General New member with 1959 Nuovo restoration project, Australia

[Pete O]

Greetings (Ciao?), I just found this site via Google and I expect I will be here a fair bit over the next few years. I've acquired a derelict 1959 Nuovo as a retirement project, so I will no doubt be seeking information and advice from those more knowledgeable on these cars as I go along. Australia is awash with car restorations but of course it's nearly all 1960s and 1970s American and Australian muscle cars so the Cinq is very different to the norm. The car I have was kept as a potential parts donor by a bloke who had 3 others in either restoration or heavy modification; it reportedly sat under a tarp for at least 10 years and had spent at least another 10 years under a lean-to on the side of his workshop when I bought it. Not missing many components, thankfully, other than some badges and the passenger seat but badly rusted and with some serious panel damage. Thus far I have spent a few hours stripping the car down, engine and gearbox out, all electricals removed, interior stripped bare, yesterday saw the roof and doors come off and a few hours with a heat gun and scraper getting the seam sealer and body deadener out. I plan on a mostly original restoration although I'm open to minor modifications to improve driveability. I'll try to post up some photos as I go and, as already stated, there will be HEAPS of questions.

 

[Noah500]

Welcome, and good luck with the resto! Looks like you'll have your hands full for a while. Interesting roof rack... or is that just to hold the top of the car together

 

[Pete O]

Yeah the roof rack was interesting alright, welded to the roof gutters at the front, resting on the drip-rail and screwed into the body with a couple of self-tappers at the back. I suppose 65 years is plenty of time for people to do stupid things to a car.

 

[Bigvtwin996]

I have a few N's and a contact in Australia who may be of use (if I can find his email - been out of touch with everything car related for a while..)
as that is an early car.. if you want to msg me the chassis number (and engine) I could give you a good idea of when it was produced... there are not many RHD early cars!!!

 

[UncleP]

Greetings from the USA.
I’m in mid-restoration on a 1959 Jolly N.
There are a few differences between the old cars and the “D” models and if you want to stay 100% original some parts are not available.
Fortunately the newer engines are “backwards-compatible” so updating the car is straightforward.
Good luck!

 

[Bigvtwin996]

Greetings from the USA.
I’m in mid-restoration on a 1959 Jolly N.
There are a few differences between the old cars and the “D” models and if you want to stay 100% original some parts are not available.
Fortunately the newer engines are “backwards-compatible” so updating the car is straightforward.
Good luck!

all parts are available if you have the rigjht contacts and deep enough pockets
(and I have a jolly too - US spec)

 

[the hobbler]

all parts are available if you have the rigjht contacts and deep enough pockets
(and I have a jolly too - US spec)

All the best with the restoration---by gum, I will admit to a bit of jealousy when I see the size of your 'at home' garage/workshops down-under. I am lucky to have a 25 x10 garage/workshop here in North Wales---and that is considered fairly big in this part of the world. When we moved here and were looking for a house, my wife tells people that "we were looking for a garage with a house attached!"---something I won't argue with.

 

[Pete O]

Yes I'm aware of how fortunate I am with the nice big shed! I visited my daughter a few years ago when she was living in the Tooting (London) area, I was getting ticked off at having to detour around cars parked across the footpath outside a mechanic's workshop on the walk to the Tube- until I reflected that the bloke was operating a business in less space than I have for my hobbies. Another thing I'm feeling blessed about when I look at restoration threads on here is that we don't salt the roads!
If I can get as good a result as some of you blokes do- starting with a pile of iron oxide and working in the cupboard under the stairs- I'll be pleased!