Porsche had the early cars built by various coach companies for them. In this picture Porsches built by Reutter Karosserie, Drauz Karosserie, Karmann, and Porsche AG in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen are all represented.
Author Archives: admin
After: 1967 Chevrolet C30
Trucks like this C30 with grain bed used to a common sight in Iowa. Most were completely used up and very few would ever be restored to this level. Another forgotten sight is back on the road with this low mileage example farm truck.
2015 Pumpkin Carvings
Three days ago we bought pumpkins and this morning everyone brought in their creations. Which one is your favorite from the possibly first annual Skunk River Restorations pumpkin carving contest?
Before: 1959 Porsche 356 A Convertible D
Built by Drauz in Heilbronn this car is the rarest of the production Porsche 356 models ever manufactured for a full year. The Convertible D was meant to be a “weekend racer” and was built with a removable windshield among other significant differences from the Speedster.
Before: 1958 Austin-Healey Sprite
This bugeye Sprite arrived yesterday from Arizona as a rolling shell. It doesn’t look like much yet but this might be one of the most exciting builds we have done. FIA Homologation is guiding the specifications and period construction.
The Jaguar V12
175 CD-2 Stromberg Carburetors will usually be finicky especially when your engine has four of them. Although this Jaguar ran pretty good it was leaking fuel, oil and leaving its aroma on the passengers after a drive. The leaking fuel had stained the jaguars front frame members which needed a repaint and general cleanup. With everything polished, cleaned and rebuilt the passengers can enjoy the smells of the scenery and not of the car.
Progress 1973 Jensen Healey
This early Jensen Healey has come a long way since it arrived with no fenders or bonnet. We are still in the middle of rebuilding the original Lotus 907 twin cam engine but it should be back on the road soon.
After: 1976 Jensen Interceptor
This Chrysler 440 cu.in. V8 powered British classic is ready to prowl once again. Only 267 convertible Jensen Interceptors were made making these cars a rare site at any show.
After: 1950 Pontiac Chieftain
With new door panels, tires and fresh paint the Pontiac now looks as great as it runs. Chieftains were one of the first all new car designs to come to Pontiac after World War II and were built from in various styles from 1949 to 1958.
Vintage Software
It was time to pull out some classic software to diagnose and check the 1990 Lotus Esprit Turbo. This software is the best and sometimes only way to diagnose the complex brake system on these cars.
1987 Porsche 911 Targa
After a lot of work the engine is rebuilt in the Porsche 911 and it is ready for many more miles of driving. Broken head studs were the first indication the engine needed to come apart on this one. 1987 was the first year the 911 got the Getrag G50 unit with improved synchromesh.
Tuned Binder
One has to wonder if an International Metro has ever been on a dyno before. The old Silver Diamond 220 doesn’t make much horsepower but it has plenty of torque.
Before: 1950 Pontiac Chieftain
Now that the Pontiac is running and mechanically sorted we are stripping it down to be painted. The interior will be left mostly original as it is in remarkable shape but new door panels will replace the originals.
Another Day is in the Van
It was just one of those days we had vans running around all over. All four of these beauties run and drive and it is a lot of fun to see this many of them together now sixty years after they were built!
Fastest SAAB
It was a pleasure to have this land speed record holding two stroke SAAB Sonett at the shop today. Hearing this car on the dyno is not for those who do not like loud noises. See this car tomorrow in downtown Des Moines for the Des Moines Concours.
Progress: 1955 International Metro
The International Harvester Metro food truck is coming along at a quick pace now. The interior walls are almost finished and the last of the exterior accents are being painted. Starting as a wrecked rusted mess this van has come a long way and is almost ready for service again.
Progress: 1974 Triumph TR6
The 1974 Triumph TR6 project is coming along. The last major battle for this car is creating the throttle linkage system for the triple SU carburetors. The larger than standard wheels and tires look to fill the wheel wells perfectly.
1960 Chevrolet Parkwood
The new suspension and brakes are fitted and adjusted. Now with disc brakes and a power brake booster this car is safer on the street and has the power to stop all of this iron and glass.
1955 Grumman Olson Step Van
This Chevrolet chassis 1955 Grumman Olson step van arrived last night and is not allocated to a project. This van would make a great shop truck, food truck, or merch wagon for your business and if you are interested in building a unique marketing vehicle for your company send us a message. The Grumman Olson is made of aluminum so there are never the rust issues you will see with other vans and have a much larger interior and more head room making it a better usable space for those wanting to pack in a lot of equipment.
1965 Shelby Cobra 427
It has been a while since we had a Cobra in the shop. It was great to get our hands on this one for a corner balance and check of the suspension setups. Being the 68th car built by Shelby in Las Vegas it has all of the vintage parts you would want in your Cobra.
