Fiat 500 L, Part 3: Primer and Paint

This is Part 3 of our Fiat 500 L restoration series. Missed Part 2? Read about the new metal here.

At the paint shop, the patchwork of old red and new black disappeared under the first coats of primer.

Sealing every seam

Rust starts in the seams, so every joint was sealed: the footwells, the front boot and the wheel arches.

Getting it straight

A 500's round shape shows every ripple, so this is where the hours go. Filler where needed, then a guide coat (the green and black dust you can see in the photos) and sanding, again and again, until the panels are straight.

On the rotisserie

On a rotisserie, the shell can be turned right over, so the underside gets the same care as the panels you'll actually see. The whole car, inside and out, then went into its final grey primer.

Colour

And then, finally, colour. The car arrived red. It leaves the paint shop blue, inside and out, right down to the underside.

Then it was back on the truck, this time looking a lot happier.

Next: Part 4: Back together