3500 GT Restoration Project

you have a PM !

Ciao!
Walter

 

Wow! Nice find, that is the CHEAPEST classic Maserati you will ever, EVER find in your life time! Very well bought!! You know it is worth 25K in parts alone. Keep us posted on the progress.

 

Rob, if you would like some professional advice on the body aspect of your restoration, give Brian Moore a call or email. Here is a link to a local show that he sponsors. His other business is Brian D. Moore Restorations. He came over to my house when I took delivery of my car and advised me on how to proceed. He has restored 3500GTs before and he does Pebble Beach quality restorations. You will find his business advertised in some of the old Maserati Club magazines from 30 years ago.
http://www.nielloconcoursatserrano.com/contact.html

Sorry to hear about the engine. What precautions did your mechanic take prior to firing up the engine? Thanks.

Your bright work looks like it can be preserved. Your wheels look like they are either incredibly preserved, or they have been restored in the past.

 

Rob, I hope the engine removal went well today. I guess it would be pretty lame to repaint the entire car and not bother to rechrome. I noticed that your glove box has a emblem on it that I have never seen on one before. If you find that it is not original and they drilled to install it, there is a glove box lid for our cars on ebay right now with a starting price of $15 and no reserve.
I would love to see pictures of the engine and empty compartment, if you have any. Thanks for all the updates and pictures.

 

Choose you body guy with great care. There are many tales of woe at this stage of the restoration. I would deal with a really reputable shop that has been areound a long time. You got some good leads in this thread from folks.

 

fantastic thread, congratulations on your purchase.....very well bought to say the least

I love the shape of these cars and they are so beautiful. I look forward to following the progress of your resto on this thread, good luck and congrats....the car will have so much meaning to you at the end of the process because of the effort you have taken to bring it back to life....kudos !

 

Rob, congrats on the great car cannot wait to see this project up and running!

 

Hi Rob,
Considering italian current prices (not USA ) , and if the engine is as described , $25K seems IMO overestimated .
Correct $10K, for full interior restoration considering the total needed remake of gearshift tunnel covering to original aspect.
The work on the body , that doesn't appear so bad , also seems to me overestimated , despite the uncertainty represented by the disassembly and reassembly (substitution) of rubber gaskets .
4 new tyres are certainly needed (2000 $ more or less) .
The Michelin 6.00 R 16 PILOT X TT 88W instead of Pirelli Cinturato , is more expensive but absolutely preferable.

In any case , congratulations for your car.
Ciao
Andrea

 

The old stickers on the screen(s?) are nice! Please keep them all!!!!

Ciao!
Walter

 

Rob, thanks for posting all the great pictures. I appreciate you sharing your adventure.
I see him behind the wheel again...senior prom perhaps?

 

AM101.446
1959, grey/brown
June 1959 new to Luciano Nigra –Torino/I
2001 with Luigi Chilo -/I

Ciao!
Walter

 

Rob, I just saved that last transmission picture to my compurer's hard drive. What I wouldn't give to have a transmission in that state, sitting in my garage. I would be eternally grateful if you take a few extra pictures when the transmission comes apart (if you have to disassemble it). Check my post and you will see why.

 

Hi, I have not looked a Fchat for a while and I am pleasantly surprised to see two threads about restoration of a 3500GT. I enjoy the Barnfind thread very much as I do your thread. Congratulations with your original Maserati. I am restoring #442 (only 15 cars difference from your car) and I bought the car in boxes in November 2005. I started the actual restoration in the spring of 2006 and I am still working on it. I am very happy with the pictures you posted as I have to walk to my laptop frequently to look at pictures how parts are fitted. It is so important to have good information about how to fit the parts at the right place and the right time to be sure that you do not have to take them off later because in conflicts with another part. The restoration of #442 has been three steps forward and one step back all the time and I must say I am lucky that I have met Ruud from the 3500GT register as he knows every detail of the car. Every time he visits me he solves five problems and indicates five others that I have to pay attention to, but he... that is the only way forward. I read somewhere in this thread that a restoration of a car like this can be compared to a marriage. I agree that it is very difficult but also very possible if stay committed to it. My old rule also applies to this car: real costs = (planned costs * 2) and real time = (planned time * 4). If you have it done by a professional restorer just swap the "2" and the "4" .
I'll collect some pics of my car and will post them in a separate thread as I do not want to confuse your thread. BTW parts do not have to be that expensive, just be patient and you'll find the parts e.g. the grille oval, for a good price. If you need any help please let me know in a PM.
Marcel