Hi there, I have owned a 246 GTS for 10 years and while I have kept on top of things, the time has come to spend a bit more in a one-off, to make sure it remains in good condition and properly driveable. I try to do about 2,500 miles a year, probably a couple of trips and weekend use. The car drives remarkably well. On the engine, which revs and pulls well, I don’t think I need a full rebuild, but I am thinking of having all the engine cables/pipes/leads etc replaced and the carbs rebuilt. Bodywise, I want to give the underside a real going over as it is pretty untidy and quite a bit of surface rust, and then the other major element would be a full suspension rebuild, stripping everything down, back to bare metal and then repainting / rebuilding etc. There are a few other bits and pieces that need tidying up. Anyway....big question, who would you get to do this work? Has anyone on this Forum used a specialist third party restorer recently? I have used two firms myself on a regular basis, both of whom could do the work described, and I have been happy with their work....but this is a bigger job and I would really like to know who the best places are for this sort of work, in the U.K., today. Thanks.
In no particular order I would consider/speak to Nick Cartwright, Mototechnique, DK Engineering, Colin Clarke Engineering, Barkaways and Bob Houghton. Using a company with a long and good reputation will not only ensure you get the work done properly, but will add value to the car.
Mototechnique (Kevin O'Rorke a.k.a. Telaio on this site) restored my car 20 years ago for a previous owner and the restoration has definitely stood the test of time.
I actually had 4 Dinos restored by Carrs. They did all the mechanical restoration work including full engine rebuilds, suspension rebuilds, cooling system overhauls etc. The work was done by their head tech Harvey Jones and he now literally knows the 246 series inside out. They also have a great list of contacts they built up for things like plating, exhaust fabrication etc. It would be well worth your while giving Mark Ware, their After Sales Manager, a call. Their rates will be very competitive, especially if you can wait to have it done over the winter months when their workshop is quieter.
