"What's he planning? A 2.5 PI engine shoe-horned into that poor TA14?"
Oh, dear me, no..........
Nothing so naughty.
No, today I ventured once more unto Wisbech, this time in the inestimable company of my pal Jane, ex-Holemaker and owner of a very nice Triumph TR4.
We went in that very machine so Andy and Terry at The Body Shop in Wisbech could give the car a thorough once-over before quoting for the job of restoring the bodywork including a bare-metal respray.
While we were there, I took some pictures of the Alvis. Terry has been cracking on with it!
The leading edge of the rear wings will be trimmed to just below the new sill line.
The front wings have been bare-metalled & local repairs have been stitched in where needed.
The rear wings will have beading between them and the body tub.
The fit, however, is now pin-point perfect.
The beading will allow for the body flexing when the car is under way.
The elegance of the Carbodies Drophead Coupe coachwork is now beginning to re-emerge.
Jane and Andy chatted while I took these shots, and Jane agreed to Andy's quote for the work on her car.
Terry joined us and we all nattered about the Alvis for a bit.
(During this, I decided, with help and guidance from Andy and Terry, on the hood colour. A matching shade will be used for the rear wing piping. Andy also suggested keeping the original interior, but changing it's colour to also match the hood. The front reats squabs had been re-trimmed before I bought the car. This was done in a shade of red which isn't even close to the original upholstery, which has weathered to a deep reddish brown. Any further local repairs to the original seats will also not show up if the colour change is done. So I've decided to go ahead with it.All in all, it should look jolly nice!)
Jane then had a brilliant idea. Her garage will be empty while Andy and Terry work their magic on her TR4, so she suggested they deliver the Alvis to her place when picking up the TR4. This will give me a window of about 8-10 weeks in which to re-wire the Alvis, sort out the steering box, rebuild the engine and attend to any other mechanical work that may need doing.
Fantastic!
So, hopefully, all this forward-moving momentum will keep on going!
You do of course know the title of the post in which you bring the Alvis to the garage, don't you...?
ReplyDeleteIt has to be "Alvis has Left the Building".
Hee hee!
DeleteFor the big reveal, I'm thinking a link to a video clip reminiscent of the scene in Chitty Bang Bang when Dick Van Dyke rolls the newly restored Chitty out of the barn.....which is, of course, one of the finest moments in cinematic history......
This could take place at Christmas!
(Which Christmas is yet to be determined.....)