The grand finale for this project was a small show in Columbia, MD. The other restorer and myself kiddingly joked about how cool it would be to scuff down the outer skin and show the car in bare steel for this show – months ago… Well, it was tough to shake that idea, and the next thing you know, I’m headed down I-95 for a great day of food, fun and new friends!
Enjoy the photos – there were some really incredible machines in attendance, with the focus on E-Types – and the one that showed up naked drew the attention of all eyes, of course…
The day started at 6 AM when we loaded up the car - the rain stopped and the sun was shining for the first time in 2 weeks!
The ride down I-95 was cool with this in the rearview mirror - although I'm pretty sure several other motorists were blinded - it was like chrome in the sun!
Alfa Romeo 8C
Aston Martin
Ford GT
The GT-40's supercharged engine - this should be able to get out of its own way!
The naked '63 was the only car "in progress" at the show, but it drew the biggest crowd all day long!
This Mustang racer shook the ground, and we could here it coming and going for MILES!
E Street - throughout the day there were 9 E-Types in attendance - not bad at all!
The white roadster's 3.8 XK engine.
The cockpit - looks like a work in progress or maybe someone had to get into the trans tunnel recently - either way, a 3.8 roadster, out and about - yet somewhat apart - brought back the memories! As I took this photo, it was all I could do to stop myself from jumping in and taking off - I could feel the heat on that floor panel burning my bare heel just looking at it!
If you've ever driven a 3.8 E-Type, this will make you smile...
A gorgeous '67 Coupe.
A '67 Coupe trying to upstage it's '68 sister with open headlights... 67, 68, 69...
Clean 4.2 XK engine.
The '67's cockpit.
The '68's cockpit.
Another shot of the E's...
'65 Ferrari 275 GTB - this car was everyone's favorite!
Purchased in '69 by its current owner, the car is absolutely all-original - including original paint, and was driven to the show confidently by the owner like there was nothing to it!
Another shot - the car had three small dents - and all three had a story behind them, that didn't involve the Ferrari running at the time! You could feel the pain in the owner's voice as he described the little garage bumps through the years, but it just made it cooler to me!
The interior was mind-blowingly mint!
This '89 Testarossa was recently acquired, but relegated to the garage with a blown engine. It is here for a heart transplant, and with 14,000 original miles, it will soon be a new car again!
We had a customer with a Delorean when I worked at the Jag shop as a kid, and even with the whole "Back to the Future" thing being very fresh back then, I was still unimpressed (to say the least...) This one had all kinds of interesting mods, and it was only after I stopped taking photos that I realized it had been upgraded to a 3.0-liter engine with twin intercooled turbos - now that's more like it!
A beautiful Austin Healey that finished the day a little grumpy - we had to kick-start her to put her away - just more fun that took me back to my youth...
Late in the day, the '68 Coupe was the only E-Type left on the field, but that's OK, it turned out to be my favorite. I'm a covered headlight man, but it's only fair that I admit the lines of a '68's headlight trim look the best in my opinion.
This car had a very good mouth shape in my opinion. This is how an E's mouth SHOULD look - sadly, many do not... Bumpers are all lined up nice - a very clean restoration!
Just a beautiful automobile - and one where you can probably actually see the road in front of you at night!
The owner of the '68 also brought this XK-140 - the man has good taste, period. I think it might have been an MC too!
The 140's interior was flawless.
The '63 shell was finally left alone at the end of the day, still perched in it's place of honor - overlooking the picnic area. The extra underpanel on the left was a piece I restored for another customer. We were supposed to meet at the show where he would pick up this piece, but instead, he told me to keep it and brought ME the rest of his bonnet!
Here's a shot from down below. We had a little fun and pulled out three little bushes that were blocking this view down from the tables...
Success! There were alot of long nights put in to get this bonnet back into this shape in time for the show, then alot of fingernail-biting hoping the rain would end - culminating in a nerve-racking drive down I-95! In the end, it was all worth it, and I was honored to be a part of this fun day. After this photo, we wheeled her down into the shop, where she'll be getting a nice coat of etch-primer ASAP - enough goofing around with the polished shell (it sure was COOL, though!)
