21.05.2017 'Ready & Available For Hire'

The renovation is finally finished.  Austin has undergone engine upgrades as well as cosmetic surgery and is now a fully equipped prosecco and cocktail bar.  Sarah has been back in the classroom to gain the necessary license qualification to sell alcohol to the public and continues to work on the 'mundane' aspects of the business like sourcing the correct insurances and writing up risk assessments.  Even a small business like ours requires many requirements to ensure we remain legal and able to operate.  We have enjoyed the journey with Austin and would love to start another vintage restoration in the future but for now we will concentrate on getting Austin working hard so others can enjoy him as much as we do.  Watch this space for further blog posts on upcoming events.  If you read this and have enjoyed the journey too please come and say 'hi' if you see us out and about.

01.05.2017 "Cheers"

One thing we have learnt throughout this six month venture is that patience and attention to detail is paramount.  We are aiming for a high quality finish with many eye-catching features.  The fun really begins now we have an 'almost' finished bar (just awaiting the taps and cooling system).  We are in the process of sourcing the prosecco and other drinks so we can market a range of flavoured beverages which ooze vintage character and style.  We have taken our own photographs for our website and this is another project which is almost ready to go live.  Bank Holiday Sunday was spent scouring the many antique shops of Hemswell to purchase unusual props and useable objects including an old gas lamp, a vintage radio, a brownie camera and a brass bell (more photo's to follow).

23.04.2017 "When a Plan Comes Together"

We have taken advantage of the fine weather and the longer daylight hours this weekend.  When you are driven by wanting to finish a project you have started getting up early and working 10-hour days is not a chore!  This weekend we have finished the small touches needed to bring The Aust-Inn to life; replacing his badges and front number plate, giving him a thorough clean and of course, fitting the bar.  This has definitely been the highlight of this whole project for us.  To see The Aust-Inn at his finest we waited until dusk to dress his interior and switch on the fairy lights.  We have used this as a photo opportunity for our developing website.  We are really proud of our achievements and are really looking forward to promoting The Aust-Inn at some upcoming events we are hoping to be invited to.  We just need to sort out the carburetor so his engine is humming again, then we will take him to the cliff tops of Cayton for his final photo shoot.  

13.04.2017 Welcome to "The Aust-Inn"

This blog began with Mike and I buying a wreck of a van with countless jobs to start and finish which felt really daunting at the time.  This restoration journey has been a road with speed bumps, dead ends and cross-roads.  We have worked together and used our own unique set of skills.  We began with a vision which has morphed over the past few months into what you see in the photo's below.  We wanted to give Austin his own identity and maintain as much originality as possible, after all, we want people to admire this prosecco bar for its character and age, not for its clean cut image. We found a local guy to hand paint the signage:  WELCOME TO THE AUST-INN!!

10.04.2017 Raising The Bar

Austin's main purpose is to 'bring a bit of 60's sparkle' via his transformation into a fully functioning mobile bar.  The wood work is taking shape much quicker than the metal working on this project and there has been significant progress during the last couple of days.  We are taking our theme into the 21st century with a perfect blend of stained oak paneling trimmed with copper coins.  Each coin was dipped and polished and took no less than four hours to achieve a highly polished finish.  The coins have been set forever in a chemical we found online called epoxy resin.  Mixing two compounds, allowing the mixture to freelow over the surface and leaving to set for no less than 72 hours will give the bar an ultra modern mirror finish that is tough and durable.  Austin's brand is also starting to appear with the hand painted (YES.... hand painted) signage.

Epoxy resin finish

Hand painted (thank you Trevor)

08.04.2017 Phase 3 In Progress

Austin's bodywork has taken all our attention since we made him part of our family six months ago.  For anyone who has followed our journey it is clear to see the improvements we have made. Phase 3 is our final stage prior to marketing and promoting Austin as a business.  His bar is beginning to take shape much quicker than we'd anticipated.  We have swapped metal grinders and spray cans for a jigsaw and varnish stain.  Our bar concept is 'Olde English Inn' and we hope to successfully achieve this using stained wood, copper, brass, and using authentic pub ideas.  Online shops and bidding sites have become our best friend and  the postman might as well have a key as he's been round every day for the last two weeks.  We hope to have the bar finished by the end of April and are looking at ways of celebrating the grand opening of 'The Aust-Inn'...Austin's official name.

26.03.2017 What A Difference A Day Makes

For anyone who has followed our blog from the start our apologies for the various stages of bodywork images but for anyone who knows what it takes to restore a barn find, it takes time to rebuild the layers to a good standard.  We promise the paint work is nearing completion but these blogs have shown how many months of hard work in a cold and cob web filled single garage are finally starting to show results.  As you can see from the image, Austin used to look like a golf course; his green facade offering more than the usual 18 holes.  He is now gleaming with an old English 'Champagne Beige' lacquered finish, complete with copper rimmed wheels and freshly polished chrome fittings.  We are over the moon with how transformed Austin is starting to look and we aim to get his exterior completed in the next few days so the third and final phase can begin.

Before & After image of the wheel arch

24.03.2017 Operation Respray Phase 2

Respraying a van isn't as simple as it sounds.  For the ladies (and maybe some men) that are reading this it is like preparing for a night out.... washing, exfoliating, scrubbing, moisturising, primer...and that's before we even start on the concealer, foundation and setting powder.  Austin has undergone a mini facelift himself; his bodywork and the noticeable corrosion from 20 years of neglect has been filled, sanded, re-filled, re-sanded and his shell is almost as smooth as the day he was made.  We have finally decided on a colour and are going for a traditional finish.  Phase 2 is well under way with the whole exterior undergoing the recommended two coats of grey primer (minimum).  Rome wasn't built in a day and if we are to transform a battered little van we need to give him the care and attention he rightly deserves.

14.3.2017 From Canary To Dove

Who would have thought it would be so difficult choosing a colour for Austin.  Dove Grey, Pearl White, Old English Cream or something more outrageous perhaps. One thing we both agree on is that the racing green needed to go...and fast.  This colour may say 'hey I'm original', but it doesn't say 'hey I'd look great at your wedding'.  Another thing we also agreed on is that we are going to hand spray Austin's entire body.  This is not only a cost saving strategy but it is also because we want to pride ourselves on the finished product being all our own work.  Austin isn't pristine: NO 50 year old is! So his finish will be like him...full of character.  After much deliberation, visualisation, googling and head scratching, we decided on dove grey and purchased enough spray cans to complete the job, only to spray his interior (as shown) and decided this isn't the colour we want.  His interior will be hidden eventually so we will keep him grey.  You've got to agree he looks better than he did.  Watch this space to discover what colour we finally agree on.

13.03.2017 Finally Back On The Road

After a short but chilly winter we have finally managed to get back in the garage to tend to the engine of Austin.  A new dynamo was needed and a home made service of the engine has been carried out. Austin's engine started for the first time in 4 months and he was taken for a short drive to ensure all was working well.  He is still in need of new brakes as the the current ones need a weeks' notice to kick in but all in all he is a sound little runner and another hurdle has been overcome by two novice mechanics.

27.12.16 "Lesson on Social Media"

As it is far too cold to start the respray of Austin our itchy fingers have been at work on the social media side of this business.  We never knew that there were so many outlets to get the photographic messages out there to the world.  Thanks to a canny 22 year old (Instagram Wildgazelles) we are now linked in to instagram as well as Facebook and Twitter and have been told that anyone who is anyone is seated on this platform and it WILL enhance our business and 'net' us more interest.  As you can seen from our photos we are definitely thinking outside of the box and trying out new ideas to display who we are and what we do. Yet another skill is taking shape and our newfound knowledge will also influence the website which is also taking shape but not yet live.

13.12.2016 "Austin's makeover continues"

We are desperate to start seeing Austin look more like a cream knight than a green god and couldn't resist trying out some amatuer spraying on his interior.  As previously mentioned patience is not on our list of attributes.  Austin's bare metal floor (with daylight in  areas) has been replaced with a flock carpet and his dash...well... is looking rather dashing despite only one coat and covered in masking tape to protect the various dials and knobs.  We have yet to decide on a colour for his shell but something like dove grey or pearl beige will suit him just fine.  His engine is also seeing some improvement and Mike (not the mechanic) is avidly learning about radiator systems, dynamos and such like.  Anything we can do to keep costs low is a must with this restoration project.

11.12.2016 "The cosmetic surgery is in full swing"

After a couple of weekend's off (it is nearing Christmas after all), we have spent today in our compact garage and have decided to focus on any areas of Austin we can bring immediate improvement to.  Patience is not one of our strong points and we have tired of the constance sanding and filling to an area that only appears marginally different despite the hours of effort.

Austin's bumper is an original feature and any vintage/antique enthusiast will always tell you to keep as much of this as possible to enhance the value as well as the overall appeal albeit a house you are renovating or a van!  Mike has sanding off the rust and the poor quality silver paint work and low-and-behold (it is almost Christmas and I do believe we have witnessed a miracle)... the shine underneath is remarkable.  We have yet to sand off the metal to create a more softened shell and will finish this off with some metal polishing paste (and a good buff).  We are so pleased with the result which has probably saved us in excess of £200 for re-chroming we had to share this with you.

28.11.16 "Sarah's Bling-Fest has begun!"

During the past week Mike has enjoyed getting to grips with the biggest, noisiest and most destructive power tools acceptable for a delicate metal body whilst Sarah has used the more subtle approach to improve Austin's self esteem with a much needed makeover (no sexism or gender stereotyping intended!).  His cabin has had 48 years of dirt and cobwebs cleaned away, a task that wouldn't have been misplaced in the 'I'm a Celeb..Get Me Outta Here' show.  The fun for Sarah has begun with the door cards being upcycled using faux leather (with sparkle) and ribbon beading (more sparkle). The original rivets have been sprayed antique silver and reused.  The cream-sparkle theme will be featured in many other ways within the cabin and when this is complete we will post further pictures to highlight Austin's interior facelift.

27.11.16 More mass destruction on poor Austin's armour

As the saying goes 'you can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs'..which we certainly discovered as we have pulled little Austin to bits over the past few days.  We have only been his official owners for a week and already he has had his back doors ripped out (no pun intended) and all chrome fixtures taken away.  He is looking in a sorry state but the good news is he is officially RUST FREE.  Hours of careful sanding and filling has left Austin's suit of armour as smooth as silk.  We are really looking forward to rebuilding Austin and itching to give his amour a unique colour which will make him stand out from the Austin crowd.  His green facade is the next thing on our list to be transformed so watch this space...

20.11.16 "How to 'fill' a rainy Sunday afternoon"

Today is a typical British Autumn (cold, wet, windy) but that cannot stop us getting to work on Austin's bodywork.  Using the tutorials on Youtube for guidance we have sanded, filled, sanded, re-filled, sanded and primed and are already beginning to see an improvement.  Gaping holes in Austin's roof have been replaced with a solid exterior, making his lid watertight.  Not bad for a novice restorer. His chrome is starting to improve and the shine that once adorned his eyes is starting to return.

19.11.2016 "The Homecoming"

We were like children at Christmas today...sat looking out of the kitchen window in anticipation of our new arrival.  Austin arrived quite undignified on the back of a pick-up truck but it would have been too much to ask of him to drive over 150 miles after being cooped up in a barn since 1999.  Austin was safely driven into the garage and has already been admired by a handful of neighbours.  Now the hard work begins...

5.11.16 "Love at first sight"

5.11.16

We have been to meet Austin and we have decided he is the car for us.  He has many original features but he also has many holes and bits missing.  His chrome has seen better days and he needs more than a make-over.  He is getting delivered to our seaside home in Scarborough in 2 weeks time.  We have a list of tools and materials to buy and are frantically watching 'How-To' clips so we can learn how to sand, fill, paint and polish Austin before he is ready for his fully operating bar to be installed.