Bills' Workshop Blowout

It has been a while since we've had a new story in Featured Cars, and it's not because there are no great cars out there, it's because no-one has sent in any information or pictures.  So, if you want to see your car here, send me your story and some useable pictures and we'll let everyone know.

Bill Booths' Coupe story starts in August 1974, when a Mr Jackson bought the car new from H. Norman Pitt in Amesbury, Wiltshire.  The car is a 1.8 SDL Coupe in Harvest Gold.  In 1987 Bills' father-in-law Harold bought the car as the second owner and it fell to Bill to maintain the car, it helped that he was an AA patrolman.  Harold clearly loved the car a lot as under his ownership he replaced the gearbox and clutch and a visit to a body shop resulted in two new front wings and a full body respray, once again in Harvest Gold.

Harold continued to drive it right up to his unfortunate death in 2001, when Bill inherited the car.  There was no thought of selling, Bill locked her away in his garage until 2009 when he decided it was time to put her back on the road.  Bill has retired from the AA and now works part-time in a body shop Jaggers of Bradford, so he was in exactly the right place to assess the work and then get it done by their body man (Dave) in his spare time and the paint specialist (Gary) who had resprayed the car back when Bills' dad owned it.  The boss is into classic cars with his own 1974 TR6, so they are definitely good people to get to know.

You know how when you start prodding a car looking for rust?  Well Bills prodding left him with some mighty big holes, front wheel arches, floor pans, inner and outer sills, rear spring hangers and rear inner and outer wheel arches.  The pictures are arranged by areas on the car.

Then they started to put new metal in; inner and outer sills, floor pans, front offside wheel arch, spring hangers etc.
Boot Area
Spring Hangers
Rear Wheel Arch
Preparation
Paint Finish

Bill got the car back on the road in early 2009 and uses her regularly, attending shows and rally meetings.  I think you'll agree that Bill, Dave and Gary have done a fine job, and as Bill lives in Yorkshire we'll hopefully see it at the 2010 National at Levisham in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park.   Lastly an apology for the colour variance in the pictures, some were taken under sodium lighting, which always makes anything look orangey-yellow.  She should really look like the pictures below - stunning.