Body shop

Even if it’s as time-consuming as it is sweaty: We love to process sheet metal professionally.

This is demonstrated not least by our elaborate backdating projects such as the F350. First, we restore the front and rear of the 964-generation nine-eleven to the condition of the F model – including the corresponding supports. In addition, we modify the original sheet steel bumpers of the F model so that we can place enlarged oil and air-conditioning radiators behind the front air intakes.

 

The front fenders and rear side panels, which are hand-crafted from sheet metal panels, underscore the visual impression, as they pick up on the 1970 lines of the 911 S/T 2.3, which in 1971 actually rolled out with sheet steel fender extensions due to a change in the technical regulations. The real supreme discipline, however, is the replacement of the original center tunnel with the more authentic version in the look of the F model, in order to make the journey back in time perfect inside the car as well. Incidentally, this measure is carried out on the frame straightening bench without the addition of a temporary subframe.

This is just one of many episodes to show you why we’re not just about bodywork: We love what we do – and we’d like to convince you of that, too.

The old principle also applies to us: before setting up in the rolling rack, there is the inventory.

One step further back, in preparation for the actual welding work, which sometimes takes up to 800 hours per vehicle: Cathodic dip coating of the stripped sheet metal does not always come into its own either, and for one particular reason: Air bubbles can form with this method – and where they do, bare sheet metal is not protected against corrosion. In addition, it has been shown time and again during restorations of the classic F model that spray sealant has always been used generously in the area of the partition between the passenger compartment and the engine compartment. This is removed by the water jet under high pressure almost as if by itself.” The exposed sheet metal allows a very precise assessment of any previous damage on the straightening bench.

Water march! Because sustainable investments in tangible assets made of sheet steel do not belong – in our view – in an acid bath.

And one step further back: Before any welding work, the sheet metal cladding must be inspected for prior damage caused by any accidental events or corrosion. To do this, the metal should have been completely bare and exposed. Only then can sustainable, long-term top quality be ensured. A gentle high-pressure water jet method is usually used for paint stripping. By dispensing with a chemical immersion process, crystals cannot form and deposit in cavities or under the sheet doublings that occur as a result of spot welding. This is because, in the long term, crystal formation can lead to renewed corrosion even in completely rebuilt sheet steel bodies. Bright sheet metal without chemicals, on the other hand, is a guarantee for clean, long-lasting work – and, incidentally, an experience for our project customers.