Handyman service
Vehicle Restoration
For
several years I ran my own small classic car restoration business and restored
my own vehicles in addition to those of customers. The project below was my
own 1958 Morris Minor that I ran for 11 years and sold for more than
10 times the price I paid for it. Scroll
down for details. Gas Welding and body/chassis
repairs Body preparation prior to final
paint All mechanical work Engine re-builds Performance modifications Project management Please telephone or e-mail me with
your requirements
Though I do not
currently have workshop premises, I can undertake projects similar to those
below if you have a suitable clean and dry space undercover with power and
light. Alternatively premises can be found to suit your project. Tasks I
undertake personally include the following:
1.
The first stage was to assess the derelict state of the vehicle. It was in
a sorry state!
2.
I rebuilt the engine with mostly new internal parts and an 1100cc block. I
uprated it with a hi-lift cam-shaft, double valve springs and work to the
cylinder head to improve the air-flow. A stronger timing chain tensioner
and a rebuilt distributor were added. The carburettor (1100) was left
standard as was the exhaust. The end
result was better fuel economy, better acceleration and a higher top
speed.
3.
A spare engine from a scrap yard was fitted while the old engine was being
re-built and the body was gradually repaired. Second-hand bonnet, front
panel and front wings were fitted. Poor chrome was replaced with other
second hand items. Rust in the floor and elsewhere was repaired. I also
lowered the suspension and fitted a higher ratio differential.
4.
I applied 2 coats of primer-sealer and 3 coats of dove-grey cellulose, rubbing
down with very fine wet and dry paper between each coat. The wheels were
painted gloss black, the underside, engine compartment and boot interior
were painted with black Hammerite.
5.
The re-built engine was fitted along with a stronger clutch and the old
air-filter housing was replaced with an even older one that would take the
better flowing cone filters and allowed extension blocks both sides of the
carburettor to cool and speed airflow further. New HT systems and hoses completed the engine bay.
6.
Inside, the floor was painted with Hammerite. New carpets and a windscreen
rubber were fitted. The painted
dashboard was left with it’s characterful old patina. A better heater from
a more modern mini and proper air pipes to the de-mister vents were added
and gone were the days of ice on the inside in the winter.
7.
Other details included re-painted metal number-plates, a chrome lockable
fuel cap and newer indicators to supplement the trafficators (they still
worked but were often not noticed) for safety reasons. Over-riders were
left off the bumpers because new or re-chromed ones were too expensive and
children can’t seem to resist standing on them and bending the bumper. Aesthetically
I prefer the cleaner lines too.
Other projects below:
In 1983
I was a member of the Aston Martin Group C Nimrod Racing Team while
free-lancing for R. S. Williams Ltd where the cars were prepared at that
time. Above (left) is Nimrod 005
before the start of the Silverstone 1000 kilometre race; the same year as
the fateful crash of Nimrod 004 at the Le Mans 24 hour race that badly
injured driver John Sheldon and killed a track marshall. Nimrod 005 still survives and has been
fully restored by Roger
Bennington at the Stratton Motor Company. Above (right) I take a break
behind the pits at Siverstone after a re-fuelling stop.
My Bedford TJ truck that served as a mobile
workshop for several years. Work to the chassis and engine kept the lorry
on the road and reliable. The rear box was fully fitted out with workbench,
tool drawers, welding gear and so-on. I converted the rear of the cab to seat 4 extra people. After it was sold
the new owners converted it to a flatbed lorry, a shame in my view as this
body style is extremely rare on this chassis.
My
Landrover Series 3 short wheelbase safari V8, was bought in a very
poor state. New engine mounts, propshaft, half shafts, brakes, spare wheel
mount, tyres and numerous other items transformed it from a juddering wreck
to a very sound and usable vehicle. The paint was re-finished where
required.
