Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Project Update - '56 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing


Since the first of the year we've been devoting a lot of effort to the '56 Gullwing Project. We've moving forward on two fronts simultaneously. The metalwork on the body is underway begiing with some specific areas that we can do with the body off of the frame. At the same time, we are making good progress squaring the frame and replacing any bent or damaged frame components. The 300SL Gullwings and Roadsters utilize a tubular space frame...it is light and very rigid. It's asymetrical design means that we first must carefully measure various frame locations and compare the results to factory specifications to determine which areas are out of alignment and by how much. We then set to the task of straightening the frame as necessary. This car was once owned by a racing driver and it appears to have had a spirited past life. Several frame sections have dents or bends to them and will need to be cut out and have new tubing welded into place. Wes Woodward is heading up this part of the restoration and so far, it's coming together nicely. Once the frame is complete and square, we'll mount the body and begin some serious metalwork. Many months of effort are ahead of us on this project but the end result will be worth it. Stay tuned!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

It's alive!......Firing up the 300SL Roadster Engine


In every restoration or custom build there comes that moment of triumph when you fire up the engine for the first time. That moment came today for the '57 Mercedes 300SL Roadster. Hearing the engine run was sweet music for the guys who have worked hard to make it happen. This particular motor features a racing camshaft and a dual coil distributor set-up along with Bosch mechanical fuel injection. It ain't no small block Chevy, that's for sure. As with any engine build up, we had to sort our way through a myriad of mechanical and electrical gremlins until finally.....Vroom!...she fired and ran.


Next will come longer break-in runs where everything will be check for leaks. Then comes tuning.


We'll soon be posting a video of the engine running....stay tuned!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Sign of the Times




An important part of every business is the ability to let people know you're there. Since the move into our new building last October, we've been working through the process of acquiring the necessary permits, etc. to allow us to erect our sign. Once the permits were in place, we had to create the layout and the start on the fabrication. The sign is finally complete and today (in the middle of a high wind advisory...of course)....our sign is finally up. The entire sign was designed, fabricated and installed in-house. Virtually everyone in the shop has a stake in it. We're very pleased with the end result.

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Shop Update - 1962 Ferrari 250GT Lusso




The Ferrari project is moving along nicely. The main sections of the body have been painted and we're giving the paint several days to cure before we'll move it down to the main shop to begin assembly. The Metallic Blue paint looks excellent on this car and really makes it pop. Parts for the assembly process have already been staged and we expect to start working on it as soon as it arrives. We also just got the V-12 engine back from the machine shop where it received new pistons, valve guides, bearings, a competition valve job, etc. We'll begin the build-up of the motor in the next week or so. We're really looking forward to seeing this car come together. More to come as the project progresses.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Project Update - 1938 HRG Coupe




Since it's debut at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix - British Car Day Exhibit, the little HRG has been on somewhat of a forced hiatus resulting from some engine problems. This required us to remove the engine from the car in order to send it out for repairs. It is due back any day now and we will jump back into the project with full force. While we've been waiting for the engine to return, we've moved forward with some work on the interior. The door side panels have been covered (see the picture) and look excellent. There are also a few chrome pieces that we're waiting for. Those should arrive any day now. All in all, we don't expect the reassembly to take long and should have the car out for upholstery in a couple of months. Once it returns, we'll complete final testing and detailing and it will be ready to hit some Concours events. We're really looking forward to seeing the car complete.....more to come.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

The TIMES is back!

Yep, the Restoration Times is back in business. Our blog has been on hiatus for several months while we focused on a number of exciting initiatives....but now it's time to "Get with the Times"! As we're writng this, freezing rain is falling and more is on the way. It's a good day to be indoors working on cars.

Over the next couple of weeks we will blog some updates on our various projects in process, fill you in on some of our activities from the past year and give you a hint of some exciting things to come.

We will also post some "how to's" as well as our take on various aspects of the restoration and Collector Car scene. There is no shortage of topics to blog about.....just a shortage of time to get it all posted.

Probably the biggest news from the past six months was our expansion into a new building. The new main shop is a 6500 square foot facility along a major highway less than a mile from Interstate 79. It's a great location and we've made some nice improvements to the building. It houses our offices, detailing area, main shop as well as a parts storage area and media blasting room. The shop is brightly lit and has a nice amount of space to give everyone some much needed elbow room. The additional space has allowed us to add to our staff and devote more man-hours to each project....which means we can get them done sooner than in the past. All in all, it was a great move.

Here is a link to our YouTube Virtual Shop Tour - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS=7BjVI-tU



Our next blog will give some updates on the various restoration projects. Stay tuned!