Like many people, I have paid for a professional to spray paint my cars in the past, you are almost always guaranteed a perfect outcome.  I have not always wanted the 100% perfect paint job on my cars and do not mind the odd imperfection, after all, these cars are not intended for a customer, but my own pleasure. 

In my occupation as boat painter (hand brushing enamel paints) I decided to carry out my own paint job on the fibreglass bodywork, I had a 3mx4m gazeebo, this came in handy as it was just about the right size for the car.   Over 4 days of painting (prepping between coats) I am very pleased with the results.  I have had work carried out by a paint sprayer workshop that has cost me over 5k,  so me spending around £150 on 2l of enamel paint, thinners, 2x paint brushes and mixing kettle pots, and my time invested over a good week of weather was well worth it, I will now buff and polish the paintwork to remove any slight brush marks.  If you have any views on the work I have carried out, I would love to hear from you. 

         1963 Austin Healey Sprite mk2 restoration and recreation to Sebring Monza Sprite

                             "On closer inspection"

It was not my intention to use this cheeky looking little sprite as the donor car for the basis of my Sebring Sprite project, I had originally bought this car as one of those heart ruling the head moments for it's colour, I seem to have a passion for yellow stuff! ??.  On closer inspection the car would indeed reqire a major restoration to bring it back to a condition I would be satisfied with when finished.  So once stripped down to bare bones, I then decided to recreate to Sebring Sprite.

                                                                                                                                          Above

The home built "A" frame made from box steel and angle iron on which the chassis tub is mounted, giving 360 degree movement, making work tub easy and aided the cutting and removal of the rear wings and panels, leaving the inner wheel arches intact, this would be a requirement for the later fitting of the fibre-glass body.

                                                                                            Below

After a few short days away at the blasters, here the tub is sat ready to collect on the trailer in the autumn sunshine, I was really looking forward to getting it back to the workshop now to look at what amount of cutting and welding would be required before I could start repaint and build etc.

                                                                                               Above

A short 60 mile round trip over to 'Archers Garage' near Oldbury to collect the fibre glass body, bonnet and fittings, on return, many hours of the body being placed over the tub chassis for a trial fittings, removed and trimmed over and over before both chassis and body can be finally bonded and fitted permanently.

   Latest images above as of July/August 2024

             Fibreglass body kit available from 

                                    Old no.7 Kits