Hey Udo,
What is the Miura like to drive, (when the steering wheel is behaving of course)? I would assume it is only fun out in the country with no other cars around to worry about in that you can't see out of it well? But I could be totally wrong, hell, Rod Stewart used one as his everyday car. Best, Yale
Steering wheel finish
fininsh
hey bernard-
glad to see you are giving the Z-Spar a shot
I think you will be very happy with the results-
if done properly, the resultant finish
has a glow and a depth that can't be matched
speaking of proper procedure
I do not know how much experience you have
in refinishing so
I would like to offer the following tips:
as with any finish,
preparation is paramount-
the best finish in the world
wont make up for a poor prep job
I prefer to use finer sandpaper
and use more elbow grease
as opposed to having to deal with deeper scratches
that coarser grits can yield
I would recommend NOT using stain
but that is a matter of personal preference
I prefer the 'natural' look
I do not use sealers, either
just many coats with very thinned varnish
until the wood is sealed
the old adage of many thin coats
is better than one thick coat
is especially pertinent here
use of a 'tack rag' is important
before finshing, and between coats
it is also extremely important
to provide a DUST FREE environment
for the application, and most importantly
throughout the drying phase of the process
(usually takes a real long time to dry)
as any dust settling into the finish
really detracts from the appearance
it is best to do sanding and finishing
in two seperate areas if at all possible
at the very least suspend all dust creating activities
well before fininshing begins and for the duration
(and ban all CATS from the area
as they take an especially fiendish delight
in spoiling that final pristine top coat
with cat hairs if not paw prints)
glad to see you are giving the Z-Spar a shot
I think you will be very happy with the results-
if done properly, the resultant finish
has a glow and a depth that can't be matched
speaking of proper procedure
I do not know how much experience you have
in refinishing so
I would like to offer the following tips:
as with any finish,
preparation is paramount-
the best finish in the world
wont make up for a poor prep job
I prefer to use finer sandpaper
and use more elbow grease
as opposed to having to deal with deeper scratches
that coarser grits can yield
I would recommend NOT using stain
but that is a matter of personal preference
I prefer the 'natural' look
I do not use sealers, either
just many coats with very thinned varnish
until the wood is sealed
the old adage of many thin coats
is better than one thick coat
is especially pertinent here
use of a 'tack rag' is important
before finshing, and between coats
it is also extremely important
to provide a DUST FREE environment
for the application, and most importantly
throughout the drying phase of the process
(usually takes a real long time to dry)
as any dust settling into the finish
really detracts from the appearance
it is best to do sanding and finishing
in two seperate areas if at all possible
at the very least suspend all dust creating activities
well before fininshing begins and for the duration
(and ban all CATS from the area
as they take an especially fiendish delight
in spoiling that final pristine top coat
with cat hairs if not paw prints)
-
Bernard Fahimian
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2002 1:15 am
Yale, the car is definitely best out on the open road. In town it is not very fun, mainly because I'm too paranoid someone is going to hit me. The Miura is a little cramped for me - I'm 6'2" and a bit wider than I was at 18. The variety of mechanical noises is just incredible. Carbs, cam chains, tranny and transfer gears, exhaust - what a rush. Unfortunately, being a black on black car, with no A/C, here in AZ it is uncomfortable to drive in the mid-day sun if the ambient temps are above 85 deg. F. It gets quite toasty.
Udo
Udo
-
Bernard Fahimian
- Posts: 42
- Joined: Tue Sep 03, 2002 1:15 am
-
Joel Benatar
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2002 12:56 pm
- Location: San Diego California
finish
Bernard-
I would recommend not using any kind of filler or sealer.
I would also recommend not using any stain
(but that is a personal preference)
this results in a light, natural finish
I prefer using a brush
as you get much better control IMHO
the technique I use is to thin out the Varnish
with the proper thinner to a rather thin consisitency
this allows greater penetration
(and speeds drying)
but this also increases the propensity
for drips, runs and sags
so you need to be careful to avoid these
and go over the finished areas several times with the brush
before the varnish sets up
(I would use only a good quality natural fiber brush btw)
the application of this concoction
will tend to raise the fibers of the wood
so it will need to be sanded smooth again
(and cleaned with Tack Rag)
each time after it is dry
this process with the thinned Varnish
needs to be repeated until the wood is fully sealed-
some parts of the grain will cover easily
other parts will soak up all the finish
and leave voids and rough spots
when the wood is fully sealed,
you will be able to tell by appearance:
the surface will be completely smooth
this may take many applications
but again, many light coats are preferable
to a few heavy ones
once the wood is sealed
the final applications of Varnish can then be applied
use less thinner, and apply heavier coats
2 coats should be enough-
remember to keep the dust out of the air
I would recommend not using any kind of filler or sealer.
I would also recommend not using any stain
(but that is a personal preference)
this results in a light, natural finish
I prefer using a brush
as you get much better control IMHO
the technique I use is to thin out the Varnish
with the proper thinner to a rather thin consisitency
this allows greater penetration
(and speeds drying)
but this also increases the propensity
for drips, runs and sags
so you need to be careful to avoid these
and go over the finished areas several times with the brush
before the varnish sets up
(I would use only a good quality natural fiber brush btw)
the application of this concoction
will tend to raise the fibers of the wood
so it will need to be sanded smooth again
(and cleaned with Tack Rag)
each time after it is dry
this process with the thinned Varnish
needs to be repeated until the wood is fully sealed-
some parts of the grain will cover easily
other parts will soak up all the finish
and leave voids and rough spots
when the wood is fully sealed,
you will be able to tell by appearance:
the surface will be completely smooth
this may take many applications
but again, many light coats are preferable
to a few heavy ones
once the wood is sealed
the final applications of Varnish can then be applied
use less thinner, and apply heavier coats
2 coats should be enough-
remember to keep the dust out of the air
Remmeber that if you end up with a drip or run, it can be sanded smooth with 1000 grit sandpaper when it dries, and buffed out.
If there are any cracks in the wood, now is the time to fix them before the varnish. I watered down carpenter's glue and forced it into the cracks before firmly clamping the wood together. It was only a small section of lamination that was coming apart, but would have certainly given me problems if it wasn't glued down. After the glue dried, I sanded the area again, and applied my varnish.
Tom
If there are any cracks in the wood, now is the time to fix them before the varnish. I watered down carpenter's glue and forced it into the cracks before firmly clamping the wood together. It was only a small section of lamination that was coming apart, but would have certainly given me problems if it wasn't glued down. After the glue dried, I sanded the area again, and applied my varnish.
Tom
'63 330 America #5053
more muira questions
UDO,
Any difference with the Muira compared to the Ferrari in build quality, maintanence, parts availability, handeling etc? Thanks Yale
Any difference with the Muira compared to the Ferrari in build quality, maintanence, parts availability, handeling etc? Thanks Yale
Yale,
I can't compare the Miura to Ferraris of the same vintage since I have never owned one. I've had a 400i and a 348ts. I would say the parts availability for a Miura is probably about the same as a 250 Ferrari, and easier to come by than for the 400i, since the Miura is the vintage Lambo darling, while the 400i is treated as a red-headed stepchild.
I suspect the build quality is similar to vintage Ferraris, ie, not very high. Mine was restored about 13 yrs ago to better than new condition, but some little stuff still is crude, like the manual window winder mechanism. I had to replace the window cable on the driver side because the cable slipped off the pulley and I kept turning the handle until it came loose. The good thing is the repair was probably the cheapest Miura repair ever - $4 worth of cable from McMaster Carr - enough to do both sides. Unfortunately, the plastic pulleys are very worn, so if I ever have to open up the door panels again, I am going to replace them with machined aluminum ones.
Udo
I can't compare the Miura to Ferraris of the same vintage since I have never owned one. I've had a 400i and a 348ts. I would say the parts availability for a Miura is probably about the same as a 250 Ferrari, and easier to come by than for the 400i, since the Miura is the vintage Lambo darling, while the 400i is treated as a red-headed stepchild.
I suspect the build quality is similar to vintage Ferraris, ie, not very high. Mine was restored about 13 yrs ago to better than new condition, but some little stuff still is crude, like the manual window winder mechanism. I had to replace the window cable on the driver side because the cable slipped off the pulley and I kept turning the handle until it came loose. The good thing is the repair was probably the cheapest Miura repair ever - $4 worth of cable from McMaster Carr - enough to do both sides. Unfortunately, the plastic pulleys are very worn, so if I ever have to open up the door panels again, I am going to replace them with machined aluminum ones.
Udo
Ah McMaster...my favorite company. They are located 15 minutes from my office and have a with a Will Call window. If anyone remembers the infinite warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, that’s McMaster. I can have almost any product in their catalog in my hands within 45 minutes! One of the many advantages of living in scenic NJ.
Sorry for the off topic post.
Art S.
Sorry for the off topic post.
Art S.
-
Joel Benatar
- Posts: 34
- Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2002 12:56 pm
- Location: San Diego California
Ah yes, the McMaster-Carr catalog. I've been trying to get my hands on for a couple of years. Funny, there is such an uproar on their site forum about their criteron for who gets their catalogs. It's like you got to be part of the Stonecutters lodge or something. :)Art S. wrote:Ah McMaster...my favorite company. They are located 15 minutes from my office and have a with a Will Call window. If anyone remembers the infinite warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark, that’s McMaster. I can have almost any product in their catalog in my hands within 45 minutes! One of the many advantages of living in scenic NJ.
Sorry for the off topic post.
Art S.
That being said, do you have a line on them? For the right guy - maintenance guy at Boeing or something - you can get all you want gratis. For others, it's just not going to happen.
site
FWIW
An Engineer at work
recently got a Hard Copy
of the McMaster-Carr Catalog-
I did not realise this was desireable
or even to be considered an accomplishment
as I much prefer their website
http://www.mcmaster.com
and using thier search engine
sure beats endless page turning
IMHO
I also prefer to place order on line,
not via phone-
much more efficient
none the less
I will ask the young man
how he accomplished this feat
i.e. securing the catalog
and post answer
if it will prove of benifit
to someone
An Engineer at work
recently got a Hard Copy
of the McMaster-Carr Catalog-
I did not realise this was desireable
or even to be considered an accomplishment
as I much prefer their website
http://www.mcmaster.com
and using thier search engine
sure beats endless page turning
IMHO
I also prefer to place order on line,
not via phone-
much more efficient
none the less
I will ask the young man
how he accomplished this feat
i.e. securing the catalog
and post answer
if it will prove of benifit
to someone