356 Pre A Resto Begins

Ok here we go again- the RHD Speedster is complete so next in line is this beautiful 53 Bent Window Pre A VIN 51319. Its a 1500 Super and is a matching numbers body panel car built 26 Oct 1953. Radium Green with Leather interior/ USA "de luxe" which is somewhat rare. It seems virtually rust free ( except battery box) and spent about 25 years in storage including 11 years in an Arizona Barn where it was parked after an engine fire. The motor was then stolen. It has now got a new 2 pc 1500 Super engine just 15 numbers off the original motor. Gearbox is original to the car.
Total restoration awaits- car pulled apart last weekend. Off to bead blasters next to see what gremlins lurk beneath the paint. It has never been crashed or disassembled- just repainted 3 times and "updated" with teardrop tails and horn grills (ergh)

 

Car as purchased 2006
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

The fun begins- disassembly was hard with every bolt refusing to budge
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Yes Jay....again heh heh. I'm also doing a 59 Sunroof ex race car/ arguably the saddest looking beast on the planet- it was 95% rotted out. Bought it for the sunroof clip but then decided to rescue it. Big mistake- spent serious time on metalwork- fabricated front clip , rear clip , new roof clip and door skins on our newly acquired English wheel . All new closing panels , battery box and floors made in house. Then pushed it to the rear of shop while speedster was completed. Today it's back in a work bay with fabrication of heater tubes and repairs to deck lid . I'll put this up on a seperate thread in the 356 Registery rather than bore you guys with 2 threads running at once
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Bead blasting complete. Looks really good. Original floors will remain and are in incredible condition . Needs new battery box, heater tubes, door bottoms and repairs where teardrop tail lights and horn grills were cut. The car is fantastic. Excited to get metal work underway
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Im More like a 356 tragic Pete- but thankyou anyways- very kind

 

Some new pics coming up tomorrow Jay. Car has been checked on jig today. Straight as an arrow. The bad news is my " never been crashed Pre A" has some skeletons we've discovered sans paint....the front has been clipped with a factory T1 nose- hence horn grills were original to the clip. So got to fabricate a new one. Will detatch this one from Pre A and swap with a new clip we just stated for the 59 Sunroof coupe. It has no horn grills cut out so its an easy swap.

Decided definately now to keep the floors original as they are amazing. Also commenced the hunt for missing rare parts- need eyebrows for instruments, some swtitches, banjo wheel and a nice period radio for starters

 

Tks ill make a note of it

 

Tks Matt- Ill pm him a list of parts needed.

 

Since last photo batch we have completed the Etch application and Vehicle setup on the chassis Jig.

The goal with this Pre A restoration is to preserve as much of the original car as we safely can. No parts or panels are to be replaced with non original unless function and structure are compromised. Apart from the front clip ( which is a factory clip from a T1 Car) this rPe A has never been apart or messed with- its originality is remarkable.

With the metal being a little thin in some parts of the body panels, (due to previous repairs ), the decision was taken to media blast the shell and bolt on panels to preserve the original metal, as any further grinding would have resulted in the need to fabricate new panels. With media blasting no metal is lost and the surface prepared for good adhesion of etch and paint materials. Additional repairs have been found as per previous post.
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

A corner of my garage this morning- the 356s belong to a mate and are having a sleep over
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

yes the car will be painted it original radium green metallic. Im not sure how many Pre As received this color but agree it is very striking. Will look amazing with its orig leather biscuit interior with corduroy door cards and seat inserts.

ll have another body report to file in a few weeks

 

So we have made good progress in May. The heater tubes have been fabricated and installed. New rocker panels fabricated and installed. We have removed the T2 front clip and transplanted it onto the 59 Sunroof coupe- Im feeling like Dr Frankenstein.

Next up is to install our newly fabricated Pre A front clip made inhouse using our English wheel
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

More Pics from May resto. The 59 Coupe is shown with it newly transferred nose from the Pre A
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Steve every panel in this 59 Coupe except the bonnet lid and engine lid has been fabricated new. The challenges were huge but well worth the effort. The car will actually be lighter than when new