Restoration

Whether the car has great provenance, or it has had a humble life enjoyed by many, every car is treated with the utmost care and attention to detail.

Classic cars are brought in from all over the world to be restored by the team at Bill Rawles Classic Cars.
“We often have cars come in for their annual service that were restored by us 5, 10, 20 or 30 years ago. These cars are still looking great and without the tell-tale corrosion often seen by original factory cars.” – Bill Rawles

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Restoring the past for the future

Whilst we specialise in the Austin-Healey marque, we have the required skills and experience to assist and complete any restoration project and apply the same due diligence and care whether the car has historical importance or has enjoyed a quiet life out of the spotlight.

Don't worry, we have seen it all before...

Whatever state your car may be in at the moment, we will have a solution. It's amazing what can be salvaged, restored and repaired whilst keeping as many original parts as possible, it all takes just a bit of time and skill!

Fabrication

Charlie Rawles heads up our restoration and fabrication department and we are proud to have all of our fabrication services carried out in-house. Charlie manages a team of four fabrication engineers who produce and replace metalwork to the high standards we are known for. Using the latest equipment and facilities, nothing goes out the door without Charlie's seal of approval. We can repair or restore almost any section or remake it if required, making sure every project is completed to the same high standard and attention to detail is really important to us. From wheeling to hard riveting, aluminium tig welding to steel MIG & spot welding, bead rolling, shrinking and stretching, we have it covered.

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Chassis and Sub-structure

Once the car has either been dipped or blasted, it will be clear what needs to be cut out and replaced. If replacement panels are not available, we will make the replacement required and weld in place leaving an almost invisible join.

Bodywork

Once the chassis has been restored, it will be time to fit the body. This is a notoriously difficult job, the body will be completely fitted up in bare metal to correct door gaps and swage lines before any paint preparation begins. Getting this stage right is essential and makes the paint preparation much easier. To achieve the perfect body, the panels will be spliced, welded, shrunk and stretched to get the job just right.

Preparation & Paint

Preparation for paint is a time-consuming process but the result will be second to none. Bill Rawles Classic Cars uses modern materials and techniques combined with traditional skills to prepare your vehicle for paint. Once it is ready, it will go into our spray booth and have 2-3 coats of primer before DP40 and top coat before coming out to be flated and polished.

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Interior

There is no substitute for handmade trim. This is the only part of the process we do not do in-house, our trimmers produce authentic and original patterns as well as bespoke work to your specification.

The finished article...

'Trusted to restore the history of Healey'
We are proud to have restored, amongst many others, NUE 854. The first ever RHD Austin-Healey 100. This pre-production Healey had a complete nut and bolt restoration by Bill Rawles Classic Cars.

Contact us to discuss your restoration...

All Marque Restoration

We are not just Austin-Healey specialists. We restore all makes and models, applying the same skill, expertise, and passion to every project. Please get in touch to discuss your project.

Testimonials

Don't just take our word for it...

Words fail me. You have transformed the Frog. It has firstly never run so sweetly but on the motorway on the way home it was a transformation. I kept up with traffic and overtook the lorries !! The engine has so much more power and torque. Thank you both and all your team so much. From the first minute I pressed the bell when I dropped it off, all your staff were so warm and friendly. The office girls too were amazing. Then both of your communication and advice. Fantastic. Thank you. That's why you have such a good reputation.

David - Frogeye Sprite

Can I just say that I was pretty nervous about having a classic car but from the start having you guys nearby has made it so much easier. Whether it be the quick turn around of issues or just some guidance, it has really felt like you care about the car and the support for the owners is incredible. Thank you for everything and if I go down this route again you will be the first to look after the car for me.

James - AC Cobra

Thank you for obvious enthusiasm and applying extensive experience!

Greville - MGB

"Looking at the timesheet and the quality of the work I can see how easily the figure was reached. I am delighted with the quality of work and will have no hesitation in recommending to you to others. I can see you have done an excellent job and for that I am grateful. The car is scheduled to travel circa 15,000 during two gruelling events including Peking to Paris. It is a relief to have the larger fuel capacity which will become essential, it will give the car an estimated range of about 420 miles."

Mercedes - High Capacity Fuel Tank

"Thanks, the car was fantastic, great job."

Andrew

A very big thank you for giving us such an interesting informative visit around your workshops (...). Everyone has commented on how welcome you made us and one member said he thought this visit was the best we have ever had in many years.

The Hants and Berks Motor Club Ltd.