As told by an old Rolls Royce painter.
Getting that deep lustrous shine to the acrylic paint of your restoration or re-painted project is easier than you think, just by following these guidelines.
Purchase the new style domed foam/sponge buffer pad and forget the lambswool one which tends to “bite” and skid on your paintwork.
The sponge buffer is ideal for broad surfaces and getting into those hard to reach areas, wrapping itself nicely around your chrome work without flicking, all the while giving a lovely shine as it goes.
I recommend Polyglaze Compound No.2 for your first buff back after wet and dry sanding, and then Polyglaze Finishing Coat for your final. It gives a deep mirror effect to any acrylic paint surface.
Now, with a soft brush, paint the rubbing compound to every part of the vehicle to be buffed. It doesn’t matter if it dries out. Keep your buffer pad moist by regularly dipping into a bucket of water and commence working the surface, using an ironing spray pumper filled with water to moisten and soften the painted polish as you work with the buffer. This removes the tendency for the paint to heat up and “roll” under the buffer, and does not leave any scratching on the surface.
When you think it’s all finished, and you have a lustrous coat, there is a “piece de resistance” we used in the Rolls Factory, by applying unadulterated beeswax to the surface area and with a fresh foam buffer, bringing the paint job to a deep mirror finish that even 3 coats of clear would be hard pressed to match. Happy Buffing!
Temperature Gauge Calibration
Summer is with us and the Mini overheating is on everybody's mind, while the temperature gauge won't keep your engine cool but it will let you know what is happening if it is working correctly
With a capillary type gauge (mechanical);
Remove the sender unit from the head. Fill a small pot with water and bring to a rapid boil using a propane torch. Be careful to keep the flame away from any fuel or body parts. Insert the sending unit bulb into the boiling water. Your gauge should read 212° F or be on the start of the "H" area of the later models. If it reads otherwise, and the gauge can be pulled apart (e.g. Smiths) remove the gauge from the dash, and remove the chrome bezel , Twist the rim until the slots line up, remove the glass lens (it will usually needed cleaning anyway), gently pull the needle off its shaft, and replace it at 212°. Reassemble the gauge, replace the sender unit, top up coolant.
With an electric type gauge;
Remove the sender unit from the head as with the capillary gauge. Using as before a small pot with boiling water, Insert the sender unit with another wire from an earth on the car. Once again your gauge should read 212° F or be on the start of the "H" area of the later models. If the gauge can be pulled apart (e.g. Smiths) it too can be recalibrated in the same way as the mechanical gauge.
If you don't have a propane torch or any other way of heating the water you can remove the gauge and do all this on the kitchen stove, with an electric gauge you will need a power source and some wiring as well.
Reverse Rims
A question that comes up frequently is about the differences between Cooper S rims and reverse rims. Well, here is the answer!
The Cooper S used a 9 hole ventilated rim. The standard factory fitment to the 'S' was 3.5" wide. An optional 4.5" wide rim was offered.
The 'S' brakes had the wheel mounting face set further out than the drum brakes. Therefore, the wheel had to be more 'inset' than the drum type wheel in order to remain under the bodywork.
'S' rims do not fit drum brake cars without using spacers.
Reverse rims were introduced to allow the use of the 4.5" rim on drum brakes. These were more 'offset' than the 'S' type to fit on drum brakes. Reverse rims extend beyond the body when fitted to an 'S'. Reverse rims were available with 9 hole or standard centres.
997 & 998 Coopers were never fitted with ventilated wheels by the factory.
February 2001