Making a silk purse and going hammer and tongs in time for Christmas
Great progress is being made with the The Wakefield Caffeine Crew's Relay for Life Project, the BMG Mini restoration.
Nick Harrison (left), the teams panel beater, is very busy with the daunting task of making a silk purse out of a sows ear.
Back in the 1970s there was very little rust protection, hence the inside of all the panels never saw any paint or any form of rust inhibitor. But that doesn't phase Nick, being a very experienced tradesman he is right up there for the task.
It always amazes us what a panel beater can do with a welder, hammer and dolly (and that is the steel one not a two legged one).
Bowater Motor Group through Bowater Toyota have supplied the Wakefield Restoration Team with a number of new panels.
Recently John Bruce acquired the project another old Mini body from which the team have scavenged a number of salvageable panels that Nick will fit and weld into place, speeding up the process as replacement is often a whole lot quicker than repair.
The BMG Mini Project team would thank Steve and Wendy from Wakefield Auto Services Ltd for the loan of their salvage trailer to transport the body to Nick's workshop and the remainder of the body to the dump. This is a very big task and will take some time to complete.
Tony Johnston is having one of his Sun City Paint and Panel men come out to Nick’s to help him over the Christmas period – thanks Tony.
From Nick’s workshop, the body will be transported to Sun City Paint and Panel Ltd to have its paint job carried out.
Tony has arranged for $2000 worth of paint to be donated from his supplier Automotive Colours Ltd from Christchurch that he will paint the car with.
Meanwhile experienced upholsterers Mortimer’s Auto Upholstery are lining up their part in the BMG Mini Restoration project, and have made a start on the renewal of all of the upholstery throughout the car. Broken seat springs and welds are also being repaired before painting prior to being reupholstered.
Finally the Caffeine Crew team of Bob Croy, John Bruce, Martin Reid ,Dal Stewart ,Chris Tonkin, Nick Harrison and Colin Ryder wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and we all look forward to you buying plenty of raffle tickets for the completed BMG Mini in June 2013 - all proceeds will be going to the nelson Cancer Society, so start saving your pennies now for this great opportunity, and very worth while cause.
