9-28-08

I finished prepping the metal and the fiberglass repairs on the driver’s side floorboards. After I did, I sprayed on the first layer of the truck bed lining. I left it to dry overnight and came back and found that about 30% had bubbled and lifted. It did so where the metal had primer applied to it. The bed liner spray, especially where the layer was slightly thicker, just ate through and loosened the primer. It was easy enough to fix. Since it takes at least a day or two for the liner to fully harden, I just took a wide wire brush to it and the lifted parts just sort of rubbed right off, taking the primer with it and leaving bare metal. I did a light wiping with acetone to make sure it was clean and then sprayed a new layer of liner and there was no lifting or bubbling at all. The spray on liner doesn’t affect old or fully cured paint or fiberglass but it lifts new paint or primer right off. You can be sure that when I spray the passenger side floorboards, I’ll have taken any primer or paint off before I do.

Before and after of the driver's side floor pan.

I sprayed three more layers since and it looks like it will work out well at protecting the metal. Truck bed liner is tough as nails, easy to apply and is way less toxic (and way less expensive) than Por-15. When I prep the metal in the rocker panels I may still use Por-15 to protect it but I may go with the truck bed liner…haven’t decided yet. I figure it will take 6 cans of the spray cans of the bed liner to do the entire cockpit (not counting the rear deck area which is already primed and painted) and at about $7.00 per can that’s pretty cheap…just like me.

One of the guys I met on the MG forum (mgexperience.com) stopped by to look at a part I have as reference for some panels he needs to cut out of a parts car. He’s a really nice guy who pulled up to my house in a red B that looks like mine back when it was newly-restored. (I am jealous) Its really nice to be getting back into the MG community again after being away for around 10 years. I don’t think I’ve ever met an MG owner who wasn’t a really nice person. Maybe it just goes along with being an owner of such a unique little car. By some unusual coincidence, there happens to be a very large number of MGB owners on the forum who live within 50 miles or less from my house…and a large number of those live within 15 minutes of me. I’m really looking forward to getting to know more people on the forum.