Spitfire hood repair
December 3, 2020
We’ve been repairing the hood frame on our 1977 Triumph Spitfire. This involves straightening out the linkages and then drilling out old pop rivets. Once
December 3, 2020
Black Jensen bits and bobs
December 3, 2020
Many of the jobs that are done on our cars seem like very small insignificant elements but if you look at the bigger picture, every
Tr6 fully covered
December 3, 2020
Our trim shop expert, Kath, has been busy making multiple covers for the magenta Triumph TR6. The hood and tonneau now have covers that have
The Amphicar’s switch around
December 3, 2020
Two bilge pumps have been added to the Amphicar. The original bilge pump remains in its original position in the engine bay and is still
Nissan 300ZX update
December 3, 2020
The Nissan is on the home straight in its restoration journey. It should be done before Christmas all being well! It has just had its
From Russia with love
December 3, 2020
We welcomed another new car to the workshop yesterday. This 1984 Lada 1200 Estate was brought in with signs of rust in the sills and
The Not so Nippy, Nippy
December 3, 2020
We’ve just welcomed this beautiful 1934 Austin Seven Nippy into the workshop for some engine repairs. The current diagnosis is that it needs an engine
Spitfire hood repair
December 3, 2020
We’ve been repairing the hood frame on our 1977 Triumph Spitfire. This involves straightening out the linkages and then drilling out old pop rivets. Once these steps have been completed, we ensure it fits back on the car without any further modifications.
Black Jensen bits and bobs
December 3, 2020
Many of the jobs that are done on our cars seem like very small insignificant elements but if you look at the bigger picture, every single detail is just as important as the larger parts.
The black 1960 Jensen 541R has recently had its spare wheel carrier lowering mechanism altered. The original it came in with didn’t function properly so we’ve lengthened the mechanism in the workshop today.
We have also replaced the fixing bolts on rear bumpers which had become faulty due to damage. We’ve welded in new bolts carefully, making sure we don’t damage the chrome and paint inside.
Tr6 fully covered
December 3, 2020
Our trim shop expert, Kath, has been busy making multiple covers for the magenta Triumph TR6. The hood and tonneau now have covers that have been created out of black vinyl. Velcro has been sewn on and all the individual parts are then sewn together. Kath has also made a bag for the jack which followed a similar pattern to the tool bag.
The Amphicar’s switch around
December 3, 2020
Two bilge pumps have been added to the Amphicar. The original bilge pump remains in its original position in the engine bay and is still in working condition. The old pump still has its wires connected and can be connected at any point in the future, however, it is currently disconnected from the car. The old pump has been kept in for peace of mind.
Nissan 300ZX update
December 3, 2020
The Nissan is on the home straight in its restoration journey. It should be done before Christmas all being well!
It has just had its wheels refurbished, new wing mirrors, a thorough clean by Viper Auto Valets, the exhaust manifolds replaced to solve the leak as well as new exhaust studs. The next step is to piece it all back together and get it checked over for a final service.
From Russia with love
December 3, 2020
We welcomed another new car to the workshop yesterday. This 1984 Lada 1200 Estate was brought in with signs of rust in the sills and floor. A paint job and some fabrication work will be in order to address the rust issues.
Lada 1200’s were a heavily modified version of the Fiat 124 tailored for the Soviet Union and much of the Eastern Bloc. The Lada brand was built with hash Russian and Siberian conditions in mind. The suspension was raised to clear rough Russian roads and the bodyshell was made from thicker, heavier steel to make them more durable. These cars were later shipped around the world and used as police cars, taxies and other public utility vehicles.
The Not so Nippy, Nippy
December 3, 2020
We’ve just welcomed this beautiful 1934 Austin Seven Nippy into the workshop for some engine repairs. The current diagnosis is that it needs an engine rebuild as there seem to be some oil issues. Our aim is to troubleshoot the engine, identify the exact faults and advise the customer on what to do next.
The Austin Seven Nippy was the brainchild of Herbert Austin and Stanley Edge than run from 1922 to 1937. Despite only 682 models being made, the Austin Seven Nippy was responsible for helping motorise Britain, with the car providing the same footprint as a motorcycle and sidecar whilst still offering all the advantages of an automobile.
The Nippy clever abut simple engineering is based around an ‘A-frame’ chassis which is equipped with an all-round leaf-sprung suspension. The earlier models were fitted with just a three-speed manual gearbox whereas the later models, including ours, has a four-speed gearbox. This small and brisk sports car benefits from a lowered centre of gravity making it an amusing and ‘nippy’ drive.
It’s fun to see a car with a cranking handle such as what this Austin Nippy has. Although it was commonplace for cars at the time, it’s always interesting when we get one in the workshop. The cranking handle manually turns over the engine acted as a backup. It functioned much in the same way as bump starting the car. Cranking handles slowly phased out of car designs, often with the levers ending up in the toolbox as a last resort.
