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.