KP510 162691
"Its getting better all the time"!
I imported this 1969 Bluebird SSS coupe in 2004 and it was purchased by a friend for restoration. Due to other commitments, he was unable to go on with the restoration and it was offered back to me in December 2004. I jumped at the chance in spite of being over stocked with cars.
In mid January the shell was stripped out and glass bead blasted back to bare metal. After the blasting the shell was completely De-Oxidene washed and given a coat of epoxy urethane to stop any corrosion.
The key to this project is a master coach builder/panel beater "Rene", who owns Warburton Valley Smash Repairs. Rene has an excellent portfolio of restored vehicles he has undertaken in the past including historic vehicles.
Another of Rene's talents is body/chassis aligning by rack. When commercial racks were not up to his standard, Rene designed his own system and improved on what was commercially available.
When I purchased the 510 in Japan, it had been stored away for a number of years after a mild crash where the car had damaged the rear bumper and the front grille, stone tray, guard and bonnet. It looked bad but was superficial not structural. The car had also had a few repairs to the sills over its 35 year life from rust and accidents scrapes etc.
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Jun 2004
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Who's wheels are those ??? |
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After its first token bead blast. Not what you would call a good job.!!!! |
The important thing is all the major parts of the car were there. As in any restoration project the critical information to discover is all the hidden problems the vehicle has, that can come back to bite you later on. To do this the vehicle should be carefully dismantled and the shell taken taken back to bare metal. This way you see exactly what you have with no guess work.
With all rust and any body filler removed by bead/grit blasting or both, any rusted areas or previous damage are bared to the world for all to see. At this point you know your vehicle. Then you can plan to make the necessary repairs/refurbishments.
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This shows the blast truck and setup on a trailer in old quarry to minimise any dust pollution. |
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Best part after blasting, is that the shell only had minor rust so repairs
are easy. |
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1/02 2005 With the body clamped to the rack the frame can be easily aligned and any panels pulled back into the correct position |
This shot shows the clamping system along the sills |
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6/02/05 Rails aligned and radiator support back on. A check of the rail positions on crossed down diagonals shown alignment is within 0.5 mm from specification over 1.4 metres. A masterful job. |
Another warts and all view. Not to shabby huh! |
The radiator support panel was repaired and straightened to like new, by Rene. Beating a twisted piece of metal back to its exact "squared up" shape is an incredible talent that has to be seen to be believed. I thought this to be a major stumbling block in the process as the radiator supports for this model would be nearly un-obtanium I think!!!! As Rene described, "It was in dire need of repair!!!" |
The front tie bar and both sills are the next part of the task. New inner and outer sills are being folded up and a new stiffer tie bar. |
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20/3/2005
The dash after it has been put back to standard. It had after market gauges and tachometer fitted but luckily all original parts were in a box with all removed screws and glass. The grille was stripped cleaned and re-assembled.
Above the KP510 SSS grill is a 1967 C30 Laurel grille. The Laurel is the 1600's bigger (by 50mm) cousin. |
I removed the tail lights and stripped them completely;. They were in
surprisingly good condition and required only a small repair.
The front end has adjustable platform struts with ventilated discs and Koni inserts. A good quality adjustable strut top was fitted as well. This is currently being redone with all serious Bilstein components.
The heater assembly has been stripped and made as new. |
More to come, as repair parts are made up and the body is brought up to shape.
I aim to do something similar to the car shown below owned by Jim Froula in the US. I think this is a stunning car and copying is the sincerest form of flattery :-)
