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Moulding Repairs and Polishing

You just don’t see them on modern motor vehicles, however on classic cars it is a very different picture with stainless or polished aluminium mouldings used to cover anything from panel joins through to styling embellishment. In any restoration finding someone who knows how to properly take care of the mouldings can be a little difficult but thankfully there is someone who is expert in bringing them back to match the rest of your car.

Allan McCoy of Moulding Repairs and Polishing started out as an apprentice panel beater working on Holdens, Chevs and Pontiacs for Stacks in Paddington, Sydney. Allan is quick to say that it was back in the days when panels were repaired and not replaced. The same went for mouldings that profusely adorned vehicles of the classic period. Allan recalls that for a time it just wasn’t economical to restore such fiddly items like mouldings and if any were needed it was s simple matter of ordering what you needed from the manufacturer.

Slowly things changed, especially when the restoration business picked up speed in the late 1970s and 1980s. Up to 10 years back Allan earned his bread and butter from full time restoration but was finding that more and more time was spent restoring mouldings. Soon it just made logical sense to forsake the perils of full vehicle restorations and concentrate on mouldings.

Initially Allan set up shop out the back of his home, ably assisted by his wife Irene. Before no time there was enough work to keep Alan and Irene busy 5 days a week. Both are enthusiastic members of the Chevrolet Club which probably explains why initially most of the mouldings that found their way into the McCoy’s able hands were from Chevrolets, Pontiacs and Buicks.

With word of mouth, business grew quickly, so much so that it was imperative to employ Grayson about 7 years back. Grayson went on to become a qualified tradesman panel beater and is still there. Then 2 years ago business was growing so much that it was necessary to put on a full time polisher. It was becoming very clear indeed that the business had started to out grow their home based facility.

As happens, fate lent a hand when just on 12 months ago Allan heard that an established polishing shop at Kingswood in western Sydney may be up sale. Never one to let the grass grow under his feet Allan found that it was indeed for sale and Moulding Repairs and Polishing was up and running. Since them Allan has added a polishing room complete with appropriate lighting and dust extraction. Before long they expanded into the factory next door.

Now the business has 6 people working there including one whose job is to clean and pack, meaning that Irene doesn’t have to come in every day of the week.

Just in case you were thinking that there was nothing to it repairing mouldings we ask our guru Alan McCoy just what happens when your precious pieces come in for repair.

“Of course we provide a comprehensive quote for each piece.” Allan our Classic Car Guru told us. “Then after it arrives the pieces receive a thorough clean with a degreaser. This removes all traces of road grime and tar. After that, each job is placed on its own trolley that will stay with the pieces right through to the very end. This is important as some pieces can be close to 3 metres in length.”

“We have 3 separate repair benches where any dents, bends and so on are removed by using a hammer and dolly followed by file finishing. Then starts the sanding, first with 180 grit on an air sander followed by 240 grit and then 320 grit.”

“The pieces are then wheeled into the polishing room.” Allan added. “In there are 3 different polishing wheels – sisal, stitched cotton and a floppy wheel. The sisal wheel makes short work of the scratches left by the 320 grit. Once polished the pieces are cleaned again, then inspected before being packed into plastic sleeves to await their owners.”

“It’s roughly the same process for stainless steel and aluminium but the compounds used in the polishing are slightly different. We do straight polishing as well such as engine parts and the like as well as some commercial brass polishing.”

Correctly restored mouldings can make all the difference between a first class restoration and an also ran. If you want to see the difference give Allan McCoy a call.

Moulding Repairs and Polishing

Unit 3, 27 Phillip Street

Kingswood NSW 2747

(02) 4731 1239

Proprietor: Allan McCoy

Hrs: M – F 8.00am to 5.00pm

Sat By Appointment

Words written by Patrick Quinn