Rotaflow Engineers' 1968 Daimler 2.5 V8 250 Saloon Restoration
Read the full write-up at 1968 Daimler 2.5 V8 250 Saloon Restoration – Rotaflow ↗
Photo: 1968 Daimler 2.5 V8 250 Saloon Restoration – RotaflowA derelict 1968 Daimler 2.5 V8 250 rebuilt from bare metal by Rotaflow
Rotaflow Engineers, an engineering firm, took on a derelict 1968 Daimler 2.5 V8 250 Saloon as a spare-time passion project, stripping it to bare metal and rebuilding it to factory standards over three years and more than 3000 hours. The write-up covers bodywork, engine, interior and finishing work, with the car later passing an independent road test despite being MOT exempt.
Specs
As stated in the original write-up.
- Engine
- 2.5 litre V8
- Body
- Original bodywork restored, taken back to bare metal
- Paint
- Repainted on site to original Daimler colour
- Interior
- Re-veneered wood trim, new luxury carpet, original bench seats cleaned and restored
- Cooling
- Radiator professionally re-cored and repainted
- Tyres
- New tyres fitted
- Electrical
- New bulbs fitted
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Cooling 1
- Re-cored radiator
Sent away to be professionally re-cored and repainted
Wheels & Tyres 1
- New tyres
Fitted as part of the restoration
Interior 2
- Luxury interior carpet
Replaced the original worn out carpets
In the shops
Luxury Wool Carpet Set (black) ↗
Sunbeam Car Parts (Alpine, Rapier, Tiger)· £438.00
Rear Shelf Carpet (Luxury Wool) ↗Sunbeam Car Parts (Alpine, Rapier, Tiger)· £78.00
Luxury Wool Carpet Set (colour) ↗Sunbeam Car Parts (Alpine, Rapier, Tiger)· £450.00 - Veneered wood trim
Removed, re-veneered and replaced throughout the interior
Electrical 1
- New bulbs
Fitted during the restoration
Photos
8 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from 1968 Daimler 2.5 V8 250 Saloon Restoration – Rotaflow. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
How it was done
Starting condition
The car had sat derelict in a garage for years, suffering extensive rust damage and worn seals, far worse than the quick fix originally hoped for.
Body and mechanical work
The team stripped the car entirely and restored the bodywork using hand skills, aiming to keep it factory original. Original parts were used where possible, and the engineers made replacements from scratch when originals could not be sourced. The engine was stripped, cleaned, de-coked and rebuilt.
Interior restoration
The wooden interior trim was removed, re-veneered and refitted. Worn out carpets were replaced with new luxury carpet, and the original bench seats were cleaned and restored.
Finishing and testing
The radiator was sent out for re-coring and repainting, new tyres and bulbs were fitted, fluids were refreshed and fixtures resealed. The car was repainted to its original colour and taken to an independent garage for testing, despite being MOT exempt.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at 1968 Daimler 2.5 V8 250 Saloon Restoration – Rotaflow ↗