1969 Maserati Ghibli - The Resurection
Discussion
P5Nij said:
Just a quickie... went along with a mate to the NEC this afternoon as he was taking his SD1 to put on the club stand, went for a good old wander round so's to get as many uncluttered photos as possible before the crowds arrive tomorrow... I grabbed a few shot's of this gorgeous machine on the Maserati club stand and stared at it for several minutesm quite literally agog with envy...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/21403537@N00/81891356...
Superlatives are almost pointless when confronted with something manmade and this beautiful...
Thanks for posting that, this Ghibli, in stunning Verdi Gemma, was one of the stars at the clubs annual concour d'elegance in June at Stanford Hall. Owned by arch enthusiast Stephen Dowling and restored/maintained by top UK marque specialists Bill McGrath Maserati it made the journey in day long torrential rain so much more worthwhile. I made the trip specifically to look at the finer details of the Ghibli body as I commenced final preparation for painting, a better example I couldn't have hopped to find.http://www.flickr.com/photos/21403537@N00/81891356...
Superlatives are almost pointless when confronted with something manmade and this beautiful...
IroningMan said:
That must surely be streets ahead of the standards of fit and finish in which it left the factory?
From what I have gleaned from period reviews of the Ghibli it had one of the best built body shells of the time, not just Maserati but out of all the other high end cars available. Factory add photo's and show press photo's bear this out but whether production cars were built to the same standard is another thing - they were probably not. What I can say is the few unmolested panels on my car were very good and the adjacent panel fit excellent, gaps between panels on my daily driver Porsche 968 are around double.So, yes better than factory but not by much and consistent with what I think the factory aspired to.
Pied Piper said:
I have just sat and read through this, what fantastic work, can't wait to see the finished car.
Thank you
Hi Chadspeed, Thank you
This is my first ever post on Pistonheads (although I've been hanging around these parts for a wee while). Your thread is stunning. Absolutely superb. I'm in my 20s and once I'm married next year I've promised myself that I'll begin my first ever project (going to start small - just tossing up between an MGB and a Mini Cooper). Reading this thread has been an inspiration and it's wonderful that you and others on here work so bloody hard to bring cars like this back to life. I'll continue to read with a mixture of awe and fascination!
Thank you.
GVLJ
McClure said:
RonnieH said:
How to make someone feel welcome!! NOT!!
Don't be offended - it was a joke about not wanting photos of you "tossing" [up] between two cars.Of course photos of your restoration are welcomed. Nay, they're demanded.
I promise I'll set up a thread once I get going - but not getting married till this time next year, so plenty of time to find exactly the right project car. I may completely change my mind on what car to work on in any case - a friend suggested an early 70s Lancia Fulvia might also be an interesting project (although I'm a little concerned by the potential for an epic sheet metal rebuild).
LotusOmega375D said:
I saw the Verdi Gamma car a few weeks ago. Andy Heywood of Bill McGrath Maserati had been given permission by its Australian owner to bring it to a show. It did look lovely and was my favourite car of the event, although my brother doesn't like the steering wheel.
That is truly sublime on every level. Such simple clean lines, but manages to be utterly gorgeous at the same time.What does the steering wheel look like?
GVLJ said:
Hi Chadspeed,
This is my first ever post on Pistonheads (although I've been hanging around these parts for a wee while). Your thread is stunning. Absolutely superb. I'm in my 20s and once I'm married next year I've promised myself that I'll begin my first ever project (going to start small - just tossing up between an MGB and a Mini Cooper). Reading this thread has been an inspiration and it's wonderful that you and others on here work so bloody hard to bring cars like this back to life. I'll continue to read with a mixture of awe and fascination!
Thank you.
GVLJ
Go for it GVLJ, either choice is good but both will need you to be handy with a MIG welder if bought at the bottom end of the price range. Don't let that put you off, I'd recommend getting a MIG set (lower Amps the better) some damaged panels from the scrappie and practising in a shed or garage.This is my first ever post on Pistonheads (although I've been hanging around these parts for a wee while). Your thread is stunning. Absolutely superb. I'm in my 20s and once I'm married next year I've promised myself that I'll begin my first ever project (going to start small - just tossing up between an MGB and a Mini Cooper). Reading this thread has been an inspiration and it's wonderful that you and others on here work so bloody hard to bring cars like this back to life. I'll continue to read with a mixture of awe and fascination!
Thank you.
GVLJ
Chad
Good day on the car but dead beat now so few words, that bottle of Chianti's not going to last long:
Thought the swage line was straight until it was all one colour.
The castors and roll over frame were one of the best decisions I made, still reaping the benefits even at this stage.
Slow, but its still progress
You can just see the door hinges in their final place. Once the shell finally receives it's last coat of lacquer the doors can be hung. A mistake as it turned out
Thought the swage line was straight until it was all one colour.
The castors and roll over frame were one of the best decisions I made, still reaping the benefits even at this stage.
Slow, but its still progress
You can just see the door hinges in their final place. Once the shell finally receives it's last coat of lacquer the doors can be hung. A mistake as it turned out
gowmonster said:
is that because the doors/hinges sit wrong now they are devoid of the inch of paint/filler?
Misalignment after removing the filler was corrected at the metal stage, the mistake was more simple than that - couldn't paint in all the nooks and crannies so off they had to come. The hinges are tapped M8, the bolts pass through slots in the door pillars from inside the cabin but how to remove them so they go back in exactly the right place? Solution - drill a couple of 3mm holes through the door pillar into each hinge from the inside (but not going right through the hinge) and insert some short pegs - simples.
evil len said:
Out of curiosity, how did you correct the swage line?
Indeed, good question. The swage line was actually in the right place it just waved up and down by perhaps up to a millimetre when looking down the length of the car. The inaccuracies were only on the door skins and were caused by the jig bolt holes pulling ever so slightly when they were welded up, see page 7. Spray primer/filler followed by blocking off with wet/dry trued them up.Edited by Chad speed on Sunday 18th November 18:57
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