The re-skin involves replacing all the aluminium panels on the car, and re-powder coating the chassis once stripped. Our car was suffering quite badly – our powder coating was pretty much all gone – and electrolytic reaction between the steel and the aluminium panels had caused extensive corrosion. Our interior was tired and worn, leather split, seats sagging and floor dropping! 

Before we took the chassis to Arch, we would have to remove everything from it – engine, interior, suspension, wings, electrics and all the aluminium panels. As soon as the car stopped we set about taking the big stuff off. 

First the engine was removed, followed by the rest of the drive train – prop shaft, diff and de dion tube. This all proved quite easy, as we had taken these components on and off before, but soon we got to the bits that hadn’t been moved since the car was built (by Caterham in ’95, as their Motor Show Car!) For example, the flared wings took some gentle persuasion to come off!

We had decided to wait until after the winter, so that the freshly rebuilt car missed most of the salt and bad weather, so this week, after speaking to Bruce at Arch, we started the process.

We are going to deliver the chassis to Bruce totally stripped, ready to be blasted, re-powder coated and then totally re-panelled. We are rebuilding the car exactly as she is now (sans rust!) – so same colour (a Honda pearlescent blue) and yes; we are keeping the flared wings. I guess it just wouldn’t be our car if we changed her!!

 So, today we arrived at Marks at about 11am to start the process. We don’t hang around, and by 5.30pm she looks remarkably stripped!!

As you can see, I have not really bothered cleaning the car for the last few weeks! The day before the process started, the car was thrashing around Abingdon on an airfield day!

Removing windscreen, seats, carpets and engine bay stuff, and engine out.

found it was much easier to remove the tunnel top through the hole where the heater used to be!!