1960 Aston Martin DB4 Series One
Total restoration!

If you have any questions about any of the performance and/or reliability upgrades that we have developed for our DB4 (or would like to purchase any of these high quality components for your own Aston Martin) please don't hesitate to contact us!

Aston Martin performance and reliability upgrades available from Classic Jaguar


 

 
Specification (briefly) for this project is as follows:

Total restoration with a few subtle performance and reliability upgrades!

 

 
 

 

Update report - August 26, 2006

 
Body now completely stripped, huge auction prices, RHD v LHD, looking for another DB4 or DB5 project....

First of all, many thanks to those of you who contacted me with your input and opinions on the issue of RHD -v- LHD. I received some very informative and helpful emails, including an answer to my question about how many of the 150 Series One DB4s were RHD from the factory. I learned that of the 123 cars listed on the AMOC register, it appears that the split is 54% to 46% in favor of the LHD cars, meaning my car is one of 66 RHD Series One cars on record.

I was also interested to hear of a recent Bonhams auction in London where a 'barn find' Series Three DB4 requiring total restoration sold for 70,000 GB pounds, plus 10% buyers premium, plus 17.5% VAT charged on the buyers premium, for a grand total of 78,225 GB pounds. That is $147,845 USD at today's exchange rate of 1.89! A restored Series Two car sold at the same auction for 140,000 pounds. By the time the new owner had paid his premiums and taxes, he was handing over 156,450 quid ($295,690) for his classic commuter. Yikes!

On the subject of auctions and high prices for Astons, last week I was actually trying to buy a DB5 that was on eBay. The car looked like a nice, solid car although it had recently suffered an engine bay fire and, worse still, was equipped with a Dodge engine and transmission, the original engine and gearbox having long since been lost to the winds. One of my customers had asked me to buy the car and restore it for him, so I was poised at my computer with about 30 seconds to go. At that time the high bid was $96,000, so I felt quite confident as I typed in $111,000, only to have my bid rejected with the message that I would need to bid more than $135,000 if I wanted to get my name in lights. The car ended up selling for $135,200, which I thought seemed a lot considering the drivetrain situation.

Anyway, what does all this mean? In the first place, I guess it means I am still looking for another DB4 or DB5 restoration project. It also means that I am apparently going to have to pay much more than I had planned, assuming I can even find a suitable car. Finally, it means that in view of the rapidly escalating values of these cars, I have decided to go the original route and leave the steering wheel on the right hand side as I move forward with my restoration.

Please fire me an email if you know of a car that might be available. LHD or RHD, DB4 or DB5, looking for a good candidate for restoration.
 

Andy attacking the roof
Front RH wing is only panel
left to be stripped
 
     
 
An interesting collection of rivets
Crude patchwork beneath the
bonnet mouth
 


Looking for opinions...

I am undecided whether to restore this car to its original RHD spec, or whether I should convert it to LHD. I would be interested to hear opinions, one way or the other. What would such a conversion do to the value/desirability? Also, how many of the 150 Series One DB4s produced were RHD? Anyone know?

Fire me an email and let me know what you think. Thank you!



Special thanks to Andy who helped strip the left flank of the car in his own time yesterday.

 
 The DB4 has one of the prettiest
profiles in the automotive world
 Andy tackles numerous layers
of bondo and paint
LH rear wing much better
than its RH counterpart
 
 
 Surprisingly crude factory treatment
of the indicator/marker light plinth
 
 Front left wing has seen some
pain over the years
 
 
 
 
 
 More accident repairs above
the front grill
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


This week I felt an irresistible urge to see some of that beautiful aluminum coachwork that has been hiding for many years beneath countless layers of bondo and paint. Starting with the right hand rear wing, which we knew had seen some pretty crude accident repairs at some time in the past, we broke out the paint stripper and got to work!

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
   
     


I thought it might be interesting to show Lawrence making the new transmission cover for the AM5 five speed. I never tire of watching craftsmen doing what they do best!

I wanted to make a cover that would sit on top of the original cover and form a nicely contoured base for the underfelt and carpet. Basically, providing a little more ceiling height for the trans cover while still looking absolutely original once the carpet has been installed.

 A new sheet of aluminium
and an English wheel
Actually, Lawrence calls this his
Brazilian wheel!
 
 
 
 
 Trimming out the general shape
 
 
 
 
 
 Aluminium cover will rest on top 
of the modified original cover
 Neutralizing the alloy
 
     
 
Cover is trial fitted at various stages
 The view from beneath
 
 
Time to cut out the hole for 
the shifter
 
Starting to look like something
     
New cover fits like a glove
 
 Jesse James would approve!


Finalizing the AM5 five speed kit
 Rear mount is extremely strong
View from beneath rear tans mount 
 
Conversion kit includes a new driveshaft
The complete Aston Martin AM5 five speed kit


I am delighted to report that I finally made time to install the new AM5 five speed this morning and everything fit into place perfectly. Other than having to trim the fibreglass top cover (which had already been rather crudely trimmed at the factory), this is a 100% bolt in installation.

My thanks to Team CJ technician Ray Silkwood who met me at the shop before 6 this morning. Working together we had the engine and new five speed installed and bolted down in less than an hour. Even better news is that we have already started taking orders for the AM5 five speed and the first unit will be shipping out in the next couple of days!

Engine and trans went in
very easily
Bolting the engine mount
brackets to the frame
Rear of trans supported
by a floor jack
     
Actually lots of room in the
tunnel for the new AM5
New engine mounts were
used
Shifter location was exactly where
we needed it to be!
     
Polyurethane trans mount and
super strong bracket
Everything bolted in place in
less than an hour!
A new cover will be fabricated
to sit on top of the OEM cover


More AM5 five speed development work.
 Custom made input shaft
 Pilot bearing re-installed for
trial assembly
So far so good! 
 
 
The nose of the input shaft was marked
so we could make sure it fit perfectly
in the pilot bearing
 Old slotted trans mount attachment
points will be utilised
Trans mount support bracket being fabricated from 3/16" plate steel
 
 
 
 Bracket is bolted to chassis, Poly 
mount will be bolted to trans
Polyurethane mount tried and
tested in our E Type five speed
A simple, but effective, trans
mount solution....


 
A little interior work, more R&D with the AM5 five speed....and an absolutely gorgeous aluminium expansion tank!
 ]
 Removing the rear seat back
 
 
 
 
 Some of the original 'beige' 
leather exposed
Fibreglass rear arm rest 
 
 
 
 
 Some of the original trimmer's 
penmanship!
Inner wing exposed 
 
 
   
Suspension bolt revealed
 
 
A little digging with the
screwdriver reveals more rust
Hand formed expansion tank 
 
 
 
 
 One of my favourite possessions!
The AM5 adaptor plate 
3/8" studs will attach to
original bellhousing
 
 
Bolting the old bellhousing to
the new five speed
 
Checking clutch function
 
 
Oodles of room for the action of 
the clutch slave
 
 Cylinder head is still putting up
a gallant fight....


A 5 speed transmission for my Aston....
Yesterday, I decided to put some work into designing a five speed transmission for the DB4. Given where I am in the overall restoration process, you could be forgiven for thinking that I might be jumping the gun a little! However, experience (with the development of Jaguar performance parts) has shown that now is in fact the ideal time to take all my critical measurements and to begin the painstaking trial fitting process.

Having already developed a highly successful five speed transmission for the E Type Jaguar, I must admit I had a big head start when it came to designing one for the Aston Martin. Our Jaguar box (the CJ5) is based on the Tremec T5 WC (World Class) transmission. It is a quiet, smooth shifting box that can handle in excess of 400 ft/lbs of torque. It also has a wide range of ratio choices and overdrive options.(Click here to see a CJ5 being built)

Needless to say, I need the Aston version of my five speed (the AM5) to be a bolt in conversion that requires zero body modification and places the shifter in precisely the same position as the original. Having taken my preliminary measurements, I am delighted to report that the development of the AM5 is going to be a breeze compared to the challenges we faced with the E Type box. Some of the photographs below show how (dimensionally) similar the David Brown four speed and the CJ5 five speed are.

Once I have the first article AM5 built, I will bolt it up to the stripped engine block and install it in the car. At that point all that will remain will be to take a precise measurement for the new driveshaft, and to design the rear trans mount bracket.

 Unbolting the trans from the
engine is straightforward
Clutch slave/fork is exactly the
same principle as the E Type
Engine stabilizor bracket removed
from lower bellhousing
 
 
Interesting 2 piece flywheel 
Clutch same as early E type 
Ring gear secured to flywheel
by clutch pressure plate bolts....
 
 
Very light (12.5lb) flywheel
assembly
Pilot bearing in crank 
Removing the bearing 
 
 
 
 Lots of measurements were taken
throughout....
Throw out bearing identical to
early E Type
 
 
 
Original bellhousing will be retained
with the AM5 transmission
B/housing secured to DB box with
 9 x 3/8" studs
 
 
 With seal retainer removed....
There is lots of room for the new
input shaft
An adaptor plate will allow us to
bolt the AM5 to the DB b/housing
 
 
 
Speedo drive assembly almost
identical to E Type...
Comparing the two transmissions
side by side
 
 
Watch this space....
Ultimately, we will have identical 
shifter centre lines and height
All that remains is to manufacture a new
input shaft and adaptor plate...
 


A couple of days ago I decided to remove the dash from the DB4. You might think such a basic task shouldn't present too much of a problem to a chap with his own restoration business.....but boy, would you be wrong! I had been forewarned by one of my advisors over at the AMOC (thanks, Arne!) that I was about to undertake what he decribed as an 'absolute bastard of a job'. I see no reason ever to doubt Arne's word again.

The task would have been considerably easier had I not come across such a cosmopolitan mixture of screws and bolts of every conceivable size...all thoughtfully located in some of the most inaccessible locations. Most of my labour was performed upside down with my hands and arms thrust through the jagged internals of the dash, blindly floundering in the dark looking for a fastener that vaguely resembled the size and shape of the tool I had squeezed up behind the dash. For a tall guy with dodgy knees and a bad right elbow, having to repeatedly extract myself from the dash to find a different tool was a complete pain in the arse.....literally. Even with Arne's helpful suggestion of how best to tackle the job, it took me five solid hours of contortion, swearing, and extreme physical discomfort to get the dash out.

The usual caveat applies that most of the following photographs are for my own reference purposes and may not be of much interest to anyone else!

 
 
Engine and trans before
steam cleaning
 
 
A little more presentable! 
 OK, question for the day...I am guessing
these holes are to allow for expansion?
 Now to the dash....
 
 
First I removed the underdash 
panels 
 
The famous radiator shutter
chain removed
 
 
Heater conrols...
Ref photo 
 
 
 
Ref photo 
Ref photo 
 
 
 
 
 
Controls were easy to remove 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Last of the gauges removed 
Wiper motor tucked up behind the LHF
of the dash
 
 
 
 Ref photo
Make sure you have a long and unbroken 
lifeline before starting a DB4 resto...
Time to remove the fascia 
 
 
 
Something special about that grill
shaped fascia
 
 
 Not sure why I took this upside down
picture of a hanging wrench...
I had to remove the aluminium
glove box to get to the last of the bolts
holding the dash in place
Heater gubbings dominated the firewall with
the dash removed
 
 
 
5 solid hours of work.... 
....time for a Guinness
 


Sunday was a long day, although at least I seemed to make some decent progress. As usual, many of the photographs below will probably be of little interest to anyone else as they were taken for my own reference.

Thanks to the good folk over at the AMOC web for their encouraging and informative emails!

Not sure what all these numbers mean?!
This is obviously the engine number,
which matches the factory build sheet

 
Generator looks very similar
to those used on 3.8 E Type
Huge factory trans cover
The David Brown 4 speed exposed
     
 
Speedo drive and cable
Trans serial number matches AM
build sheet
     
Unbolting the output flange
Time to disconnect everything
attached to the engine
This bracket held the RH cam
cover vent tube
     
Starter also E Type-esque
I removed the shifter because it looks like
it will be a tight squeeze on the way out
An encouraging first look at
the floors
     
I am delighted with how solid the
main floors appear to be
Seats removed - driver's side was a bitch
because someone had previously buggered
up the runners and the mounts
Passenger floor
     
Reference photos for when....
I come to swap the handbrake to
the opposite side of the car
Seat rail mount will need repair
     
Handbrake mechanism
This nut was a double bastard and actually
caused me to blow out my right knee!
Reference photo
     
LH inner sill looks good
 
Reference photo
     
Note how some of the alloy trim
is stamped with the chassis number
 
Are these aluminium panels available
new? I hope so...
     
Rust in the box section of the sill
More rust...
Original beige interior was really
quite yellow!
     
Notice how one headliner was installed
directly on top of the original
Ref photo
Ref photo
     
Ref photo
Steel screws through aluminium =
lots of corrosion
Pillarless lines a nice
feature of of S1 cars
     
 
LH quarter light removed
Time to yank the engine and trans
     
It needs to be at quite an angle
to clear the front cowling
 
Engine bay now almost bare
     
Head will be easier to remove
with engine out of car
A good days work.....
Deserves a reward!


I spent a few more hours in the engine bay today, although I have to admit that the going was a little slower than I would have liked! Most of the following photographs are for my own future reference, although some of them should make wonderful 'before' pictures when the car starts going back together. I also took a series of measurements in relation to the new CJ5 five speed transmission we are developing for this car.

In case you were wondering, yes, the cylinder head is still stuck solid...although I remain blindly optimistic that I will have the thing on my work bench in the next couple of days!

I have received an encouraging email from someone over at the Aston Owners Club who apparently stumbled across the CJ website and found my Aston page. Maybe one of them can answer the question relating to the last photograph in the following sequence?

Reference photos left to right #1
#2
#3
     
#4
#5
Brake booster was my first
target today
     
This nut (marked 'X') was an
absolute bastard to remove!
Booster finally removed after much cursing 
and a couple of scuffed knuckles
Reference photo for wiring
lay-out to fuse boxes
     
 
Fues boxes removed
Firewall caked in some sort of
cork insulation
     
Remote starter came away with a 
slab of cork....
 
Not sure what this oval patch
is for?
     
The same patch removed from the
upper left of the firewall
Note wood backing beneath screen
pillar trim
Back of screen pillar still the
original beige colour
     
Everything inside the car is very
much 'hand made'
Backing of glove box door fell
off when I open it
I intend to convert the car to LHD
in due course
     
 
 
OK you Aston experts....what on
earth is the chain all about??!!
 


Slowly but surely, I have been stripping out the engine bay. Everywhere I look are signs of very poor workmanship in the past - it really is a crying shame that this great old car has been so badly neglected.

The cylinder head is stuck solid, presumably by virtue of the steel head studs 'welding' themselves to the aluminium head and block, although we should have it loosened up in the next couple of days. What I can see of the engine and cylinder head internals has given me cause for hope that we will be able to save them. Watch this space!

 Crudely welded heater box screwed
to two blocks of wood??
Timing chain assembly clearly
visible with valve covers removed
Mix and match studs and nuts are
indicative of poor quality workmanship
done in the past
 
 
 Removing the upper chain cover
Not entirely dissimilar to the
venerable XK engine
Soaking the head studs with
penatrating oil
 
 
 
 We will leave her hanging overnight
and see if anything budges!
In due course we will make a new
aluminium expansion tank
 


Today I got to spend a few hours in the engine bay of the Aston - and unfortunately I must report that the day didn't go too well. As you can see from the photographs below, my new parts wish-list is going to include pretty much anything aluminium that ever came into contact with coolant. The waterpump literally fell apart on me when I removed it, as did the thermostat housing, but more worrying still was the state of the front cover - which is corroded beyond repair.

Trying to keep a positive attitude(!), I have been telling myself that Bob Fountain (The Aston Workshops) will no doubt be able to sell me all the shiny replacement parts I am going to need. Continuing with the positive vibe theme, I have just about convinced myself that the head and the block will be servicable.......I certainly hope so, because I don't think Santa can stretch to one of those new, magnificent looking 4.5 litre blocks I have seen advertised in the owners club magazine!

First job is to remove the
carbs and intake manifolds
With the carbs removed......
The view inside the head was
not very encouraging!
     
Thermostat housing fell apart
 
More fatal corrosion
     
This waterpump neck....
simply fell off!
Front cover is corroded
beyond repair
     
   
I hope new water pumps 
are available!
   


More shiny new parts......this time a high torque gear reduction starter motor made for me by the Keith Gustafson, who makes our Jaguar starter motors. I also have Hayward & Scott in England making me a pair of special polished stainless steel exhaust manifolds. It will be a long time before I need them.....but I couldn't resist!


A thing of beauty...

One of the things I like best about my business is that I get to make (or have made) some seriously cool stuff. The new Aston Martin radiator pictured below really is a thing of beauty. Tipping the scales at just 13lbs and upgraded to handle over 400 HP, it also represents a prodigious performance upgrade over the original.


The restoration gets underway!

Yesterday I awarded myself half a day off from my CJ office duties and spent some quality time with the Aston. For me there is no better therapy or form of stress relief than to crawl all over a classic car, scratching my knuckles, banging my head and getting oil under my finger nails. These days the opportunity to spend time in the workshop doesn't present itself very often, so yesterday was something of a treat for me.

When you look at the photographs below it might not look as if I achieved much in the 5 hours I worked on the car. In fact, I feel like I got quite a lot accomplished and certainly learned a good deal about how these cars are put together. Unfortunately, the car has sustained a pretty decent hit in the right front at some time in its past, so Bob Fountain's prediction that a complete new front clip might be in my future appears to be correct. Really the only decision I have to make is whether to buy a nose section (from midway along the wheel arches forward) or a complete assembly (everything from the windscreen forward).

One thing that slowed my progress somewhat was the fact that (presumably following the front end collision I mentioned above) somebody had literally bondoed the right hand headlamp bucket into place. In fact, most of the right front corner of the car has been sculptured from bondo and fibre glass! It took me a full hour just to chisel the RH headlamp bucket away from the wing.

The next task will be to pull the engine and transmission, something I hope to find time to do next week.

LH headlamp bucket was
simple to remove
RH unit had to be chiseled
away from the wing!
A mixture of fibre glass
and bondo
     
Headlamp area was obviously
pushed back in collision
Crude factory plate rivetted in place 
to hold side and indicator lamps
Data and coachbuilding tags
removed for safe keeping
     
Bonnet held on with 2 simple
split pins - 30 seconds to remove
Familiar looking dizzy is date
stamped 4/59
We will build an (uprated) aluminium
replica of the radiator
     
Radiator mounting brackets were
rotten
HP sapping fan might
have to go.....
Note totally corroded water pipe
full of powdered lime
     
Un-Aston-like chicken wire
is actually original equipment
Grill is in excellent
condition
Although someone thoughtfully
braised the mesh to the surround
     
Unfortunately, the cut might be
further back towards the screen!
Screen came out in just
a couple of minutes
Note rivets peeping through
beneath the edge of the wing
     
Another view of the corroded
water pipe
This front end will end up mounted 
on the wall of the CJ Workshop
Note fibre glass and bondo up
inside grill opening
     
 
I will work out an alternator
conversion at a later date
I couldn't resist!
 


Before tearing into the DB4 and reducing it to a very expensive pile of parts, I put it up in the air and took the following photographs showing the rather sorry state of the under carriage. Clearly we have lots of rust repair ahead of us and lots of new challenges!

Earlier today I spoke with Bob Fountain of the Aston Workshop in Beamish, England. Bob graciously answered my many questions about the sequence I should follow in disassembling the car. I also quizzed him about the availability of certain repair panels as I obviously want to avoid reinventing the wheel and attempting to repair panels which it makes more sense to replace. Apparently most (8 out of 10) of the DB Astons that the Aston Workshop restore receive new front ends. As my car has clearly been in a front end collision at some time in its past, it is quite likely that I will be biting that particular bullet a little deeper into the restoration process.

With the staff in the CJ Workshop working flat out on customer's cars, I will be doing much of the work myself, at least initially. I am looking forward to the challenge - and to learning more about the way these great old cars were put together.

     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     


 
I have an exciting update for you today! My family back in the UK have been doing some detective work for me and one of the things they did was to place a letter in the Yorkshire Post asking for any information regarding Mr Mainz, the first owner of our DB4. Yesterday, as a result of the insertion in the Yorkshire Post, we received a letter from a Mr Malcolm Holmes stating that he used to work for Mainz & Sons in the early 1960's. Mr Holmes remembered the Aston Martin very well and said he even got to drive it on a number of occasions. Even more encouraging, Mr Holmes was pretty sure that Mr Helmut Mainz was alive and well and living in Harrogate.

Less than 24 hours after hearing from Mr Holmes, we were thrilled to receive the following letter from Mr Helmut Maintz himself.

Subject: Your letter to the Yorkshire Post

Re your letter to the Yorkshire Post and the Telegraph & Argus asking for info about a DB4 Aston Martin car which was sold in 1960 by David Brown of Huddersfield to A Mainz & Son of Bradford of which I was the owner:

Unfortunately the car did not perform to expectations and I did not keep it for long. On the suggestion of