Now that The Alfatross is spread across 4 states from Massachusetts to Arizona, it's time for an update. One of the things I learned along the way is that if you are restoring your car yourself (which was my original intent) YOU are in control of what gets done and when. After it became apparent that The Alfatross is the kind of car that needs the attention of professional restorers I gave up that kind of control. The first element that I farmed out to professionals was the engine, delivered to DeWayne Samuels in Phoenix, AZ in April, 2012. The second element was the chassis and body, which I delivered to Tim Marinos of Vintage Autocraft in Lebanon, TN, back in November, 2013. In January of this year I shipped the interior elements to Derrick Dunbar at Paul Russell & Co in Massachuttes. Meanwhile, I continue to work on the "little jobs" here in New Mexico.
Massachusetts
Not much to report here. The Alfatross' interior is in the capable hands of trimmer Derrick Dunbar at Paul Russell and Company. Problem is, those hands are already full preparing interiors for cars bound for Pebble Beach that are a lot farther along than The Alfatross. Another thing I learned along the way is that in the world of professional restorers of collector cars, the closer your car is to completion (and hence an appearance at one of the Big Three concours in the US), the more likely it is to receive attention. So how do you get to the head of the line?
Even without having the rest of the car, there is a lot Derrick can do. Locating exact matches for the different types of material used in the interior is perhaps the most tedious job of all, but you can't start sewing until you have the right material--or feel you have found the closest match possible. Derrick says this is the hardest part of the job.
Tennessee
Tim Marinos and his guys have been going at The Alfatross for about 5 months now. The steel chassis needed a lot more work than I thought. The worst corrosion was on the top of the platform in front of the rear wheels that the rear seat cushion sit on. A leak around one of the windows allowed moisture to accumulate there during those years when the car was not regularly garaged--and we all know what standing water does to unprotected steel over time!
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| The complicated floor pan supporting the rear seat on the driver's side had to be replicated and bead-rolled to match the surrounding contours. Tim Marinos. |
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| The area mentioned above after welding in place and faring in to match the surrounding panels. Tim Marinos. |
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| Here you can see the panels mentioned above being prepped for epoxy primer. Work has yet to begin on the aluminum body. Tim Marinos. |
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| The Alfatross chassis being primed with epoxy in the paint booth following repair of rust damage. Tim Marinos. |
The aluminum skin that forms the body of course will not need this kind of work. But it still won't be easy to restore. Work on the skin can't begin until the steel skeleton is straight and strong!
I'll continue with progress reports on the "little jobs" in New Mexico and the engine in Arizona in the next post. This one is already too long!
