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Dents and polishing
#1
Hi,

I am in the market to get a few dents removed around the wheel arches and a full polish.

I would love to use PJ Grady but he is a fair old distance from me and thus that causes a few issues/costs.

I have found a stainless steel company near me:

http://www.sjbsheetmetalworkltd.co.uk/m ... 4585623642

They are the nicest bunch of very experienced guys and I want to use them because they are local and they clearly know what they are doing with stainless steel, what does anyone think?
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#2
Let us know how you get on, i'd be very interested.

However, the USA is a VERY big place and must have many such workshops…yet many owners still wait for Chris Nicholson. I wonder why?
Chris Parnham

Ex RHD Auto's etc.etc

Main Car.. Kia E Niro 4+
Toyota Vitz 4X4 1999 (the smallest 4X4 by far!)
Toyota RAV4 EV 1999.
1970 Jago Jeep.

DOC Club Historian 
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#3
Be very interested. Its not like putting a man on Mars but is a definite skill.
Maybe have them take a ding out of a piece of scrap stainless first. See the results.
8)
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#4
Another thing to consider is that Chris N can take one look at a dent on the car and know if the panel needs to be removed or if it can be done in situ. Just a thought.

If you are going to do a test piece, I suggest you use an actual bit of a DeLorean, otherwise its not much of a test ( in my opinion) and I don't have anything i'm afraid.


Keep us informed of progress.
Chris Parnham

Ex RHD Auto's etc.etc

Main Car.. Kia E Niro 4+
Toyota Vitz 4X4 1999 (the smallest 4X4 by far!)
Toyota RAV4 EV 1999.
1970 Jago Jeep.

DOC Club Historian 
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#5
Chris P Wrote:Let us know how you get on, i'd be very interested.

However, the USA is a VERY big place and must have many such workshops…yet many owners still wait for Chris Nicholson. I wonder why?

Well, he IS a known "quantity" and does an amazing job. I just hope if I do use them and on the off chance it goes pear shaped Chris will put it right :roll:

I would like to think between the 10+ of them that they know what they are doing. Someone there made a replica Mercedes Gullwing 300SL from scratch!!! They must be pretty good Shock
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#6
marty Wrote:I just hope if I do use them and on the off chance it goes pear shaped Chris will put it right :roll:

I would like to think between the 10+ of them that they know what they are doing.

I would like to think so too, but to be honest, I wouldn't be letting them try their hand on my car. I cast no aspersions on the people or their company, but I am sceptical of most trades etc. So I let very few people work on my car, and if I do need outside help, then I alike to be there when its done (ie Hunter 4 wheel alignment).

The very fact that you have said "...on the off chance it goes pear shaped ..." means that you consider this a possibility.

marty Wrote:They are the nicest bunch of very experienced guys and I want to use them because they are local and they clearly know what they are doing with stainless steel

This doesn't cut it for me I am afraid (and I do not wish to sound like a critical, unhelpful, surly eejit!)

Yes, Chris is quite far from you, but he is the expert, and he is the expert for a reason. What if these guys did work on your car and either

a) you were not very impressed with the result
OR
b) it was worse than before??

You'd be going to see Chris anyway. And you'd be doubly out of pocket.

However this is just my opinion, and I am normally very risk-averse etc, so I hope you get a good result. But you asked

marty Wrote:what does anyone think?

This is what I think, not for me, but good luck! Please keep us posted!

Andy
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#7
On a related subject, I started a business and made a very good living by doing top quality Chrome Plating for classic cars. I retired after 30 years at it and the business is still going from strength to strength. http://www.derbyplating.co.uk . There are hundreds of chrome platers in the UK, but discerning folk still pay a premium for a quality job. We used to hate when then came in with a some work that had been done to a poor standard by others. I had an expression with I used to trot out frequently when given the opportunity…."some platers don't charge you much to wreck your bits'!

Half of my job was metal polishing, so I know a bit about it. But if I want some stainless sorting out I go to Chris N. Have done for years. AND he doesn't charge a big premium! Thats why he's so busy. We are very lucky to have him 'just up the road' in the UK.

Just my opinion.
Chris Parnham

Ex RHD Auto's etc.etc

Main Car.. Kia E Niro 4+
Toyota Vitz 4X4 1999 (the smallest 4X4 by far!)
Toyota RAV4 EV 1999.
1970 Jago Jeep.

DOC Club Historian 
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#8
There is unquestionably a difference between fabrication and dent removal. Based on their site photos, SIB can certainly fab some nice stuff using benders, welders etc, but whether they have the traditional skills to repair a dent using just hand tools is another question.

While Chris N is certainly an 11 on a scale of 10, they may well have someone who is a 9, so, if it was me, I would let them try on a single dent on a single rear fender and see how they get on.

As noted above, the DMC sites in the US must have access to various local SS repair, but I know at least one of them (DMCMW) flies Chris across every year for their open house and owners are lined out the door to get work done. Even with flights, and expenses etc, his repairs are very good value, plus people like the cachet of "repaired by Chris N".

How many other marques' owners can say "yes, that dent was repaired by Chris" , without a surname or company name, and everyone else would know what that meant and nod admiringly.
Dermot
ex-Dunmurryite
vin 2743
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#9
Oh bugger, you are all talking me out of it LOL!

I have by no means discounted the idea of shipping it up to Chris. I was just trying to avoid the 400 mile round trip.

Hmmmm I will need to rethink me thinks.
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#10
Dangermouse Wrote:As noted above, the DMC sites in the US must have access to various local SS repair, but I know at least one of them (DMCMW) flies Chris across every year for their open house and owners are lined out the door to get work done. Even with flights, and expenses etc, his repairs are very good value, plus people like the cachet of "repaired by Chris N".

Interesting you mention US labour. I have a friend who is an expert in water pumps / compressors and management systems there of. Industrial stuff.
He flies round the world fixing and problem solving issues.
In less developed economies you can understand them not having the local expertise, but he also has a 3 monthly contract to fly out to California for regular servicing. There are experts who can do this work in the USA but it works out cheaper to use him than US workers.
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#11
I think if it were me, I'd be driving the 600 mile round trip to take our car down to Chris. We have a local fabrication company two miles from our door, who can turn you out anything from a full stainless exhaust to a scale replica of the Eiffel Tower in 302. I still wouldn't entrust them to get the finish and graining right on a car as unique as the Delorean - and if they were to get it badly wrong, it could be almost impossible to put right.
Med Venlig Hilsen
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#12
I wonder if he would like to come to Australia for a holiday and bring his tools and skill, accommodation provided. There is no one here that can do what he can do.
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#13
I am sending it to Chris - Thank god I asked :oops:
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