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

[impaw]

I really like this thread:)
The suspense is killing me though!!!

[Parisien]

Fellow Aurelian's, would I be so crass as to string you all along?

Nooooooooo

Finished.................and SOLD.......!!!!


No gentlemen of the forum, I still have it, not finished but passed another significant milestone.

As in any decent suspense thriller ( because for me, it's been just that!) you just don't jump to the conclusion just after you've started it!

Like lots of stories etc these days there are many sub plots, yet to hove into view!

Do bear with me.

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[Parisien]

April came and went, May and June too before he eventually got around to the B12, as ever life doesn't run smoothly and I just had to accept the reasons for the delay, for which he was very apologetic.

From July onwards he got stuck into it, as we all know many hours can be spent for no real difference in how the car looks, but I'd put my trust in him, he knew what needed done to make the paint work as good as possible.


These were the only photos I received in 3 months!

But he assured me the correction, redoing and aligning of panels doors were taking up inordinate amounts of time.

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[simonandjuliet]

It's the detail that takes the time ...

[DavidLaver]

Time vs money vs quality. 

For most of what I do the motto is "its amazing what you can get done if you set your standards low enough". 

[williamcorke]

Which reminds me of...

[Parisien]

In the end, it was like a dam breaking, no warning, no signs at all.

He told me to ring him in 4/5 weeks, or end of October, but the week before that,  I got these through, no accompanying message just these.

[Parisien]

I was shocked and delighted in equal measure.

After everything, a final purgatory of preparation and anticipation the B12 was in paint, I honestly could not believe it.

He said rather than sending more photos to come and see it for my self, as everyone on the forum knows, in car terms, a picture is NEVER worth a thousand words!

A visit  was quickly arranged.

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[Sliding Pillar]

Hooray!!!

[Parisien]

A few posts back I'd mentioned the bumpers.

As per photos they'd been "interfered "with, much to the concern of several afficianados, and rightly so.

Having saved a B12 owners post about how to repair the brass based bumpers, Brian Long in Australia , I'd set about phoning both chromers and guys who had metalworks in an attempt to organise or sort out a full repair.

I'd undertaken this search a couple of years back but again despite numerous calls it seemed impossible to track down someone to carry out the initial annealing due to the size of muffle oven required.

Feeling I'd run out of options, someone suggested why not use filler to at least get an even-ish surface ( not bother fixing cracks etc) and then either use a modern chrome look paint or wrap it.


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[Parisien]

As previously, photos don't really get across what your eyes will see when face to face with a thing of beauty...IMHO.

And there it was, the colour was nicer than I thought possible, the finish magnificent.

I was pleasantly blown away...can someone please pinch me!

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[Parisien]

A few more, contrasting the pics deeper inside workshop and those at door.

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[Parisien]

The car has since arrived home, front doors in place, rears stored in a bedroom for the moment until I resolve the wing/body trim issue.

The main reason I hadn't posted until now was because, more uncertainty came my way.

The mechanic who'd stripped the car with me back in 2012 had told me he would not be doing the rebuild ( he had retired plus had a temporary health issue) a more than deflating moment. However I did ask him to come view the B12, finally in paint and looking fabulous.

He did indeed visit and he did say, if I got another mechanic/restorer to actually do the hands on work, he would indeed act as adviser/consultant as it progressed!

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[impaw]

looks WONDERFUL!!
that color is stunning!

[Parisien]

Referencing the ongoing uncertainty about the continuation of the restoration.

I'd mentioned to my son, that I now needed to find someone experienced, interested and skillful enough to put the B12 back together, those sort of guys are pretty thin on the ground locally!

He sorta nonchalantly said why don't you ask my band mate Ciaran ( a guy with a national profile in restoring almost exclusively Peugeot 205s). I thought no harm would come of asking, holding out very little hope.

But a fortnight later a voicemail to my son stated that yes he will do it!

This was the main reason I'd restarted the thread again, I thought it would take me months to find someone else plus likely be much further away.

Delighted, over the moon, relieved...... didn't quite cover how I felt at that moment!

A meeting is scheduled in January, see how it pans out over 2025.


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