Car Restoration.
Rogers Restoration of his 1953 Vauxhall Velox (An ongoing project)
We took this car to The Isle of Man and it drove really well but parts of the body needed some work so within 2 weeks of coming back he decided to take the car apart right back to bare metal. It was soda blasted and when it came back surprised me that the body was in very good shape for a 70 year old car. Various members came and had a look and agreed it was a very solid shell.
So the project began, new parts were ordered the chrome and there is a lot of it went off the be re chromed the car its self had been stripped of everything theres a lot of bits I will add.
He is now started to spray the car and that is a task in its self. The primer has now been put on and part of the main body is now black which of course will be the main colour.
The pictures shown will show how far it has come.
Once paint is completed it has to start having all those bits put back on.
Some members of the club ie Steve and Dave said that they would come and help put the engine back to gether again. Thanks for that Roger will be in touch shortly to let you know when it is ready.
It has to be ready for 6th May as you will see Miles stones has a display of 50's cars on that day along with 2 other cars from the club.
That is as far as it has gone but this will be ongoing until the May when ive been told it will be finished.
I am looking forward to that as I might see Roger now and again as at present he can always be found in the garage. He comes out now and again for coffee cake.
1938 Rover 12
Before:
After.
Then off to her new home in a museum in Vienna!
Triumph GT6
BEFORE
AFTER
My journey (so far) with 'Bee' I've loved classic cars ever since I can remember and, as soon as I was able, I bought my first - a 1972 MGB GT - in 2000. And a few years ago I got the 'itch' again - but before I even starting looking at suitable cars, I bided my time saving up and making friends with the wonderful members of The Basingstoke Classic Car Club, who welcomed me with open arms and gave so much priceless advice. And a huge shout out to Roger for the hours and hours of mentoring he generously gave me. In June 2020 I took the plunge and bought an inca yellow (hence the name 'Bee'!)1980 Triumph Spitfire 1500 for £3,000. She looked tatty, tired and in need of some TLC, so I handed over the cash and crossed my fingers that's all she needed. She passed the MOT the next day, with only the obligatory oil leak advisories, and so my journey to get to know her began. Quick, confidence-building wins followed. An £8 sensor fixed the 'broken' temperature gauge, and an engine service had her running sweetly. My plan was to bring her back to 'factory-fresh', so work began on the 'tidy up'; anything that could be stripped and repainted got the treatment, and I removed all the black paint a previous owner hid the wonderful chrome under!! A 'side' project to find four 13 x 5.5J original steel wheels also began; little did I know this would take 18 months to complete... The first major work was to replace the soft top, and 'The Motor Garage' just down the road in Netheravon did a first class job. Next on the list was to replace the chattering differential and rear leaf spring – completed in one long day with a mate. Onward to the next sizable task, which was to get the dilapidated seats rebuilt and recovered. I stretched the budget and used the best in the business – Newton Commercial – and what a stunning job they did. Saving the best (and biggest) job to last, with the dreaded 'Spitfire rattle' being heard on cold start up, the only option was another visit to 'The Motor Garage' for a diagnosis. And the remedy? An engine block rebuild, with new clutch, to boot. It had to be done, but that one hurt. And she's been ticking like a swiss watch ever since, giving me countless unforgettable driving experiences. So – clearly - 'Bee' needed a bit more than just a bit of love, but I now have a 'chair at the table'; living my dream of owning a classic car without having to re-mortgage the house. Evenings and weekends are spent maintaining, fixing and improving my pride and joy to fully enjoy drives and meet ups with friends and fellow car enthusiasts. This year will be trying to sort out the front suspension set up, and – if I can work out how to rob a bank – getting the bumpers re-chromed.
Grahame
