Limey
Donation Time
Hi,
On reading this it looked like a blog so apologies for that. It's probably caused by isolation syndrome. No one I know outside this forum gives monkey's, not even friends, not even other Alpine enthusiasts. So I'll just plod on 'till it's done.
On the off chance that some one might be temporarily interested..
It has been a long while since my last Harrington post. The reason was glacially slow scheduling by my chosen coachworkers and painters. To be fair, to allow me to earn the necessary cash I let it ride.
The good news is that the metal work was completed in 3 months by Bugatti/ Bentley specialist Chesterton Coachworks, a small 4 man 'old style' concern, no one under 50 yrs and he's the tea boy. One worked at Rootes in the prototype dept and another on the Alpine production line. Their memories are grim. Apparently to get the doors to fit they used a length of 4'' x 2'' and got 'Fat Bob' to apply his strength and weight. Plenty of strikes and tea breaks.
Their repairs involved removing the front and rear panels to facilitate re profiling on the English wheel and refitment. Front and rear valances replaced (no rust just dented to death) windscreen scuttle removed, hand made and fitted. Grill top removed , straightened and refitted, jacking points re aligned, Boot floor re-levelled, re leading all seams (no filler anywhere!! Just old school). Many misc. hand fabricated repairs inc battery box, floor pans to exact original pattern (pin hole rust). Alignment and repair of roof. 340 hours worked. Total bill £17,000.
Now it is at Limn Historics for the paint (another Bugatti specialists, 4 x 1920's and 1930's GP race cars and a Type 52(?) this year so far).
4 weeks in and she is looking good and soon they will be ready to a pre fit of all panels doors, roof, grill etc prior to colour coat.
Pay Attention! A staggering 300 hours work to prep and paint a body that has already been sorted by the coach workers for 340 hours!. Estimate £10,000 - £ £12,000. That is a lot for a 'paint job' and even now I have to swallow hard. Not bad for a pretty rust free body. God knows what a rusty car costs to make good...
However before I committed he showed me the quality of the work he and his crew achieve . In his shop he is currently painting a £450,000 Bugatti, another coming from Germany, a £150,000 Porsche and various Ferraris and E types. It is truly Pebble Beach quality work. Absolutely no imperfections. Untouchable.
So there it is, £27,000 spent on the body. I have given you these figures not as a boast, far from it, being reduced to an overdraft by a hobby is no sign of intellect and not something deserving applause. Only this prompts me to state crass figures, that if I had known then what I know now....But once you have invested perhaps 2000++ hours of your own time over 7 years you are too far in to to do a budget job. Might as well be 'hanged for a sheep as well as a lamb' as the old saying goes.
I hope I am not alone.
Photos coming soon although on screen they will look like any other resto.
All the best
Oliver
On reading this it looked like a blog so apologies for that. It's probably caused by isolation syndrome. No one I know outside this forum gives monkey's, not even friends, not even other Alpine enthusiasts. So I'll just plod on 'till it's done.
On the off chance that some one might be temporarily interested..
It has been a long while since my last Harrington post. The reason was glacially slow scheduling by my chosen coachworkers and painters. To be fair, to allow me to earn the necessary cash I let it ride.
The good news is that the metal work was completed in 3 months by Bugatti/ Bentley specialist Chesterton Coachworks, a small 4 man 'old style' concern, no one under 50 yrs and he's the tea boy. One worked at Rootes in the prototype dept and another on the Alpine production line. Their memories are grim. Apparently to get the doors to fit they used a length of 4'' x 2'' and got 'Fat Bob' to apply his strength and weight. Plenty of strikes and tea breaks.
Their repairs involved removing the front and rear panels to facilitate re profiling on the English wheel and refitment. Front and rear valances replaced (no rust just dented to death) windscreen scuttle removed, hand made and fitted. Grill top removed , straightened and refitted, jacking points re aligned, Boot floor re-levelled, re leading all seams (no filler anywhere!! Just old school). Many misc. hand fabricated repairs inc battery box, floor pans to exact original pattern (pin hole rust). Alignment and repair of roof. 340 hours worked. Total bill £17,000.
Now it is at Limn Historics for the paint (another Bugatti specialists, 4 x 1920's and 1930's GP race cars and a Type 52(?) this year so far).
4 weeks in and she is looking good and soon they will be ready to a pre fit of all panels doors, roof, grill etc prior to colour coat.
Pay Attention! A staggering 300 hours work to prep and paint a body that has already been sorted by the coach workers for 340 hours!. Estimate £10,000 - £ £12,000. That is a lot for a 'paint job' and even now I have to swallow hard. Not bad for a pretty rust free body. God knows what a rusty car costs to make good...
However before I committed he showed me the quality of the work he and his crew achieve . In his shop he is currently painting a £450,000 Bugatti, another coming from Germany, a £150,000 Porsche and various Ferraris and E types. It is truly Pebble Beach quality work. Absolutely no imperfections. Untouchable.
So there it is, £27,000 spent on the body. I have given you these figures not as a boast, far from it, being reduced to an overdraft by a hobby is no sign of intellect and not something deserving applause. Only this prompts me to state crass figures, that if I had known then what I know now....But once you have invested perhaps 2000++ hours of your own time over 7 years you are too far in to to do a budget job. Might as well be 'hanged for a sheep as well as a lamb' as the old saying goes.
I hope I am not alone.
Photos coming soon although on screen they will look like any other resto.
All the best
Oliver
