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!

Shop Update 03/04/10

No doubt about it....February was a struggle for us here in Western Pennsylvania...and the entire Northeast for that matter. The 40+ inches of snow we received certainly had us all singing choruses of “I Hate Winter”. It also wreaked havoc with our plans to display the '72 Morgan at the Pittsburgh International Auto Show and made our retrieval of the '46 Chevy Panel Truck from the trim shop an interesting adventure.

None the less, we had plenty of activity going on at the shop to keep us busy.

Steady progress was made on the '57 Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster. The hood alignment has been complete and shaping of the passenger side of the car is well underway. As usual, special attention was paid to the fender “eyebrows” as well as the points on the fenders where they attach. Lot's of shaping and sanding of the wheel-houses is taking place as well. This is tedious, time consuming work but it will form the foundation for the paint job and it has to be absolutely correct.

We've also begun some similar work on the '55 300SL Gullwing. This one has a lot further to go but we've made steady progress on the engine bay and front wheel-houses. We're now moving to the roof area and door supports. Lots of nooks and crannies here so the going can be slow.

The '38 HRG Coupe has seen quite a bit of activity as well. The interior wood is being fabricated and fitted aling with the side window curtains. These are being hand fabricated from brass. The final alignment of thebonnet and cowl has been competed and we're nearly ready to begin disassembly in preparation for paint. We have a punch list of items to address while the body and fenders are off the frame.

We drove through a snowstorm to pick up the '46 Chevy Panel truck. The trip was a bit of a challenge but we made it just fine. The interior work done by Portage Trim is superb. We have a few minor details we're wrapping up and we'll soon post some pictures of how nice this has turned out.

We also wrapped up the next stage of work on the '71 Mercedes 280 SE Coupe. It is current;y out of the shop having a few mechanical issues looked at. When it returns, we'll complete the remainder of the interior installations and this car will be ready to go.

Finally....look for our 300SL Gullwing/Roadster articles on www.mercedesheritage.com and check out our profile on www.myspeedtv.com

If you have any questions please give us a shout at info@hahnandwoodward.com or visit our web site www.hahnandwoodward.com

Mother Nature throws us a curve

Well, we held out until the last minute hoping the snow would subside and the roads would clear so we could take the '72 Morgan 4/4 down to the David L. Lawrence Converntion Center in Pittsburgh so it could be part of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix display at the Pittsburgh International Auto Show......but it was not to be. The trailer was effectively snowed in....the road conditions were bad and eventually trailers and similar vehicles were banned from the interstates as the snow removal crews tried their best to keep up with the latest storm. Eventually, we had to cancel. We are very disappointed but at the end of the day, it was the right call. We have submitted an application to have the car invited to the Import/Kit-Car Show at Carlisle in May.....and no doubt, we'll have it at British Car Day at the Pittsburgh Vontage Gran Prix in July as well as a few appearances at the Starlite Car Cruise in Wexford, PA. The little car will definitely have a busy summer. For now, here's a picture taken at last months World of Wheels Show where the Morgan took first place in its class. As always, be sure to check out our web page at http://www.hahnandwoodward.com/

Finally....an update

First of all.....many apologies for taking so long to get a new post up. It's not as though nothing's been happening. Quite the contrary....we've been very busy the last month and a half. In that time we have reached a significant milestone with the HRG Coupe...the engine is running and we are hard at work on the interior woodwork. We've also created a pair of graphic renderings that represent the completed car. It will look magnificent when it's done....we can't wait. The '46 Panel Truck is due to return from Portage Trim....we've seen pictures of the completed interior. They've done a beautiful job. The '72 Morgan made its debut at the Pittsburgh World of Wheels Show two weeks ago taking first place in its class. The car is scheduled to again appear at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center this weekend as part of the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix Display at the Pittsburgh International Auto Show (weather permitting). While all of this has been going on, we've begun a major push on the '57 Mercedes 300SL Roadster as well as the '62 Ferarri Lusso and '55 Mercedes 300SL Gullwing.......no doubt we are busy. That's it for now...more to come. Check out the cars at www.hahnandwoodward.com

Shop Update 11/5/09

Hi Everyone - It's been a busy month in the shop with significant progress being made on several of the projects. The 1972 Morgan 4/4 is undergoing final assembly which means we are tending to many small details that make a proper restoration complete. At times, it is painstaking work since we want the fit and finish to be perfect. The work is nearly done and we are looking forward to delivering this beautiful car to its owner during the next couple of weeks.
The HRG Coupe is also progressing nicely. The trafficators have been installed and we've fabricated some unique seat mounts that keep the seats low in the car (to maximize headroom) yet still allow for a lot of adjustments. We've started on the wiring and are working to connect the linkage that controls the distributor advance/retard as well as the headlight and running light functions. This linkage is controlled by a rod that runs through the center of the steering column. Next, we expect to complete the plumbing of the fuel lines. This will again require some fabrication to complete the T fittings and tubing that will connect to the carburetors.
We've completed the fabrication of new door skins for the '62 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso. In addition, we've done quite a bit of sandblasting and metalizing to the nose, door frames and decklid area. All of the areas have been primed to prevent rust while we do additional bodywork.
We've also begun working in earnest on the Mercedes-Benz 300Sl Roadster. The body is currently having a thin layer of plastic filler applied to help smooth out any minor low spots. The amount of filler required has been significantly reduced by the metalizing process that we performed on the car earlier.
Finally, we're working to wrap up the restoration of the red '71 Mecedes-Benz 280 SE. We hope to have the interior installed and the car ready to test drive before the end of November.
The wood work on the '46 Chevy Hot Rod Panel Truck is nearly complete. Next stop for the '46 is a trip to Portage Trim to have the interior completed.
Check back for more updates as we near completion of several of these cars.
While we're thinking about it, we are currently accepting major restoration projects to begin in 2011. If you are considering such a project, please shoot us an email at info@hahnandwoodward.com or give us a call at 724-865-9684 between 9 – 5 Eastern time Monday through Friday. We'd be happy to discuss your project with you.

Interior Views - '72 Morgan 4/4

On the return trip from taking the '46 Chevy Panel Truck to the woodworking shop, we stopped by our friends at Portage Trim in Ravenna, OH. to pick up the '72 Morgan 4/4. Even in darkness (it was *:30 PM when we arrived), the rich beauty of the tan leather interior was evident.......the seats, doors and dash all really popped. Portage also created a beautiful Tonneau cover and convertible top to provide the finishing touch.
Now that the car is back at our shop, we'll focus on the installation of the audio components and final assembly. The first step has been to thoroughly mask off the interior components to avoid dirt/damage as we work. This includes removing the seats and carpeting and taping off the doors, windscreen and other interior areas. Our goal is to have the car completed by the end of October so we can take it on some test drives and final tweaks.
We've nominated the Morgan for inclusion in the 2010 Amelia Island Concours 'd Elegance and a waiting to hear if it has been accepted. As the Morgan project nears completion we'll begin to focus our attention on the HRG Coupe and Mercedes-Benz 300SL Roadster.
Check out more interior pics as well as photos from the entire project on our web site: www.hahnandwoodward.com

Shop Update 8/19/09

Hi everyone! It's been a little while since we've gotten around to writing a new blog....that's because we've been quite busy on several fronts. This is a good thing! Time to post a little shop update -
We recently completed the repair work on the little '64 MG that we were working on. It was finished in time to attend "British Car Day" at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix last month. We also completed the initial build-up of the '72 Morgan 4/4. The engine starts and the car moves 9and stops) under its own power. We trailered it over to our friends at Portage Trim in Revenna, OH to have the interior work done. We expect it back in early September at which time we will complete final assembly and testing. This is a beautiful little car. The paint job turned out extremely well....more to come on this little beauty in the near future.
We have also focused some major effort on completing the wiring and interior structures for the '46 Chevy Panel Truck. It is due to be sent to the woodworking shop for some finish work on some interior components and will then be sent to the Trim shop for the interior upholstery.
We've also made a major push on the 1938 HRG Coupe. It is our goal to have the coupe running and mechanically functional by the end of the year. Because this in a one of a kind vehicle, we've had to do a significant amount of fabrication, fitting and refitting to achieve a "period correct" look and functionality for the car. We've hand fabricated the exhaust system, thermostat housing, Fuel delivery system, kick panels, foot boards and transmission tunnel. We still have some interior work to do as well as the sunroof, side curtains and electrical system. There is a long way to go but we're making very good progress.
Finally, there is the 1962 Ferarri 250GT Lusso. We received the car back from it's alkaline dip. It has been fully prepped and primed and is currently undergoing some minor bodywork. We should be ready to start on the assembly of this drop dead sexy car in the near future.
Stay tuned for more updates!

Updates

Wow, it's been a busy time around the shop. We're continuing to add items to our eBay store. Right now were putting out a lot of components that were left over from the '46 Chevy Panel truck. We've also got some NOS Mercedes fenders along with our Koolmat insulation products. Hopefully, we'll be able to sell off some of these and make some space around the place.
We're taking a brief pause in working on the Mercedes Gullwing so that we can wrap up work on a couple of the other projects. The repairs to the '37 Ford Phaeton are coming along nicely and it should be ready for paint soon. The '71 Mercedes 280SE is getting ready for paint as well and will be on its way to the upholstery shop in a couple of weeks. We're offering this car for sale (info is on our web site www.hahnandwoodward.com ).
The wiring of the '46 Chevy Panel Truck is nearly comeplete and we're finishing up some fabrication on the dash. This will be going to the upholstery shop soon as well.
The '72 Morgan is nearly ready for paint as well. This car is going to look awesome when it's done. We hope to have it ready in time for display at the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix in July...timing will be tight but we'll give it a shot.
We've also had some recent inquiries from folks about restorations on a '70 Chevelle, a '66 Riviera and a '67 Grand Prix Convertible. Some cool projects for sure.
Check back soon for more project updates....and check out our eBay store.

Shop Updates

Time to provide an update on progress at the shop...
The Morgan 4/4 is coming together. We're in the process of connecting up the engine linkage, cooling hoses etc. We've also installed some KoolMat heat barriers on the floor panels and rebuilt and installed the heater core and fan assembly. Soon it will be time to paint the body.
The '46 Chevy Hot Rod truck is in the process of being wired and since it has electric "everything" it is a slow and tedious task. We also installed and began initial alignment of the hood. This truck will be ready to fire up soon and take on some shakedown runs before it heads to the upholstery shop.
We're taking a brief pause in the work on the 300SL Roadster and have turned our attention to one of the 300SL Gullwings. The car has been metalized and we're now in the process of grinding it down.
Work has been underway on a '64 MG Midget. This is mostly work on the front section of the car...although we did need to straighten the frame to get everythng to align correctly. We're now preparing to paint the hood and remaining front components and should have this car back in its owners hands shortly.
We've also begun work on two other cars...a '72 Mercedes 280SE and a Ferrari 250 Lusso. I expect to have picture of these cars up on the web site shortly.
As you can see, our little shop is humming with activity......and the warmer weather is almost here. Time to check out the car cruise schedule and plan our events.
The other big news is the launch of our Ebay Store. We just got the site up and have some Koolmat isulation kits for sale along with a couple of sets of wheels....more to come as we expand the product list.
See you on the road....