DDK - Die Deutschen Klassiker

Yep. In all cases, repairs will be as small as possible (keep as much original metal as possible). In some cases it will make sense to start from a repair panel, but that doesn't mean it's compulsory to use all of it! For example the LH tank support, where it looks like we only need a bit at the fro...

Beginning the Worse Than Expected section we have some local rot. In the luggage compartment, just behind the RH wheel arch. Presumably standing water due to missing scuttle tray or other leak was the root cause here: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58c0f610d482e969f2bf11d6/16966630419...

That's the end of the good news. I guess we all know that nice surprises are rare when the paint (and filler) comes off. So it proved in this case. On the bright side, I am very glad we stripped it. Possible lesson there. For a long time I was in the rose tinted mindset of this being quite an origin...

Thanks Mike. Floors, tunnel, inner sills all good. Possibly even slightly better than expected. There had been a fair amount of missing (brittle, flaked off) underseal on the outside of the floor, and some surface rust on the inside, so I think I was imagining some pinholing and local repairs at lea...

Continuing the known knowns (or something), diligent readers will recall that the non-original rear slam panel and copious filler suggested rear wing trauma, but pretty localised. Post-strip reality was more-or-less as expected, I'd say: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58c0f610d482e969...

Well ok then, let's have a look at the shell. Which, as promised, came back from Enviro Strip today. I pottered down to Barry's workshop, the delivery location, to have a look and deliver a few relevant parts for the later fitting up. Let's start with the bits which are bad, but were expected to be ...

A final post before the bare metal shell comes back tomorrow. Here's how the car looked for a few months after I got it home from the US, and fitted a few bits including the correct wheels and somewhat-more-correct headlights (were H4s). It's always interesting how little it takes to make a car look...

A few pics showing the car during the strip down. They give an idea of what some of the less molested areas look like. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58c0f610d482e969f2bf11d6/1696273475221-9IOOG02DM82WG2BTPLGK/20200531_124148970_iOS+copy+2.jpg?format=800w https://images.squarespace-cd...

Hi Gitesh,
Thanks. It's good to hear from you.
I think HQ is wise. This will be my last. Deffo!
Cheers, Richard.

I suppose that when we entrust our cars to shipping, hence the laws of nature, the main thing we hope for is an uneventful experience. Nothing lost, no containers falling off decks, no sinking etc. So it proved in this case. Boring, just the way you'd hope. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content...

So I went for a quick whizz around the industrial estate (on my own). This was more exciting than it might have been, because the pre-drive briefing slightly omitted to mention the lack of brakes. They came back after some vigorous pumping, but brake pedal to floor on first use was not a great momen...

Then it was down off the axle stands - test drive time... https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58c0f610d482e969f2bf11d6/1694209720294-3Q1YUTAG7BK47TWAPT3N/20170501_180933516_iOS.jpg?format=600w The chrome beast started easily enough and, as promised, ran. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/...

Bootsy wrote: ↑Mon Oct 02, 2023 9:08 am The anticipation for Friday's reveal is killing me

Me too, TBH. Not least because if it's hideous, the resto costs escalate rather quickly...

At this point let's briefly introduce our host, without invading his privacy by naming etc. The paint gauge was a nice touch, and I also appreciated that the car was on axle stands, under cover, for me to poke around at leisure. Here our vendor is very excited to show me something from the parts sta...

But, as previously mentioned, the rear slam and deck lid were later items suggesting rear impact at some point. This was borne out by nastiness at the back of the rear wings: https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/58c0f610d482e969f2bf11d6/1696048564311-2JTHJMW561V9LI9RHZYC/image-asset.jpeg?fo...