My OSI
I am the proud owner of a beautiful Ford OSI 20m TS. I never saw one car like this here in Portugal. In September 2003 I was in The Netherlands looking for a Ford Mustang advertised on Classic Trader, a Dutch Classic Cars magazine. The Mustang was already sold but the seller, Mr. Joop Stolze, a well known name on the classic cars business allowed me to see his cars. He had almost six hundred cars then. In about 10 minutes I spotted the OSI and no other car interested me anymore. The price was agreed and in November I was back in Holland. The story was just beginning...

 Update is on the way, be patient...

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Love at first sight, Holland - September 2003
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This is my OSI in the place I first saw it. The car was complete, nothing missing. The left side mirror was not original. The original fuel pump was in place but not in use. There was a electric pump on the trunk. Both front and rear emblems were upside down, the word OSI was ISO. Mr. Stolze bought the car because he was told it was an ISO prototype. The car came from Florida, USA. The brand on the American papers was ISO.

I knew the existence of this car model due to my Ford Taunus owning background. In fact, in 1999 when I first published my former website, I asked viewers to help me locating one OSI in Portugal so I could take some pictures. Never had any answer so far, although some people claim to have seen one Ford OSI years ago. I think the nearest Ford OSI from me is in Vigo, Spain.

Couldn't stay away for long... Holland - November 2003
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The second time I saw the OSI. It was now ready to be shipped to Portugal.

A sticker in the windshield denotes that the car was last road legal in 1991, in Florida USA. I eventualy find the last american owner and he told me he did not know much about the car. He just bought it to his Holland friend as both were told it was an ISO. In the right picture you may notice the back window defroster, a later option of the 20m TS.

Finally arrived - Portugal, November 2003
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The car in the same day it arrived in Portugal.

Even with that rusty panels it looks great. The car is very long and wide. Everybody was asking "What kind of car is this?". Some people claimed it was a Maserati, others said it was a Ferrari or even an Alfa but no one ever heard anything about OSI or Officine Stampaggi Industriali. The mechanical team couldn't resist and cleaned the spark plugs, replaced the battery and the engine fired with minor efforts after more than a decade. After hundreds of photographs and parts labeling, the car was dismantled. The engine was placed on a proper stand and the search for parts had just began. I think I've been very lucky in finding parts. I have spare water pumps, front indicators, headlights, a mint Solex carburettor and so on. All new old stock and I keep searching. Some parts I had to re-create, like the front emblem or the VIN plate (it was very damaged). The exclusive OSI parts are almost impossible to find, like weatherstrips or back indicators.

The body repair
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The car had a lot of work to do.

Some panels had to be replaced. The paint was completely removed so it could be coated with a new high quality primary. You still can see the original dark yellow color on the interior. Some places were surprisingly good like the inside of the back rear archwheels: the primary coating was mint, after removing the fletcoat. The underpart of the floorplan was sandblasted.

 

At last, some paint...
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Today (September 10, 2009) I took these pictures of my car. The guys on the shop started the painting protocol. The inside parts already have the yellow colour and very soon I will have it back in my place to assemble it.

From now on, it will be more interesting to check "My OSI" section, trust me. There are some great details about the rebuilding of several parts that deserve to be placed here. Maybe I can have some videos also.

Great news, everyone!
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The car was painted last Friday (April 30, 2010).

There are some minor details to correct but in a few days I will have it ready to assemble.

Heads
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I just want to share a couple of pictures of the heads before and after the valve inserts were placed.

The heads were bored and hard steel inserts were placed to prevent damage caused by unleaded fuel. I will write a proper entry about this later.

Pirelli Cinturato
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The tyres in the rims...

I bought five Pirelli Cinturato and they are now fitted and calibrated in the previously restored rims. I filled it with nitrogen. The hubcaps are in very nice shape although not pristine. I think I will keep it the way they are.