My Dad has a Gilbern Genie which needs body repairs & respray, (possibly gelcoat needs re-doing).
He had this work done about 15 years ago, the guy in the bodyshop gave him all the flannel about how he was used to fibreglass cars but he didn't do the work properly & within about 18 months the 'spider' cracks were appearing everywhere again and the paint has deteriorated / crackled / melted. I would add that this wasn't a cheap job.
Gilberns aren't tremendously valuable cars and his sees a lot of daily drive use for about 9 months of the year.
The very best concours-winning Genie or Invader might be worth around £15K, excellent GT's are creeping up towards £20K
As it is his car might be worth £6K on a good day : the mechanical side of things is A1 it still goes like the clappers, he's recently installed power steering, replaced the diff, replaced the Britax roof, partially re-trimmed, etc.
He knows he's probably going to have to pay £5K or £6K to get the work done and that this won't be fully realised in the car's value.
Some fibreglass specialists only work with more expensive models like TVR, Daimler, Jensen, Lotus, etc. & would want £15-£20K for the work which is a lot more than the car would be worth when completed.
He wants this work to last a good few years, ideally with a warranty to that effect.
I've been trying to find someone who can do the work within the South Wales catchment. We narrowed it down from about a dozen to just 2 local firms that could probably do it but they haven't been very helpful, long delays in quoting / not answering emails, etc. He may have to send it further afield.
Has anyone any first-hand knowledge of a good bodyshop that either specialises in working with fibreglass bodied cars or works a lot with fibreglass bodied cars? Perhaps a business that works with lower value fibreglass classics - the Reliant Scimitar is one that springs to mind?
Any leads gratefully received!
He had this work done about 15 years ago, the guy in the bodyshop gave him all the flannel about how he was used to fibreglass cars but he didn't do the work properly & within about 18 months the 'spider' cracks were appearing everywhere again and the paint has deteriorated / crackled / melted. I would add that this wasn't a cheap job.
Gilberns aren't tremendously valuable cars and his sees a lot of daily drive use for about 9 months of the year.
The very best concours-winning Genie or Invader might be worth around £15K, excellent GT's are creeping up towards £20K
As it is his car might be worth £6K on a good day : the mechanical side of things is A1 it still goes like the clappers, he's recently installed power steering, replaced the diff, replaced the Britax roof, partially re-trimmed, etc.
He knows he's probably going to have to pay £5K or £6K to get the work done and that this won't be fully realised in the car's value.
Some fibreglass specialists only work with more expensive models like TVR, Daimler, Jensen, Lotus, etc. & would want £15-£20K for the work which is a lot more than the car would be worth when completed.
He wants this work to last a good few years, ideally with a warranty to that effect.
I've been trying to find someone who can do the work within the South Wales catchment. We narrowed it down from about a dozen to just 2 local firms that could probably do it but they haven't been very helpful, long delays in quoting / not answering emails, etc. He may have to send it further afield.
Has anyone any first-hand knowledge of a good bodyshop that either specialises in working with fibreglass bodied cars or works a lot with fibreglass bodied cars? Perhaps a business that works with lower value fibreglass classics - the Reliant Scimitar is one that springs to mind?
Any leads gratefully received!
