"To whom it may concern,
I am writing in support of Mr Gavin King of Concours Sportscar Restoration (3 Mildon Road, Tuggerah NSW 2259; Repairer Licence No. 034665). As a member of the Jaguar Drivers Club (NSW) I have known of Gavin’s restoration work with Jaguar sports cars, particularly XK’s and E Types from the 1950’s and 60’s. Gavin has a very high reputation for concours restorations, having produced at least two first-prize winners at the JDCA National Concours. He has excelled at this very meticulous work where authenticity and originality are paramount.
In 2001, Gavin carried out a full body restoration of my 1962 E Type fixed head coupe. With the paint removed, it was clear that the car needed new door skins and outer sills. In addition, the bonnet (consisting of 11 panels) did not fit well. All filler and a significant amount of lead, were removed, rust was cut out and new sections welded in. The bare metal surface was then file-finished without use of filler. Although the process took some time, I was highly impressed with the impeccable quality of the work. Such craftsmen are rare indeed.
My E Type was superb when finished, the outer paint surfaces and gaps between panels would have been better that factory original. While such standards of repair and restoration would be unnecessary for a Commodore, Jaguar and Aston Martin sports cars are highly prized and may be considered as (long-term) investments. I recommend Gavin and his craftsmen for the quality of their work and their commitment to classic cars.
Sincerely,
Professor Richard I Christopherson
Head, School of Molecular and Microbial Biosciences,
University of Sydney
2004