When Triumph launched their Triumph Sprint GT SE in 2013 it helped to make touring bikes not only desirable but affordable. Alongside a 1050 triple, with 130 HP on tap and plenty of torque to boot, there were ABS brakes, a comfortable gel seat, welcoming heated grips and plenty of loading capacity. The Special Editions were finished in a rich champagne colour or a vibrant candy red. The bike rides well and is built for touring comfort. It also looks pretty neat: unless, that is, you happen to drop it and scratch and chip its fairings and panniers.
Those panniers are always at risk on a touring bike: on the Sprint GT SE the capacious panniers actually stick out a good 7cm more than the handlebars. The bike that was brought into our workshop had suffered more than a little scrape navigating a tight space but we are always happy to provide a happy ending – and a perfect finish – to motoring woes.
The extensive damage to the fairings and panniers first needed to be sanded out and filled. They can then be primed using a 2K acrylic primer surfacer that has been augmented with a flexible additive and activator.
Once the primer is fully cured it is sanded smooth to create good surface adhesion for the basecoat. We use the latest waterborne basecoats to ensure perfect protection for your bike.
With the champagne coloured basecoat dry it’s time for the perfect finish. Your bike’s paintwork needs to shine like a mirror but still be tough as nails. It needs to look great but also be prepared to play hard so only a really durable finish will do. We use a 2K clearcoat (lacquer) that has been mixed with a hardener and a flexible additive. Speed is of the essence here because as soon as the hardener is added polymerisation begins. The lacquer begins to cure and harden which is exactly what you want on your bike but not in your spraygun.
With a perfect champagne coloured finish its time to start celebrating: Dom Perignon anyone?
It is not just classic cars that need restoring. Many of the cars that we are asked to repair are contemporary cars that have been involved in a crash. Unfortunately accidents will happen and even the most careful driver can be involved in one.
This unfortunate Golf Mark 5 GTI may have been the hottest of hot hatches a few years back but now gave way to the coolest of breezes thanks to the sorry state of its side door. It came to us as an insurance job following an accident. The car’s owner had heard of our rather generous offer to pay at least £100 of the excess for any insurance work we undertake on vehicles and with stripped down costs to face asked us to start stripping that damaged door out of the Golf.
We set to work removing the outer door skin which was damaged beyond repair. We could now fit the new outer door skin onto the door. Precision is required here as you must line up all the door gaps for a perfect, evenly spaced fit.
photo 3Once the door and gaps are all looking perfect the damaged sill section can be cut off and a new one fitted. Again everything must be perfectly in place and when it is it can be welded to the car. Some careful cleaning up and grinding later and the welding is almost invisible to the eye but the application of some fine filler to mask any minor imperfections gives it that perfect factory finish. The new sill can now be sprayed with stone chip protection for durability before it is primed and painted to match the exact original colour of the car and surrounding panels.
It is now impossible to tell that the car has been in an accident or see where the repairs have been made. All that is left is for us to replace any trims that have been removed and present to the happy owner one as new Golf Mark 5 GTI ready to go.
There’s something iconic about the Triumph GT6 that get’s our blood racing at White’s Bodyworks. When one in need of some careful sandblasting, bodywork repairs and a serious coat of paint appeared on the forecourt, it certainly set some of our team purring with admiration. We love a good racing/sports car and the GT6 is one of the most memorable you could hope to see.
With its 6 cylinders and that familiar, throaty roar, the GT6 is one of the most beautiful classic sports cars to ever drive on UK roads. Design on it began way back in 1963 but it wasn’t until three years later that it went into serious production. It continued to flow off the assembly line until 1973 and went through three different redesigns during that time.
Bodywork restoration is one of the big jobs we simply love doing at White’s. It’s something that we’re known for and has played a huge part in our growing reputation over the last 20 years.
There’s nothing we like more than restoring a much loved vehicle back to its former glory. This job certainly required some considerable effort on the part of our classic car team – sandblasting, despite the name, is a delicate art, and restoring bodywork on a vintage vehicle is no mean feat. What we can say is that, by the time we’d finished, the GT6 looked as good as new.
Sometimes it is the best loved classic cars that need the most work. This Riley One-Point-Five is a case in point.
Many Rileys were successfully raced and rallied in their day – and beautifully restored models can still be seen today in historical sporting events.
The One-Point-Five that came to us is going to need some tough love, hard graft and plenty of restoration know-how if it is to once again relive its glory days. Its sorry state today is in direct contrast to its illustrious history: this little beauty had guts as well as speed and it was tough enough to compete in the Monte Carlo rally. Restoring it is going to be as gruelling as the rally that it once competed in but we are working with its owner to give it a stylish finish so it can once again finish in style.
Phase one of our restoration is concentrating on making the car structurally solid so re-fabrication is the name of the game.
The Riley One-Point-Five was introduced in 1957 along with its slightly less powerful sister model – the Wolseley 1500. Both were based on the Morris Minor floorpan, suspension and steering but fitted with the larger 1489 cc B-Series engine and MG Magnette gearbox. They were designed as more mature models that would eventually replace the Minor but the enduring appeal of the older car saw it outliving its souped-up siblings.
It is on the classic shaped floorplan that our restoration work begins. We need to carefully and sympathetically re-fabricate much of the original floor pans.
This is definitely a job that is going to be a long haul. The restoration rally has just begun – there are plenty of challenges ahead but this Riley will finish in style. See you in Monte Carlo!
When you drive a Daimler Dart you uncover one of the best kept secrets of British classic cars. The glorious 2.5 litre V8 engine simply purrs whilst the superb overdrive gearbox places its power firmly in your hands. But if your Dart looks like a dog’s dinner on the outside – with fissured, cracked paint marring its sleek contours – it can easily colour your judgement. Here’s how we applied our classic car restoration knowledge and expertise to make a Dart look as good on the outside as it performs on the road.
The Daimler Dart was manufactured in Coventry from 1959 to 1964. It launched at the New York Motor Show and always had the American market held firmly in its sights. Quickly renamed the SP250 – after threatened legal action from Chrysler – the car remains the Dart in the hearts and minds of classic car enthusiasts who care little for such niceties.
There were just 2640 Darts produced and it is estimated that only 700 remain in the UK. We were overjoyed to be asked to bring one of these back to its former glory.
The Dart we were asked to restore had suffered over the years under the hands of resprayers. There must have been 15 layers of paints applied to it and all over its body the paint was cracking. Part of the problem was that the paint had been applied so thickly to mask the cracks on previous layers, but the main issue was that those who had tried to address the cracked paint did not understand how the Dart was built.
The Dart was made using fibreglass for its body – or GRP (glass reinforced plastic) as it is often called. It was one of the first UK sports cars to use GRP having been popularised by its use on the Chevrolet Corvette C1 in the States. The benefit of GRP to such manufacturers was that it offered a low-cost alternative that was easier to work than sheet metal. This made it ideal for building prototypes and low volume production cars. In addition the stuff can’t be dented and will not corrode.
GRP does have drawbacks, however, and the problem with our Dart’s paintwork was directly related to the material used for its body. Any car with a GRP body will always suffer some degree of movement – and the more layers of paint there are the more the cracks will start to show.
Here’s what we did to make the Dart look as good as new once again.
1. We mechanically removed all the layers of paint.
Great care is needed because the GRP has a gel coat applied to it that must not be removed. Another difficulty we faced was the danger that the orbital sander used to remove the paint is strong enough to sand out the shape that the GRP has been moulded to. Any mistakes here could be very costly indeed.
2. Any minor repairs that may be needed to the GRP are painstakingly undertaken before applying primer.
Working with GRP the only primer that should be used is a polyester primer but you’ll be amazed how many places don’t know this. Polyester primers are very tough and extremely durable – they are also thick enough to fill the GRP up to the desired level. Once applied this primer is sanded smooth.
3. We placed a 2K high build primer over the top for extra protection.
Once sanded down the Dart is in perfect condition and ready for the finishing touches.
4. A top coat of 2K direct gloss paint leaves the true glory of this classic car plain for all to see.
There you have it – the ‘class’ firmly placed into one more classic car.
There’s something about the old VW Camper Van that elicits memories of the late 60s and the age of flower power. It’s an elegantly simple vehicle and one that is still seen on British roads today. This classic example came to our garage for some restoration to the bodywork, a respray and some other repairs.
This is the type of camper van that was seen in large numbers around the world, including the UK and US in the 60s and 70s. For a vehicle that was so widely mass-produced for the ordinary public at large, it’s no surprise that it was so popular.
More About the VW Camper
The VW Camper actually dates back to the late 1940s, with the first model being launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 1949. Like the VW Beetle, the camper van/bus had the iconic rear-engine but the first models were actually buses rather than camper vans.
The ‘early bay’ or VW camper model that we often see on UK roads nowadays went into production in 1967 and marked a radical redesign in style and engine. Innovation continued until the last VW came off the production line in 2002.
Vintage Vehicle Restoration and Repair at White’s Bodyworks
When it comes to any classic car or something like this VW Camper, it’s important to find a garage that has the right facilities and plenty of expertise. That’s something we can be confident of at White’s Bodyworks in West Sussex. We’ve built up a reputation over the last few decades and that’s one of the reasons why classic car owners specifically seek us out.
We are able to carry out a range of restoration, repair and renovation work for your vintage vehicle. We work closely with all owners to make sure that their expectations are met. Classic cars are a passion for our team and you’ll often find them at local vintage vehicle events.
If you have a classic car and are searching for a garage you can rely on, contact the team at White’s Bodyworks on 01273 933633.
Just like classic car owners, bikers have a strong affinity with their rides. Many have vintage motorbikes that they have owned for decades. The Suzuki SB3 is a high-performance bike that dates to the 1980s but it’s also a bike that looks just as good on the road today as it did all those years ago.
At White’s Bodyworks, we not only deal with classic cars but older motorbikes too. We’ve got something of a reputation for providing a high level of service, whether it’s stripping and respraying a tank or working on the engine.
More About the Suzuki SB3 Bimota
Suzuki is probably one of the most enduring motorcycle brands in the world. Bimota was a relatively small manufacturer that was responsible for making custom and production scale motorbikes. They were particularly adept at customising makes such as Suzuki and Honda and quickly established a reputation around the world.
These were great looking bikes that came with plenty of power and certainly give a satisfying roar as they head on up the road. This is the sort of bike that classic bike enthusiasts like to ride and maintaining them is a serious business.
Motorbike Repairs at White’s Bodyworks
When bikers come to a garage like ours, the first thing they want to see is that we are fully equipped and that we know what we are doing. With specialists on board, we take a great deal of pride in the service we provide.
With any bike repair or restoration, attention to detail is paramount. Returning a part or even a whole bike to pristine condition is no easy job. Over the years, we’ve provided repair and renovations for a wide range of different motorcycles from ageing classics to modern, high tech bikes.
If you are searching for a classic motorbike garage that has the right experience, knowledge and skill you need, contact our team on 01273 933633 today.
