BMG Mini a colourful step closer to completion
The BMG Mini outside Sun City Panel & Paint in between processes. From left: Tony Johnston, Allan Hardaker, Robert Cowan & Andrew Sowman from Suncity, with Dal Stewart & Bob Croy from the Wakefield Caffeine Crew and Kieron Reilly from Bowater Toyota.
The BMG Mini for Nelson Cancer is looking really very good in it's new yellow finery, complete with Cancer Society daffodil, and is now in the home straight on the journey to a comprehensive and total bolt up restoration.
The Wakefield Caffeine Crew, led by ex Wakefield mechanic Bob Croy, have put in the hard yards along with a lot of help from key business sponsors The Bowater Motor Group, with all new parts provided by the parts department of Bowater Toyota; paint and body work by Suncity Panel & Paint and the internal upholstery completed by Mortimers Auto Upholstery.
The painting process has been done with longevity in mind - the paint now on this mini is better than ever, and very shiny! The BMG Mini has just returned to Sun City Panel & Paint so we stopped by for a quick visit.
Tony Johnston - owner of Sun City Panel & Paint
The BMG Mini has spend a lot of quality time under the careful watch of Tony Johnston, owner and big cheese at Suncity Panel & Paint. He has made sure that the paint job remains uncompromised through every stage of the latter parts of the restoration project. Now that the engine is in, as well as all of the interiors courtesy of Mortimers Auto Upholstery, it was a quick trip back to Sun City for touchups before heading off on the next stage.
What a journey it has been so far!
Tony and the folks down at Sun City have done an amazing job professionally finishing off what Bob and his Caffeine Crew started. Sun City apprentice Allan Hardaker has been going out to Nick Harrison's place (pictured left) in Wakefield, where the mini was getting prepared before heading into the paint shop, to help them get it all up to scratch to our modern tolerances. Together they have taken a very old and out of sorts car and pulled it back from the brink so that the foundations could be built upon.
Allan has given them a hand with structural repairs to body work and removing rust in body areas, as well as refabricating to give the mini an overall stronger body than when it started life back in the 1970's!
Then it was back to the paint shop for an overall deep cover and stunning finish - and it has been completely coated, unlike the original mini which was not covered as much. This project has been done properly - something the winner will hopefully appreciate!
Bob Croy from the BMG Mini restoration project, Kieron Reilly from Bowater Toyota and Dal Stewart.
At the end of the day though it is a project all about the end goal - raising both awareness and money for Cancer Society Nelson.
All of the funds raised will stay in the area and will help locals and their friends and families deal with cancer and the impacts it creates.
Tickets will go on sale from November through to the end of January and will be available from all Bowaters outlets around the region.
