I haven’t posted about the 63 FHC restoration in a while. That is mainly because I am in the middle of the “bodywork slog”. This is the painful part of the process where you are getting the body ready for paint. Although from 10 feet away, my body shell looked to be very nice, when … Continue reading
Last week I was driving back from Boston to NC and had an opportunity to stop at Monocouque Metalworks, owned and operated by Chuck Hadley. The main reason for my stop was to pick up a pair of bucket seat frames for the 63 FHC restoration. But I was also just interested in checking out … Continue reading
As I discussed in my post about bonnet profiles I went to visit the Coventry Foundation in Columbia, SC and found a really helpful drawing. While I was there, I cruised their used parts. I picked up a Mossbox and some sheetmetal pieces for the bonnet. Unfortunately, they did not have any cross hatch pattern … Continue reading
Painting has begun on the 1963 Etype FHC restoration. This might seem a little early in the process but let me explain. As near as I can tell, the factory assembled the bodies fairly completely and then painted them, inside and out, with either enamal or laquer paint. Both products have fallen out of favor … Continue reading
I have spent the last week and a half dealing with the bonnet nose section. The body shell of the car is in great condition, with no sign of corrosion or collision damage. At the bonnet end, the Front Underpanel Assembly and the two Wings appear to be in good shape. The bonnet Center Panel … Continue reading
Sometimes while performing a restoration you reach a roadblock or realize you have spent an inordinate amount of time doing something that would seem to be pretty simple. Early in the restoration, when roadblocks are met you can many times jump over to something different, just to keep moving. This first installment of Odds and … Continue reading
In my article here, I discussed the fact that the engine frames that came with my parts trove turned out to have terminal corrosion. This set in process my procurement of new frames from Etype Fabs in the UK. I had previously procured products from them and found the workmanship to be outstanding. I used … Continue reading
The 67 Etype 2+2 Restoration 2.0 is basically done, with the remaining issues basically the result of road test niggles. My son-in-law, Andy, was quarantined with us for several months. He is a gifted photographer with a MS in Fine Arts. I asked him to take some photos of the car. We discussed venues and … Continue reading
In my article here, I discussed removing various items of sheetmetal I found in the car that were not repaired to the original factory configuration. Mainly affected were the footwells, the firewall, and the rear of the driver’s side sill. After removing the offending pieces, I had the body shell media blasted. A fortunate outcome … Continue reading
I found this article the other day, going through my hardcopy paper files. It was originally presented by Mr. John De Armond on a hotrod newsgroup (remember those?). Although I wouldn’t take it to the bank for obtaining a hard horsepower number for your car, it could be useful in making A to B comparison … Continue reading
