Blondie’s Blog Number Two…

03/06/2023 15.26 pm

Blondie's Blog Number Two…

So, you're still here. Thank you (and I'm shocked. Or, you're bored!)

I'm trying to work out a formula for each Bloggy type scrawling but, I'm not quite there yet so you'll get whatever comes into my brain. I apologise for that to the purists but, I guess that's who I am so, at least it's accurate!

This week has been chaos. I mean, it's often chaos, but, this last few weeks the heat’s built, which often floors me for various boring health reasons. All sorts of exciting things have happened and as I'm a little bit broken ( but bloody determined to embrace these opportunities) it's worn me out more than usual.

Yesterday, i took a "quick" drive to Dorset, to Tribute Automotive.

These Tyvek and 3M mask clad geniuses in disguise supply some of our BMW Z3 based GRP kits.

We have been Tribute’s agents for a few years now and count ourselves very lucky as we ended up this way purely by accident.

We've always sold their kits and been their build agent but now we are working with them to produce new and interesting things… which will be revealed as time and money allows.

For those unfamiliar with the wonder that is a GRP product its (very basically) layers of fibre glass matting laid onto pre-prepped moulds with gel coat (of varying amounts depending on desired use or finish of moulds) painted thickly into them and allowed to cure then, generously loaded with stinky eye watering but awesome resin which eventually goes rock hard and can be used to turn all sorts of wondrous ideas into useful shapes.

Those shapes in our case include… full car body kits, bolt on replacement panels for BMW Z3's and various interior parts to complement our body kits

I'll go into GRP in more detail another time. I have a love hate relationship with the stuff. Stinky, sticky, eye watering, messy but one of the coolest products I've ever utilised.

Back to the journey from hell….

The trip was needed but the timing ill advised. Last weekday of the school holiday, sunny as hell, heading towards some of the most beautiful and warm beaches in the south, in parts where this is only a one lane per side road to get to dozens of insanely popular destinations and which houses many many camping/motorhome/caravan sites that Clarkson would rubbing his hands together in glee at, whilst envisioning a visit armed with 4 star and a match/ tow hook and a nearby cliff /monster truck.

Sun, holiday time, Rita the Rover just out the repair shop what could possibly go wrong...

7.5 hours from Amazingstoke and back again and, Rita the Rover (my trusty and oftentimes broken land rover D3 with a winch and some cracking off road tyres that I admit I bought to play in puddles and tow the car trailer...ok, mainly to play) had blown a fuse... Not just any fuse but the climate control one. I didn't have a spare 10 amp. Every other mini fuse but that one.

It was chuffingly beggeringly groin sweatingly hot.

I am sporting one burnt arm and leg a very pink nose (despite factor 50) and now know what poppadums feel like when they hit the oil... It was not funny.

But, it did give me time to realise how bizarrely mixed my iTunes list was.... I hit random and everything from my coveted dance and drum and bass to The great luciano Pavarotti with the Beach Boys and Ella Fitzgerald jumping in between.

On a side note… I have a funny story for another time a "gent" that claimed he was mistaken for Pavarotti regularly voice wise but was - on video evidence that said gent sent me often at 11pm - dread to think what he was doing- actually near tone deaf!

I was even treated to the Pogues proclaiming that I was an old sl't n drunk....as were the 40 cars or more around me as the stereo in that old beastie is rather impressive! Kept me amused in a strange way.

Left at 9, should have been home at 12.30 ish.. Got to the workshop to unload at 4.30 smelling like a turnip, which was very attractive. Especially when we embarked on the local (posh) public house on the way home for food.

Fish pie no less. Why do smells by half!

So, as for why I was visiting Tribute.... We’ve been changing a few things for the better in regards to both the kits they provide, the interiors we do together and the new projects/kits that we are combining on, one mould for which I collected today.

This week Chris the mad professor of all things GRP had made us a really nice new mould to incorporate both of our current centre console replacement tunnel pieces (the square period type that can be used for the Le Mans, Isabella, Cobra, Z507 and Z3GT kits as well as any other BMW Z3 based kits from other manufacturers) into one large piece, so that its easier for me to make them. He did a cracking job.

I'm looking forward to webbing my fingers together with resin/matting and splashing up anything in reasonable proximity next week to try it out.

A Z3gt period style dash with glovebox front also made its way in for a customer that's having fully hand made dials, customised finish and being fitted into a "James bond style" full car build in the unimitable Silver Birch paint and a stunning soft leather interior.

We are up to three of those now, Max's car (see website and Ian's amusing Bond style You Tube video) obviously really impressed people! I think we will be building a few more yet.

Also on board were 3 sets of widebody Z3 sills. We Make those (and narrow body) for the "undoctored" BMW Z3 community, as well as provide LOADS of spares for these little buzz bombs.

It's fair to say we save a lot more little Z3's than we rebody so we've been accepted in to the Z3 community and even allowed an honorary place at their meets with our "Frankenstein" Z3's. They're a great bunch.

We will be growing the Z3 parts side of the business when we have time, partly as there's huge demand but also, as we have over a thousand spare parts from panels to switches and everything in between cluttering up our small but functional workshop/containers/garages/sheds.

The beauty of rebodying the BMW Z3 is that nothing gets wasted. All outer metal panels simply bolt off. A Few trim tools, an 8mm socket and a 13mm for the bonnet and the cars are naked and ready to rebody... This also means that there is no individual vehicle testing needed, they're a rebody through and through as the monocoque chassis stays as is.

It's a simple free process to change the V5 to reflect what it looks like now (which we help with) and then they're fully road legal, MOT compliant and with the Z3 base, these 60's style emulations are more reliable than any 60's car! They really are a wonder.

Another beauty of these little Buzz Bombs is that they are now classed as "modern classics" and cheaper to insure both as a Z3 and rebodied so, we're seeing more and more younger people on board. Some are even ULEZ compliant (for the time being anyway!)

I am a huge fan of the Z3. I own 2, and a Z4 for that matter (I have too many cars if I’m honest)

I find it weird that I'm regularly told I am a Z3 expert. It surprises me as I'm just a natural information sponge. Instead of bacteria (as would a sponge) I collect information both immensely useful and totally useless at a rate of knots (yet bizarrely cannot remember what I did five minutes ago) My brain (and often, ashamedly my mouth) doesn't stop day and night. It's a blessing and a curse!

Truth is, I've learned recently this lack of sitting still, weird illnesses, need for information, answers, facts, butting in when people talk (sorry) as I already know the answer, starting a dozen things, finishing none and overly verbose manner etc, etc, isn't actually intentional.

It’s a condition. It's always been there I just didn’t have (or need) a name for it. I was just the weird one who knew everything and nothing all at the same time and got so tired they could fall asleep talking from the weight of any given situation and all the brain activity it creates!

Some would say it is hard work but, now I know why (roughly) what it is a lot of questions in my tightly packed, hypervigilant, effervescent head sponge have been answered.

I love many things in life. I get excited far too easily by anything and everything but, when I get focused on one item be it a vehicle/animal/ vegetable/mineral and at one point forensics (the cadaver type) I cannot help but learn all I can about it.

It's not a competitive urge, some female need to say "I know more about it than the chaps" its just my way with everything around me.

I need to know facts, all the time, I need to fix things (and people) all the time.

Does make for a very full tired spongey head filling at times but, I love what we do so that is a small price to pay on that side of things.

Enough about me, thought I best mention that bit as it sets aside a few things. Not least that challenges can be opportunities, if you see the world in the right light. I've lived through some incredible challenges and still feel the need to be positive and crack on where possible… hence why my hyper sponge is a blessing. To me anyway.

So…Back to the daily grind.

How did we get to play with these little toys? That's a long story. I'll leave that for another time as I was reminded of it by recent events and it wasn't a smooth ride at times. Eventful (perhaps even funny now I look back on it) but also stressful and, today is not the day for that.

Speaking of today….. It's the kit car event of the year the national kit car show.

Stoneleigh I hear you say? well, after a few sad years where many in the industry tell me they watched with disdain as it declined hugely from its boom of a few years ago, it has had a fresh injection of interest with the resurgence of a love of all things I.C.E (much like a lot of the Internal Combustion Engine industry in the last ten years or so)

As part of this, it is no longer called "STONELEIGH" as it has now moved to three counties showground in Malvern, Worcestershire.

We didn't exhibit this year as getting the time away from workshop and home is tough right now for various reasons but, I had intended to show my face

The last few weeks have been pretty tiring however. Very positive with all the pop up shows for the British motor show in August but, tiring. The idea of potentially driving 5 hours (its 2 hours away max normally but after yesterday the seeds of doubt are there.....) didn't fill me with joy at 5am this morning. Nor did waking up with very very sore joints and bones as I often do despite a lot of medication.

I chose to stay home and have an admin/cleaning/play with guinea pigs,dogs,cats and, prepare for a boot fair I'm doing tomorrow to start to clear containers full of vintage "stuff" now Rita the rovers working again (making hay while the sun shines, it’s a land rover, she will be back on a ramp imminently no doubt!)

Ian and Ben popped down briefly to Malvern in the tiger super six instead.

Ian is my better half, Ben his son.. We run this little project (and hopefully retirement business) together.

There's pics of our mugs on our website and in few kit car magazines if you want to put faces to names, or scare yourself along with some nice car porn and some wonderful pic of the "country estate" where we are based (rented unit, we are poor and humble) that makes us look bigger better and flashier than we are.

I don’t envy the chaps in inevitable sat/holiday/caravan traffic in a fully open sided open top car today But, the little tiger is great fun.

Parker the tiger was bought on a whim after Ian sold his 2 merlin plus 2 kits. We named him after Richard |Parker, the tiger from the strange but wonderfully thought provoking film "the life of Pi"

Parker had one owner for 22 years whom I have been in touch with and has now bought a brand new upgrade!

Then he was sold back to Tiger Racing as a part exchange, bought for a bit of fun by a lovely chap whose built several vehciles to play about in. He kept him for 8 fun filled months and now she is our most marvellously thrilling doughnut making machine!

Bloody marvellous thing, I am told they go round roundabouts sideways, tyres tunefully SCREAMING!!!

Only a 2.0 Pinto onboard but, add bike carbs and weighing less than wolf from gladiators (probably) and it really is a bloody marvellous piece of kit.

It even stops now, which is handy, thanks to a front brake upgrade from Tiger Racing. Parker has always been looked after by Tiger so has great history and was a steal price wise. Felt rude not to buy him!

After the summer he's getting a makeover.... complete strip down, powder coat the jewson lot, Powerflex bushes ( naturally as we are Powerflex agents - as well as BC Racing agents!) a spray job... the lot.

For now he's wearing some branding and QR codes to help out promoting the british motor show in August, We are lucky that it is very near to us, in Farnborough so will be having an area for us, our customers and some of our friends in the industry.

We were blessed to be invited to attend and display at both the local pop up shows and, will be at the main Salisbury car show on the 18th June in the city centre with the same lovely bunch of positive, car loving people.

Hopefully parker will drum up a little more interest for the main august show as we whizz him about but, in the meantime, I hope we see lots of you at the Salisbury show.

The legend that is Sam Hard of Hard up Garage will be there, as will the exceptionally hard working charming and funny chap Tim Shaw from Car SOS and Brown car guy, who is such a gentle funny knowledgeable chap.

We have Dan from Tech Auto's joining us with his very special build as well as a couple of lovely friends and customers with their Z3 based cars.

I'm hoping to see lots of great people there to carry on the positive fun spirit of the last 2 pop up's we've been fortunate to be included in thanks to the lovely chaps who run the British Motor Show, not least, Andy Entwistle who works so hard and always has a smile

I'll leave it there as no doubt you're dying for a cuppa or a comfort break by now…….. still not sure if these blog things should be short or long but I'm learning (constructive well meant feedback appreciated)

See some of you Sunday and, whatever you're driving this week happy motoring, It's certainly great weather for a trip out!

Belle/Blondie/Turnip.

Blondeslikespannerstoo.... Blondie's Blog

Blondie’s Blog Number Two…

Blondie's Blog Number Two…

So, you're still here. Thank you (and I'm shocked. Or, you're bored!)

I'm trying to work out a formula for each Bloggy type scrawling but, I'm not quite there yet so you'll get whatever comes into my brain. I apologise for that to the purists but, I guess that's who I am so, at least it's accurate!

Yesterday, i took a "quick" drive to Dorset, to Tribute Automotive.

These Tyvek and 3M mask clad geniuses in disguise supply some of our BMW Z3 based GRP kits.

We have been Tribute’s agents for a few years now and count ourselves very lucky as we ended up this way purely by accident.

We've always sold their kits and been their build agent but now we are working with them to produce new and interesting things… which will be revealed as time and money allows.

Those shapes in our case include… full car body kits, bolt on replacement panels for BMW Z3's and various interior parts to complement our body kits

I'll go into GRP in more detail another time. I have a love hate relationship with the stuff. Stinky, sticky, eye watering, messy but one of the coolest products I've ever utilised.

Back to the journey from hell….

Sun, holiday time, Rita the Rover just out the repair shop what could possibly go wrong...

It was chuffingly beggeringly groin sweatingly hot.

I am sporting one burnt arm and leg a very pink nose (despite factor 50) and now know what poppadums feel like when they hit the oil... It was not funny.

But, it did give me time to realise how bizarrely mixed my iTunes list was.... I hit random and everything from my coveted dance and drum and bass to The great luciano Pavarotti with the Beach Boys and Ella Fitzgerald jumping in between.

On a side note… I have a funny story for another time a "gent" that claimed he was mistaken for Pavarotti regularly voice wise but was - on video evidence that said gent sent me often at 11pm - dread to think what he was doing- actually near tone deaf!

I was even treated to the Pogues proclaiming that I was an old sl't n drunk....as were the 40 cars or more around me as the stereo in that old beastie is rather impressive! Kept me amused in a strange way.

Left at 9, should have been home at 12.30 ish.. Got to the workshop to unload at 4.30 smelling like a turnip, which was very attractive. Especially when we embarked on the local (posh) public house on the way home for food.

Fish pie no less. Why do smells by half!

So, as for why I was visiting Tribute.... We’ve been changing a few things for the better in regards to both the kits they provide, the interiors we do together and the new projects/kits that we are combining on, one mould for which I collected today.

I'm looking forward to webbing my fingers together with resin/matting and splashing up anything in reasonable proximity next week to try it out.

A Z3gt period style dash with glovebox front also made its way in for a customer that's having fully hand made dials, customised finish and being fitted into a "James bond style" full car build in the unimitable Silver Birch paint and a stunning soft leather interior.

We are up to three of those now, Max's car (see website and Ian's amusing Bond style You Tube video) obviously really impressed people! I think we will be building a few more yet.

Also on board were 3 sets of widebody Z3 sills. We Make those (and narrow body) for the "undoctored" BMW Z3 community, as well as provide LOADS of spares for these little buzz bombs.

It's fair to say we save a lot more little Z3's than we rebody so we've been accepted in to the Z3 community and even allowed an honorary place at their meets with our "Frankenstein" Z3's. They're a great bunch.

We will be growing the Z3 parts side of the business when we have time, partly as there's huge demand but also, as we have over a thousand spare parts from panels to switches and everything in between cluttering up our small but functional workshop/containers/garages/sheds.

It's a simple free process to change the V5 to reflect what it looks like now (which we help with) and then they're fully road legal, MOT compliant and with the Z3 base, these 60's style emulations are more reliable than any 60's car! They really are a wonder.

Another beauty of these little Buzz Bombs is that they are now classed as "modern classics" and cheaper to insure both as a Z3 and rebodied so, we're seeing more and more younger people on board. Some are even ULEZ compliant (for the time being anyway!)

I am a huge fan of the Z3. I own 2, and a Z4 for that matter (I have too many cars if I’m honest)

Truth is, I've learned recently this lack of sitting still, weird illnesses, need for information, answers, facts, butting in when people talk (sorry) as I already know the answer, starting a dozen things, finishing none and overly verbose manner etc, etc, isn't actually intentional.

It’s a condition. It's always been there I just didn’t have (or need) a name for it. I was just the weird one who knew everything and nothing all at the same time and got so tired they could fall asleep talking from the weight of any given situation and all the brain activity it creates!

Some would say it is hard work but, now I know why (roughly) what it is a lot of questions in my tightly packed, hypervigilant, effervescent head sponge have been answered.

I love many things in life. I get excited far too easily by anything and everything but, when I get focused on one item be it a vehicle/animal/ vegetable/mineral and at one point forensics (the cadaver type) I cannot help but learn all I can about it.

It's not a competitive urge, some female need to say "I know more about it than the chaps" its just my way with everything around me.

I need to know facts, all the time, I need to fix things (and people) all the time.

Does make for a very full tired spongey head filling at times but, I love what we do so that is a small price to pay on that side of things.

So…Back to the daily grind.

How did we get to play with these little toys? That's a long story. I'll leave that for another time as I was reminded of it by recent events and it wasn't a smooth ride at times. Eventful (perhaps even funny now I look back on it) but also stressful and, today is not the day for that.

Speaking of today….. It's the kit car event of the year the national kit car show.

As part of this, it is no longer called "STONELEIGH" as it has now moved to three counties showground in Malvern, Worcestershire.

We didn't exhibit this year as getting the time away from workshop and home is tough right now for various reasons but, I had intended to show my face

Ian and Ben popped down briefly to Malvern in the tiger super six instead.

Ian is my better half, Ben his son.. We run this little project (and hopefully retirement business) together.

I don’t envy the chaps in inevitable sat/holiday/caravan traffic in a fully open sided open top car today But, the little tiger is great fun.

Parker the tiger was bought on a whim after Ian sold his 2 merlin plus 2 kits. We named him after Richard |Parker, the tiger from the strange but wonderfully thought provoking film "the life of Pi"

Parker had one owner for 22 years whom I have been in touch with and has now bought a brand new upgrade!

Then he was sold back to Tiger Racing as a part exchange, bought for a bit of fun by a lovely chap whose built several vehciles to play about in. He kept him for 8 fun filled months and now she is our most marvellously thrilling doughnut making machine!

Bloody marvellous thing, I am told they go round roundabouts sideways, tyres tunefully SCREAMING!!!

Only a 2.0 Pinto onboard but, add bike carbs and weighing less than wolf from gladiators (probably) and it really is a bloody marvellous piece of kit.

It even stops now, which is handy, thanks to a front brake upgrade from Tiger Racing. Parker has always been looked after by Tiger so has great history and was a steal price wise. Felt rude not to buy him!

After the summer he's getting a makeover.... complete strip down, powder coat the jewson lot, Powerflex bushes ( naturally as we are Powerflex agents - as well as BC Racing agents!) a spray job... the lot.

For now he's wearing some branding and QR codes to help out promoting the british motor show in August, We are lucky that it is very near to us, in Farnborough so will be having an area for us, our customers and some of our friends in the industry.

We were blessed to be invited to attend and display at both the local pop up shows and, will be at the main Salisbury car show on the 18th June in the city centre with the same lovely bunch of positive, car loving people.

Hopefully parker will drum up a little more interest for the main august show as we whizz him about but, in the meantime, I hope we see lots of you at the Salisbury show.

The legend that is Sam Hard of Hard up Garage will be there, as will the exceptionally hard working charming and funny chap Tim Shaw from Car SOS and Brown car guy, who is such a gentle funny knowledgeable chap.

We have Dan from Tech Auto's joining us with his very special build as well as a couple of lovely friends and customers with their Z3 based cars.

I'm hoping to see lots of great people there to carry on the positive fun spirit of the last 2 pop up's we've been fortunate to be included in thanks to the lovely chaps who run the British Motor Show, not least, Andy Entwistle who works so hard and always has a smile

I'll leave it there as no doubt you're dying for a cuppa or a comfort break by now…….. still not sure if these blog things should be short or long but I'm learning (constructive well meant feedback appreciated)

See some of you Sunday and, whatever you're driving this week happy motoring, It's certainly great weather for a trip out!

Belle/Blondie/Turnip.

Classic Coachworks