POR15 & Parabolics
The Mystical Turnaround
With each restoration comes the time when the process changes from disassembly to reassembly. I had sandblasted Maggie's frame, and now I found myself washing it to remove any and all grease, in preparation to coating it with POR15. I used laundry detergent for the scrub down. POR15 supposedly will go over surface rust just fine, but it doesn't like grease.
I used that to my advantage. When it came time to paint the frame, I put Maggie up on some high stands. I wore surgical gloves and long sleeves. They say that POR15 has to just wear off your skin. Nothing will remove it.When you are painting a complex object such as a frame, it pays to be systematic. I painted the interior areas first, then the bottom, the outside, and finally the top. This order of doing things helped keep the POR15 off me. I had a friend carry a halogen light, and look for missed areas. It is difficult to see them as you paint.
POR15 comes with quite a reputation. It is supposed to be nearly indestructible. It brushes on smoothly, flowing rapidly to a glass like finish. I quickly learned that foam brushes are inadequate. Get some cheap bristle brushes. POR15 does have a strong odor. I used a diesel heater to heat the shop and help the POR15 to dry. This contributed, no doubt, to the aromatic experience that resulted in complaints from my better half.
One quart was enough to put a single coat on the entire frame, both axles, and four wheels. With the shop heated to a balmy 90 degrees in January, the POR15 took about five hours to dry. The finish was everything it is cracked up to be, and as usual surface prep means everything.
Maggie's OEM springs are rusted and practically flat. I was lucky enough to find a deal on some Rocky Mountain Parabolic springs on the net. 
To see my first experience with Rocky Mountain springs, click here. I am very pleased with them. The springs I acquired for Maggie are the two leaf rears. I was a bit concerned about stability, since Maggie will retain her hardtop. Ray Wood assured me there would be no stability problems. I am not going to go to indepth into the spring swap here. Suffice to say, it was much easier without the body on the Rover. I ended up replacing all the bolts. For specifics on installing these parabolics, see my parabolic page.
Once I had the parabolics installed, I realized that I had reached that elusive point, the Mystical Turnaround. From here on out, the amount of space necessary will dwindle. Dissasembly is past, reassembly begins. Refurbished parts will be returned to a vehicle that slowly returns to life. Time for a beer.
They are not a how to guide on vehicle maintenance or restoration. If you get POR15 on your skin, it may not come off. It may stay on for a week, until your skin exfoliates. The fumes are strong. Ventilate well. If you use parabolic springs, your suspension characteristics will change. Drive carefully until you adapt to the changes. For more of this legal CYA stuff, click here. |
[ Rover Assessment ] [ Steering Straight ]
[ Minimal Wiring ] [ Worth $500? ] [ Fuel Supply ]
[ Idle Thoughts ] [ Tough Decisions ] [ Spinning Wheels ]
[ Stripping Down ] [ The Bulkhead ] [ The Bulkhead 2 ]
[ Maggie's Motor ] [ Chassis Prep ] [ POR15 & Parabolics ]
[ Synergy ] [ The Breakfast ] [ Waking the Neighbors ]
[ A New Look ] [ Test Drive! ] [ Designing Woman ]
[ Mystery Solved ] [ More Juju ] [ Whoa Maggie! ]
[ Finish Line! ] [ Epilogue ]
[ Due Thank Yous ]
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