580 replies to this topic

[simonaoz]

Glad to see you're back. I missed your posts 

[Chris1275gt]

Ben I’ve been missing my favourite restoration man! I’m scrimping and saving to get you to do mine I’ll hopefully get it to you before i go for the big sleep but god knows when. Hope you’re back fighting fit and I’ll wait for the next project and thanks for posting them they are much appreciated.

[eric67]

Great to see you back on TMF Ben. And thanks for posting the pictures of my elf, I'd almost forgotten how it looked previously! 

[edp]

Made my day to see you back on here! Hope you are now well, looking forward to seeing more restorations...

[cooperd70]

Welcome back Ben. Good to see your posts...tho the restos are much more important 🙂

[Ben_O]

Thanks everyone.

I really appreciate your comments

 

I plan to start posting again to share these restorations with you all.

 

The next restoration was a 98 Paul Smith.

An LE that I've always admired and was very happy to be given the chance to restore.

Again, this came to me as a bare rolling shell for body and paint only.

 

Quite a sad state this one..

Not only very rusty and holey, but also accident damaged to the front and rear!

 

I ended up replacing so many panels on it and it came out very nicely before going back to London for reassembly by its owner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a great colour!

 

I'm looking forward to seeing It finished. The customer has promised to visit which is always welcomed 

[Ben_O]

This brings me up to my current restoration which has quite a story.

The owner lives in Brussels and purchased this car brand new in Geneva.

It started off as a Sportspack Cooper but soon after purchase was brought into this country and taken to Downton for a limited number conversion which they called the Downton sport 40.

It was also registered in this country.

 

It also spent a chunk of its life with Lumenition as a test mule to develop a new engine management system. One which didn't end up being produced so I believe this is the only car with it?

 

The owner has removed some of the Downton fitted extras now as they are no longer to his taste so the 12" wheels have been replaced with 10's and the flares removed.

 

it's now with me for a new front end to deal with the factory arch cut for sportspack, several bumps and bruises, jacking damage to the floors and lots of unusual bodges rectified.

Due to its low mileage and bouts of being laid up, it's perfectly solid with only the odd spot ot minor surface rust!

I'll also be doing a RHD conversion.

 

Here is the Mini as it came to me

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I shall keep you updated with this as it proceeds.

 

If anybody would like a quote for restoration work, I'm available next year and would be very happy to discuss requirements.

Minor repairs and paint through to total restorations.

My details remain the same

Phone 01983 760436 

Email [email protected] 

 

Cheers!

Ben

Edited by Ben_O, 07 November 2024 - 09:31 AM.

[fokko]

Amazing work as always Ben, love to see more writeups!

[JXC Mini GT]

Great to see you back on the forum Ben, and great to see some of the quality work you have been turning out.

[Ben_O]

Hi all

Poor Show from me again keeping you all updated

 

There has been plenty going on though

 

The Downton is nearing completion

 

 

I am literally waiting to see what I can do about a carpet...

So if anyone has a 1 piece powder blue MPI carpet they want to sell, I'm buying

 

A new project has arrived in the workshop and it's something a bit different

 

 

It's a 1965 English moke

 

 

 

 

The car has now been stripped and the body panels have been ordered 

Unbelievably, the engine turned over by hand as smooth as silk despite the poor storage conditions and just about everything else seized solid!

 

 

I'm going to be lending a hand to a friend to restore his long term traveller restoration

He'd like me to do the bits he can't manage like the sills, front end and heelboard

 

 

I was delighted to see this on the b post

 

 

The MOT tested that wrote that has just come back to work at Mill Road after more than 20 years so he was surprised at what I found too!

 

Other than that, I'm in the final stages of estimating the restoration of this beast so that should be starting soon

 

 

 

 

It's been owned by the same person for the past 30 years and he's been neglecting it for quite a lot of that (his words)

So it's time for work

I shouldn't really call it a restoration, it's going to be more of a renovation focusing on fixing the rust and sorting the paintwork and chrome work

 

Thanks for looking!

Ben

[fokko]

Looking forward to the Moke!! thanks for the update Ben! Always very much appreciated   .