But then one day it was ready for paint.

 

And after blowing all the dust off and cleaning the whole lot down with degreaser I started spraying.

I used a cheap and cheerful suction feed spray gun. Even though it was only about £15 I've used it loads and found the finish to be plenty good enough for a military paint-job

 

Putting the wheels back on was fun trying not the chip the paint!

 

I masked the Allied Marking before brushing them with a good quality paint brush which I've had for years.

 

Exhaust looks a lot better with a coat of paint!

 

Nearly ready to go public again.

 

And after painting the wheel nut's, blacking the tyres and adding some Union Jacks, Eric was on show for the first time this Easter weekend.

 

 

 

Here's a little video clip taken tonight while he was warming up ready for his first run of the year.

 

You know, I'd forgotten how much fun a Ferret is to drive! 8) :lol:

 

Well, I hope thats been of interest to someone :wink: I don't think he's turned out too bad really.

 

Next week I start on the Militant. :shock:

 

Regards

Richard

[ArtistsRifles]

Looks nice - maybe one day I'll get to see Eric

 

I can recall spraying 4-tonners with an airgun run from the vehicles compressor - so it was done out in the MT yard with the engine running!!!

On that basis - I wouldn't worry too much about the spray gun you've used!!

[mick garner]

Wow richard, that looks a million times better, mine needs touching up in a few places but the paint looks fine as it is. I suppose i'll get round to it one day. I need to paint up some wheels, as my ones on there now have sidewall cracking, I have some nato light stone but it isn't the same, it looks a lot lighter, what did you use?

Mick.

[Richard Grosvenor]

Thanks guys! :lol:

 

Well Neal, all being well we should be at Duxford so you should see us then.

I think I try to hard when spraying a vehicle. I remember seeing an old picture in one of the magazines of a soldier spraying a jeep, with a fag hanging out of his mouth and nothing masked up at all! :lol:

 

Hello Mick,

The paint I used came from Marcus Glenn and it's quite good. The only problem with Marcus's paint is that it varies quite a bit. This sand stuff and some black we got from him was good but some Nato green was horrible! Really flat and not a nice colour. I now get Nato Green from a local automotive paint supplier. It's synthetic, covers really well and seems to weather well. It's twice the price of the military dealers paint but it's well worth it.

 

Is it the tyre's that have cracking? If it is, and it's only slight and not too deep try Holts tyre dressing. Not only does it black the tyres it is also designed to fill cracks and little cuts ( if they're not bad!) And it's very cheap. Under £10 for 5ltr and it goes miles, I've done all my vehicles loads of times and I've only used about half a tin!

 

Regards

Richard

[tyler]

Very very nice indeed, will you be refitting the basket above the engine?

 

Tyler.

[Richard Grosvenor]

Thanks Tyler,

 

I'm quite pleased with the way it turned out, mind you it took long enough!

I'm not sure about the basket, it's been shot-blasted and primed but I haven't finished it yet. It does make access to the engine a bit of a pain and it marks the paint where it closes down ( that's the real reason :wink: ) but it is useful for carrying stuff so it will probably go back on soon.

 

I see your Austin is coming along, hard work though isn't it !? :shock:

 

Don't ask about the Militant, I have spent hours and hours rubbing it down, we've replaced loads of rusty metal and it's still no where near ready for paint.

I'm now in the "wish I hadn't started" part of the job.

 

Regards

Richard