Panel Beater who can work with aluminum...

[GavinHuart]

Hi!

Upon posting some of my bus pics on Facebook, a friend of my moms commented that her husband has been trying to restore a 1956 BMW for quite some time. He's hit a dead-end now as he needs someone who can panel-beat/work with the aluminum body and apparently these types of tradesman are very hard to find. They found a Russian guy who could but he's died since

Does anyone know of someone or a company fitting?

TIA

[Goosebeak]

I know a guy who works with aluminium - he's a specialist welder at Rand Airport, helluva nice guy (seems grumpy, but that's just a front), good friend.

He can basically do ANYTHING with aluminium (and also certify it as airworthy into the bargain! hehehe - not likely necessary with a Beemer!).

PM me for details - he's currently working on his own aluminium-bodied Lotus Super7.... extended wheelbase... doing all the bodywork himself.

[Barry]

Is that Ken Jones Goosebeak?

Gavin what exactly needs doing? By that era it might be ok, but the quality of teh alloy in some postwar European cars was a big problem. I know of Healey's where the old metal was simply impossible to repair and new panels had to be made.
Sounds like an interesting project.

[GavinHuart]

As always, you guys came up trumps! Thank you so much Goosebeak and Barry. What I have done is message said friend of my mother's and have asked for a few more details and perhaps a pic or three. Let's hold thumbs for what she comes up with. Goosebeak, your guy at Rand Airport sounds the biz! .

This does sound to be a very interesting project. I don't know Arnd (the owner of the car) terribly well, but I've met Liz (his wife) many times and been to their beautiful property quite a few times as well. I always wondered what was lurking behind their multiple garage doors... now we know what's behind at least one!

I'll get back to you chaps as soon as I hear anything from her.

Thanks again!

[Drusky]

I know a guy who works with aluminium - he's a specialist welder at Rand Airport, helluva nice guy (seems grumpy, but that's just a front), good friend.

He can basically do ANYTHING with aluminium (and also certify it as airworthy into the bargain! hehehe - not likely necessary with a Beemer!).

Anything? I propose that you get him to certify the work on your car as airworthy

Nice body work done in this project. With an English wheel and time...

[Goosebeak]

hehehe - you're such a smart@rse, Drusky, I bet you could sit on an ice-cream and tell us the flavour!

My contact is Mark Cummings - like I said, a tad taciturn, very serious dude, extremely conscientous and professional about his work. A couple of people have found out to their cost that you don't even joke about cutting corners on a job if you want to stay on speaking terms with him, let alone have him do the work for you.
Personally, he's ed-zachary the kind of guy I would like working on my plane if I owned one! Nothing puts a damper on your day quite like having the tail of your aircraft fall off...

[GavinHuart]

Personally, he's ed-zachary the kind of guy I would like working on my plane - If I owned one! Nothing puts a damper on your day quite like having the tail of your aircraft fall off...

Lol! I couldn't agree more!

Right so Liz has gotten back to me and said she's forward my message onto her hubby. He'll be in contact shortly. She also added a gem of info of what two other cars are lurking behind the other garage doors: a 1956 Porsche "soft top" - which he restored himself as well as a 1987 Porsche . Guess they are rather secretive little people aren't they. .

Liz has said she'll take some pics this weekend and has invited me around sometime to have a look myself! What fun! I'll try and get some decent shots to show you guys if they let me.

What I can say is that they are rather.... well-off. His main line of work was being the direct contact for all imported spares and stock for Mercedes Benz....

[Barry]

Tell me it is a 507 and I may just have to fetch clean underwear (again!!)

[Drusky]

Damn... forgot the linky link to that project http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewto ... sc&start=0

And in case any of you, like me, had no idea what a 507 looked like. If I sat in this I would probably say it's berry nice.

[Sambabus]

This is one of the best looking convertables of that period... EVER!!!

[fig]

Yes, the 507 is a true classic. I wouldn't say no to a Z8 either.