The '73 Yardley McLaren was my favorite..
Riveted aerospace construction with a V8 strapped on.. it's a thing of beauty
The '73 Yardley McLaren was my favorite..
Riveted aerospace construction with a V8 strapped on.. it's a thing of beauty
Last edited by Neo; 27-02-2016 at 06:30 AM.
What a top job to have.
Used to know a guy that had a similar type of gig in NZ, working for the Ferrari agent here.He was their top mechanic and went to work in a collar and tie FFS.
Youve done really well landing a gig like that, your obviously on top of your game. Plus you will be getting some really good experience to add to it. Looking forward to following this interesting thread, Great that you are taking the time to post what you do for a living.
Don't all those supercars catch fire when they crash?Originally Posted by Neo
Nice work if you can get it
Good luck Neo, knuckle down, save and don't fuck the bosses goat
Originally Posted by NeoA yes! My old boss had one very similar it was a thing of beauty. I no longer work in the industry but do have fond memories of working with the cars..Originally Posted by Neo
I was lucky enough to attend the first firing of Nikki Lauda's Ferrari after its restoration. That was about 12 years before this video was taken. I used to work closely with the grey haired guy with glasses.
This was the garage of the company owner Richard Griot;
Take A Look Inside Richard Griot's Incredible Garage
^pretty amazing collection!
What company does he own?
Well you know its not bad for a small town boy from a local garage Like all trades if you start off with good habits then you'll always do well, I was lucky to have a good mentor when I started, flogged my guts out and learned the trade in crash repairs then went into contracting to make some real money and it kind of took off from there... I''ve painted planes, trains, automobiles and lots of military stuff too. I don't get my hands too dirty these days and its great to pass on the knowledge to the new generation of lads coming through.
Never one to rest on my laurels though... UAE is going to be a big challenge.
Like yourself mate, what you see is what you get, it's an honest living... I've got a good rep for my work, got a few haters, but made some good reliable mates through the trade. I've put a lot of miles down over the years, and theres going to be plenty more yet. There was a bit of happenstance that got me this job.. but you make your own luck eh.
You know what Earl.., I'm not really a petrolhead, been on shakedown drives in some nice motors, but for me being a bodywork tech I love the aesthetics and small details.
Not any of the ones I've worked on eh
Pretty sure Betty's got first dibs on all the goats so I'd have to do it on the quiet anyway.. camels are fair game though eh..?
The thing with Supercars are the owners, generally, are very passionate about them. There is an incredible amount of fine detail that goes into the bodywork and paint, every square inch of them is absolutely flawless, top to bottom, inside and out, which requires an insane amount of work to achieve. For sure there are some owners that just get the keys off the valet, take it for a burn, then hand it back, but most owners have an intense passion for them. Its not unusual for an owner to come in and see the car they've bought while its still in the production stage just to get a feel for what's gone into building them.
For me, it's a job I do care about, mostly though it has been blood, sweat and a few tears along the way... but it's the end result that matters which can be very satisfying.
Cheers all
Last edited by Neo; 27-02-2016 at 05:29 PM.
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!"
Yes the finished product. used to do body repairs on Bugaties, e-types, mercs, rolls royces, bentleys.Built my own workshop with spray booth.Originally Posted by Neo
It is hard work but as you said the satisfaction in seeing the end product go out the door. I restored as well as repaired damaged cars.
And always chances of work in any country that has cars. And good dosh.
As you know the bread and butter in the motortrade is your everyday road car, I like to boggle the heads of some of the more cocky apprentices I've taught by saying I've painted more cars than they've had hot dinners.. to which they scoff... then we start doing the numbers... and then they're not so cocky
Would be great to meet up for a few cold ones... I'll PM you once I've hit the ground and the dust has settled, cheers.
FFS! don't tell Betty I've been eating goat.!
Cheers Jim, I'm sure its gonna have its moments
Last edited by Neo; 27-02-2016 at 05:25 PM.
Neo I just want to say thanks so much for this thread. It once again shows what an eclectic group most of Teak Door is. I wish my first love of cars would have continued as yours did. What a wonderful and challenging gig to to have had and to be entering a new chapter of. Mate my hat is off to you.. Keep it up.
You did give me a nice flashback. After my folks divorced my dad left to work in Libya, and I had to live with my mom at 16. It was not wonderful until I convinced her that a 1968 Dodge Charger with a 383 engine and a 4 barrel Holley carburetor that was stock was a family car. Off to the showroom we went. The last 15 months before I graduated high school suddenly became very cool. While I went off in another direction you pursued your dream. Good on ya!!
stopped about 20 yrs ago.Originally Posted by Neo
Learned the trade with 2 guys who rarely used bodge, mostly actual panel beating
with hammer, dolly and file. skills you never see these days.
3 days to fit a front wing to a rolls.
Have great memories of my own place in the midlands.
But life was passing me by so i got on a bike.
Oh i remember folk who worked the theatre performing, super rich,Originally Posted by Neo
coming to collect, armed with a metal ruler and magnifying glass.
One feckin pin hole and the job had to be rectified.
Those guys were sick with perfection for their cars.
yip that was fun. solid finish innit.Originally Posted by Bower
I'm in Uk now but worked in Aussie for a yrOriginally Posted by Neo
Munich in Germany but the guy there gave me the worst to repair. Cars that should have been total losses. Ended up welding for MAN truck company for a yr.
Gibraltar for a few years.
Rest of it in UK south coast and where my wife came from, the Midlands.
Download the Tor browser. It's a bit slow as it bounces and changes your IP address from Timbuktu to Hanoi to Bangor Maine but it keeps you anonymous.Originally Posted by Neo
Neo,
Bring us up to date on life in the UAE. Any drinking, drugs, women?
Are you living in a western compound? What's city life like? With a job like yours, is there any time for fun? What's "fun", anyway, for you?
So your a glorified panel beater then.Originally Posted by Neo
Good luck with the new gig.
Yeah we all got upgraded from 'dust monkey' to 'technician' around '97 when 'political correctness' was so fashionable... didn't get a pay rise though.!
I'm leaving this Sunday to Istanbul for a week, then on to Dubai.. pictures to follow
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