RESTORATION OF SINKHOLE-DAMAGED 1 MILLIONTH CHEVROLET CORVETTE

Milestone damaged when earth opened beneath National Corvette Museum.

Craftspeople and technicians at the General Motors Design Center are painstakingly restoring the historic 1 millionth Chevrolet Corvette damaged nearly 16 months ago when a sinkhole opened beneath the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky.
The restoration crew is part of GM’s Mechanical Assembly group at the Design Center, which typically spends its time building prototype and concept vehicles.    The white 1992 Corvette is a challenge because rather than build an all-new vehicle from the ground up, the workers are trying to preserve the original appearance of a production vehicle.
It is the second of three sinkhole-damaged Corvettes that Chevrolet has pledged to restore. The first, a 2009 Corvette ZR1 prototype known as the Blue Devil, was only lightly damaged and was returned to its original condition last fall. The National Corvette Museum will oversee the restoration of the third car, a 1962 Corvette.
Five other Corvettes swallowed by the sinkhole will remain in their as-recovered state to preserve the historical significance of the cars. They will become part of a future sinkhole-themed display at the museum.

On Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014, at 5:44 a.m., National Corvette Museum personnel were notified by their security company about the burglar alarm going off in the Skydome area of the museum. Upon arrival at the museum, a sinkhole   measuring about 45-by-60 feet wide and 30-foot deep was discovered. 
Security camera footage showing the Skydome floor’s collapse has been viewed more than 8.5 million times on YouTube.
Eight historic Corvettes – two on loan from GM and six owned by the museum – were swallowed that day:

• 1993 ZR-1 Spyder (on loan)
• 2009 ZR1 “Blue Devil” prototype (on loan)
• 1962 Corvette
• 1984 PPG Pace Car
• 1992 1 millionth Corvette
• 1993 40th Anniversary Corvette
• 2001 “Mallett Hammer” Z06
• 2009 1.5 millionth Corvette

On March 3, 2014, the 2009 Blue Devil was the first car recovered and despite significant damage was started and driven out of the Skydome. The 1.5 millionth Corvette and Mallet Corvette were the last cars pulled from the sinkhole, on April 3 and April 9, respectively – after workers were initially unable to find them amid the collapsed earth.
Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world's largest car brands, doing business in more than 115 countries and selling around 4.8 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature engaging performance, design that makes the heart beat, passive and active safety features and easy-to-use technology, all at a value. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

BRITISH MOTOR HERITAGE CELEBRATES ITS 100TH E-TYPE REPLACEMENT BONNET

As the 50th anniversary of the incomparable Jaguar E-Type draws to a close, British Motor Heritage (BMH) has been celebrating an E-Type milestone of its own – the production of its 100th replacement bonnet.

Best known for the manufacture of replacement bodyshells and individual panels for the MGB, MGR V8, MG Midget, Austin Healey Sprite, Triumph TR6 and original Minis etc, BMH these days also produces bonnets for the Series 1, 2 and 3 Jaguar E-Types.

Supplied exclusively to Unipart Jaguar Classic and distributed by Jaguar Classic Parts, the bonnets are manufactured using the original Jaguar tooling and the 100th one (that for a Series 1 model) was completed on September 11 by Stephen Fry, Martin Pollard, Alan Stacey and Dave Jeffs, who between can boast over 40 years’ service to BMH. The E-Type bonnet is just one of a range of body panels now made by BMH for Unipart Jaguar Classic.

Said BMH’s Managing Director John Yea, “Enthusiasts restoring or repairing treasured classics are increasingly particular about the fit and finish of any replacement panels, and never more so than with the bonnet of the E-type, which forms such a large percentage of the car. Not only are our pressings identical to the originals, but they benefit from the quality of hand finishing for which all our products are renowned.”

Further information on BMH’s replacement parts for the Jaguar E-Type; Mini; MG B, F, TF and Midget; Triumph TR6, TR7, TR8, Spitfire, GT6 and Stag; Austin-Healey Sprite; Morris Minor etc can be found at www.bmh-ltd.com.

Coming soon!
Jaguar E-type – Enthusiast’s restoration Manual by Peter Crespin.

People dream of restoring an E-type, but many fail to complete their project after time or money run out. Do you REALLY need to spend £4000 trimming a two-seater, £6000 on an engine, £2000 on a soft top, or £30,000 for a new body shell? No – you can do it yourself for far less, provided your goal is a solid, presentable, and above all driveable car. If you are time rich but cash poor, this book is for you.
More info.


E-type Essential Buyer's Guide's available now!

Click covers for more info.

A SLEEPING BEAUTY IS FULLY RESTORED!

In February 2010 we featured this picture on our Sleeping Beauties blog.

We've just been informed by Philip Leemans at Strada e Corsa that this car (SIATA CS208 Balbo) is now completely restored, and just won the famous Concorso D’Eleganza Villa D’Este in Como, Italy!

Philip tells us: "After seeing the ‘before’ picture, it was quite a challenge! We rebuilt the mechanical components (engine, transmission, suspension/brakes) while Carrozzeria Quality Cars in Italy did the body and interior. The restoration took about 4 years, so winning this prestigious prize was a great honor for us and the owner."

A truly remarkable restoration project. If you are interested in restoring classic cars or motorcycles check out Veloce's Enthusiast's Workshop Manual series!

TR2, 3, 3A, 4 & 4A RESTORATION - IT'S ALL HERE!

Thanks to Australian Classic Car for this review of Triumph TR2, 3, 3A, 4 & 4A - Enthusiast's Restoration Manual by Roger Williams.

"From selecting your first TR right through to what you thought of your restoration – it’s all here in this 210-page manual on restoring the four-cylinder TR sports cars. Perhaps you are buying your first early TR? This book gets right into what to look for. There are many photos of very rusty examples and as you read through you will become familiar with where those main rust spots are in the chassis and body. It also tells you what to look for in the mechanicals of the car – especially the renowned wet sleeve engine, gearbox, overdrive and suspension.

What comes first with any restoration? Preparation of course, and that includes dismantling and a plan that includes where the parts will come from and who will do the work. Now it’s time to roll your sleeves up and get dirty. First comes the bodywork and where the pitfalls are with the two differing body styles. What about chassis restoration, especially the independent rear suspension of the TR4A? It’s all there, of course. The early TR engine is interesting, being wet sleeve – never having to bore out the cylinders would have to be a plus. But just how do you insert the new sleeves? They all used basically the same gearbox. Brakes and suspensions are included in detail and it does recommend upgrading the TR2’s front drums to discs as fitted to later models.

However, it’s not all dirty-hands stuff as detail is provided on the correct trimming of all models. Interestingly, there are separate chapters on fitting hoods to both the early and later TRs. As with all publications in the ‘Enthusiast’s Restoration Manual’ series this publication is easy to read and full of highly useful colour photos."

Click here for more info about the book.

RESTORED 1966 ALFA ROMEO GIULIA GTC

Thanks to Giovanni Vallini for sending us these pictures of this rare Alfa (the very car featured in Veloce's book Alfa Romeo Giulia Coupe GT & GTA by Johnny Tipler).

Giovanni tells us he purchased the book in November 2007, and was extremely pleased to find in it a photograph of the very car he had bought in February that year through carandclassic.co.uk. Although Tim Spitzel's Giulia GTC (JLR804D) had a glorious career, it was in need of major restoration work when Giovanni came across it. But in December 2009, he was finally able to show off this lovely and very rare Alfa Romeo GTC 105.29 – the last model prepared by Carrozzeria Touring!

TWO TRIUMPH TOMES

A couple of great reviews from Triumph World for the two new Veloce books Triumph TR2, 3, 3A, 4 & 4A - Enthusiast's Restoration Manual and How to Improve Triumph TR2-4A (Updated & revised edition!).

Click image to view full size

GET PRACTICAL!

-PRESS RELEASE-

Six new Practical books from Veloce!




All available now! UK & USA

Written by experts with real hands-on experience, these heavily illustrated and clearly written books are designed to really help with practical projects whether it's interpreting build/option codes, tracing an electrical fault, building a car or tuning a car for higher performance. Veloce's best-selling SpeedPro™ books deal with subjects like carburettors, camshafts, ignition systems, cylinder heads and suspension systems dispel common fallacies and give you the understanding necessary to make the right choices for YOUR vehicle.
Veloce also offers a range of workshop manuals to guide you through fault diagnosis, repairs and routine maintenance. You'll also find great restoration manuals giving clear step-by-step guidance on all aspects of vehicle restoration.

100 TIPS TO TRANSFORM YOUR RALLY CAR!

-PRESS RELEASE-

How to Build a Successful Low-Cost Rally Car, a new book by motoring journalist Philip Young aims to provide simple, cost-effective and reliable tips to guarantee reaching the finishing line and more importantly, get results!

This book concentrates on preparing a car for the many forms of road-based rallies, including Historic Rallying, from weekend club events to the Classic Marathon, with useful preparation for long distance events like the Peking to Paris, road-rallies for modern cars, and the “Budget Adventure” events like the Mongol Rally and Plymouth to Dakar.

Published by Veloce at £16.99 containing 150 colour pictures; It concentrates on tips for reliability...items like waterproofing, ensuring the exhaust doesn’t fall off, the radiator doesn’t vibrate lose, engine mountings and the like are regular setbacks on all manner of events and this book gets back to basics, packed with workshop photographs. There is also an event guide, useful contacts, and chapters on personal preparation including staying healthy, coping with borders, and seeking sponsorship.

Philip Young is a former Fleet Street journalist who once helped to run the Daily Mail News Desk...he has written for The Observer, The Times, and The Guardian as well as the Daily Mail, edited two motoring magazines, and twice was awarded the Guild of Motoring Writer’s Motoring Journalist of the Year Award.

Generally credited with having kick-started the historic-rally movement with events like the Pirelli Classic Marathon, Monte Carlo Challenge and Peking to Paris, Philip Young has organised 65 major events and has seen how the same problems crop up time and time again that could have been prevented with some simple modifications in the garage before the start. He co-founded the Historic Rally Car Register in 1982, and more recently started up Endurance Rallying in Britain, events restricted to 1400cc cars with standard engines, such as the Lombard Rally.

Philip Young commented: "Hopefully the book goes some way to debunk the myth that rally preparation is about high cost and high technology - some of the modifications in the book are ordinary household items, from silicone bathroom sealer to wire coat hangers that cost zippo, but transform reliablility."


The 96-page book is available now from bookshops or from www.veloce.co.uk.

If you are driving a road-based rally, this book will help you get a result … don’t even fill in the entry form without it!

PEKING TO PARIS - INTERVIEW WITH PHILIP YOUNG

Click here, if the video doesn't display. Interview courtesy of theautochannel.com

Click here for more info about Peking to Paris - The Ultimate Driving Adventure.

New book by Philip Young! - How to Build a Successful Low-Cost Rally Car – For Marathon, Endurance, Historic & Budget-car Adventure events
Simple, cost-effective, basic and reliable tips to ensure that any rally car stands a chance of reaching the finishing line. If you are planning a road-based rally, don't even think of leaving home before reading this book and implementing the tried and tested mods it describes so well. Click here for more info.

Volkswagen Past, Present and Future

W12 Coupé, The Scirocco GT24 and The up!
A trio of Volkswagen concept vehicles are set to make their UK debut at The Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend between Friday 11th and Sunday 13th July.

Check out Veloce VW manuals, past, present and future! click covers for more info..

How to Restore Volkswagen Beetle


NEW!VW T5 Van - How to Convert to Camper


Forthcoming...How to restore Volkswagen Bus – Enthusiast's Restoration Manual

Elvis Payne's Reliant goes up in Flames

Over the weekend a piece of Veloce Publishing history sadly passed away. The Reliant that formed the basis of How to Restore Reliant Regal is now reduced to ashes. However, all is perhaps not lost as there is hope the legacy can in fact, live on...

"I was on my way to a Reliant Rally and had covered about 50 miles when I pulled over as I was following my brother in his Reliant and he broke down. When I then restarted my car, there was a strange pop and the car burst into flames. We battled to save it but the fire spread within minutes.

The fire brigade got there really quick but my car burnt faster. Sadly it has been totally destroyed.

It was insured as a classic car and because of its A1 condition I have a valuation certificate from the insurance stating they value it at £3,000. So I shall have to wait and see what happens.

As strange as it seems I have been getting emails galore from Reliant owners who feel some connection to the car whether it be though the book, via my web site or by owning a model. It is almost as though a person has died.

Everyone is saying that due to the book, web site and its appearances in magazines it is too important to lose. (Last year one great article was in Practical Classics when the car was test driven by Chris Barrie (aka Rimmer from Red Dwarf). The chassis looks good and I will be asking the insurance if I can buy it back. I shall test it and if OK (and if the DVLA are happy), then I will restore the car again from the ashes. I have already had offers of three bodies and numerous parts.

Despite the shock of this, next month my brother and I are off to the North Cape, we will be driving 4,000 miles through France, Sweden and Norway ... in a Reliant Robin! :o)"

Elvis Payne


How to Restore Reliant Regal
By Elvis Payne
Features

• Restoration Guide for the Reliant Regal 3/25 & 3/30.
• What to look for when buying a Regal and how to test.
• Detailed look at each model and their differences.
• Complete restoration from the ground up.
• Unique photos of every stage of restoration.
• How to repair a gelcoat on fiberglass bodies.
• Step by Step instructions for each task
• Written with hands on experience and details problems.
• Alternative spare parts list detailing necessary parts from other marquees.
• The mechanics section can be used by Bond Bug owners.
Description

The book offers a guide in how to find a suitable Reliant Regal 3/25 or 3/30 for restoration. It then proceeds with a fully illustrated step-by-step guide on how to dismantle a Reliant Regal, and then fully restore the body, chassis, electrics and engine back into showroom condition.

For more info click here