The Portuguese Aurelia .........the Phoenix has arisen......

[Parisien]

The gearbox was fully stripped down, all gears, moving parts, wear and tear items were to be checked, replaced or improved by Tim's expert knowledge. The same applied to the rear brakes and clutch.

In effect a full rebuild to factory plus standard

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[Parisien]

I wonder how many Aurelia owners have seen the gearboxes inards?

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[Parisien]

And the same for clutch and brakes.

There wear a couple of unforeseen issues.

However Tim remarked on how little wear had occurred in the gears of this box, hardly run in!

On reassembly all measurements and tolerances were religiously adhered to

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[Parisien]

A few more

[Parisien]

Brakes ....

[Parisien]

And then finished

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[lancialulu]

Just need the car finished.....

[impaw]

Great progress!!👍👍👍

[Parisien]

So yet again the restoration had stalled in July 2023.


I tried to regroup, asking again of guys around the locality if anyone else came to mind. Blanks and dead ends came thick and fast.

Then in mid August, our local vintage run took place, the Friday evening was the first part of the run through the town, usually around a 120 vehicles took part. They started off from a carpark, it was the wettest Friday start I'd seen for years.

I got completely drenched, but one guy I'd helped out a few years ago source headlights for his Alfa Romeo, mentioned a name of a body/ paint guy 30 odd miles away.

But he was hard to get, always a queue of cars awaiting his skills, but by now waiting was one of my few virtues.

A phone call was made.

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[Parisien]

A little while later I dually made contact. I explained my situation, as I'm sure you're all aware, body guys are very reluctant to carry on from where one guy left off, in my case were two left off.

He stated he only does a few cars a year, he also restores tractors and runs a small haulage company. However after some further discussion and taking an interest in the Aurelia, given it's rarity and being quite different from British cars he normally works on , he said he'd come and look it over.

Down side being it would be December before he could visit and if it passed muster, it would be a few months later before he could do the work.

Having just been ghosted by the last guy I was quite anxious the same could happen again!

But wait I did.........

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[Parisien]

One loom waiting to be delivered to an old school friend who runs an auto electrics business. Noting the labels still attached, 12 years later,  to the instrument panel bulb fittings for reference.

Likely ready in January

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[Parisien]

The months passed quickly enough, he contacted me to say he'd be down later in December before Christmas.

Sure enough he appeared and we spent two solid hours going over and over the B12. Panel by panel, gap by gap, line by line. All we're critiqued and judgement passed.

He spent much time shaking his head, tut tutting and generally making all the wrong noises. To be honest it wasn't looking good.

His parting words were, its just too much work especially having to undo and or make good lots of issues that needed addressing

But he said he'd contact me in a few days with a yay or nay.

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[Parisien]

Sure enough, two days later I got a WhatsApp, both in the affirmative and a step by step list of how it would proceed, rough time schedule plus a price.

To say I was pleased is another understatement, I felt I'd been very much drinking at the last chance saloon. But as noted before there's been quite a few slips betwixt cup and lip!

Aiming for a March 2024 start, Xmas 2023 will be much more enjoyable I thought!

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[Parisien]

Fast forward to March, I was now next in line, palpitations all round.

Juggled a few dates, but weather was so hit and miss, windows of opportunity shrank and expanded by the hour, I did not want it to get soaked , so I decided to cling wrap the B12! ( Mostly stayed in place, plus no rain!)

Loaded it up on a trailer and off it went on another road trip!

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[Sliding Pillar]

You're just teasing us now, drip feeding pictures, I think you have actually got it back home all painted and looking fantastic  
Or maybe you've actually got it finished??