E.S.M. WORKSHOPS 01580 200062
E.S.M. was founded in 1982 when the first Morris Minor was restored at our Workshops at Bearhurst Farm where they still are today. Over the past twenty five years a great deal of experience has been built up by our small team of highly skilled craftsmen, resulting in our ability to produce top quality work in a reasonable time & so for a reasonable price. Quality has always been paramount in our business philosophy and we are very happy to be able to show from our success that you our customers agree with us. The Following pages show some of the work that the ESM workshops have produced.
ESM WORKSHOP SERVICES
CHASSIS/STRUCTURAL WELDING
The availability of so many quality chassis panels for the Morris Minor enables us to carry out structural repairs and rebuilds to a higher standard than ever before. Where sections of the structure are corroded, the affected panels are completely removed and replaced before being injected with cavity wax and treated externally with a tough underbody protectant, this ensures that the repairs carried out are as good, if not better than the original panels. Initially this often leads to higher costs at M.O.T time but in the long-term it is a far more cost effective method of maintenance for your Minor than a temporary patch-up.
Here are a few structural repairs that have been undertaken by ESM recently.
This Traveller came to us for an MOT. As shown in the photograph it required fairly extensive panel replacement.The o/s inner & outer sills, boxing panel, o/s floor & front spring hanger had all been previously patched. The only sensible way forward was to cut out all the corroded panels in this area and to start again. This is a good example of the false economy of poor quality patching up. The photograph shows the boxing panels & floor pans already replaced with the outer sill tacked in position and aligned ready for the fitting of the inner sills & front hanger.
The original door pillar was very weak on this Traveller and as a result the door gap was very poor.
This picture shows the o/s inner wing having been replaced along with the rear section of the inner wing dome and door hinge pillar.
All that remains is for the hinge pillar cover plate to be welded into place and then for the new panels to be treated, including cavity wax injection into the hollow section, thus protecting and preserving the new panels for many years to come.
Whilst cutting out and welding in new panels is the bulk of the work required to rebuild a Minor's structure, without a comprehensive protective treatment process the repairs will not last. That is why ESM like to pay as much attention to the treatment process as to the relacing of the panels themselves.
The underside of all new panels are treated with a protective coating that is tough and durable. The new panels are then lightly coated with a high quality light wax oil. The new or repaired interior sections of floor are stonechiped and painted. This gives a tough textured finish that is extremely hardwaring and matches the original finish. All new box sections are injected with cavity wax, which is atomised under high pressure to coat all surfaces and penetrate into all joints and welds that could otherwise not be reached. that are not seen
With this treatment process, ESM is confident that the work carried out today will last for years, we give a 5 year guarantee on new structural panels fitted.
PAINTWORK/UPPERBODY RESTORATIONS
For the very highest standards of paintwork all parts are fully dismantled before any paintwork is carried out. Any corroded panels are replaced and aligned, any corroded metal is cut out and replace using manufactured U.K.panels where possible. Surface corrosion is sandblasted and any imperfections or dents are removed. The parts are then primed with a rust inhibitor, followed by a high-build primer before being flatted and top-coated in our full low bake spray oven.
Full Restorations are a small part of our business. Our main work is in smaller repairs or replacements of wings, door skins, bumpers etc. We also carry out accident and insurance work on Morris Minors.
Here are a few Paintwork/ upperbody restorations that have been undertaken by ESM recently.
The Traveller on the right is a current long term job It has been completely striped down for a full Restoration.
The picture shows the new door skin having been aligned together with a new wing and "B" post base. The engine bay has been completely sandblasted and the rest of the body shell is ready to be prepared for primer.
This car has had a full structural rebuild prior to this work being carried out. We will be updating the website as this restoration progresses, so watch this space !
UPPERBODY REBUILD/RESPRAY ON MG TA
The picture on the left is of an MG TA Body shell primed in high build primer, ready for the next stage of flatting and top coating.
This MG TA was delivered by a customer on a trailer ready for us to respray. We first had to remove the body from the chassis and then removed the wings, petrol tank and doors. The customer had previously dismantled the interior, chrome, hood etc and was planning to refit it when the paintwork had been completed.
The car had lived in South Africa for many years and the owners had used it as an every day car. As we stripped the paint off the panels it revealed some nasty suprises but mainly it was in remarkable condition for its age.
Finished pictures of this car can be seen below.
UPPERBODY REBUILD/RESPRAY ON 2DR SALOON
The picture on the right is of a Two door Morris having just been top coated in our Low bake Oven. This is another upperbody restoration that was carried out early last year. The car and owner live in Essex.
The car was low mileage and very original, most of the paintwork was original if only a little faded. The doors were in remarkable condition, but unfortunately all the wings and the rear inner wings and flanges needed replacing.
The car left us looking superb together with the paintwork we fitted a new headlining, repaired and restraped the seats, new carpets, mechanical service and a new MOT.
Finished pictures of this car can be seen below.
MECHANICAL SERVICES
From a pre-M.O.T check or grease up to a full 24,000 mile service, all mechanical work is carried out with the greatest of care by our fully qualified and highly skilled technicians.
Gearbox and full engine rebuilds or replacements are undertaken along with standard servicing and replacement of clutches, tyres, exhausts etc.
We also offer mechanical upgrades such as 1300ccengines, unleaded conversions, uprated suspension and disc brakes as illustrated below.
UPRATE YOUR MORRIS MINOR BRAKES WITH E.S.M
There are three ways to improve your Morris Minor Brakes
1.A servo can be fitted to your existing drum Brakes. This dramatically improves the feel and effectiveness of your existing brakes by providing mechanical assistance to the activation of them. Ideally this is carried out in combination with the fitting of disc brakes as it otherwise tends to shorten the life of wheel cylinders and of course increase the rate of wear on the linings & drums.
2.Disc brake convertion will transform your braking, and eliminates brake fade. The Ford Sierra disc Kit is supplied with a specially machined hub, brake discs, pads and flexi hoses. The feel of the brakes is a little hard without a servo fitted.
3.The best upgrade in Braking is disc brakes and servo. This brings your Morris Minor brakes up to modern day braking.
WOODWORK REPLACEMENTS AND RE-TREATMENTS
From A Rub down and retreat to the complete woodwork replacement, ESM can undertake your requirements.
Before fitting any new wood it is soaked with Cuprinol wood preserver in order to prolong the life of the wood. Following that a Sikkens wood treatments is applied or a Burgess Water based product. The treatment used depends on whether the vehicle is to stand in all weathers or is kept in a garage.
INTERIOR TRIM AND CONVERTIBLE HOODS
E.S.M have the expertise to help with all your Morris Minor interior requirements. We carry out full interior trim replacements including :
Replacement of complete headlinings, as shown here in the photograph.
Re-upholstering of seats, often the seat base straps are in very poor condition and replacing them along with seat base foam cushions and squab padding kits completely transforms the seat! Leather & vinyl covers are available, manufactured to very high standards, matching the original spec.
E.S.M.CONVERTILE HOOD REPLACEMENTS.
The next two pictures show a Double Duck hood having just been fitted at E.S.M
We also fit Everflex hoods which come in a variety of colours
We have our hoods and Pick Up tilts manufactured locally. They are of top quality and fit superbly.
The Split Screen Morris Minor Convertible in the picture required a new frame, which we painted in Gold with a semi matt finish to give it that old original look.
The Front and rear wooden rails were replaced.
The front header rail was padded to stop the wind whisling in and then covered with Double Duck material.
If you would like to visit our workshops and see first hand the work that we carry out and or to discuss restoration or servicing work on your Minor please don’t hesitate to contact us by phone or e-mail. for an appointment; We look forward to hearing from you.
CONTACT:
Steve ParkerE.S.M WORKSHOP
Bearhurst Farm
Battenhurst Road
Stonegate
East Sussex
TN5 7DU
Tel / Fax. 01580 200062 Steve Parker (proprietor E.S.M. Workshops)
E-Mail: steve.esmworkshop@virgin.net
