Starting my restoration project - 56 Carrera
06-27-2009, 09:56 PM
#46
Quick update on the Carrera project - the bodywork is all done except for the battery box floor and the car is in primer. Glasurit is generously donating the paint to restore it to the silver pearlescent that it was painted in the late fifties. Dean Jeffries was consulted and helped select the exact match for the proper silver and the Glasurit rep tells me it will be spectacular.
This past January I received a call from Bill Warner who runs the Amelia Island Concours. He was inviting Dean Jeffries to attend the 2009 event as a special guest to participate in a panel discussion of Great Customizers on Friday morning. The Mantaray was being brought out from the Petersen Museum as part of the exhibit. Bill wanted the Porsche there as a special surprise to Dean who hadn't seen the car in 47 years. With a lot of work we managed to get the exterior bodywork completed and the car in primer to make it presentable enough to be seen.
We had the car behind a curtain during the Friday seminar and at the end of the scheduled event Bill got up and called Dean down from the stage to make a "special presentation". As he kept Dean looking out toward the audience, his staff drew back the curtain and pushed the Porsche into the room right beside Dean Jeffries. As he turned to see what was going on he got his first glimpse of the Porsche since 1962. You could see the tears well up in his eyes as he reached out to touch the fender. It was a great moment that was worth every minute of the time we spent getting the car ready.
Dean asked me when he could have his car back - I told him "I'm not done with it yet." You could see that this Porsche meant a lot to him - he couldn't keep his hands off it.
Dean was soon surrounded by his fans as he autographed copies of Tom Cotter's new book about Jeffries on the hood of the Porsche that helped launch his career as a customizer. I also got him to autograph a copy of the October 1959 Rod & Custom with the car on the cover.
I also got the opportunity to roll the Porsche over next to the Mantaray for a once in a lifetime chance to get the two cars together for a picture. The Mantaray is Jeffries masterpiece - an assymetric all aluminum hand formed body on a prewar Maserati Grand Prix chassis with a Cobra motor supplied by Carroll Shelby. It won the Oakland Roadster show (the most prestigous event in hot rodding) and launched Deans career in providing cars for the Hollywood movie industry. The Mantaray is usually on display at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles.
Afterward we got together and made arrangements for him to help get the color just right for the next important step in the restoration of the car. Bill Warner has invited the car back to Amelia Island for the 2010 Concours and this time it will be on the show field. Also look for some photos in the upcoming October 2009 issue of Rod & Custom Magazine as it will be the fiftieth anniversary since it appeared on the cover.
This past January I received a call from Bill Warner who runs the Amelia Island Concours. He was inviting Dean Jeffries to attend the 2009 event as a special guest to participate in a panel discussion of Great Customizers on Friday morning. The Mantaray was being brought out from the Petersen Museum as part of the exhibit. Bill wanted the Porsche there as a special surprise to Dean who hadn't seen the car in 47 years. With a lot of work we managed to get the exterior bodywork completed and the car in primer to make it presentable enough to be seen.
We had the car behind a curtain during the Friday seminar and at the end of the scheduled event Bill got up and called Dean down from the stage to make a "special presentation". As he kept Dean looking out toward the audience, his staff drew back the curtain and pushed the Porsche into the room right beside Dean Jeffries. As he turned to see what was going on he got his first glimpse of the Porsche since 1962. You could see the tears well up in his eyes as he reached out to touch the fender. It was a great moment that was worth every minute of the time we spent getting the car ready.
Dean asked me when he could have his car back - I told him "I'm not done with it yet." You could see that this Porsche meant a lot to him - he couldn't keep his hands off it.
Dean was soon surrounded by his fans as he autographed copies of Tom Cotter's new book about Jeffries on the hood of the Porsche that helped launch his career as a customizer. I also got him to autograph a copy of the October 1959 Rod & Custom with the car on the cover.
I also got the opportunity to roll the Porsche over next to the Mantaray for a once in a lifetime chance to get the two cars together for a picture. The Mantaray is Jeffries masterpiece - an assymetric all aluminum hand formed body on a prewar Maserati Grand Prix chassis with a Cobra motor supplied by Carroll Shelby. It won the Oakland Roadster show (the most prestigous event in hot rodding) and launched Deans career in providing cars for the Hollywood movie industry. The Mantaray is usually on display at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles.
Afterward we got together and made arrangements for him to help get the color just right for the next important step in the restoration of the car. Bill Warner has invited the car back to Amelia Island for the 2010 Concours and this time it will be on the show field. Also look for some photos in the upcoming October 2009 issue of Rod & Custom Magazine as it will be the fiftieth anniversary since it appeared on the cover.
Last edited by JackW; 01-24-2011 at 10:55 PM.
06-28-2009, 10:16 AM
#47
Former Vendor
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That is so awesome!
Congratulations to you for seeing this project through to this stage. The way it moved Mr. Jeffries at the very prestigious Amelia Island Concours event I'm sure did make every hour and dollar spent worth it!
Best wishes on the rest of the restoration,
Congratulations to you for seeing this project through to this stage. The way it moved Mr. Jeffries at the very prestigious Amelia Island Concours event I'm sure did make every hour and dollar spent worth it!
Best wishes on the rest of the restoration,
07-05-2009, 01:41 AM
#49
Nordschleife Master
Well done!
07-08-2009, 06:36 PM
#51
Burning Brakes
Jack,
Thanks for the update.. very nice story and an awesome project!
Glad to find that you and this beauty are on the east coast as well!
Thanks for the update.. very nice story and an awesome project!
Glad to find that you and this beauty are on the east coast as well!
07-17-2009, 08:38 PM
#52
Metal work is all done - seam sealing in progress - undercoating will be applied next week and the blocking for paint prep will begin. I think it will be silver by the end of this month then we move on to finishing the brakes and start the interior.
08-05-2009, 09:44 PM
#57
Undercoating with Glasurit Stoneguard is complete - time to come off the rotisserie - (and for those that aren't converts to rotisseries yet all I can say is try one - once - and you'll never want to go back to lying on your back under a car getting who knows what in your eyes again).
Next - up more primer followed by blocking - more primer- more blocking - more primer - repeat until very smooth and then the custom mixed silver pearlescent paint and clearcoat (generously donated by the BASF corporation for this project.)
and a "ghost shot" - just playing around with a slow shutter speed while we rotated the car
Next - up more primer followed by blocking - more primer- more blocking - more primer - repeat until very smooth and then the custom mixed silver pearlescent paint and clearcoat (generously donated by the BASF corporation for this project.)
and a "ghost shot" - just playing around with a slow shutter speed while we rotated the car
Last edited by JackW; 08-05-2009 at 09:51 PM. Reason: add photos
09-14-2009, 06:06 PM
#59
Burning Brakes
Any news on the progress?
Thx
Thx
