Exoticars USA: automobile restoration, service and performance tuning

Ferrari 355 meltdown!

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:08:00 +0000

We saved a customer a bundle by installing aftermarket headers and catalytic converters following a catastrophic exhaust meltdown. The stock Ferrari pipes are too thin, similar to the Achilles heel of Lamborghini Diablos. We replaced the headers with better grade stainless steel aftermarket parts and upgraded the catalytic bypass pipes. We had to test and adjust engine sensors afterwards with our SD2 setup and add more insulation to help prevent a similar future occurrence as a
safeguard. The sports racing catalytic converters and header upgrades are also available for 328, 348, 360 and 430.

Here we're taking a peek deep inside of a catalytic converter on a Lamborghini Diablo
using a "Visual Inspection Device" which displays live color video from an imaging sensor and lighting source connected to a flexible cable. It doesn't look like it was damaged by a short episode of running hot due to an engine management malfunction. It could have been much worse. Never drive with the Check-Engine-Light activated. It could be warning you of something benign but the light could also be trying to tell you a catastrophe is about to happen and please stop and shut off the engine!

- Post by Sandy

the Mazzer

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 03:03:00 +0000

The Maserati based sports car I started building a number of years ago is back on track. The project has been interrupted numerous times, including a couple of years I spent partially restoring and hot- rodding my 1978 Ferrari 308GTB, but we're back on it now and I hope to push it to completion without interruption now. Pictured is the aluminum nose which is now receiving final metal finishing work before prepping it for paint. I made the stand for it out of some surplus exhaust tubing so it will be rock steady during the bumping, filing, sanding while it's off the car and to have it at a comfortable height. While Bob, our body man, gets the nose ready, I'm prepping the chassis for media blasting and paint. First I need to weld the new roll bar hoops in place.

The car had roll hoops already but I didn't like them anymore and cut them off. I did the same with the nose at least 3 times. I would have it all together on the car, decide I didn't like it anymore and cut it apart. That's the reason for the multiple seams in the nose.

The big bulge in the center of the nose wraps around the carburetors on top of the engine and comes to a rounded point down in the radiator exhaust opening.

Speaking of carburetors: The 1980 Maserati Quattroporte 4 cam V8 will go into the car with the carburetors rebuilt and set up but the stock out-put is only about 300 HP. We have an almost new Lysholm type supercharger sitting on the shelf which, at some point after the car has been on the road, is destined for this car along with electronic fuel injection and ignition for a fairly painless 450 HP. Since the car only weighs about 2000 lbs dry at the moment, so it should scoot right along.

We have early pictures of this project on our web-site and we'll post more pictures and text up-dates as the project progresses.

Also pictured are the new Wilwood front brake rotors and brembo calipers I just adapted to the front spindles. The original iron Girling brakes and hubs from the Quattroporte would have stopped this car just fine but they weighed a ton and had to go.

1958 TESTA ROSSA REPLICA

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:58:00 +0000

We would have loved receiving the assignment to build this aluminum bodied car but we didn't. It's too bad because we would have done a better job. Instead we received the car for service because the engine was making a metallic noise and it ran on no more than 6 of its 12 cylinders. We fixed all that but found problems with the suspension, the steering, the cooling system, the ignition system, the throttle linkages, the electrical system, body to chassis alignment, the paint, the wheels and tires, etc, etc. This car needed major sorting and re-engineering but it now runs and drives beautifully.

When first built she apparently had a vintage Ferrari V12 engine but that was replaced with a Jaguar V12 equipped with Electromotive computer controlled fuel injection and distributorless ignition and TWM throttle bodies, before we received the car, in an attempt to make the car more user friendly. Unfortunately none of this equipment had been set up properly, which is why it wasn't running right (I imagine the carburetors and distributors on the original Ferrari engine weren't set up correctly either). The metallic noise had made us wonder if the engine had a loose valve seat, or something like that, but after removing a cylinder head the cause turned out to be a piece of copper wire lying on top of a piston and making contact with the head. Not having air filters, the engine apparently just sucked the copper wire in. Luckily it didn't do any serious damage.

Murcielago

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 03:57:00 +0000

We'll get back to this. We're powder coating the wheels black and repairing shrunken leather on the dash.

THREE VINTAGE FERRARI ON A FALL AFTERNOON

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 03:49:00 +0000

This photo was taken as the center car, a 1965 Ferrari 330 GTS, was about to be loaded into the trailer for the trip back to it's owner. This is a really nice car for cruising around on a sunny fall day. It's not too big and not too small - a nicely sized traditional sports car with plenty of power from it's 4 liter V-12 and nice handling. It's a real pleasure to drive and to behold. I guess it's market value reflects that.

The 330 GTS was in for an annual service. On the road test we noticed a slight hesitation in the brakes. The car was raised on a lift and one of our technicians applied pedal pressure while another tech checked the brakes over and found a big bulge in the right front brake hose. New brake hoses were installed and off she goes.

The Ferrari on the right is a 1963 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso (luxury coupe). It is basially a road going version of the 250 GT Berlinetta SWB (short wheel base) competition car and is one of the prettiest Ferraris ever made. It's a nice little car with a 3 liter V12 and early disk brakes. Unfortunately it's a bit cramped for my 6' - 2" frame but that's not the car's fault.

The Lusso is in our shop for some work on the fuel system, cooling system, steering and electricals and is about ready to go home also.

The silver Ferrari on the left is a 1975 365 GT4 BB (Berlinetta Boxer) It has a horizontally opposed 12 cylinder engine which is the reason for the Boxer name since the two banks of pistons move back and forth, towards and away from each other like boxing gloves in a fight. This is considered the first mid-engine Ferrari. The 246 Dino came before it but at the time the Dino was considered a separate brand by Ferrari management. This was a fast car in it's day and is still no slouch. I'm told this car was actually displayed on the Ferrari stand at the International Auto Show in the old Coloseum. I think the CNN building stands there now but I remember many exciting trips to the Coloseum to see the latest offerings.

This car is here for a partial restoration and is very close to completion.

Waiting

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 21:32:00 +0000

This 1959 Jaguar XK 150S roadster was found in a barn in Texas, with a bullet hole in the windshield. Now spot free from rust and protected in primer, it waits. Has been waiting in our barn in NJ for 8 years for restoration work to resume.

How much longer before it looks like this?

I heard that Clint Eastwood had one of these too in the early '60s (probably without the bullet hole).

- posted by Sandy

Happy ending for burned Lamborghini Diablo

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:28:00 +0000

We are in the final stages of a 3-year reconstruction of a Lamborghini Diablo roadster which suffered an engine fire. Originally a silver car, the engine was toast and all rear body panels, hoses, wiring, etc melted. Now with new metal flake yellow paint, rebuilt engine, restored frame, we are just performing a final service. We can't wait to send this car home.

Garden State Ferrari Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:18:00 +0000

Before September turns into October, here are photos from this year's Garden State Ferrari Festival, held September 14 in Florham Park. We were there (2nd to last photo, lower right; note my new Ferragamo handbag!) with our black 1978 supercharged Euro Ferrari 308GTB (last photo).

There were about 200 Ferraris, from Enzo, to late model and vintage models. The facilities for a show like this are great - 4 tiers of blacktop and good landscaping - all the cars looked their best. The weather was hot for mid September - but better sun than rain.

Despite the allure of marvelously restored older Ferraris (a 1961 250PF Cabriolet took Best in Show and numerous other awards), my personal favorite was a 430 Spyder painted an unusual tropical orange/red. (5th photo) Tamale red? What do I know, I just know what I like!

Note: these photos were posted at the exoticsrally.com forum and reposted here with the photographer's (Brent Mathews) permission. More photos can be found on this thread at Exotics Rally: We didn't bring our cameras, just strolled around enjoying the day. Fun.

Many thanks to Dave North of the Penn-Jersey branch of the Ferrari Club of America for painstakingly organizing once again a hugely successful occasion for Ferrarista.

- posted by Sandy

1952 Aston Martin DB2 hits the road

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:58:00 +0000

Aston Martin, the company, has been hand building cars for discerning buyers and winning races since the early twentieth century. The DB models came after World war II when Aston Martin was bought by David Brown. The most famous Aston Martin is probably the DB5 driven by James Bond in the mid sixties.

This beautiful DB2, built in 1952, came to our shop a few years ago needing some repairs but as we started working on it one frightening thing after another was uncovered. Part of the chassis had rusted away, every bearing journal on the crankshaft was a different size, every single spoke in the wire wheels was loose, the bonnet (hood) had been crash damaged and badly repaired several times apparently (requiring extensive aluminum body panel fabrication) and the list went on.

She runs and looks like new now and it's easy to forget the challenges we ran into along the way. For example, this car has 3/16" flat glass in the doors. New windows were required and usually we have flat windows cut from safety glass from a local supplier. Apparently 3/16" safety glass is no longer available. Quarter inch wouldn't fit so we tried 1/8" but as soon as we started road testing the thin glass started cracking. The only other choice was 3/16" tempered glass (like the original equipment) but having tempered glass windows made is a bit more complicated. New windows were cut and sent out to be tempered (for strength) and one exploded in the oven. Later when we finally had the new side windows in our possession, one of them had been made a hair too wide and would not fit. Safety glass could have been trimmed on a special belt sander at the glass shop but that is a no no with tempered glass. It shatters into a million little pieces. Lucky for everyone we were able to make adjustments inside the door.

Radial tires, electronic ignition (Pertronix retro fit kit in the distributor) and a Bosch coil were trade-offs to make this classic more fun to own. The wood rim, aluminum steering wheel is also not original but adds a nice touch to the interior.

The lazy speedometer was fixed with some judicious cleaning and a drop of real whale oil in the right place.

Arnolt Bristol @ Buckingham Auto Show

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Here's a few photos of a customer's award winning 1954 Arnolt Bristol last weekend at the Buckingham Auto Show Concours d'Elegance. Here is a blurb about the Arnolt Bristol from Sports Car Market Magazine:

"The Arnolt Bristol was the obsession of engineer, industrialist, importer, and sports car enthusiast Stanley “Wacky” Arnolt. He made his fortune building marine engines during World War II, and, seeing a market for sports cars in America during the early 1950s, cut a deal with Bristol to use an updated version of its 400 chassis, designated the 404, to build a sports car. Bertone supplied the bodies, and the Arnolt Bristol went into production in 1954. The racing version, called the “Bolide,” did not come with a top, carpeting or adjustable seats, and windshield wipers were optional. “DeLuxe” models had all of those features and a different dashboard design with the instruments in front of the driver. A coupe completed the model line-up, though just six were built before production ended in 1961. Only 142 Arnolt Bristols were constructed in total, 12 of which were destroyed in a Chicago warehouse fire. An estimated 75 cars survive to this day...."

Here is the background of the Buckingham Auto Show from their website. This mid-September annual show is worth a visit :

" The Buckingham Auto Show is the brain child of Al Pincus and Ralph Tompkins, who became concerned with the loss of farm land and open space in Buckingham Township.
They presented their idea of an antique auto show and dinner annually to raise funds to purchase farmers development rights to the Board of Supervisors five years ago.
The show has been a huge success, manned totally by volunteers and the Fund has been recognized by both the State and Federal Governments and granted status as a Pennsylvania charity and a Federal 501(c) 3 tax free entity."

Posted by Sandy

NJ Motorsports - FUN DAY!

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:36:00 +0000

We had an awesome time yesterday at the brand spanking new NJ Motorsport Park in Millville, NJ . Organized by the relatively new tri-state based Exotics Rally About 100 exotic car owners turned out for this charity run from Edgewater NJ to south Jersey to tour the phenomenal new raceway, so new the grass hasn't even started growing. Here are a few pics from the day. Visit the exoticsrally.com website for more and info on how to participate in future events.

Following a snail's pace tour of the new Thunderbolt track the guys had their jollies doing some blood thirsty go karting at NJMP (see last pic of Wil behind the wheel getting ready to wreck havoc).

Car shows are fun too, but these cars are meant to be driven and we certainly had fun in our vintage supercharged 308GTB alongside new Murcielagos, Gallardos, some Diablos and a host of Ferrari, Porsche, Lotus, Corvettes, BMW, Bentley, Acura and Vipers.

Posted by Sandy

2008 Belle Macchine d'Italia at Pocono

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:51:00 +0000

2008 Belle Macchine d'Italia at Pocono. Check out this blog for an interesting write up and veeerry nice photos of this year's event.

Ferrari Club 'Spring Fever Run'

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 19:06:00 +0000

We drove our 1977 308GTB 70 miles to gather with 25 other Ferrari owners for a late March drive up to High Point State Park. Anyone else have spring fever?

a study in cryonetics

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:14:00 +0000

Wil's hand built sports car has been on a lift in storage for...how many years? 3? 4? Time to complete the job and get it on road. Before those tires on the fancy custom HRE wheels age and crack.

The car body and under hood mechanicals are complete. We just need to finish off the interior and paint the exterior which is still a bare aluminum shell.

Life kept getting in the way of finishing this project which has been in the works for as long as our oldest child has been alive. (He's 11 now). Little did I know when I met Wil, the idea of building a car from scratch has been in his head since HE was an 11 year old boy. It's time to breathe in life and make that passionate dream a reality. (photos: top, NNO; lower, Laura Billingham)

More pressing life events kept dragging Wil off his pet project: a house addition, a shop addition, an ailing parent, a tree to cut down, his Ferrari to paint and supercharge. We're dragging the car back into the body shop this month with an eye to having it on the road this summer. Stay tuned. If you visit our shop in the coming months, ask to see the car and feel free to post a progress report comment here ).

(posted by Sandy;

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 03:19:00 +0000

One of our latest projects is this 1960 Fiat Abarth with a hand made aluminum body by Zagato. I flew to France last spring for a long time client to perform a PPI (pre-purchase inspection) on this car and actually rode around in the streets of Paris with this car. Our client was able to negotiate a purchase after the inspection and the little car arrived at our shop in Frenchtown NJ a few months later by sea container.

The car had been refurbished in the not too distant past so it didn't need a so called "frame off" total restoration. The exterior re-paint was actually not bad, over-all, but several areas of the body showed signs of swelling under the paint. Removing paint and filler from the offending areas revealed pin holes in the aluminum, caused by galvanic corrosion between the aluminum skin and the steel skeleton. These pinholes had been filled with polyester body filler during the previous work. This is a no-no since polyester filler will absorb moisture if it is not completely sealed front and back. The filler was pulling in moisture from the back-side and swelling up.

To avoid damaging the minimal upholstery inside, the whole interior was removed.

(Post by Wil de Groot)

Hello Paul

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 18:37:00 +0000

We welcome Paul Weinberger, our new fabricating guru. Paul has an expert background in restoring vintage racecars: Bugatti, Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Monza, Miller, Pre-War MGs, Allards, Pebble Beach contenders and other vehicles with provenance. But can he blog...?

Paul is putting the finishing touches on the Aston Martin DB2. We're just waiting for all the refinished chrome pieces to be reinstalled and then the car will be on its way home.

Goodbye Randy....

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:41:00 +0000

We said goodbye to Randy Tartanian, who penned the majority of our blog since its inception in late 2005. Future blogging will be by Wil or Sandy de Groot. Thanks for your good words, Randy, and good luck. In the meantime here is a slideshow of our facilities and works in progress (photos courtesy Laura Billingham, Frenchtown photographer and resident).

Aston Martin Back From Paint

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 20:35:00 +0000

The DB2 is green! Having color on the car is obviously a huge milestone in any project. Now we can see the result of all that preparation.

The body has already been color-sanded. The final grade of sandpaper used is 2500 (that means 2,500 ‘grits’ per square inch’) but then the paper gets turned over. Yeah, the backside of the paper is used to start the polishing process. You might laugh but it really makes a difference in the ease with which the paint buffs up. And by the way, the careful technique that was used earlier while blocking the primer flat still applies even though the sandpaper being used is so much finer. Many good paint jobs have been ruined by careless color sanding.

Compounding (the color sanding scratches are removed) is followed by polishing (the fine haze or, ‘swirl marks’ left by the compound are removed) and the result is a deep, sharp shine.

Why is so much time, money and attention given to wave-free body work and perfectly level, shiny paint? It’s only when the surface of the paint is free from waviness and the defect known as ‘orange-peel’ that the lines and curves of the car can be fully seen and appreciated.

So even an admittedly dated design such as the DB2 looks striking when you stand back and see the way the lines and curves flow and blend.

We still have to paint the firewall and chassis before we can start reassembling.

More on the Aston Martin DB2

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Fri, 25 May 2007 21:20:00 +0000

Pantera - progress

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 17:37:00 +0000

Pantera progress

We have made considerable progress on the Pantera. New fenders, door skins, rocker panels and quarter panels have been fitted. It might seem like it should be a simple job installing all this new sheet metal. If this were a mass-produced car it would be a relatively easy task. The first fender that GM produced for, say the ’69 Camaro, was for practical purposes identical to number 10,000. Not so for the Pantera or any other hand-built exotic.

I never actually saw any of those Italian craftsmen building these cars. I have to imagine that Luigi’s fenders were maybe just a little different than Giuseppe’s. Enough so, so that one is not interchangeable with the other. Not at least without a little, or a lot of, massaging.

So it’s a matter of install, check fit, remove, adjust, install. Repeat this until everything lines up and gaps around the doors, hood and engine cover are uniform. The panels get held together with small sheet metal screws or preferably (and if space allows) we use clamping devices called ‘Clecos’. These are ingenious tools developed for the aviation repair industry that permit the technician to repeatedly remove and install panels without having to deal with a bunch of small screws.

When we are happy with the fit of the panels the welding begins. For the most part, MIG welding is used to attach the panels to the underbody. Where the outer surface of panels join, like where the front of the fenders meet the valance panel, gas-welding will be used.

The welds get ground down and cleaned-up. This is an important step because primer will not stick to weld ‘scale’. We took the time to media-blast almost the entire underside if the car. (If you recall, this car had been dipped to remove the old finish, along with undercoating, seam sealer and rust.) We also sand off the existing primer on the new panels.

Since this is a long-term project we need to prevent rust. Two coats of epoxy primer are applied. This will protect the surface while work progresses.

The next steps will be repairing damage to the floor pans (caused mostly by improper jack placement), addressing rust at the leading edge of the hood and installing a reproduction front valance panel.

Fabricating a windshield for a 1958 Devin

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 17:18:00 +0000

This project encompasses all the skills needed to fabricate much larger pieces. We will cut, bend, stretch, shrink and weld this small item. That is everything that can be done to a piece of sheet metal whether forming a small patch panel or a complete car.

The Devin was one of many sports cars being manufactured in the fifties. This particular car lacks a windshield and the owner wants a small but functional windscreen to make driving the car less an act of self-punishment. Try taking a small stone or insect to the face at 60MPH to see what we’re talking about.

The actual shape of the windshield must foremost be aesthetically pleasing while providing protection for the driver. Since I will use the cowl of the car as a ‘buck’, the first step was to protect the area I would be working on with masking tape and cloth fender covers.

Consulting photographs of similar vintage sports cars reveals that the windshield frame will be about 1 ½ inches tall, I’ll make the portion that attaches to the cowl the same dimension. So I need to cut a strip of aluminum a bit wider that 3 inches and long enough to reach all the way around the instrument cluster pod. I measure this to be about 34 inches. We are using .063 thick material; this gives plenty to work with when it comes time to remove the tool marks.

With the strip cut and de-burred the next step is bending it the long way which basically gives us the ‘rake’ of the windscreen itself. This is a straight forward bend on the brake which I just kind of do by eye.

Now it’s time to shape the frame to match the curve of the instrument cluster pod. I’ve marked the masking tape with the smooth, sweeping curve I want to accomplish. I have to stretch the bottom flange I order to bring the ends around. This is done with the help of our stretcher (yes, the name is obvious). The jaws of this machine actually spread the metal apart a small amount each time pressure is applied to the handle. Another machine does the opposite; gathering up and thereby shrinking the material.

But the effect of stretching the bottom flange is to push the ends of the frame down. The thing that’s needed is some shrinking to bring the ends of the frame back into alignment with the marks. The thing to be aware of is that performing an operation on the work piece will cause a reaction somewhere else. So generally it’s a matter of a little back and forth to get the metal to go where it’s wanted.

Once the basic shape of the frame is complete I mocked-up the windscreen with a piece of cardboard. This will become the pattern for cutting the windscreen material later on so I made it oversize. We are ready now for the owner of the car to look things over, sit in the driver’s seat and make adjustments based on personal preference. We decide on the contours and a finished height just below eye level.

I said earlier that this project includes all the operations one can perform on a piece of sheet metal. ‘Where is the welding?’ you ask. Well, the customer wanted the left side of the frame to sweep farther back on the cowl than I had allowed for. So…I have to add to the frame, a small amount of welding but welding none the less.

The frame gets more fitting and adjusting to get it to lay flat against the cowl. Then some pick and file work to make it pretty followed with sanding to remove the tool marks left by the shrink/stretch and filing operations. The holes to mount the frame are drilled into the cowl.

The windscreen itself will be made of 1/8 inch clear polycarbonate (Lexan). This is very tough material that can be cut and drilled with ordinary tooling. After tracing the pattern onto the Lexan the piece is cut-out a little oversize on the bandsaw. This material shapes nicely with files and sandpaper so that is how the edges get cleaned up. Next, I measure and drill the mounting holes. We’ll use slotted screws because this type of fastener was prevalent in the fifties.

Here’s the completed product. We will leave the finished ‘brushed’ although we could just as easily polish it or paint it the color of the body.

Panel Fabrication on a 1952 Aston Martin - continued

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 17:09:00 +0000

The right side wheel arch was the first area to be repaired. I started by annealing a piece of aluminum. This process leaves the metal ‘dead-soft’ and relatively easy to work. The 90 degree lip of the wheel opening is formed first since this is the most extreme bend. This operation was performed on the bead-roller with some help from the stretcher. The rest of the shape is made with the shot bag, hammers and a bit of e-wheel work.

When the piece has the proper shape I file the edges nice and straight. A curved tooth body file works well here. Lines are scribed on the existing fender and cuts are made to the inside of the marks. I’ll file the opening to size so that I have a very narrow kerf. This makes welding much easier and results in an all around better job.

After TIG welding the repair panel into place the weld beads are dressed down so that the thickness of the weld is similar to the sheet metal. Now the fender can be straightened and metal-worked.

Strip paint

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 00:16:00 +0000

Removing paint. I will come back and comment on this later.

Panel Fabrication on a 1952 Aston Martin

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 23:48:00 +0000

This car is undergoing a complete re-paint. The existing finish, while shiny, was not of the greatest quality. It was completely removed using a combination of chemical stripper, plastic media-blasting and sanding. We discovered that the bodywork beneath the paint left a lot to be desired (this is my way of being kind). Actually, the patron saint of Bondo must have visited whatever shop had previously worked on this car. That’s all I have to say about that.

The body itself is a piece of artwork. Those Brits were masters at forming and welding aluminum. Unfortunately, the previous fifty-four years had dealt a few blows. The bonnet had taken a bit of a pounding and the repairs done over the years were not something we could apply a new finish to. Besides, the underside of the bonnet is completely exposed when open so the appearance inside has to be just as good as the outside.

We mounted the bonnet in a large dolly using the same attaching points as the car. This gave us a stable platform while providing one-man mobility.

The Biturbo has been painted

noreply@blogger.com (Wil and Sandy de Groot) — Thu, 15 Jun 2006 01:25:00 +0000

, color-sanded and polished and is now in the assembly stage. Many new parts are still available for these cars and the supply of good used parts is also fairly plentiful.

These cars have a considerable amount of bright-work; polished stainless steel trim which gets dented and scratched over-time. Generally, if the item is available, it is more cost efficient to buy the new one than to spend several hours repairing and polishing the original. In our case there were a couple pieces that we elected to repair because the damage was minor.

Working dents out of trim is essentially the same as metal work on a fender, just smaller. Low spots are carefully raised until the surface is level. Progress is checked by sanding using small sanding blocks, this reveals the low spots and the high spots. Naturally, the use of abrasives in this way leaves scratches which must be removed by using progressively finer grits. Stainless steel is pretty hard. Once the scratches are softened we can start buffing. This is the tedious part but worth every bit of time spent.

We will be installing the engine and the interior in the next few weeks. I was able to purchase a nearly complete used interior in good condition. Since this is not to be a show car we can save the expense of a new, hand stitched interior.