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Below 2015
Title: one from new: PTX 393L
Model code: 3452
Exterior color (paint code): Verona (024)
Restoration: 2014: under restoration at Paint Barn LTD (visible on Facebook)
Modifications: bodywork rear wing to steel boot lid (optional alloy boot lid fitted with second motorsport rubber edge spoiler crated separately), front wing wind splits, rear window hoop spoiler, fiberglass rear bumper, front airdam. Has Alpina airbox and cam cover
Owner:
- 22/12/79->2015 onwards: Mark Thompson, Heathrow United Kingdom
- Date of UK registration; 06/03/1973
- Delivery to UK; 30/10/1972
- Date of manufacture; 25/10/1972
Owner's write up:
I first saw PTX outside the Cunard Hotel, London in 1979 where they were conducting a car auction. My father and I had gone there to see if we could buy a zero mile V12 E Type Jaguar which we didn’t manage to do. One the way out we left a note under the windscreen wiper with my phone number and an offer to buy the car. The next day Brian Klassick, a London classic car dealer called and said he owned the car and it was for sale. My father and I went straight away and did the deal and soon PTX was at home with me. This car was imported to the UK as one of the standard batch of 500 RHD CSL’s. When it came into my hands in 1979. It was a standard fit car with no changes apart from the addition of a front spoiler. The car had around 70000 miles and although only 6 years old it had already developed some minor corrosion and car park damage. I drove the car for a year or so and then had the bodywork resprayed to bring it back to life. The car was used regularly from then until around 1985 when I found myself working overseas a great deal. Although not completely neglected, PTX was never given much attention and became a garage Queen. She stayed that way until finally in January 2010 I decided that she would be restored back to her former glory and given some suitable period upgrades. I was determined that if I was going to restore her, I was going to do it properly and make her better than new if possible. I understood that purists would only accept a restoration that made the car as original as possible using all genuine parts or restored originals. I didn’t feel that I would go down that road and decided on making PTX a little bit special but still making it an excellent restoration. My initial inspection of the body revealed door bottoms, sills, wing bottoms and rear skirts all were suffering from tinworm but, apparently nowhere near as bad as I expected. I decided to go the whole hog and strip and dip the car. I stripped the car over the next year to a bare shell, still confident that fairly minor body work was required. Despite reservations and views held by others, I took the car to SPL for the full dip and Ecoat. On the day I collected the shell it was apparent I had been badly mistaken about the extent of the work required ! The shell was much worse than I thought, although I now had a major job on my hands it was still much less work than some I had seen that were 10 times worse than mine. At this time I had only had the car dipped, Ecoat was to come later. I took PTX to PBCM near Winchester, Paul Baker had been recommended to me by a friend with a CSL too. Paul spent the next few months stripping out ALL the rust and replacing every panel possible and fabricating new chassis parts where necessary. At this time Paul unpicked all seams and joins where any remains of the stripping acid could have collected, we were determined to ensure the acid would not cause problems later. Once the car had been structurally strengthened with temporary braces and all the underside repairs had been made we took the shell back to SPL for Ecoating. A few weeks later the shell was back with Paul in a wonderful shiny black Ecoat finish. Paul then started the long haul to get her back into shape. A mass of sheet metal parts were ordered and fitted to the car over the next months. Then in late 2012 the body shell was finished and she arrived back at home with me. THAT WAS THE EASY PART ! During the months that the shell was away I was busy sourcing new parts, refurbishing existing parts, getting plating done, polishing and a hundred other things. Once the shell was home the careful and slow process of fitting it all back together began. The specification I had decided on is listed below and that is how the car will be when I hopefully finish in April 2015. All of the parts I have removed and don’t intend to refit to the car (including the matching engine and gearbox) have been crated and will be part of the package if I ever sell the car (or if whoever I leave the car to decides to sell it). I am very pleased with the results so far, I can finally see it all coming together and I can’t wait to get out onto the road again after nearly 30 years away from it.
Reference: Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paint-Barn-Ltd/169025919960310?sk=photos_stream