We removed all the parts from the car to leave us with a bare body shell, cataloging all the removed parts to find that, in fact, the car was in effect 100% complete with all its fixtures, fittings and finishers present. So often with restorations, the hardest part is not the bodywork, but finding or having to remanufacture trim detail parts, especially with such rare models. Often cars are let down by incorrect parts having to be fitted. In c/n 144, we had a beautifully complete car, but in a fragile structural state, a challenge to restore the chassis, but a pleasure to reassemble it with all its correct original parts!

Being structurally so rusty, care had to be taken when worked on to prevent any further damage being done to the chassis. Due to the fragility of the car we could not dip the bodyshell, so instead we gently blasted the entire car to remove the major rusty areas so we could see what we were left with. Once this was completed, the remaining chassis was epoxy primed to preserve it. The chassis was first put onto a jig and measured, indeed finding that the front end damage it sustained had bent it. The chassis legs were removed and carefully straightened before being refitted. With the chassis now square, it was bolted to a jig plate throughout its length, so that work done would not affect the alignment of the car. Because the aluminium roof skin was in such good condition, it remained on the chassis throughout the process!

Below are some photos from during the process of what we found and what metal work was replaced. Any chassis parts in green are original and untouched, any bare steel is the new metalwork we fabricated!