A REDDITCH man who has spent most of his life fixing up a 1936 Austin 7 Nippy has finished the project after 52 years.
Bredon View resident Bob Miller bought the car off a friend in 1966 when he was just 17-years-old.
Now aged 70, Bob says he can’t believe it’s actually on the road again.
He said: “My friend drove it for about three years but decided to sell it to me after the engine packed in.
“I borrowed some money off my mum to buy it because I still saw potential in the car.
“I put a second-hand engine in and used it for six months until the MoT was due.”
Unfortunately lots of things were wrong with it – the radiator was leaking, the chassis was broken and the body work was damaged and distorted.
This was due to a poor body repair done previously and all the major components were excessively worn and in poor condition.
Bob dismantled the Austin and started to build it back up with fresh parts.
But more than a decade passed without much work being done to the car.
“I did bits and bobs between 1966 and 1989 but nothing much.
“Life gets in the way sometimes and I was busy growing up.
“By the time 1989 rolled around though, I thought to myself, If I don’t start now, I’ll never get it done.”
Determined, Bob started by repairing the chassis and overhauling and reconditioning its component parts which took him almost two years to get right.
He then spent the the rest of the years perfecting the body work, including the front section, back and finally the rear.
“I had to replace all the floor panels too,” Said Bob.
Since completing the work earlier this year, Bob has already racked up 600 miles on the clock.
He said: “It’s amazing. I use it all the time.
“I can’t quite believe how long it has taken but I’m so happy to be in the driving seat again.”
