Monday, June 8, 2009

Rare race cars reborn

This V-12 Maserati 300 S is in show-car condition but it�s been known to go to the racetrack, too. (Bill Griffith/Boston.com)

The Alfa (Romeo) Owners of New England allowed us to tag along recently on a glorious Saturday morning outing to Precision Automotive Restoration, Inc. in Newburyport.

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Photo gallery Precision offers services ranging from routine servicing of special interest vehicles, to race-car preparation, to award-winning �body-off restorations.�

We knew it was going to be a memorable day when the show started in the parking lot with a member�s Alfa Montreal � a vehicle that features a V-8 formed by melding two Alfa four-cylinder engines (including two fuel pumps).

It continued with a welcoming sniff from Truman, an English boxer and Precision�s official greeter.

Inside, there were some interesting complete cars such as the pair of Porsche 914-6 race cars, one an original GT with racing provenance, the other a beautifully built clone by the folks at Precision. There was also a BMW 1600 in immaculate original condition, a 1957 Porsche Carrera, a 289-powered �real� Cobra, and a wood-framed Morgan in for upholstery work. Works in progress ranged from a 1965 Ferrari 275 GTBC race car that�s being �retired� and restored to a show car.

Owners Mark Allin and Carrie Holt have run the business since 2002, moving into the expanded quarters last year.

Having visitors, explained upholstery guru Mike Curley, is a good not only for business, �but it also gets us to do a full-scale cleanup of the shop, too.�



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