Here at the Restoration Centre we are currently undertaking a full restoration on an Aston Martin DB4 Mk2.  The car had some body repairs earlier in its life that have not stood the test of time and caused large marks in the paint. The interior was also looking very sorry for itself and needed re-trimming and all this coupled with an engine running fault and fluid leaks meant it was time to fully restore this beautiful 60’s icon back to its original condition.

We have completely stripped the whole car down to its component parts and had the aluminium body shell and steel monocoque soda blasted to remove all the old paint and filler. We have painted the steel with red oxide primer to stop it gathering surface rust while we carry out the small repairs required. Next we have stripped the engine to find the steel cylinder liners had corroded in to the aluminium engine block (Galvanic Corrosion) and caused substantial damage. We have had to machine the engine block and fit a liner to the block to then be able to fit new cylinder liners in place. We have also replaced the pistons and rings and all the gaskets and seals. This work is still in progress.

The gearbox on inspection had noisy bearings, so we have stripped and rebuilt the unit using all new bearings and seals. We have measured all the other components for wear and they were found to be serviceable which was great news. We have completely stripped the back axle and again replaced all the worn bearings and seals. All of the chrome components have been inspected and 80% of them had defects that need re-plating. All other nuts, bolts, washers, pipes, calipers etc have also been sent away to a specialist sub-contractor for Nickel plating.

Next up is to take a look at restoring the wiring loom, and make a start on the outer skin of the body shell.