The Repair Shop star faces ‘low point’ after realising ‘how much trouble I’m going to be in’
Engineering expert Dominic Chinea discovers extensive hidden damage in his Series I Land Rover found buried in a Cornwall hedge, describing the situation as ‘extremely daunting’
Dominic Chinea has confessed he has hit a “low point” in the restoration of a battered 1957 Series I Land Rover after discovering far more damage than anticipated.
The engineering specialist, most recognised for his role on the BBC’s The Repair Shop, has been chronicling the meticulous rebuild of the vehicle, which he found buried in a hedge near his Cornwall home.
Offering an update on the ambitious undertaking, Dominic revealed that plans had altered after viewers urged him to address the rear of the vehicle before completing work on the front.
“We are carrying on with my Series 1 Land Rover. In the last episode, we painted the bulkhead and the front panel in this slightly questionable pink apricot beige, but it’s quite pink. And I quite like the reference to the SAS Pink Panther Land Rovers, so that’s good,” he told his YouTube channel.
The television personality, 40, added that supporters had endorsed both the unconventional colour choice and his decision to prioritise the rear body tub first, reports the Mirror.
After removing the original rear tub and giving it a comprehensive clean, Dominic hoped he would be able to evaluate its condition before refitting it. However, decades of weathering had inflicted significant damage.
“This is, as far as I’m aware, the original rear tub to the car, and I’m very pleased to say that it is going back in place. But unfortunately, those 25-plus years sitting outside in the Cornish weather have not done it any favours at all,” he explained.
After the component had been pressure washed and brought back to the workshop, the full extent of the task became clear.
“I’ve got the rear tub back in the workshop and precariously on the workbench to start dismantling. And from the highs of last week and getting the new can of paint, painting the new panels and everything going fantastically well, with it all looking beautiful, today unfortunately is a low point of any restoration project,” he said.
The discovery meant Dominic was faced with considerably more work than he had originally expected.
He said: “This rear tub is a lot worse than I was ever hoping. I genuinely thought it was going to be okay. I knew there were a few little bits here and there, but now I’ve cleaned it and had a proper look, I can already see how much trouble I’m going to be in with this.”
He explained the entire assembly would now require complete disassembly into its individual parts.
He said: “I’m going to have to strip this right down. And I mean unpicking spot welds, drilling out rivets and stripping it completely. I will try and keep as much as I possibly can, but pretty much every panel has got some kind of damage, some worse than others. None of them are particularly good.
This latest setback is far from the first hurdle Dominic has faced during the restoration project. The vehicle’s chassis had already been found to be entirely rotten after spending years partially buried beneath undergrowth, making it one of the most demanding restorations he has taken on in recent memory.
Just weeks ago, he also disclosed that he had accidentally caused damage to the Land Rover’s seat base while lifting the rear tub, leading him to contemplate enlisting the help of fellow Repair Shop expert Sonnaz Nooranvary before the project reaches completion.
Away from the workshop, Dominic is a devoted enthusiast of classic machinery. His personal collection comprises a 1957 Porsche 356A, several Land Rovers, a Volkswagen camper, a 1958 VW split bus and a 1936 BSA motorbike.
He is additionally working to restore an early-1980s Volkswagen Caddy pickup alongside the hedge-discovered Land Rover.
Source: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/repair-shop-star-faces-low-34134430