Body Restoration Specialist

[sclemow]

Hi

I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for body restorers?

I am based in the South West of the UK near Bristol.

My body has had a very poor recent respray that has reacted under the paint leaving some odd lumps, I'm not sure whether it is filler that has reacted or some sort of primer, however either way it needs sorting correctly. As such I'm looking for someone that knows how to deal with old fibreglass bodies correctly.
I'm expecting it will need fully stripping as starting again, so realistic about how much work needs doing.

Also, I will be restoring the car, do people generally get the body done while removed from the chassis or when it's in place?

Is it better to remove it, restore the chassis and refit it before spraying or to spray it before refitting, I can see benefits and problems with both.

Thanks

Simon

[elansprint]

Simon there was a company in Nailsea called Webbs who did a lot of work on TVR's his work was really good or OPTION 1 nr Bromsgrove
Ian

[sclemow]

Thanks Ian,
I'll take a look, I've heard of Webbs before but not had any dealings with them and know a couple of people into cars in that area, I'll do some research.
Cheers
Simon

[Elanintheforest]

Simon, Option 1 will provide a top repaint / repair service, and they have a proven track record having done many Elites and Elans over the past 10 years. They specialise in stabalising old fibreglass by grinding off the gel coat and re-tissueing the entire bodyshell,

They are probably a little more pricey than some at around ?7k - ?8k, but you generally get what you pay for.

Are you doing a complete restoration? If so, I would take the body off the chassis, strip everything off the chassis not required for it still to be able to roll, and pop the shell back onto the chassis. You can then strip the shell down as far as you wish before transporting it to be painted.

That way the body can be safely transported, and you will have a lot of parts in the garage to renovate whilst the paint is being done. When it comes back, just roll the chassis from under the body, build up the new (or renovated) chassis and put it all back together!

I certainly wouldn't take a car with a restored rolling chassis up for such an extensive body refurbishment. The risk of overspray and damage is quite high, together with the certainty of a lot of fibreglass debris and dust all over your nice clean chassis suspension etc. It takes a long time to clean off properly.

The other option is to build a wheeled frame for the body to sit on to be transported and worked on.....but that's really no better than the old rolling chassis.

What car are you restoring?

Mark Kempson

[fasterbyelan]

There is also SMS Autospray (http://www.smsautospray.co.uk/services.htm) although they are located in Lincolnshire so quite a trek (they can collect). I did quite a lot of research a few months ago as my Elan need painting and the doors sorting and they seemed to offer the best price in view of the results they achieve. I'm looking at an estimated price of around ?8000 (VAT included)


Option 1 were high than this and I did get a estimate from a company in Woodbridge for ?15000!

[sclemow]

Hi

Thanks for the info. I'm restoring a '65 S2 that I bought at the beginning of the year. It's in remarkably good shape but hasn't been run for the last 20 years. At the moment I'm planning on taking a really good look at it on the ramp next week and deciding whether to do a full restoration or a sympathetic one. At the moment I'm leaning towards a sympathetic restoration as it seems a shame to newly powder coat the chassis and everything. From what I can see it looks good so maybe just a really good clean up and rebuild. Certainly things like the interior only need a good clean (with the exception of the dash which has been cut for later switches). I'm planning on rebuilding the engine, 'box, suspension and brakes as a matter of course.

Cheers

Simon

[RichardHawkins]

Simon,

Further to the advice you have already received, the chassis can be difficult to inspect, and the extent of corrosion may only become apparent when you start to clean prior to painting.

I worked in the rough end of the chemical industy with a very corrosive environment. We would often use shot blasting to diagnose corrosion. Once blast cleaned it becomes horribly apparent how much corrosion exists. My chassis was obviously junk, as the front suspension towers had parted from the front cross member. Something that has not yet broken is less easy so look very closely. I think you said the car is 1966, so you may already have a replacement chassis.

Richard Hawkins

[Geoffers71]

Simon,
I'm in Plymouth and I've just finished (?) the restoration of my '65 S2. Look up "Restoration of Elan S2 EOK" . Most things are still fresh in my mind, so if there's anything I can help with just let me know. Be quick though 'cos I'm beginning to have issues remembering anything longer than 2 weeks ago .....And Bristol is not so far from Plymouth

[sclemow]

Hi Geoffers

Thanks for the reply. I'm sure there will be lots of questions as I go through it. As you say Plymouth isn't far - in fact I'm heading to Torbay with it to give it a good look over with one of my friends that knows a lot about Elans - I still covet his 23b though!!

Richard,
As for the chassis thanks, advice noted. I'm definitely going to take the body off it so hopefully this will give me a good opportunity to clean and check it. I may well decide to blast and powdercoat it at that point.
I know where it's been since it was about 5 years old and it had a replacement chassis due to accident damage very early on in it's life, but it'll be past it's gauranteed prime!

Cheers

Simon

[billwill]

The bottom of a front turret can look fine and yet be so corroded that you can poke a screwdriver through the metal.

Been there... done that...

[fasterbyelan]

The bottom of a front turret can look fine and yet be so corroded that you can poke a screwdriver through the metal.

Been there... done that...

Know what you mean.........................

[dunclentdr]

Hi Simon

I have just (last week) collected my S3 from the team at SMS who have done a great job - there are pictures, before and after, on the thread titled 'Re: S3 DHC body restoration - update'.

The work was in the same order of cost as you mentioned - Option 1 are very local to me, come highly recommended but I judged the 35-45% price difference merited a trip to Lincolnshire!

David

[elansprint71]

Simon,
Who did your "very poor recent respray"?

[Chancer]

If you are talking 8, 10 or ?12K for a labour intensive strip and respray would it not be economically viable for someone to produce a run of new bodyshells which could then be painted in the customers colour of choice?

Surely it would not cost anything like the same amount or am I missing something obvious?

How much is a self coloured gel coat body for a comparable kit car with roof and doors these days?

Last one I bought was a Westfield 7 in 1987 and the whole kit body, chassis, suspension etc etc was ?975

[RichC]

ah just getting ready to take the trek up to SMS . They have my vote after having looked around for a while for a top class GRP bodyshop . Booked in for end september with my early type +2 donor shell for respray.
All summer i've been uncovering all the 1970's 1980's bodge repairs and damage on boot floor , floorwells , inner rear wings / major bodges on inner front wings & turret bobbins / front chassis mountings & interior (e.g. skin inboard of door hinges ), lightpod bobbins ..i.e. .just about everywhere .
Looks like it had had a back- to-gelcoat respray a very long time ago as there is only one layer of topcoat , but the underneath was ignored and when i purchased the shell last year the sill members were completely rusted away to piles of muddy dust . hence i judge it last was on the road 30+ years ago & even then it must have been very floppy and creaky with all the underside GRP damage
It's solid now on the chassis bobbins and is much more rigid overall .
I'm taking up the GRP shell and panels without the chassis on a flatbed trailer . two can just about manhandle the shell by itself .