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Our Restoration Departments
Australia's only, fully in-house specialist restoration workshop
Mechanical Dept, Engine Dept, Transmission Dept, Body/Panel Beating Dept, Paint Dept,
Trimming Dept, Electrical Dept, Instrument Dept, Assembly Dept, Injection Pump Dept, Parts Dept, Media Dept,
Body Work/Panel Beating Department
Our experienced craftsmen have rebuilt hundreds of tired, abused and poorly repaired classic cars. Most cars need to be completely dismantled to repair or replace damaged, rusted or missing body panels. First all of the decades old paint is removed from any metal, followed by carefully sand blasting the body shell and parts. Aluminium requires special attention. Now repairs can begin, with some parts needing replacement, preferably with new old stock panels if available. This work requires patience and concentration, it is very time consuming , especially when the car had been damaged and badly repaired in past years. The all important gaps on panels and doors are created at this early stage. With perfect metal preparation only a minimum of filler should be necessary. At this stage the usual abundance of chrome parts on cars prior to 1970 needs to be trial fitted to the body – too late when the car is painted.
Paint Department
Customers ask “how long does it take to paint a car?” About two days, but it will take many months before we are able to apply the final coat of Dulon. Or what ever is the proper original product to result in a concours winning finish. After the metal work is completed, we etch prime, spray fill, sand and rub, under coat, rub, more primer, more sanding. Test fitting all parts, especially chrome. It’s all in the preparation. Only then can we mask and prepare for painting. We will only paint an old car from bare metal, as old and new products are not compatible. A quick spray over may well be a waste of time and money. The outside paint job is what people see first, so it is the most important. But we don’t tell the painter.
The engine is seen as the heart of a car, especially on a valuable classic. Any proper restoration must include a complete rebuild of the engine, no matter what life may be left after so many decades. The engine has to be removed in almost all cases and that is the time for a professional renewal. Replacement parts are usually available, locally or overseas. This is a major industry word wide and we have all of the contacts we ever need. Our engines are blue printed and rebuilt to factory original, some with performance improvements, if requested by the owner. It is all done in pressurized and temperature controlled rooms.