Restoration and repair of a classic car or motorbike requires a lot of work and a good deal of focus by those involved. At White’s Bodyworks, we have a long track record of delivering high-quality renovations for a variety of vehicles, many of them vintage vehicles.
This BMW R50 needed a fair amount of work undertaking when the owner contacted us. We’re usually the first port of call in the Home Counties and West Sussex mainly because we have so much experience in classic cars. If there’s a motorbike that epitomises the kind of work we do at White’s it’s this BMW R50 that came to us recently.
When restoring a bike to its former glory, there’s a lot of work that goes into getting it just right. We always work closely with the owner to make sure their expectations are met and we take all the steps we can to deliver on time and within budget.
More About the BMW R50
This is one of our favourite classic motorbikes and we were glad to see it coming onto our forecourt. This classic German motorcycle may not have the power of today's mean machines but it certainly looks the part.
Produced between 1955 and 1969 it was one of the most popular bikes of its era and had a top speed of 87mph. Where modern motorbikes might lose value as time goes on, it seems the R50 has stood the test of time and it’s certainly a favourite amongst classic bike enthusiasts.
How We Renovated This BMW R50
When any vintage vehicle comes to us, the first thing we do is work with the owner to find out what their expectations are and how we can help deliver on them. At White’s Bodyworks, we have all the facilities that you would hope to find in a quality, modern garage that has a track record of delivering classic car and motorbike restoration.
There was a lot of work to do with this particular restoration as the photos below show. Strengthening and restoring the frame and repairing damage spots before doing a final spray were just some of the processes that allowed us to bring this amazing bike back to life for its owner.
If you own a classic motorbike and are looking for a garage to help handle the restoration or any repairs, contact the experienced team at White’s Bodyworks on 01273 933633.
Some classic cars that come to us at White’s Bodyworks in West Sussex need just a little work doing to them, others require quite a lot repair and renovation. That was the case with this 1973 MGB which looked okay on the surface but needed substantial work carrying out on the bodywork once we got down to it.
This is a great looking and really popular classic car and one that you often see on the roads around the Home Counties and the rest of the country. It was a pleasure to have it in our workshop.
The MGB GT
This two-door sports car was regularly seen on TV when it hit the roads back in 1973. MGBs, in fact, stretch back to the late 50s and the GT was first introduced back in 1965. They were seen as the affordable sports car and differed from previous models in that they had much more boot space.
The MGB was produced up until 1980 and still remains a popular choice for classic car collectors all around the world.
The Work Carried out by White’s Bodyworks
It’s important when you are choosing a garage to handle your classic car repairs that it has experience and the right facilities. At White’s Bodyworks, we have decades of success dealing with cars such as this. We always work with the owner to make sure we deliver on what they are looking for.
Work may involve major renovations and repairs. It’s all about making sure we maintain the integrity of the original design that actually makes it a classic car in the first place.
As you can see by the images, a lot of work needed to be carried out on this model. Luckily, White’s Bodyworks have the classic car team in place who really know what they are doing.
If you have a classic car and want a garage you can rely on, contact the team at White’s Bodyworks today on 01273 933633.
Lambretta is an iconic and recognisable brand. If you’re a mod you’ll certainly have an affinity to it. The Lambretta is more than just a music and culture icon, however, it’s long been one of the most important vehicles in the life of many European cities and its residents.
As motorbikes and cars get older, of course, they are more likely to suffer from engine problems. This stylish 1963 Series 3 came to us because its owner was having a few problems.
At White’s Bodyworks, we’ve seen our fair share of classic vehicles over the years. As a family-owned business, we’ve worked hard to develop our reputation for renovations, repairs and resprays when it comes to a whole variety of vintage vehicles from cars to motorbikes.
What sets us apart from other garages in the Home Counties and West Sussex is the passion we have for classic cars and motorbikes. That was why we were so happy to see this particular Lambretta coming to our fully equipped workshop.
More About the 1963 Series 3 Lambretta
This lightweight, nippy little bike has long been associated with city centres and has been a cultural staple of mods for the last four decades.
Production of the Slim Style range began in 1962 and the bike fast became a fixture across many areas of Europe and it has been a popular bike ever since. Lambretta itself in the intervening years has become a style icon, producing bikes as well as a whole host of accessories such as clothing. Based in Milan, Italy, the company is now a global organisation with many fans as far-flung as India, China, the US and Australia.
Our Work on the 1963 Series 3 Lambretta 125 Slim Style
Mechanical problems on classic vehicles can be challenging. On the one hand, the motors are simpler and easier to understand, on the other, finding the right parts can be troublesome.
It’s important to work with a garage that understands not only the workings of the motorbike itself but also one that ensures the initial integrity of the design is maintained. At White’s Bodyworks, we were able to use all our expertise to solve the mechanical problems of this particular Lambretta and get it back on the road in next to no time.
If you are searching for a great garage in West Sussex that can repair your classic motorbike, contact the team at White’s Bodyworks in Hassocks today on 01273 933633.
The Austin A30 may not look like the kind of car you could fall in love with but it’s a classic with a lot of heritage and plenty of owners who wouldn’t drive anything else.
You won’t be surprised that there’s a whole fan club associated with the Austin and there are many still running perfectly on the road today.
This amazing car was in pretty good condition considering it was first built in the late 50s and is now nearly 60 years old. They certainly built family cars to last back then.
The Austin A30 was innovative for its time, having a lighter chassis than many of it’s contemporaries. There was a real effort to make this an economy family vehicle, even to the extent of just fitting one windscreen wiper to the front to keep the final cost down.
While the first cars off the line were four door, the A30 with two doors became more typical as time went on.
The engine was also pretty state of the art at the time, doing 42 mpg, although its top speed was little more than 70mph. There’s an Austin A30 and A35 club in the UK and members often turn up at classic car events and festivals.
Like all old cars, the Austin sometimes needs work undertaking and this model was no exception. Although it looked pretty good on the surface it required various mechanical repairs and some careful bodywork restoration.
This is the kind of job we excel in at White’s Bodyworks. Our specialist classic car team are highly focused on carrying out repairs that maintain the integrity of the vehicle’s original design. That means discussing any issues with the owner and perhaps even sourcing fairly rare parts to carry out repairs.
Whether you have a recent classic or a really old vintage vehicle that needs a specialist garage with a great track record, contact the team at White’s Bodyworks today on 01273 933633.
Finding a garage that can handle the work needed on your most prized possession is absolutely vital and one that classic car and motorcycle enthusiasts take very seriously.
We have a number of real bike enthusiasts on our team at White’s Bodyworks. When this 1969 Triumph Trophy came into our car for repairs and refurbishment, it had a few of us purring with delight.
What makes the Triumph Trophy such a special bike? You can keep all your modern, high power models, this is the biker’s bike and it’s a high quality, historic brand that really does say all you need to know about class and quality.
You might be surprised to learn that the Triumph brand actually predates the start of the 20th century. It’s one of the oldest bike brands in the world and undoubtedly one of the most reliable.
The ‘Trusty Triumph’ was one of the first mass produced motorbikes in the First World War. Today the company is the largest surviving motorcycle manufacturer in the world. It’s advocates and fans would not be seen on anything else and that includes some of our own staff at White’s Bodyworks.
The 1969 Triumph Trophy is undoubtedly the pinnacle of motorcycle design and one that is regularly seen still on our roads today. Strong handling and a stocky design make this a powerful machine that still sends a thrill through you when you ride it today.
Classic cars and classic motorcycles are something that we excel in at White’s Bodyworks. We have experienced teams onsite who not only know their way around vintage bikes but have a passion for them as well.
Engine repairs and a full rebuild brought this particular motorbike back to life under the careful hands of our highly talented repair team. By the time we’d finished, the bike was almost as pristine as it was when leaving the production line.
If you have a classic bike like the 1969 Triumph Trophy and are looking for an experienced garage to handle it’s repair or refurbishment, contact the team at White’s Bodyworks today on 01273 933633.
Unless you’re a classic motorbike enthusiast, you probably won’t have heard of the Benelli make at all. Popular around the late 70s and early 80s, this Italian bike was pretty popular across Europe.
At White’s Bodyworks, it’s not just cars that we take on at our garage. We see plenty of modern and vintage motorcycles too.
While the area we need to work with is much smaller, the attention to detail remains. Being an expert at renovating vintage motorbikes doesn’t come easy and our clients are often more exacting than our car vintage car owners. Often, the classic bikes we see at White’s in West Sussex are one of a kind.
This particular restoration involved stripping the entire bike down and required a level of expertise which is hard to find in most other garages that deal with classic cars and motorcycles. Not so at White’s Bodyworks. Because of our experience, we were able to take it in our stride.
More About The Benelli 125 Sport
Built between 1980 and 1981, this is a pretty rare bike but a great looking one that has a few select and enthusiastic owners. It’s certainly a real biker’s bike and one that we took a lot of pleasure renovating.
What We Did at White’s Bodyworks
Our expert team were quickly at work with this particular motorbike, giving it the full restoration that is required. Returning a classic like this to its former glory is no easy job and it’s important to work directly with the owner to keep them informed.
If you have a classic car or motorbike and need a renovation, restoration or repair, contact the team at White’s Bodyworks on 01273 933633.
Sometimes a renovation job comes to our garage forecourt at White’s Bodyworks that really does challenge our team. The Morris Minor is an iconic British car and we’ve seen a good few over the years.
This one needed a good deal of restoration and repair, all followed by a complete body spray to help restore it to its former glory. There’s a strong club network for Morris Minors in the UK so there’s always some expertise to call on when we need it, especially once we start working restoring a car.
The good news is that over the last couple of decades we’ve seen a whole host of different vintage vehicles at White’s. It’s why we’re often the first port of call for major repairs, renovations and classic car resprays.
More About the Morris Minor
You can’t not recognise a Morris Minor when you see it on the road. Some of the classic car owners that we deal with over the years have models dating back to the late 50s and 60s that they lovingly look after.
Morris Motors began producing cars in 1948 and produced 1.2 million vehicles between then and 1972. They, more than any company, bought the family car to the UK, making them affordable and the most popular vehicle on the road at the time.
What We Did to the Morris Minor
At White’s, whenever a classic car comes into our care, we take a lot of time to work with the owner and find out what their expectations are. Some vintage vehicle enthusiasts want to do some of the work themselves, others like a professional garage to do most of the heavy lifting.
We’re happy to work with owners and be flexible in our approach. The key with this particular Morris Minor was to carry out body repairs and then do a professional respray that really did return the car to pristine condition.
If you are a vintage car owner and want a repair and restoration garage you can count on, contact White’s Bodyworks on 01273 933633.
We love a Triumph Spitfire at White’s Bodyworks. It’s one of those classic cars you can see yourself driving down a sunny country lane in. The Triumph Spitfire MK3 is an iconic British car with plenty of character and one which we’ve seen quite often at White’s Bodyworks.
When this fine example of the classic car turned up at our garage, it certainly gave our team plenty to do. Bodywork repairs and a full respray were the main challenges and it’s something that really takes a specialist team to work on if you want a proper job doing.
Car resprays are often botched because the preparation work isn’t carried out well. Minor defects can show up pretty badly once the paint goes on. Our dedicated spray shop allows us to handle major jobs like this on classic cars and obtain a perfect finish.
This two seater car sits low to the ground and packs a punch. There’s something about the growl of the Spitfire engine that even gets less hardened classic car enthusiasts a little excited.
The Spitfire was one of the most successful cars of the 60s and 70s. By the time it went out of production in 1980 it had spent nearly two decades as an iconic symbol of British driving. Despite it’s long run, only around 300,000 cars were ever built and they are now a popular choice with classic car enthusiasts.
As we said earlier, preparation is key with any body respray, more so when you are dealing with a beautiful classic like this. Vintage car owners are very particular in who they choose to do work like this as you can imagine.
Sanding down and smoothing out the surface in preparation for the first coat of paint requires a solid understanding of the Spitfire’s design. You can’t afford to miss a step, take shortcuts or skimp on materials. We’ve handled a lot of classic car resprays over the years and it’s something our team has a high degree of expertise in.
If you are looking for a local garage that knows it’s way around a classic car and has a passion for delivering great results, contact the team at White’s Bodyworks on 01273 933633.
The Mini has been an extremely popular car on UK roads over the last four or five decades and we’ve seen our fair share at White’s Bodyworks in West Sussex. It’s a car that never seems to disappoint or go out of fashion and we’ve helped repair classics as well as new models.
This Mini Cooper came to us with some significant rear-end damage and was in need of some careful renovation buy our talented team.
More About the Mini
The first Mini hit our streets in 1959, the original designed by engineer Sir Alec Issigonis. The car was developed when there was an oil shortage during the Suez crisis and one of its initial selling points was its fuel economy compared to other vehicles on the market at the time.
The transverse engine and front-wheel drive also helped break the mould and more than 5 million models were produced until 2000 when BMW bought the brand and relaunched it with the cars we now see today.
You still spot plenty of classic Minis on the road today and there’s even a pretty healthy fan club that meets up at various locations during the year. The Mini Cooper was essentially the performance model and was perfect for rallies. It was so good it won the Monte Carlo Rally on three occasions in the 60s.
Rear End Restorations and Other Services at White’s Bodyworks
The work we are currently undertaking on the rear end of this Mini Cooper is typical of some of the repairs we can handle at White’s Bodyworks. We have a fully equipped workshop which means that we can deal practically any type of work from full restorations to repairs.
It’s not just important to have the right kit in your garage, however. You need the experienced and qualified staff as well. We’ve delivered resprays and rebuilds, renovations, restorations and services for both classic and modern cars and everything in between.
If you are searching for a local West Sussex garage that really knows what it’s doing, contact the team at White’s Bodyworks on 01273 933633.
Mercedes is probably one of the most well-known names in car production and, when it come to classics, they’re a popular choice with vintage vehicle enthusiasts too. We’ve seen a fair few over the years at White’s Bodyworks and have the expert team on site who know how to restore, renovate and respray this make of vehicle.
Precision engineering and smooth lines, that’s what usually comes to mind when you think of the Mercedes. Normally associated with luxury driving, it’s become more of a family car in recent years. This 300 SL came to us in a pretty parlous state and requiring a lot of renovation, bodywork and a good respray.
More About the Mercedes 300 SL
The 300 SL was a pretty exclusive car at the time, with just a few thousand built between 1958 and 1965. It was the sort of car that you saw more on European roads than British. This model was the height of precision engineering and took part in various Grand Prix. It also came with extras that added substantially to the initial asking price of just over $6,000.
The Work We Undertook at White’s
When it comes to classic cars (or any other car for that matter), it’s not just about taking a good deal of care and attention. You also require a lot of knowledge, experience and understanding of what the customer is looking for in relation to their car. Often they want repairs carrying out that take into account the age of the car, so more modern practices may not be appropriate.
If you are searching for a classic car restoration service that has a great reputation, contact the team at White’s Bodyworks in West Sussex on 01273 933633.
The restoration and respray of this Triumph Stag is typical of the kind of work we carry out at White’s Bodyworks in West Sussex. This popular sports car from the 70s was the luxury ride of its day and was often seen in TV series through the decade.
It’s still a pretty good looking car and we were pleased to see it heading into our garage for some serious work.
More About the Triumph Stag
Triumph were one of the most popular car brands throughout the last century and produced a wide range of models. The Triumph Stag was the company’s attempt to compete with the increasingly popular Mercedes-Benz.
Design work on it began as far back as 1963 but it wasn’t until 1970 that it actually hit the market in the UK. Just under 26,000 were made before it went out of production in 1977. Nowadays, it’s fairly rare to see a Triumph Stag in our workshop but there is a healthy UK club that arranges meets around the country each year.
The big problem with the Stag, however, was that it developed a reputation for being unreliable in the early days of production. It looked good but there were issues with the engine that meant many owners ended up changing it with an engine from the Rover V8. That aside, it’s still a good looking car and, as long as you can sort out the motor, it’s a great drive as well.
Restorations and Resprays at White’s Bodyworks
There’s no doubt that any restoration and respray is going to be a pretty big job and there was a lot of work to do with this particular Triumph Stag. Once the restoration work is completed, it’s all about carefully prepping the surface for a full body respray. You need to have the right equipment on-site to do this professionally.
Particularly when it comes to classic cars, we undertake a lot of restorations and resprays at our West Sussex garage. If you have a car that needs repair and some paintwork completing, the good news is we have the expert team who can help you out.
Contact us on 01273 933633 to find out more.
Renault have probably been more closely associated in recent years with family cars but they’ve actually delved into the world of sporting vehicles in the past on quite a few occasions. The Caravelle is quintessentially French, from the sleek design through to the engine in the boot it oozes Gaelic charm.
This brilliant two-seater came to us not so long ago for a respray and some restoration work.
Originally called the Floride, the car first hit the Paris Motor Show in 1958. The company was looking for a sporting model to rival the Volkswagen Beetle that was then coming from America. Hardtop and soft top models of the Caravelle were produced and it was a car that continued to evolve over the years with later versions coming with improvements in suspension.
The car was produced up until the summer of 1968 when it came under pressure from other lower-cost sports models, particularly from manufacturing regions like Italy.
Cars that have an engine in the rear are fairly exceptional nowadays and we don’t see many of them at White’s Bodyworks. It was actually quite a popular design choice right up until the 80s when front engines became more the norm.
This Renault Caravelle was in reasonably good condition considering that it was getting on for 50 years old. The owner chose us because we have a fully equipped respray facility and have a track record of delivering for vintage cars of all types.
The first step was to reduce the car to just it’s body, carry out any repairs and preparing it for the respray. Preparation is the key part to any new body paintwork. Small defects can become suddenly magnified if they are not spotted and rectified at this stage – it’s vital to work from a smooth surface if you want everything to look just right and to be durable and last.
If you own a vintage car and need a new paint job to bring it back to life, contact the team at White’s Bodyworks today on 01273 933633.
