One of the ***iest machines ever. Some people hate the look but no body cares about their comments. Post away and give us details.
Built on stretched and widened '32 Ford rails with a Jaguar suspension and Jag V12 wearing 4 Stromberg 97's. Build pictures at www.coachsmithing.com. These shots were taken today. The car should be ready for delivery to our customer some time in April.
Outstanding job Jonathan - and the paint looks pretty damn close to Peter Mullins' Type 165 - is that the mix I gave you? Makes me wonder why people will waste $250+k on any Ford....
Yes, we used the paint code that you gave us -- Thank you! I think it is pretty exact. Any difference you see is due to lighting and digital processing I did on the photographs.
Beautiful work. I've got a 1937 135M in my shop right now. Building a roll back convertible top for it. In a shop full of hot rods, they really stand out.
Awesome! I haven't found many shops with Delahaye projects. We have 1936 and 1938 Delahaye 135M cars in our shop right now also. They are being completely rebuilt and given new replica Figoni & Falaschi Torpedo bodies.
It was temporary for pictures -- we are still waiting on some hardware, trim, and interior components. (the center hub is the lid from a peanut ****er jar ).
About 2.5 years. Because this was our first one we had to do a lot of research and build a buck (3D pattern) for it. There were a lot of adjustments along the way. For future Delahaye 165 builds we think we could make them in about 12-18 months depending on the client and their specific requests. We are getting ready to start our second one after this one is out the door. The second car will be built according to our own specifications and we hope to take it to car shows to advertise our work. Right now we are talking about polishing the aluminum body to a high shine and plating all of the trim in brushed copper. The boss would also like to build one that has wood-strip fender skirts.
You have taken my favorite car in the whole world and made it "better". It looks a little lower than Peter Mullins car, it has left-hand drive, and it appears to be a car that can actually be used. Very well done. My new favorite. Posted from the TJJ App for iPhone & iPad
I agree with lowliddude, this transcends automobile and becomes truly a work of art. I am always in awe of talented tin benders. Fellow here in Bethlehem, NH does fine work, he was at a car show years ago with a lobster, yeah I know, but if you know all the curves and such on that crusteacan, doing one in tin is a real task. He did it just for fun, as he does high end sports cars in his shop. Several years ago I got invited with my buddy's 356 club to go to Paul Russel's restoration shop in MA. They were getting cars ready for a show at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Anyway they had a pre-war Italian race car they were ***embling. Even the seat frames, all done in tubing of various sizes, would have been worthy of a pedestal display by themselves. It was almost sacreligious to put the leather covers on them.
All of our car bodies are made of aluminum. All of the seams are gas welded. We take great pride in planishing the aluminum to perfection (so much so that we have even invented our own tool to perfect the process). VERY little filler and sanding is necessary before primer.
Thank you! The ch***is is lower than an original Delahaye ch***is (we have a couple in the shop). The Mullins car is actually lower than it used to be (according to some 1940s era pictures I have of the car). Our client wanted it to be a car that could be driven for pleasure. There are even electric window switches under the dash and remote keyless locks.
Point and case (verbatim from a letter we received): "I left Coachsmithing overwhelmed by what I saw. Your projects are a**** the most ambitious that I have ever seen, and your execution of them is, in a word, superb. A lot of people can use power hammers, TIG welders, shot bags, English wheels, etc. to approximate shapes in metal. But seeing this work performed as it was originally done, with simple tools and the terrific skill needed to use them to such great effect was, well, inspiring. I found your understanding and feel for metal astounding. Beyond that, the combination of imagination and precision evident in your work is beyond exciting." - Matt Joseph, Author of Automotive Sheet Metal Forming & Fabrication and Bodywork and Rust Repair
Same thought, stunning in every fashion. Can't say enough ... thanks for sharing. All the best, Dale Cleveland OH
Craftsmanship to the max from your website. Folks if you haven't poked around their website you have really missed seeing some great work. The build thread on that car http://www.coachsmithing.com/delahaye-165 It gets better the further you scroll down the page. I've always thought that that model was one of the best looking cars ever built an you guys nailed it.
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