Lada’s New Percussion
June 25, 2021
Scott has been fitting new rear drum brakes onto the Lada. We’ve been waiting for the new drums to arrive from Russia and now that
lada restoration
Lada Wheel Arch Repair
June 4, 2021
Our Lada has come back in for some wheel arch repair due to some damage. Scott has checked over all the brakes and made sure
Lada In For A Service
May 5, 2021
We recently had this classic Lada in for a restoration and now its back for a health check. We’ve run a service on it and
Lada Extras
January 20, 2021
The Lada has come in with a mysterious tilting issue whereby it tilts and rises intermittently, as if by magic. After an investigation, we discovered
Lada On The Road Back Home
January 6, 2021
Our lovely 1984 Lada 1200 is leaving today! We’ve completed all the work which included repairing and respraying the rusty floors, replacing the exhaust silencer,
Little bits on the Lada
December 23, 2020
The Lada 1200 has had new seat belts added in the back. Our technician Paul has also modified the exhaust rear box to make it
Lada Corrections
December 16, 2020
Our 1984 Lada 1200 has just come out of the fabrication bay where it has undergone some TLC to address its corrosion issues. The sills,
Workshop Walkaround
December 9, 2020
Grey Jensen gets furnished Our trim team has been fitting the rear centre section in place, cutting out sound deadening and glueing it to bodywork
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
Lada’s New Percussion
June 25, 2021
Scott has been fitting new rear drum brakes onto the Lada. We’ve been waiting for the new drums to arrive from Russia and now that they are here, we are able to fit them.
Lada Wheel Arch Repair
June 4, 2021
Our Lada has come back in for some wheel arch repair due to some damage.
Scott has checked over all the brakes and made sure everything was okay. He decided which parts needed to be ordered to correct the damage. Matt has primed and painted the wheel arch to correct the damage.
Lada In For A Service
May 5, 2021
We recently had this classic Lada in for a restoration and now its back for a health check. We’ve run a service on it and are now beginning to replace the front wheel bearings and the dust covers on the callipers.
Lada Extras
January 20, 2021
The Lada has come in with a mysterious tilting issue whereby it tilts and rises intermittently, as if by magic. After an investigation, we discovered that the shock absorbers have collapsed. With this diagnosis in mind, we’ll endeavour to rectify the issue when the new parts arrive.
As pictured above is the work we did to blacken the underside of this Lada when it was last in to preserve the work we added to rectify an issue with corrosion.
Lada On The Road Back Home
January 6, 2021
Our lovely 1984 Lada 1200 is leaving today! We’ve completed all the work which included repairing and respraying the rusty floors, replacing the exhaust silencer, fitting rear seatbelts, adjusting the rear brakes and adjusting the handbrake cable. This soviet classic is now ready to get back on the road.
It was another crisp and dreary morning this morning as our technicians loaded the Lada into our new lorry, ready to make its way back to its owner.
With fewer than 200 on the roads in the UK, the Lada is now a rare vehicle. Originally manufactured and popular in Russia, around 134,000 were licenced for UK roads in the 1990s. After a sharp decline over the years, you’d typically struggle to find a classic Lada in the UK however those figures are slowly rising as the value and rarity of these motors increase.
Here’s some photos of when the Lada first came in:
Little bits on the Lada
December 23, 2020
The Lada 1200 has had new seat belts added in the back. Our technician Paul has also modified the exhaust rear box to make it shorter as the original, which you cannot buy anymore, was too long.
Lada Corrections
December 16, 2020
Our 1984 Lada 1200 has just come out of the fabrication bay where it has undergone some TLC to address its corrosion issues. The sills, floor and underside have been cleaned and an oil wax has been applied to preserve the bodywork. There are still a few more corrections to be done before its ready to go however it’s currently awaiting an exhaust repair.
Our Lada is currently awaiting a new exhaust which should arrive today. Once we have the correct parts, our technicians can start to replace the exhaust.
Workshop Walkaround
December 9, 2020
Grey Jensen gets furnished
Our trim team has been fitting the rear centre section in place, cutting out sound deadening and glueing it to bodywork behind where seats go.
The rear squab section has also been fitted in place, the carpet has been cut to be placed in front of the rear seat base, the rear seat section has been fitted in place, and the leather has been glued to the seat subframes.
Sound deadening has been installed in the rear footwell & tunnel sides, passenger side, passenger side bulkhead, and the front footwells.
The door frames are also undergoing some modifications so that the window glass sits more comfortably. The doors will need to be taken apart and re-welded back together.
Peony Red Jensen
Our Peony Red 1960 Jensen 541s has had new door catch fixing plates installed. Our technicians have also made a cover to go over them to stop them from falling down into the sills of the car. They have then been welded into position.
TR6
The Triumph TR6 is on the road to recovery with the final tweaks being done. The engine levels have been checked as have the gearbox and rear axels. This stage is mostly a pre-drive service to make sure everything is in the right place and ready for the car to be driven for the first time. The battery holder needs to be installed and the engine to be tuned. Once these last details are done we can turn it on and see how it drives and address any teething problems that may arise.
Amphicar
The Amphicar is currently going through another in-depth stage of troubleshooting the electrics. Much like the TR6, our technicians’ are applying the final checks in preparation for starting the car up for the first time.
Peugeot 504
The Peugeot 504 is almost finished! The exhaust and break lines have been installed as well as the seat belts which have been added by our technician Scott.
Black Jensen
The black 1960 Jensen 541R has come out of paintwork recently to address the corrections made. All the chrome has now been re-installed so it’s looking shiny and new!
1984 Lada 1200
Our Lada is one of our most recent patients. We diagnosed it with rusting sills and floor, which is being addressed and corrected by one of our fabricators, Ant. These refurbishments are done through a series of stages that include welding and applying filler to resolve the ageing. Think of it like getting a dermatological facial!
1973 Jaguar E-Type Series 3 V12
Our blue jaguar e-type is awaiting its chrome bumper and new steering rack to be fitted. The sun roof has also been fixed. This included taking apart the faulty switch and cleaning the components and then insulating the terminal. Once fitted back together, the sun roof was back to working perfectly again.
Gold Jensen
Our gold and red 1962 Jensen 541S has had its oil changed and water purged from the engine by our engine specialist, Ady.
Austin 7 Nippy
Ady is also working on the Austin 7 Nippy engine which is currently at COLTEC to be assessed.
Nissan 300ZX
The exhaust has been reinstalled into our Nissan as well as the link pipe between the two exhaust manifolds.
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.
