Solid as a piece of iron. The engine block is checked prior to machining

It is always a good idea to be sure of something rather than just assume that it is ok. Yes our engine did not leak but when it is all apart checking for cracks should be a minimum requirement. The cast iron engine block of 01464 was treated to magnaflux treatment to look for cracks and the cylinders were then sonar checked to ensure that they are are uniform thickness with no odd porosity or weak spots.

As expected, the engine block was given a clean bill of health and will next go to machining and cleaning before being painted and preppared for re-assembly.

Project Lesson: The Restoration Triangle

Over the past few weeks we have had time to think about our project, the experiences we have had with some of the companies we have worked with, and how these things relate to general project planning both for the Dino and in life in general. The more we thought about it, the more it became clear that all projects really rely on a balance of three factors: Quality, Cost, and Time. It is on this that I introduce ‘The Restoration Triangle’ a conceptual tool to stress the importance of achieving a good balance when managing a restoration project. Much of what we will cover is basic and logical but it bears repeating as we feel it essential to always strive for a balance in these factors that is in line with ones personal objectives. While this model is more outreaching, we will stick to illustrating our ideas in how they relate to a car restoration. Now on to the points:

 Quality:

Of course, in the absence of time and cost considerations, everyone wants the best quality possible. How many times have you heard someone say that ‘If I had all the money in the world I would want……’ That said before beginning a project it is a good idea to see varying levels of car restoration in different vehicles and deciding for yourself what level would YOU be comfortable with.

 Cost:

Normally the factor that controls things more than anything in a restoration is cost / available budget. Everyone would like perfect but not everyone can or is willing to pay the costs associated with that result. While it is generally true that you get what you pay for, it has been our experience that there is no direct correlation between the amount you receive for the expenditure incurred. For this reason it is critically important to find out what certain tasks cost from a number of sources before committing to a particular shop.

Time:

Last (but certainly not least) is the value of time as it plays a huge role. A car restoration is a very time intensive process so starting one when your wife is expecting triplets and on the cusp of a new promotion at work is probably not the best of ideas. Furthermore if you are subbing work out, those people should be respectful of ones personal time. Having your car apart for over a year to get the work done that an organized shop would do in a few weeks should come at an otherwise unavailable quality level or extremely low cost to make any sense at all.

 When you put the three together it becomes quickly clear that a balanced project should strive to meet ones personal beliefs as to what are acceptable time, cost, and quality levels. You need to be brutally honest with yourself as to where you want the project to go and if you see any one or more of the three factors going outside of what is personally reasonable then it should act as an alarm bell to correct the problem.

Sure it all sounds easy enough but you would be amazed how easy it can be to stray. Well enough with the lesson, I promise that the next post will have photos of Dino parts!

We're back with lots of changes in store. Time for a little catch up.

Wow I can't believe how much time has passed since our last post. Many thought that we had given up but nothing could be further from the truth. A LOT has happened and we will fill everyone in on the changes in due time with plenty of photos to bring home the drama and developments.

A great deal of effort has been put forward in the sourcing of rare and odd parts while equally strenuous work has been accomplished to forge ahead with existing projects. For now I'll leave you all with a single photo outlining the artistry that is to come. It is a tiny detail that is often lost on a repaired car or hastily created with body filler. In fact it should be, as shown here, sculpted in beautifully shaped metal as this is the cavity to which the door handle mounts.

Stay tuned for more regular updates.

Engine Jewelry: New Connecting Rods From Carrillo

Today I made a special drive out to Santa Ana California to pick up, direct from the factory, our new connecting rods. Made special to order, and ready on exactly the day promised, these gems were produced by con rod specialist Carrillo. In the world of con rods the name Carrillo is one of those universally accepted brands that resonates as being the best of the best. Their components are integral to some of the worlds most powerful and high performance engines and are the choice of those who require nothing less than excellence.

Our Dino engine is being re-built to much less demanding factory OEM specifications yet we felt that a little gift to our power plant was in order. It is a shame these beauties will live where they cannot be seen yet with every revolution we can be sure of their reliability.

Now for some pictures....

Our first Concours: Luigi makes us proud

In a previous post we introduced you to Luigi, our 1964 Fiat 500D which was the subject of a complete restoration prior to starting on the Dino. While we had taken the Fiat to the odd fun car show, yesterday, for the first time, he was entered into his first professionally judged event. The venue was the La Jolla Concours, which ranks as one of the top 5 most significant concours in California, and we were entered in the micro-car class for cars under 1000cc in displacement. Our class had some excellent and rare entries including a BMW Isetta and an NSU Wankel powered convertible. In the end we managed to win the category and take home the class trophy.

While we were extremely happy and proud with the win, the real treat came afterwards when we were approached by some of the judges who informed us that our little Fiat was further short listed from among the class winners for consideration of best in show honors. Realistically we appreciated that the historical significance of the Fiat could not compete with our rare multi-million dollar competitors which included a class winning car at last year's Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance. That said, it was a real honor to have some of the top judges in the United States tell us that they had a second look at our car and that they considered the quality of restoration to be up there with the best cars in the show.

Not bad for two brothers doing this as a hobby in their spare time. We hope that the Dino turns out as nice and will continue to give it our best effort. Annetta, as always, felt the need to dress up for the event.