Hi all, Welcome back to the shop for part 2 of tonight's update..... We've just done the Fiesta 1300S and the Dodge Charger so lets have a look at where the Escort RS2000 is at the moment. It have advanced quite a bit over the last few days and we now have the motor installed, the 5 speed type 9 transmission along with it's fresh clutch and clutch cable and the drive shaft. Also installed back into the car were the fuel lines, the exhaust manifold, the fuse box and associated wiring hooked up, the brake servo, the brake discs to the hubs and the pedal box was partly dismantled and restored where needed and then installed back into the car. I did not want to go any further with the pedal box as originality is important to the client and it is in great shape with original factory stickers intact. I removed the accelerator pedal as it was rusted, blasted it clean and repainted it and also repaired minor scratches to the clutch and brake pedal. Some people think it's extreme and unnecessary to go this far with small components but at Chris' shop it's the details that can make or break a car and if you start to slip and cut corners with the little things it affects the way the whole project looks........so we don't do it!!!! I think it looks pretty good under here now and we only have more to add to it so it should look better and better as we go. I now have to wait for some more parts to arrive but I'll obviously keep you posted on how things progress....... Keep you posted.....

Hi all, Welcome back to the shop, a busy week again and all systems go especially on the 2 main projects and a little bit done on the Charger whilst we wait for the rest of the floor slowly making it's way from the port in Longbeach!!! Again, due to the amount we have to showcase tonight's update will be in 2 parts so please look out for the next one in a short while......... First up the Fiesta 1300S, pleased to say that all the welding repairs are now done and the car will now spend next week being thoroughly cleaned up on it's underside ready for primer. I have included lots of photos of some of the final work that was done on it, these jobs included the removal of the jack points and replacement of small sections beneath them that had rusted away due to water being trapped between the 2 surfaces over the years, the rear arch inners are now fully seam welded and look great. There was also a multi layered piece that needed replacing near a seat belt mount. I'm pretty sure that next time you see this car it will be primed, stone chipped and ready for painting the chassis. The last 6 photos are of the Dodge Charger's "C" pillar where the roof is welded to the lower part of the car from the factory, it leaves a heavy scar where the 2 parts intersect. Back in the day Dodge got around this by roughly filling the gap with lead, giving it a quick file then slapping a vinyl roof on their cars, this is why most Chargers have vinyl tops. There were quite a few made without vinyls though, if you wanted a vinyl delete option it cost more not less due to the extra work needed to smooth out that join so they could lay the paint and this is exactly what I'm doing here. The scar is first cleaned out thoroughly as cleanliness is paramount when lead loading, then I lightly apply brush flux to the whole area making sure I get into all the nooks and crannies as if it has no flux on an area the lead won't stick. I then heat the area with a propane torch just hot enough to activate the flux and I rub it with a cloth, heat it too little the flux won't activate, heat it too much you will burn it off and have to start again. When you get it right you'll know because when you wipe it the flux will be bright silver and will leave a very shiny coated area for you to lead to. The leading process involves gently heating the surface and the bar of lead you're working with, melting it into the area you need to load and then carefully pushing and shaping the soft lead using the wooden leading paddles as you go. These paddles have to be constantly wiped with tallow to prevent them sticking to the lead and burning. I find it's best not to melt it so it's a running liquid especially if your work area isn't flat as it will just end up on the floor! there is a sweet spot just before it begins to run where it has the consistency of body filler for a few seconds and that's when I work it. Finish it using a body file/rasp, then a coarse DA sander, I then guide coat the area in black and sand again to show my high and low spots. The rest will now have a skim of metal filler, again sanded flat and I will leave the finishing work for the body shop but at least they will have a solid base to work from now that will be stable, it's better than ploughing a half inch deep skim of filler there that may well sink!!! Keep you posted......

Hi all, Just a bit of information for you classic owners out there...... From May 2018 there will be changes taking effect with regard to the MOT's for classics registered 1977 or older. That's good news for us classic owners and it also includes tax exemption! With this in mind the powers at be have strongly advised that us classic owners still have our cars inspected even though the MOT as such will not be legally required. Therefore as this program rolls out early next year we will be offering comprehensive checks of your vehicle with a report that details any aspects of your classic that needs or will need attention in the future, a health check if you like? it will give you peace of mind and keep your classic where it should be.....on the road! Checks will include.... Lights Horn Wipers/washers Seat belts if fitted Glazing Door and latch operation Body work and chassis structural integrity tyres/wheels exhaust system suspension and bushings wheel bearings brake system inc. shoes/pads/cables/hydraulic lines etc... Steering Depending on vehicle type and also the requests of the customer extra checks can be done The cost of the service is likely to be £40-£50 on an appointment basis. Best regards to all my customers past and present and to the followers and sharers of this shop who help to make it tick! Thank you.

Hi all, Please see our latest shop advertisement film. If you'd like to visit the shop to discuss your restoration project please call to make an appointment.

Hi all and welcome back to the shop. First few photos are of the last bit of work to be done on the 1986 BMW 5 series, it's the front valance. It was media blasted like all the other parts of the car, doillied straight as there were little dents and creases to remove, etch primed and then stone chipped on the reverse to help protect it in the future. The car sits on it's dolly now all re-assembled and waiting for it's owner to collect. It will be painted and fully re-assembled by it's owner as he wanted to do that side of the project. Next is a few photos of the rear lights from the RS2000, I'm waiting for transmission mounts to enable me to fit the engine and box back in the car so in the meantime I'm restoring and rebuilding all the hundreds of bits and bobs that will need to go back on the car eventually. The rear lenses were in good condition (not broken) but they were scratched and dulled, the seals had decayed and the contacts and wiring was very dirty. As you can see with a bit of work and some careful machine polishing they come up great. Last few photos are of a little repair work done on the Charger whilst I wait for the remainder of the floor pan to get here from the states. It is an inner arch support that will never be seen when the rear quarter goes back on but that's not the point is it??? I have also fitted the outer sill end cap and I'm half way through rebuilding and restoring the grille. Keep you posted on things as we go.........

Hi all and welcome back to the shop.... Again there's a lot to tell you so I think I'll have to split the posts and do 1 or 2 projects at a time.... First up is the Fiesta 1300S, getting close to all the tin work being done now, progress made lately on getting the rear corners and rear valance on, also the multi layered boot floor corners that needed just a bit of repair. The big leap forward though was constructing the rotisserie adaptors for the car and lifting it so we can address the work required underneath. We have removed the jacking points due to the floor underneath them being holed, the jacking points themselves were fine. The small section of floor will be replaced and the jacking points re-attached. The very edges of the floor pan have needed some work too due to corrosion but I'm pleased with how it's all coming together now. The box section running the length of the car had a dent in both legs, looked like it had grounded at some point on a kerb maybe???? although it would have been harmless to leave these small creases in the legs we welded to them and used a slide hammer to pull them out, heated the area a little and doliied them straight. There are quite a few small jobs to do now but I'll keep you posted as we go.......

Hi all, Welcome to the shop! I was in Spain a couple of weeks ago and was fortunate enough to catch a classic car show on the main boulevard, I've snapped a few cars just for fun and wanted to share them with like minded classic enthusiasts. I was especially impressed by the VW Bug with the double fronted "push me pull me" customisation, looks factory finished!! Keep you posted.......

Hi all, This is post number 4 for tonight, it is just to cap off the other cars in the shop that I thought you might want to have a snoop at? I had a Mercedes SL in at the beginning of the week for a transmission service and to also cure a leak on the unit. It appeared to be coming from the pan which was also the diagnosis of another garage the owner had taken it to previously. The transmissions on these cars are a so called "sealed for life unit" but they really aren't. I drained the oil, removed and cleaned the pan and magnet, replaced the filter and fitted a new gasket. All seemed well on test drive and leak seems to have been cured. This car was in the shop a few weeks ago some of you may recall for a fuel tank baffle repair. These car are prone to the steel baffle coming loose and clunking around in the tank. It's a pig of a job to fix and incredibly expensive if you go to a dealer or independent. If you or anyone you know has this problem and you'd like it sorting don't hesitate to give me a call. I've also included a few photos of the Escort RS2000, the customer dropped off the transmission I've been waiting for, I needed it before I put the motor back in the car as they support each other when in the vehicle. The customer also dropped off the wheels for the car and I'm sure you'll agree they look the part don't they? The car obviously is sitting high at the moment with little weight in it but you start to get an idea of how it will look........sweeeet. Thanks to all the people who shared my video advert last week, it has done really well at nearly 15,000 views!! please continue to circulate it and if you haven't seen it yet you can find it on this page in the video box or on YouTube search "Chris' automotive restoration shop" Keep you all posted..............

Hi all, Welcome back to the shop for the 3rd time tonight! This post will focus on the work that's been going into our little Fiesta 1300S which we are progressing nicely with. Lately the car has taken shape as both sides are now completed having numerous small repairs done in all the usual areas but the main parts have been....... both A pillar replacements, sill replacements with minor inner repairs, inner and outer rear arches, inner wings and flitch upper and lower panels, floor pan replacements, front cross member, front panel, scuttle repairs, wind shield pillar repairs, boot floor repairs and now we move to door repairs!!! These photos are of the repairs of the doors, the cutting out and fabricating of the frame itself where it has rotted out at the very bottom and then the skin replacement and folding of the skin to replicate the original finish. The overall effect is not apparent in these photos yet, you'll have to imagine the seams re-sealed in seam sealer and the paint over the top!!! I'm looking forward now to getting the other door finished and getting them back on the car for a thorough alignment session and get it really nice and straight and some good shut lines going. Next major step is to get the rear panel in and some rotisserie adaptors made for this car so we can get it up in the air now the BMW is off the rotisserie..... Keep you posted as we go........

Hi all, Part 2 of the BMW work.........

Hi all, Been busy as per usual and as sometimes happens I will have to split my posts again just to get all the information and photos in on what's been happening. This post will be all about the BMW 5 series which is close to completion as far as the shop will be taking it. You can see from the photos that more of the numerous repairs this car required have been done, you can see more door hinge repairs, holes in the floor repaired, small holes in the inner wings repaired, wing bottoms cut out and whole new pieces fabricated and replaced to replicate the original, the boot rain channels repaired, then the underside received 2 coats of stone chip and was returned to it's custom made dolly. The car was then hand sanded over every inch to the high polished looking bare metal you see in the photos including the panels, we did not receive a drivers door or a hood when the car came in, that's why they are absent. The wings were all bared on the reverse, treated and then stone chipped to match the underside of the car, the wheel arch returns and the rear valance were stone chipped too to replicate the original BMW finish and then the whole car super etch primed ready to be returned to the customer. The doors, boot lid and wings were replaced and aligned and again they were primed inside and out for protection. Part 2 of this to follow shortly.............