Swift Engineering in Hampshire: Feedback
Discussion
Hi All,
Does anyone have any experience of the below company:-
http://www.swiftetypejaguar.co.uk/
Thanks in advance.
Does anyone have any experience of the below company:-
http://www.swiftetypejaguar.co.uk/
Thanks in advance.
lowdrag said:
Can think of probably better and cheaper in Hampshire. They are taking on my E-type this winter after 100,000 miles and she is tired. If you want it done instantly though, not a chance, if not pm me.
Was that a typo?If you can think of better and cheaper places why are you getting them to refresh your E-type?
Perhaps you misunderstand, or perhaps it is my English. They are not undertaking my rebuild, others are. I think that, according to the figures bandied about for total rebuilds, mine will cost about one third of the prices mentioned. And it will be done properly, with shut lines to die for, with powder coated where I want, with aeroquip brake lines, with stonechip underneath, with a retrim, with instruments rebuilt. I could go on, but there is no need. I know the people, I know the workmanship, and I know I will be happy with the finished result.
OK sorry Tony, re-reading it I see what you were saying now, it was ambiguous I guess. I'd read the second sentence to mean that the people who were the topic of the question were working on your car rather that the people who were the unspoken topic's of your first sentence. Its clear now.
Does this mean you're E-Type is going to end up looking clean?
I thought you prefered to keep it lived in
Does this mean you're E-Type is going to end up looking clean?
I thought you prefered to keep it lived in
It goes round and round in my head. It is clear that the bodywork needs attention on the "a stitch in time saves nine" basis, she needs a new wiring loom, she needs new brake and fuel pipes and so on. Parts need sorting and powder coating; I could go on. The sticking point is whether I can bring myself to change the interior after all I have done over the years. Every mark has its own story to tell. If I leave the interior then gunmetal will not marry well with blue interior, so do I repaint her the same as she is or do I take her back to as she should be? I really am in a quandary about it.
If there is one lesson I've learnt from years of restoring cars both as a hobby and "playing at it", it is to do the job right from stage one.
It's been a bloody hard lesson to learn to be honest, I grew up at the back end of the bad old days where a shiny paint finish was a full restoration, it took a few mistakes to realise it's just not the way forward at all.
I've tried doing jobs quick and cheap, they end up long and expensive.
I've tried cutting corners, they ended up taking the long way round.
Now I'm doing jobs slowly and properly, I've built a roll over jig and currently have a LHD B roadster on it, slowly and laboriously removing the old underseal, before repainting in zinc primer (luckily it needs no work underneath being Cal import) then probably stone chipping and painting in top coat.
In the old days I'd have scrubbed it down quickly and blatted some schutz over it, would have looked ok but people would always question what lay beneath, plus after a few months it starts flaking off and looks horrible.
The irony being doing jobs this way is actually quicker and hopefully building a good name up.
It's been a bloody hard lesson to learn to be honest, I grew up at the back end of the bad old days where a shiny paint finish was a full restoration, it took a few mistakes to realise it's just not the way forward at all.
I've tried doing jobs quick and cheap, they end up long and expensive.
I've tried cutting corners, they ended up taking the long way round.
Now I'm doing jobs slowly and properly, I've built a roll over jig and currently have a LHD B roadster on it, slowly and laboriously removing the old underseal, before repainting in zinc primer (luckily it needs no work underneath being Cal import) then probably stone chipping and painting in top coat.
In the old days I'd have scrubbed it down quickly and blatted some schutz over it, would have looked ok but people would always question what lay beneath, plus after a few months it starts flaking off and looks horrible.
The irony being doing jobs this way is actually quicker and hopefully building a good name up.
wildoliver said:
If there is one lesson I've learnt from years of restoring cars both as a hobby and "playing at it", it is to do the job right from stage one.
I've tried doing jobs quick and cheap, they end up long and expensive.
I've tried cutting corners, they ended up taking the long way round.
The irony being doing jobs this way is actually quicker and hopefully building a good name up.
I know of several well-used cars where they have been "restored" for about £2K, and one, a white e-type, is showing brown stains - again - after a year or so. I reckon the car is more filler than metal frankly. That's why, despite her looking reasonable, I know that rust is starting and that to cure all this you can't do it piecemeal but a full bare-metal respray is needed. I delivered the car last week, and I'll start a thread on the restoration shortly.I've tried doing jobs quick and cheap, they end up long and expensive.
I've tried cutting corners, they ended up taking the long way round.
The irony being doing jobs this way is actually quicker and hopefully building a good name up.
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