This car is a VERY solid example of a Series 1.5 2+2. The car is being pupose built for its French adventure, and that includes installation of a Webasto sunroof, and conversion to a 4-speed transmission. Since we’re doing that much work, and there are also some minor rust issues in the floor, plus evidence of filler in at least the rear lower valances and bonnet, we’ll be stripping the car down bare and going over the shell with a fine-tooth comb as far as the metalwork is concerned.
Here is the car during the disassembly phase at the customers home in Michigan. Overall, the car is in excellent condition, and a great start for this fun project!
Here is a decent overhead shot of a Series 1 Coupe with a Webasto roof in the open position.
I find the Webasto roof to be a very cool option for this car. They are a “period” item, don’t really detract from the lines of the car at all when closed, and when open, it literally peels the entire roof back! I’ve included a few photos in this post of other E-Type coupes and 2+2’s with this option so you can get a feel for how this will look when completed.
Cutting the roof for this top is not for the faint of heart! It will need to be cut VERY precisely – properly positioned front to rear, and centered from side to side, with a turned-down edge formed into it. This is basically a one-shot-deal, and it’s best left to a shop like ours with the right tools and experience (and, having a spare, straight 2+2 roof on the shelf helps in the courage department!) We’ll make sure the job is done perfectly.
Here is another shot - this time it's a Series 1 2+2 - bascially exactly what we're dealing with. Look closely at this photo and notice just how much light is on the inside of the car - even the back seat is bathed in full sunlight!
Aside from that, we’ll repair some rust damage in the floors, and do a better job at smoothing out some dents that have suffered at the hands of a dent-puller in the past. Finally, we’ll strip the bonnet, find out what lurks beneath, and smooth and past sins hidden under the filler we can already see…
I'm not sure if this car is destined to be refinished in its original light blue or not. If it is, however, I imagine this is what it will look like tooling around Europe with the Webasto roof open!
