Jason Marechaux rebuilds a Morgan body tub
Jason Marechaux of East Coast Collision & Restoration in Mount Holly, Vermont fits up a new door post on a Morgan +4 body tub, the old timber no longer being suitable even for kindling. When we first got our hands on this car the doors didn’t close, but we were able to fix that simply by taking out the engine & gearbox, which took the load off the broken chassis.
The wooden body structure was in poor condition
Here’s a better look at what was underneath the sheetmetal, no surprise here really, the exterior panels were pretty sad looking, too. While many of these timbers are available at a price, the decision was made to fabricate them in-house at East Coast Collision & Restoration, thereby saving the owner both time and money.
Jason & his crew apply wood preservative to the body tub
Applying wood preservative to the wooden body frame. Just behind Jason’s right elbow is a sheetmetal panel in the process of being formed on the Pullmax Power Hammer. On the wall in back are pulling chains for collision work.
Some more Pullmax work: A new quarter panel on the rebuilt body tub. Note the rear wheel well forming buck on the shelf..
And here’s what the Pullmax can do in skilled hands: A new quarter panel on the rebuilt body tub. Here are two esoteric craftsman disciplines coming together very nicely. Above the open cabinet door is the forming buck for the rear wheel arches.
Can we have something built for you ?
You can't do this with Bondo. Trial fit up of reconditioned sheetmetal.
Repaired and newly fabricated sheetmetal panels get a trial fit up on the finished wooden body frame. This is skilled work that very few “body men” can really do anymore. Here at Sports Car Services we are doubly fortunate, we work closely with two restorers who work to these standards every day.
Very soon we’ll be taking you for a quick look around Sports Car Specialties, the establishment of Jon Thompson in Grafton, New Hampshire where one of our Austin Healey projects, which has been completely rebuilt from the frame up, including the frame, is receiving its outer sheetmetal right now. Scan back to our January wrap up for another look at that remarkable car.
