VVL 423M
I discovered the first two laws of restoration the hard way -
- All restorations cost much more than anticipated.
- They always take longer than promised.
The third law can be guessed at - You never get back what you have ‘invested’. Consequently, the second time round I decided to buy a completely restored classic where everything had already been done by someone else, and I could just enjoy it!
The car had been long neglected and there was even greenery growing through the floor when the restorer, George Bycroft, of G & B Motors, Market Rasen, bought it from the first owner with 41,000 miles on the clock. He stripped the car down to the bare body shell and sent it away to be sand blasted. New castle-rails, inner and outer sills were fitted, both sides’ under wing boxings were welded. Two new front wings, two new doors, and two new complete rear wings were fitted.
All welded joints and seams were sealed with two-pack sealer, and the complete under side of the body was sprayed with anti-chip sealant. The body shell was painted in two-pack Tornado Red. A new fuel tank and sender unit, and all new piping were fitted. The front suspension frame was fitted with new king-pins and bushes and all other parts were reconditioned. All new braking system parts were fitted, and the engine and gearbox and overdrive unit were all reconditioned. New lamp and light units, new clocks, gauges and switches, new chrome-work and a leather interior kit with sports recliner seats completed the work.
The restorer estimated he had spent some two hundred hours on the project. The car was purchased at Harrogate 2000.
Harvey Cooke