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500 (Classic) 500 Restoration

Introduction

Thought some of you may be interested in a restoration that I'm carrying out. Its a 500 Giardiniere (gardeners van) or in the UK its an estate or station wagon if you live in the USA. I have been told (but this is unconfirmed) that there are only 6 left on the road in the UK which makes it a pretty rare thing. I'm not going to bore you with lots of words suffice to say that if the panels I replace are painted they are bought in, everything else is hand made by yours truely.
Hope you enjoy.

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Thanks for your comments, I've done quite a bit more on the car but I haven't brought the camera home from work yet to upload the photo's.

oopsadaisy : No the arches are standard and the whole car will be restored to original spec. I'm doing the car for a customer and in return for me doing the job a fair bit cheaper he will allow me to use the car to showcase my work. The plan is that when the car is finished there will be no visible repairs (patches) any where.
 
Amazing, and I have to salute a true craftsman! :slayer:

You appear to be making parts which match the old rotten bits, but how on earth did you manage to get the dimensions and profile for the bits that were missing or beyond redemption?

Do you have a full workshop manual?

Thanks for your comments.

I spend a lot of time looking at what I'm about to cut out and working out how to cut it so that I can save it for reference later on. In some cases I take all my measurements and make templates before I cut out the old metal and once I have cut any metal out I keep it until I'm happy with the new stuff I've put in. With something as bad as this most of the time goes into the thinking/measuring prcess rather than the fabrication.

No I dont have a workshop manual.
 
Fantastic workmanship! Can;t wait to see the finished car/gardeners van. Have you got an update?
 
amazing work, I had a '64 which was badged AUTOBIANCI but didn't have glass in the sides I had it in '69-'70 and it was nearly as rusty as yours then but made a good framework for literaly a bucket of industrial filler the second half of my honeymoon was spent doing the head gasket keep taking the pics I will follow progress
 
I can see why you had to work out a deal with the owner, with the final value of the car no way could it justify the hours put in:). You must have a wheeling machine to make the panels as well as a folder, I'm always in awe of people who can produce panels using one.I have made single curve repair panels forming them around a big piece of dowel but a compound curve like those wheel arches, and they fit without filler :worship:
Oh and it would be great if you keep this thread going
 
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Christ mate, I'm about to start one in Ireland in the next few months, same original colour as yours......you have me dreading it now!!!
The work you are doing is exceptional and I commend you on it!!
I must admit I'm not looking forward to it. The sils and floors are not 100% gone, I will try and get ordinary 500 pans as I heard these will fit with a little bit of effort and extension but I will have to build my own sils if I go down that road, parts might be able to be saved(I hate closing the doors on it as another tiny piece falls out everytime I do!!), the front panel and spare wheel slot are all there so I think I might have a better foundation then yourself which might help in the long run, the bottoms of the wings are starting to go and from what I can see the inner arches are complete as are the outers. I think the head lamp cups might be going but I have not had that close a look as of yet. Bonnet is perfect from what I can see as is the battery shelf.
The engine bay seems solid enough, altough the back wings once again are starting to go towards the bottom but I think they can be saved.
The doors unfortunatly I think are finished, have you managed to find suicide doors for the Giardiniera as I got weld in repair sections for a 600D and the door warped and I'm not in favour of doing them again!!?? I might have to go down the road of a repair, the bottoms of the doors both inside and out are a mess.
The back door has corner surface rust but thats all.
Engine had not ran in 12 years and fired after four turns of the key, it did however shat out most of the exhaust box but that was to be expected!!
Clutch was free and worked perfectly and the brakes were not touched and still worked perfectly. I'll be re-doing pipes, master cylinder and hubs when the time comes.
All glass is there as are lights.
Any look with the vinal roof and/or where to get one or would I be better tring to work with the one I have?

Great work once again and she will be a credit to you when shes on the road!!
Gavin
 
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