Classic Ferrari 356-GTC4 Restoration – Part 14

The Missing Years & the Body Restoration Begins

The Ferrari 365 GTC4 left for the repair shop in December 2013. The 50 year old car had been housed undercover to that date and the coming years proved to be a serious shock to the Pininfarina-styled bodywork.

Due to the lack of space in the restorer’s garage, it was agreed that the car could be stored outside but with a cover that would protect it from the elements. This was not a good idea as the cover was not properly secured it continually blew off and the unprotected car was open to the various and onerous elements of the North West England weather which attacked the Ferrari’s steel body.

The restorer garage relocated from one side of Knutsford to the other but without any better facilities for protection as the car was parked under a large tree.

In 2018 the car entered the body shop for stripping down.

The first process was then to send the stripped-down car, chassis, and integral bodywork to be soda blasted followed by a primer coat. It was amazing to discover that the solid steel box section and tubular chassis had survived remarkably well.

The body framework, along with the bonnet and roof are similarly robust but many of the body panels had corroded to the point of no return and would have to be replaced.