Imprisonment - Day 53

Imprisonment - Day fifty three
Wednesday 13th May 2020

Cycling Statistics
Cars - 28
Motorbikes - 0
Bikes - 1
Dog walkers - 0
Walkers - 4
Runners - 2
Horses - 0
Horse walkers - 0
Molehills - 0
Cycling temperature - 3.6c

My car statistics will be interesting over the next few days to see if more people are going back to work. Today the number of cars was what has become the norm at between twenty to thirty a day.

Today I decided that instead of flatting back the topcoat on the Bentley I would spray the front headlight cowls with lacquer to test what the car will look like. When I was flatting them back ready to spray I was not happy with the finish of one them so I sprayed it again with topcoat. The other I sprayed with lacquer and was amazed at the finish it was silky smooth with a mirror finish. Unfortunately I'm going to have to rub it down and lacquer it again as there was a tiny run but other than that I'm very very pleased with the result. If the whole car sprays to that standard I'll be over the moon.

I've went off at a bit of a tangent today as I was not happy with the finish at the top of the body where it meets the interior upholstery as it was a little craggy. In the end I have stripped out the upholstery on the side panels and the front passenger door and have decided to renew them. The rear seats and panels are original and in a reasonable condition as they've had little use. I have just enough leather to match the colour of the front seats which I recovered some years ago and I have ordered some foam off eBay for the padding as the original horsehair is 'orrible stuff. Doing this allows me to get a better finish on the top of the exterior panels and will have the benefit of lifting the interior. Although I have to be careful not to lose the cars patina. Another benefit is that I love sowing leather.

Whilst stripping out the old upholstery and taking out the endless tacks I came across an old tax disc from 1958. An amazing find at the bottom of the door pocket.

I now have lots more to do whatever the weather spraying if its warm and sunny and leather work if it's nasty cold or wet.