Returning 1961 Vignale spyder 1341 to the road

Recently I acquired 1961 Vignale spyder #1341 that had been for over 20 years in an on-and-off restoration by the previous owner. I had befriended the previous owner many years ago as he research how to properly restore the car.
The car was not running when he purchased it so my guess is this Vignale spyder has not been driven in 30 or 40 years.
Much work has already been done but much remains to do, and some of it redone. I remain in contact with the previous owner and have promised to let him drive it when it is done.

These photos were taken last December when I went to see the car in Long Island, NY.

Ivan
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The good:
Great original color combination of "Bleu sera with pelle neutra"
Original numbers matching engine
Original Weber carbs
Borrani wire wheels
5-speed gearbox
Disc brakes on all four wheels
Body in great shape with good gaps
Excellent chrome and glass
Interior partially done (extra leather included)
Diamond shape material for hood and trunk included
Gauges have been restored
New wiring hardness installed (and mostly working)
99% of the parts are present

The not so good:
Paint will need to be redone (although bodywork should be minimal)
All hydraulics will need to be redone
Much detailing needed on in the undercarriage and engine compartment
All hoses, belts and clamps will need replacement
Carbs need to be rebuilt
Gas tank needs to be cleaned and sealed
Front suspension is to be disassembled
Soft top will need to be made
Engine leaking oil from head gasket
.... I am sure to find much more


My goal is for the car to be a nice #2 condition reliable driver. The biggest question is the condition of the engine.

Ivan

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There are tiny bubbles on the top of the fenders. Apparently the car was in primer when the engine rebuild was being done and the mechanics covered the car in a tarp which attracted moister. Those areas will need to be sanded down. I am not a big fan of blending areas therefore it would be best to just re-spray the whole car.

Ivan

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One of the first things I did was to pressure wash the engine compartment and the undercarriage. This will help me determine where exactly is the oil leak(s). The undercarriage has been sprayed with a hard rough-like material which is fine for the floors. Unfortunately they sprayed it unto components such as the differential, suspension parts, gas tank, brake calipers, etc. As I go through the car one of the objectives is to remove that material from areas where it does not belong.

Since the car has been sitting for such a long time the carbs and gas tank are all gummed up and the brakes dragging. The first photo shows one of the front calipers before it was taken apart. Notice the black material on the caliper.
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Some of the pistons were very difficult to remove. You can see the rust on the pistons. I will be installing new stainless pistons.
Tech tip: sometimes compressed air alone will not release a caliper piston. I then install a grease fitting and use the grease gun to force the piston out. On calipers with dual pistons usually only one piston will want to come out. Once that piston is out reinsert it only a little and then use a C-clamp to hold it in place, Air and/or grease will the force the second piston

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Calipers blasted and painted with Eastwood brake paint which is resistant to brake fluid

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This is the build sheet. First owner was Princess Bristavi; but I could not get a hit on Google to find out a bit more about her. She had a Fifth Avenue New York City address which according to Google maps is right in front of Central Park.

Ivan
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Thanks Marc for that great research!
Ivan

 

The fuel tank was removed as it will need to be cleaned and sealed. I will be using the Bill Hirsch tank cleaner and sealer as I've had very good results in the past. The exterior of the tank was covered with the same material that was used for the undercarriage. I've removed most of it but there is still more work to be done to make the exterior of the tank look acceptable.
Ivan

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Correct, the shape of the gas tank is to accommodate the spare tire. This photo from a different Vignale spyder shows the spare tire. You have to love the leather hold down straps. You must be doing some really serious off road driving for that spare tire to move without the straps.

Ivan

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The Webers carbs are all gummed up and the engine barely runs. Luckily I have nine extra 42 DCOE carbs and decided to restore three of them for this car. One of the issues with these carbs is air leaking in through the throttle shafts. The bearings on these carbs are open and rely on grease to make a proper seal. Unfortunately getting to the bearings and greasing them is not easy. By now all of the grease has been washed away and air leaks. The best solution is to replace the bearings with sealed type. I used SKF 607-2RSH bearings which were available for about $5 each on eBay.
Replacing the bearings is a bit tricky and the shafts could be easily bent so I let the expert take care of that job. I used Mike Pierce at Weber Carburetor Restoration in Salinas, California. He will do a complete carburetor restoration or in my case just replace the bearings.

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I have now assembled the carbs and they are ready to be swapped with those currently on the engine

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It cost $285 to do the three DCOE bearings. I also had him completely restore the four 42 DCNF from the Ghibli spyder. That cost around $2,100.
I believe the new butterfly screws are secured with loctite.

On his website you can see he has the Weber equipment to property test the carbs
https://www.webercarburetorrestoration.com/

Ivan