Not much has happened with 145 beside general cleaning and taking stock. I removed the battery and found that it is a Deka. These are made in Pennsylvania and sold in the NE US. The date stamp was Jan. 1971!!! So it is safe to assume that #145 has not been on the road since the mid-70s and once lived in the NE US.
My energies are currently directed toward a TR4 that will be my driver while the Peerless undergoes restoration.
John
No. 145 is on the move! Next week I will be taking it to Ohio for restoration, or more accurately remanufacturing. A new body shell, doors, chassis, wiring, door handles, exhaust system, wheels and tires are needed. The drivetrain and suspension will be restored and a new interior made. This is a "jack up the number plate and build a new car" type of job. Amazingly, this is less expensive than restoring the current "remains."
We made it to the shop in one piece, barely. I had to remove the windshield before the trip as it was falling out of the broken frame. The right front tire went flat enroute. This was not a surprise as it appears to be an original Avon Turbospeed! We just pumped it back up and it held long enough to roll off the trailer and into the shop. Now 145 is resting comfortably between two stunning TR3s that are being restored by Macy's Garage.
It's actually a very dark green. I think they were trying for "British Racing Green." The car was originally blue. We see this in hidden areas. The seats and seat belt are also blue. No decision yet on the new paint color, we have a long way to go before that bridge needs to be crossed.
Hi John, I would like to know (when you get to it!) if the interior has been painted blue or the cloth leather/cloth is really "factory coloured". all Ph 1 cars were grey, Ph 2 black and most of the Warwick's I've seen are cream.
The interior is badly weathered, but it appears that it was painted tan over the original blue. You can see this in the lower corners of the seat back where the seams have pulled apart. The seatbelt is definitely blue. The passenger seat shows the blue more clearly, but I don't have a good photo of it. Could the color have been a blue-grey?
I suppose, in a certain light, you could describe the original colour as blue/grey. Certainly, in the photo, the little patch of blue/grey looks very close to my grey seats. I would imagine seat belts were a later fitment. My car has certainly never had any. Were they exported seatbelt-less??
Nigel: what color is Stuart's car? Can you send me some of the pictures you were looking at? It is clear that we have an original interior, but a very degraded one that needs to be reconstructed.
Dave, thanks for the photo. It looks just like I imaged 145 did, once upon a time. What color is the Swiss car? Do you have any more photos?
Fortunately, we also have #18 nearby (to Macy's) as a reference.
It still seems a bit odd that a green or red car would have a blue-grey interior. I can see it in a white or certainly in a blue one, but...
Many, many thanks,
John
frieman@aol.com
P.S. We made the "Big Time", the "photo of the week" on the Macy's Garage website!
I think you're over estimating small production vehicle constructors in the late fifties and should be thinking closer to home with Mr H Ford..."any colour so long as its Grey"
I have never seen/heard of a Factory finished car in any other colour than Grey (for Phase 1)
they did do body coloured steel wheel with embellisher's....that's as close and you got my friend
Mr. Ford was referring to the model "T" of 1908, not a "Grand Touring" car of 1958. Be that as it may, grey is the "in" color.
I'm leaning toward the original blue, Peerless' look great in blue. But, they also look great in green... and red and...
Thankfully that decision is months away.
Progress... The engine, gearbox, etc. are out. The radiator and heater core have been dispatched to the specialist. We await, with baited breath, the new chassis and body.
Now if someone could just explain what the heck "baited breath" is...
I think the cars had been taken to the height of fashion in this picture to find out the
colours for that season. As the factory behind them is the Birliey bra factoryin the bath road Slough.
Brilliant warwickgt...I'd heard that the building posing as the factory was a stand in...but had no idea that its identity was known! What a shame it was demolished - it looks a fine building. Here it is in all its glory for anyone interested: http://www.webcitation.org/5w19f4YlN
No problem. The Peerless car dealership was on the opposite side of the road. This was an existing garage for a couple of brands. The factory was about half a mile away. I wonder if they may have taken the cars over there one quiet Sunday morning and taken the pictures with out telling anyone.