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Title: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Angle Grinder on 16 August, 2012, 07:13:05 PM Nice sunny day up here so went out for a drive to take some better pics. She generated quite a lot of interest!
Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: kernow on 16 August, 2012, 07:20:54 PM Glorious!
Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Angle Grinder on 16 August, 2012, 07:25:31 PM Thanks!
She won concours back in 1991 when she was owned by John Crookes (who owns a Motorcycle business in Bristol). She had no chance of winning concours when I got her back in May 2009, but a slow steady restoration process has since been taking place and I'm just down to a bit of detail work now. Great sense of reward to bring her back from point when she might have been scrapped. ;D Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Parisien on 16 August, 2012, 07:53:52 PM Wow....made my day....lots more pics please AG..........:)
P Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Angle Grinder on 16 August, 2012, 08:47:04 PM OK Monsieur Parisien, plus des photos.
Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: chriswgawne on 16 August, 2012, 09:11:00 PM Lovely...and probaly really nice to drive as well. I recently met a local over here in Italy who had a perfect very early Flavia saloon which drove absolutely beautifully. It was his pride and joy.
Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Parisien on 16 August, 2012, 09:26:17 PM Even more gorgeous......merci....vous etes tres gentile.....:)
Any pre pics to see what you were up against or list of what needed doing? P Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Angle Grinder on 16 August, 2012, 09:52:53 PM Le restauration etait un grand boulot!
Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Parisien on 16 August, 2012, 09:54:21 PM ....encore.................encore.................:)
Keep 'em coming...... :) P Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: ncundy on 16 August, 2012, 10:48:19 PM Lovely job, and a nice colour!
Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Angle Grinder on 17 August, 2012, 09:21:11 AM Thanks for the kind comments...
Here's a before and after of the interior. A cabinet maker mate made up the new dashboard and I got it French polished for £60. I'm very happy with the finish which is maybe not true to the original look, but is more attractive in my opinion. I recovered the underdash stowaway pockets with leather look vinyl. Took quite a while, but it was worth my efforts. Likewise, I rebuilt the lower dash padding using a wooden back "plate" through which I injected expanding foam. The glovebox has also been stripped back to bare metal and re-painted in a satin black finish. Lots of Dynamat soundproofing and my Mum (good ol' Mum) got the sewing machine out and managed to stitch up a leatherette shroud for the gearlever housing. Carpets were from a great company in Italy that still does Flavia templates. You can find them on ebay.it under Flavia Tappetti. Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: sparehead3 on 17 August, 2012, 10:40:35 AM Looks lovely Mike, if you want to upload a pic into the online database that'd be great !
Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Angle Grinder on 17 August, 2012, 10:47:53 AM Online database... wotzat!? ???
Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: neil-yaj396 on 19 August, 2012, 08:13:54 AM Out of interest how did the car go from Concours winner to the scrap yard gate in fifteen years? Was it a case of hidden rust horrors or was the car just laid up out in the weather?
Seems strange for such a nice/rare car to go that way after winning prizes! Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Angle Grinder on 19 August, 2012, 08:29:20 AM She won Class 4 in the concours in 1991 with 84 points and won 4th place in the Overall rejudge best car with 92 points.
I got her 18 years later and I guess a lot can happen in 18 years. The 3 years prior to me getting her she lived on the streets of London. Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Angle Grinder on 19 August, 2012, 08:31:40 AM She won Class 4 in the concours in 1991 with 84 points and won 4th place in the Overall rejudge best car with 92 points.
I got her 18 years later and I guess a lot can happen in 18 years. The 3 years prior to me getting her she lived on the streets of London. She'd also been used as a daily runner from around 2000 to 2005. I wouldn't say that she was at the scrap yard gate, but if you were looking at this from a point of economics you wouldn't have taken her on. She had an MoT and was structurally sound with teh exception of a section of the O/S sill (now replaced). The mechanics / suspension / brakes / cooling etc were still in good order as she had over £10K spent on her in 1999, but she was cosmetically looking very neglected when I got her. Each wing has been taken back to bare metal then rebuilt with new metal. She's also had a full respray with all the trim off. Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: fay66 on 19 August, 2012, 09:47:00 AM I knew this Coupe back in the mid 1990's when she was still with the same owner although up for sale, it was a beautiful car and in A1 condition, I have photos but they are a bit too dark to see properly.
Brian 8227 8) Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Angle Grinder on 19 August, 2012, 09:52:28 AM Hi Brian, yep you kindly sent me those pics and she does look really good in them. The under bonnet shots are particularly impressive and that's where I now need to turn my detailing attention. She was with John Crookes the Bristol Motor Bike guy back then.
The under bonnet view is different now as the original master cylinder is now replaced with a "modern" Sherpa van unit. The Dynamo has also been replaced by a modern alternator. SO a pedantic concours judge would probably knock off points for that, but it does make her better suited as a useable Classic! Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Angle Grinder on 19 August, 2012, 11:45:14 AM Some more pics to show how nice and straight the flanks are!
Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: Brian Long on 11 September, 2012, 11:28:05 AM Congratulations on a beautiful restoration. Some interesting methods regarding dash filler etc.
Enjoy, they are made for driving! I must use my Flavia 2000 coupe more than I do. But then I have to keep my B12 happy too! Regards. Brian. Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: JohnMillham on 11 September, 2012, 01:56:37 PM Congratulations on a beautiful restoration. Some interesting methods regarding dash filler etc. Not to mention the Augusta! Enjoy, they are made for driving! I must use my Flavia 2000 coupe more than I do. But then I have to keep my B12 happy too! Regards. Brian. Title: Re: 3 year restoration almost finished! Post by: chriswgawne on 11 September, 2012, 06:35:31 PM And your Flavia Zagato as well Brian? Do you still have it?
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