Forgotten Dreams (1500 Project – 01)

After a year an a half of patiently waiting its turn, I finally got started on the restoration of the 1500 project. SPL310-3-000664 is a very well used 1500 that had the wheels driven off it my many years by a lady in Portland, Oregon.

The car lived for a long time in Idaho and is heavily rusted in the quarter and rocker panels. The wheel openings on the quarter panels had been reworked to eliminate rust once before, and at this point, the entire lower half of the quarter panels on both sides will need to be replaced. The rocker panels are toast as well!

The car has not moved under its own power in many years, the wiring harness is toast, and the hydraulics system is long since dead. This poor 1500 was a forgotten dream. After restoring several 1600 and 2000 roadsters, this is a welcome change (even with the rust!)

I am amazed how different these early cars are. The wiper system (cable linkage!) is totally different, and I am curious if they work very well. The heater looks similar to the heaters that they used in the 320 pickups. I am still trying to get that out of the car, but the rest of the body tub is stripped and ready for it’s new life. The frame has subtle differences (the front of the frame is 2x as wide as later cars)

Yes, this car will be SR powered; the purists will cringe, but instead of rotting with owners with good intentions, this car will be back on the road with a new heart, and a lot of new sheet metal. The front drum brakes, the dinky rear axle, and the 1500 engine and transmission are also on the market for a dedicated 1500 restorer. We want to make sure that the parts go to a good home!

Like the “Bob” project, I will update as I have time. We are actually building 3 SR powered roadsters at once, so I will update the Bob thread with specific build details until we get a complete database for future engine converters.