The Repair Shop presenter Dominic Chinea has given an emotional update on one of his most treasured restoration projects, after disaster struck at his Cornwall-based workshop
Dominic has multiple restoration projects on the go (Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Express)
Car fanatic and The Repair Shop presenter Dominic Chinea confessed “it’s getting worse and worse” while sharing an update on his restoration endeavours, leading to a “roller coaster of emotions” as he was forced to consider abandoning one beloved project.
The engineering specialist has been reviving a decrepit 1957 Series 1 Land Rover he discovered concealed in a hedgerow close to his new Cornwall residence. He’s characterised it as being amongst his most demanding undertakings yet, considering the chassis was entirely corroded and the motor had been partially submerged in vegetation for numerous years.
Dominic’s rebuild hasn’t exactly gone smoothly. Just a fortnight ago, the expert craftsman acknowledged he’d encountered a significant setback after inadvertently damaging the Land Rover’s seat base while hoisting the rear tub.
He mentioned he was contemplating contacting The Repair Shop colleague and upholstery specialist Sonnaz Nooranvary before the Land Rover could be deemed finished.
However, Dominic’s struggles with the Land Rover restoration aren’t his sole headache at the moment, as he’s experienced a second setback with his classic VW Caddy.
The BBC presenter is quite the motoring enthusiast, with a 1957 Porsche 356a, several Land Rovers (Series 1 and Defender 110), a 13-window VW camper, a 1958 VW split bus, and a 1936 BSA motorcycle amongst his substantial collection. One of the many motors undergoing restoration in Dominic’s new workshop is an early Eighties Volkswagen Caddy pickup.
Last February, consecutive storms triggered a serious incident in his new workshop, inflicting considerable damage to the Mk1 Caddy. Dominic explained: “Previously, during the last storm, part of the roof flew off of the workshop and landed on the Caddy, smashed into the bonnet. It made a hole in the bonnet, dented the wing, and I was gutted.”
He went on to describe how the reinforced concrete beams holding up his workshop were deteriorating badly: “The steel rebar is getting rusty and swelling up and it’s breaking the concrete and a chunk of that has fallen off the roof.
“Of course, it’s landed on the windscreen of the Caddy and broken the windscreen”
Taking the blame for the incident, Dominic explained that recent work carried out to fit a ramp in the workshop had likely caused vibrations from the machinery that shook loose the chunk of concrete: “That is my stupid fault,” he said. “I should have put something a board over [the cars] or moved them outside or something like that.”
Following this latest mishap, Dominic admitted he was seriously considering parting ways with the pickup: “I may well sell it because I haven’t really used it since I’ve been down here and I feel bad that the poor thing is just getting worse and worse whilst it’s here.”
Appealing to his followers, he confessed he had little idea of the vehicle’s current value, saying: “Make me an offer.”
