[bobo]

I have only one ignition key for my '62 SC II... is there a place in the USA where I can get a blank key, to have a spare key made?

 

[Leho]

Go to a real locksmith, not your local hardware store or key kiosk. Tell them that you need an Ilco 62 HB blank or equivalent. They may have to order them in, in which case have them order the mininum quantity (usually 10 or 12) and buy all the blanks for future use. Should be less than $5 each.
Leho

 

[bobo]

I ended up buying 2 blanks matching my code, from a guy on ebay.. after checking around he had as good a deal as I thought I could get.

I'm going to take my baby to get painted, and I didn't want the paint shop to have the one and only key

 

[Leho]

Bob O
Is your paintshop aware that the bonnet (hood), doors and boot lid (trunk) are aluminum? The rest is steel. You may have the original paint (enamel) or if it has been repainted before, lacquer or nitrocellulose. If they don't plan on going down to bare metal you may soon have adherence problems. Have they ever repainted a Cloud before and do they know how to remove all the bits and pieces before painting? Or, more importantly do they know how to put them back? If they break anything it will cost a lot to replace.
Experience from other repaints suggests 250 to 500 hours of work with costs running from 10k$ to 25k$.
Please consider joining the RROC and use their forum to get some real life data before you commit the car to any bodyshop. There are a few other Clouds in Omaha and you should talk to the owners.
Best of luck. I hope you avoid a disaster.
Leho

 

[bobo]

Thanks for a cautionary note.. I was aware there were aluminum body panels, but I wasn't sure where all the aluminum was.

I don't know if he has ever painted a Rolls, but I've seen his work on several vintage collector cars.. he is very conscientious.

the plan is too strip down to bare metal.. the bottom half had been repainted at some point in time (very poorly and way too thick) given that and the cracking of the old enamel, a strip down is in order.

 

[bentleyman22]

Hi first before you go off and get a starter check the earth strap (put a Jump Lead from engine to a good earth on the body)
I would take it to a recommended recondition shop and have it checked
As for starting I haven’t experience bad cold starting as norm
You need to check the cold start system out ether your self or a competent engineer
Contact Bsmooth for help
I would not put easy start in it just use petrol much safer
As for your other post
I totally agree with Leho
Spend some time and have a good look around at body shops that know what they are doing
If they give you a price don’t go there as they don’t know what there doing as there are so many problems when the paint comes off as it has all reedy had paint on the bottom you need to go very slowly
I use to bring cars back from the US and there was a lot of filler in them and badly done remember once done you can’t go back and once the paint is on you can’t see
Ask to see photos of cars being restored
Go and ask people that had there cars done 3 to 4 years ago and see if there happy

 

[bobo]

Thanks for information.. I assume the earth strap is what Americans refer to a the negative ground wire?

the service bulletin I was reading also suggested cleaning the brushes on the starter.. can this be done with the starter in place, or must I remove it?

on the paint issue I've gone to a couple of shops, and little confidence in most of them, but I've seen the work done by the guy I'm leaning to and he only works on one car at a time.. it's his entire focus for 6 weeks.. the good is... the jams have not been repainted and are in excellent shape, so he won't have to dismantle the car to paint it.

I checked Bsmooth's site.. it appears he is an upholstery guy