Shop update - August 2011

The summer has been quite busy and it's time for an update on what's been going on in the shop. After spending the early part of July prepping the HRG Coupe for its trip to the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, we have turned the main focus of our attention to the 1957 300SL Roadster and the 1962 Ferrari 250GT Lusso as well as several "small" projects that have come through the door. These include some minor repairs to several cars belonging to a prominent local collector as well as repairs to a 1950 Jaguar XK120 race car and installing an air conditioning system in a 1948 Jeep pick-up. The HRG has also continued to get some attention to various minor issues. The Ferrari engine is nearly fully assembled and is sitting on the engine run stand where we will fire it up and tune it. The car itself is having the brake system installed and a new fuel tank fitted. The 300SL roadster reached a major milestone when we reinstalled the body on the chassis. The car is really moving forward now. We've also put quite a bit of time into the 1956 300SL Gullwing with a new nose piece and inner wheel house being put in place. We've also torn down the engine to this car and will be taking the bare block to be cleaned before we begin reassembly. Last week we got the engine for the 1965 230SL back from the machine shop and have begun reassembly of it as well. Once it's together, we'll be able to devote more time towards getting that car completed. We expect to restart the restoration of the 1955 Gullwing in September as the owner chose to pause the project over the summer. Finally, there is the '68 GTO which is nearly ready for primer and the '80 500SL Mercedes that is awaiting a new set of exhaust manifolds. As you can see.....busy, busy, busy....which is good. In September we will be taking the HRG Coupe to the Radnor-Hunt Concours in Malvern PA. and Bill Hahn will be attending the Gullwing Group Convention in Virginia.

Something very special

For a while now we've been writing occasional updates on the progress of the restoration of the 1938 HRG Coupe. Last summer, we thought we were close to completion only to be set back by a significant engine issue. It took a fair portion of the Winter and Spring to troubleshoot, have parts custom made, installed and tested. Finally, this Summer, we've been able to bring the car to a near complete state (still waiting on the headliner). Seeing the car fully assembled with the interior in place and hearing the little Triumph four cylinder jump to life the moment you hit the starter has been a thrill for our whole team. As we've neared the home stretch on this project and are beginning to make plans with its owner to show the car around the country, it is beginning to really hit home just what a special project this has been for everyone involved. The HRG Coupe is a piece of British automotive history. It was around before the owner or any of us working on it were born. Seeing photographs of the car....this very car..when it was debuted at the Brooklands Race Track in England (black and white photo) and then seeing the completed car today brings a tremendous sense of accomplishment. The little car has survived so much to get to this point. It made it through the second world war. It traveled about the English country side until parked in a field in the early sixties. Purchased for a Shilling by its current owner in 1965 where he promptly disassembled it and boxed the parts. These were moved to the United States in 1985 where they sat for a number of years before restoration was started. The car has had a long, roundabout journey. To see it complete and being driven about is quite a rush. The most common reaction we've gotten when someone sees the car is how beautiful it is....which is usually followed by "what is it??"...but the real fun comes from watching folk's eyes light up and the smile that comes across their face when we explain what a rare piece they are looking at. Seeing a piece of history brought back to its former glory is appreciated by both car enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike. It has been an honor for our team to work on this car. Something very special indeed.

A real "United Nations" kind of day

Having cars from England, Italy, Germany and the USA in the shop is a "normal" thing for us. Having people from from around the world and around the country all stop by the shop on the same day is not as typical....but today was one of those days. First we had Bob, the English owner of the HRG Coupe stop by to check up on the car. Next, one of our neighbors stopped by with his Australian born guest for a tour. Then we had an out of state guest come in to evaluate the value of one of the Gullwing projects for a potential client. He was followed by another one of our out of state customers who came up from his home in Maryland for a visit. Along with him came a friend of his who will be borrowing his car hauler. The gentleman is an airline pilot flying...you guessed it... International Routes. Needless to say, we did a lot of entertaining today!

Shhh....the cars are asleep

Sometimes we wonder what the cars are up to when we turn out the lights and leave the shop for the night. Sitting there in twilight, it looks as though they could converse among themselves. Then you think about their nationalities and wonder "Do they get along?". Do the German 'Benz's talk among each other?....do they whisper things about the Italian Ferrari sitting next to them? Does the Ferrari care? Does the English MG give a shout out to his brother Brit, the HRG, in the next room? What do they think of the big American '46 Chevy across the aisle? Do the Gullwings flap at night? Do the cars appreciate the new lease on life their owners are giving them with this restoration? Do the cars reflect the personality of the people that built them?...in which case they all have serious issues. Or perhaps they take on the characteristics of their owners. In the cartoon world this stuff happens all the time....Just what does happen when the dust settles and the lights go out? Things that make you go "Hmmmm?"

What's Old is made Like New.....then we make it Old again

In addition to restoring bodies, chassis, mechanical systems and interiors we also have to restore a car's accessories. For pre-war cars (and some post-war models) this includes various tools, jacks, hand pumps, oilers, cranks and other items. For the 1938 HRG Coupe we have accumulated a very thorough set of period correct accessories but, as can be expected, many of them are well used and in need of cleaning and repair. It is very tempting to restore these to "like new" condition however, for this car, we decided to go for a more "aged" appearance. To get the look we wanted, we first made the pieces look "new" and then treated them and rubbed them with various treatments to achive the correct patina. This picture shows the bottom and top caps of a Lucas spare light bulb holder. The cap on the left has been straightened, cleaned and polished. The same was done to the cap on the right however, the next step was to gently "age" the piece to the level we want. We're very pleased with the result and the entire kit of tools and accessories will share a similar look. For questions about the process, please feel free to send us an email at info@hahnandwoodward.com

No Fooling - Bad News Travels Fast

Today we got an email alerting us about a hoax email/posting that was going around regarding efforts to draft federal legislation to tax collector cars. It seems some folks thought it would make a dandy April Fools joke to inform the members of their car club about a New York Times article concerning the coming tax. It was a total fabrication, but in today's world of instant panic followed by instant "sharing", it soon went viral on the internet. The group that sent the original message has admitted to starting the whole thing as an innocent prank. They probably should not be surprised that it got out of control. It's easy to ask "what were they thinking?" and it's hard to know for certain how something will be received, but it's a pretty good bet that good or bad, the news will get passed on....and sooner rather than later. On a lighter note.....Spring is finally here (sort of) and it will soon be time to get those Collector Cars out of the garage. See you on the road!

Of Gullwings and things....

The iconic Mereceds-Benz 300Sl Gullwings and Roadsters have garnered a fair amount of media attention lately. Speed Channel's "Ticket to Ride" program recently broadcast a comparison between the original Gullwing and the new AMG Mercedes SLS version. While the handling and performance of the new model far exceeded the original, the concensus seemed to be that the timeless beauty of the older model was preferred hands down. The current (April 2011) issue of Keith Martin's Sports Car Marketplace magazine has a superb write-up on the various Gullwings and Roadsters that changed hands at the January auctions.....including the car that sold for $1,370,000.00 when two wealthy individuals got into a "crazy money" bidding war. The article covers the condition of the cars and indicates the amount each sold for. The prices were all over the map however, the article frequently points out that the values for a properly restored vehicle are well worth the cost of the their restoration (which is currently averaging $400,000). The "get it in, get it out" type of restoration will not realize the top dollar. The marketplace considers these cars to be "Blue Chip" collectibles. As restorers of these cars, we follow these trends closely. Restoring these vehicles is a challenging undertaking and we currently have three of them under our roof.....much work lies ahead however, when complete, we have every confidence that our cars will bring a smile to the faces of their owners...and a jingle in their pocket when it comes time to sell. For more information about our various projects please visit our web site and www.hahnandwoodward.com

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

Record setting Gullwing Auctioned in Scottsdale

Last week (Jan 18-23) was "Action Week" in Scottsdale Arizona. All of the big players were on hand....Barrett-Jackson, Gooding, Russo & Steele and RM. Several Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwings and Roadsters crossed the auction block with a '55 Gullwing at the RM Auction pulling in a world record amount of $1,375,000. Gooding had a '56 Gullwing that went for $858,000 and an unrestored '63 300SL Roadster fetched $951,500. No doubt the price paid at the RM Auction was a bit of an abberation resulting from a bidding war that broke out between a European and a Middle Eastern gentleman....none the less, it would appear the market value of these vehicles continues to rise and they are consistently knocking on the door of the million dollar mark. What this means to our customers is that the money they have invested in the restoration of their cars is money well spent as only the top quality vehicles will attain these higher prices. We're thrilled to see the value of these special cars continue to rise and can only hope the trend continues!

Here is a link to the RM Site for more details about the record setting Gullwing:
http://www.rmauctions.com