2/17/08
The Panel Shop Website

I’m proud to announce the launch of a new website for The Panel Shop. I’ve visited Mark Barton and Steve Hall’s shop several times in the last few years, and used them to finish my grille on the Ferrari. The website I created for them is just the beginning of the plans we have for their shop. We hope to add a section for special projects, and perhaps a tutorial section as well. We going to start simply, but I can see great things for their future on the web if I have anything to do with it!

On one of my trips to the new shop, the two Ferraris that will eventually be coming to Francois were progressing.

The rear deck lid was fabricated because the old was too corroded to use.

When you take a closer look at the shape of this lid, you see how complex of a shape this is. There are barely any flat surfaces so to remake this panel an experienced eye needs to see where the panel needs to be stretched or shrunk. Imagine making this panel with a flat piece of paper. Knowing which areas needs to be folded together, or cut open is an example of where metal needs to be formed.

Mark showed me areas that Lussos often loose their details when body work is done. One common mistake I see is the loss of a body line down by the rocker panel. It’s a crease that runs parallel to the bottom of the door, and extends in front and behind the door. I recently saw a Lusso at Cavallino missing this detail. Someone wasn’t paying attention when they fixed that car!

On the other side of the shop, Steve Hall was working on a Lotus 10. He has made this body completely from scratch, and is doing final surface preparation. This body was made from hundreds of sections gas welded together and hammered smooth. The owner has decided to leave the car in bare aluminum, polishing it to a high shine. Needless to say, Steve’s work has to flawless not being able to hide imprefections under any paint or filler.

The surface of the aluminum is DA’ed (Dual Action Sander) to a fine grit of sandpaper before polishing.

Here’s a nose of a Lotus 10 that was in for some damage repair. It has a polished surface.

Just a reminder, I’m looking for a new Vintage Ferrari Project. If you have, or know of a restoration project, please let me know. It would be great to restore another car on this website! My E-mail.

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