#1
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Out of Africa
Last May we started a restoration on a 1948 Allard M1 Drophead Coupe. The car was originally shipped and registered to a British Timber Plantation owner in 1949 to be used as a hillclimb car. A couple years later the car was sold to another British owner who used his cars for racing. He was killed while racing his 300SL and the M1 was sold to a missionary who used the car for transportation. A British TV war correspondent covering the war in the late seventies brought the car back with him when he returned to London in 1980. The car remained in London until 1995 when a collector from Texas bought the car. During that period of time the car had been completely re-wooded with mahogany instead of White Ash as it was originally. The original skins were use over with extremely poor repairs. My customer bought the car eight years ago and a restorer in Florida completely disassembled the car not realizing he was in over his head. The owner was so distraught that he left the car in one of his warehouses which was broken into and robbed leaving the car missing more than half of the hardware and parts. I was commissioned to restore, re-wood, re-skin and fabricate all the missing parts.
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James Hery |
#2
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Looks like you have a huge puzzle to take care of there!
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#3
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Out of Africa
There were 499 M1's built and today 54 are accounted for in the Allard Registry. Of those 54 there isn't a 3 position Drophead so I don't have any photos of the top and assembly all of which is missing. The top of the windshield, the header bar with attaching hardware and the header bow was all missing so I had to use my best judgment in making these parts. The owner couldn't find his memory stick which had photos of the car as it was being dismantled so I had to resort to the internet which lead me to a man in London who owns an M1 Drophead but not a 3 position. He graciously sent me a CD with over 300 photos of his car as it was being restored which was an great help. The nose, firewall, two floor pans, an aluminum hood and 4 fenders were all of the sheetmetal which was either good for pattern or restorable.
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James Hery |
#4
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Out of Africa
The front fender braces were rusted out and had to be repaired.
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James Hery |
#5
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Out of Africa
Attachment 32022The car had 2 carbs before and they cleared the hood. With 3 carbs the hood has to have a blister fabricated and welded in. The generator has to be moved to the right side and means the water pipe has to be fabricated to go around the generator. This will be covered later.
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James Hery |
#6
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Out of Africa
White ash is used for the framing of the sub-rails, and the old wheelhouses are used as jigs in forming the wood in the rear section. I placed a string down the middle of the frame and measured to square the rails and wheelhouses. The rear of the body is 1/2 Baltic Birch plywood and the ash is attached to it with screws.
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James Hery |
#7
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Out of Africa
Laying out the wood structure for the rear of the car.
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James Hery |
#8
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Out of Africa
Rear framing taking shape.
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James Hery |
#9
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Out of Africa
Wood framing of rear and floor and truck lid.
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James Hery |
#10
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Out of Africa
Metal patterns were made to get the contour of the wheel arches.
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James Hery |
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