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NEXT PAGE   Body before Restoration Summer 2003 The car globally doesn't look too bad but there is some rust Dots visible on this picture are tree leafs stuck onto the paint! The car stayed here for a few years, and the canadian winter did his job A reasonable person should run away when seeing that!

Restoration Program Summer 2003 - Removing everything until the body is "naked" to inventory the damages - Replacing the entire body by another one bought in France - Repairing the damaged pieces - Preparation and base painting - Protection painting for the under body, wheel arches... - Preparation of removable body panels (front fenders, doors, hood and trunk) for paint - Exterior painting to the original color "sable métallisé" - Storing the body panels until it's time to put them back on the car

Goals, Doubts and Dreams Summer 2003 - I hope there will not be too many steel sheet pieces to replace because this type of work is expensive and because it has to be done by a professional - Preparation and painting will be done by a professional - Check if it's normal that the left mirror is chromed instead of painted (same color as the body) - I'm worried about the chromed trim pieces (windshield, hood, fenders, windows...) because they are difficult to remove without damaging them. I confirmed that when removing the windshield, unfortunately I damaged one :-(

Restoration Summer 2003 Obviously, when I started this operation, I was dreaming... but soon I came back to reality when I began disassembling! I remove the biggest pieces and I start to work on the interior of the trunk. And in this trunk, I discover a lot of damages: rust and disastrous repairs. I work hours to scrap the impressive coat of tar supposed to protect the under body. Here also, I discover many bad repairs, as ugly as the previous ones. Disassembling is in progress, all removable body panels are out The windshield is a fragile piece, which unfortunately I damaged when I removed it :-( I started to treat and paint the interior of the trunk, but the result was ugly Here is what's left when everything has been removed Look at the floor on the passenger side, you can see the result of a very bad steel sheet replacement work Another nice repair! It's the left rocker panel... and it's the same on the other side Stain, tar, rust and then what's left of the steel sheet so well replaced So why making that shine if it's basically rotten? With such a bad condition and awful repairs done in the past on this body, I wonder what to do. I'm told that the bad repairs had come to bend the entire body at such a point that doors didn't close anymore. So I decide to get rid of this body and find a better restoration base.

May 17, 2004 My father found a body in France that's almost "naked". This one is in pretty good original condition but needs steel metal work anyway. Here are some pictures of this body. It's not rust free but it seems that there is no major damage. She's not completely naked, there are still some interesting parts The gray base color is still visible, it's not the case anymore on mine Front suspension cylinders and steering rack are still there, it could be very useful Steel sheet pieces are original, no ugly repair has been done I also have a local solution: I'm waiting to be able to see another body for sale and this one is near Montreal, which is obviously a big advantage. So I get rid of the body I just finished to disassemble, it will free some space in my garage to work on the engine for example. I'm not happy to know that this body will be used to make cans but a colossal budget would have been necessary to restore it correctly. I published an ad on my local club's website to propose giving this body for free but nobody has been crazy enough to try saving it.   Nobody wants it so I call a towing/recycling company to get rid of it I wanted to keep the rear fenders, but there are very hard to disassemble (they are welded)

March 23, 2005 Here are some pictures of the body for sale near Montreal: She's stored in a garage with some other cars, one of them is also a SM, this second one is more complete It's not only a body, there are still many interesting parts on it She's not in better shape than the "french" one, in fact it's the opposite The trunk bottom is dead, same thing under the rear seat... as usual This second body is globally not in better shape that the one waiting in France. But it still includes some interesting parts. I will probably try to buy some of them to the current owner if needed. It's decided: I'll use the french body as a base for this restoration. She has been transported to a body shop during April (2005). Program: sanding, steel sheet repairs, preparation and paint (interior only, the exterior will stay on primer until the final paint when everything will be back together).

May 9, 2005 I first thought that I will not have any pictures of the body work, but yes, I got some! Here are the first ones: We start with an overview: the usual trunk bottom is in bad shape Then it's the bottom of each rear fenders, in very bad shape also Rear fenders are out Rocker panels are opened, good idea, isn't it? So there is some work, but it's not unrealistic Work on the rear fenders... ... which has been very quick Replacement of the trunk bottom steel sheet It's becoming nice! The windshield frame is treated and prepared with a primer Rocker panels are rust-treated and then closed with new steel sheets View of the underbody... ... it's quite nice No major work needed inside, but the rear seat box will be rust-treated No major work also for the front unit, fortunately The home made tilting system has been very useful This body work should be completed by end of summer, 2005. It's going well for now. When I see this work, I'm saying to myself that some "nice" SMs would probably not be so nice if we check, for example, what's inside the rocker panels or inside the rear fenders... That's not surprising, a SM is at least 30 years old, don't dream.

August 22, 2005 During August 2005, I'm in France for vacation, so I can go to the body shop, the body is almost finished: First sight to the beast ;-) The interior and the front unit are gray The exterior panels will stay on primer until the final paint It's nice, everywhere! Here it's nice also, it was in very bad shape before Did I tell you that it's nice? OK, I stop staying that it's nice! Here it's not too bad either ;-) The windshield frame is not ready yet. The final color will be applied Here a final black coat is missing, as for all the underbody Here are the replaced steel sheet pieces... ... it's amazing! I'm very happy to see the result. When I started this project, I planned to do only some "touch up"!!! Instead, I can now count on a straight and beautiful body, which has been professionally restored. When I'll drive this car, I'll be seated on steel, not rust ;-) Some of you may have noticed that the gray color is not exactly the original one. You are right! This gray color is the "gris rose" (AC136) instead of the original AC092 "gris mat". In fact I was still hesitating about the exact color when I had to communicate the color code to the body shop. I thought I'll have enough time to check the color but the body shop has been too fast and when I saw the body, it was already painted with that gray. It's not so big deal, it's beautiful that way. It was not possible to correctly follow-up on this work thousand of kilometers away and, anyway, my budget is not unlimited.

January 6, 2006 When the body shop completes its work, the body is brought back to my father's home. It will stay here to wait for its shipping over the Atlantic ocean. Front and rear half axles still have to be back to obtain a rolling body. My father works on these half axles and for Christmas 2005, I'm in France once again so I put the body back on its wheels. Here it is, ready for departure I put back the suspension cylinders, spheres and push-rods A broomstick piece in each cylinder and we got a comfortable height The half axles have been restored and painted, it's nice. Don't worry about the tires, they are temporary winter tires ;-) It now just waits for a transporter We'll put the various parts inside, in a wooden box The rear half axles are also "blocked" with wooden pieces inside the cylinders. The axles have been restored (new bearings and gaskets) Now we have a better look underneath the body, it's nice ;-)

February 9, 2006 The body is waiting for a container. It's brought to a shipping company in Marseille. Again a few waiting days, the container should be in Montreal on March 1st. Here is it, in Marseille, delivered by my brother. Thanks Laurent! Huge protection work with plastic wrap. Thanks again to the family! The goal of this plastic wrap is reducing the impact of humidity and salt during the ocean crossing Inside, a box contains some parts that were on the car before its restoration

March 21, 2006 An important step is done, the body arrives in Montreal. It's now in my garage. This restoration is supposed to be now in the reassembling phase. I say "supposed" because I still have a lot of work to do on parts to reassemble.   Here is the "car" in its new home. I hope that next time she will go out, it will be with its own power Unfortunately I'm back with space problems because of the garage size, but it's not too bad

May 5, 2006 Before reassembling, I do a general cleaning. Unfortunately, it's the occasion to discover some defects: Rust appears at some places, like in steel sheets junctions Here, paint is missing because of the tilting system that was bolted here Again here traces of the tilting system but also some rust and paint missing Here, paint missing again, it's the steering relays adjusting thickness parts that were not removed before painting On the right side of this picture, this is poor painting, so rust is already appearing Here, some rust points Nothing significant inside, although it's never actually perfect ;-) The trunk is ok and now it's clean So this body still needs some work, mainly on the engine compartment. I don't know yet if I'll do some touch up or if I'll decide to repaint the whole engine compartment.   NEXT PAGE