Car restorations, up close and personal

*This article was published 10 years ago

Locals and visitors will soon be able to watch the restoration of classic cars right here in Docklands.

Brian Tanti will open a workshop to the public this month allowing them to see firsthand the magic of car restoration.

Mr Tanti is the former director of the Fox Classic Car Collection and is a former Docklands Chamber of Commerce president. He is also the CEO of the AutoHorizon Foundation, the not-for-profit organisation behind the FR-1 concept car.

His workshop is based at the Automotive Centre of Excellence (ACE) but is part of the Fox Classic Car Museum.

The workshop will allow visitors to get an insight into the restoration process.

“It’s all about seeing what happens behind the scenes and seeing the disciplines that are applied when restoring a car,” Mr Tanti said.

The first car to be restored is a 1963 Bentley S2 Continental. Mr Tanti said the restoration would be fairly extensive as the car had a high degree of corrosion and wear.

“It will be a labour intensive process,” he said.

According to Mr Tanti the public restoration will allow visitors to watch the transition of an unrestored car to a restored masterpiece and also to witness restoration disciplines Brian Tanti (right) explains his restoration of the 550 Spyder to Peta Wheadon and volunteer Peter Jamieson. that nowadays are quite often unseen.

Mr Tanti said it was likely the car would be displayed in the museum once restored. But the workshop won’t be limited to the restoration and maintenance of classic cars.

Mr Tanti said he would also be working on the FR-1 concept car at the workshop, adding another dimension to the visitor experience.

According to Mr Tanti the workshop activity will rotate with diff erent work happening all the time.

Fox Classic Car Museum manager Peta Wheadon said the workshop would allow enthusiasts to admire the quality of work and the craftsmanship that had gone into the recreating and restoring process.

“Brian is one of the best restorers in the world,” Ms Wheadon said.

While appreciating the technical elements involved in restoration, Ms Wheadon said visitors were also intrigued by the history of the cars.

A 1955 Porsche 550 Spyder restored by Mr Tanti in the mid 90s and now featured in the museum was raced by famed drivers Stirling Moss and Jack Brabham.

“Sometimes you can be really lucky and fi nd an interesting former owner,” Mr Tanti said.