Public and Trade enquiries welcome.

From rectifying bumps and scrapes, to dealing with serious corrosions issues and structural failures, our highly skilled fabrication and welding staff can get your vehicle back on the road and as good as new.

We can undertake the fabrication and welding work only (as we often do for our Trade clients), or use our mechanics, panel beaters and paint spraying staff, to fully complete any job... the choice is yours.

Note: Our fabricators can usually repair damaged or severely rusted panels. That said, it may be more economical to purchase original, or aftermarket, spare components. Once again, the choice will be yours.

Why come to us for your fabricating and welding?

Unlike most garages, our specialist staff are welding and fabricating motor vehicles for almost every hour of their working day... and have been doing so for many years.

Over this time, they will have each worked on a huge variety of cars, campervans, commercial vehicles, limousines, buses, etc. both modern and old. In fact, for us not to have worked on a car before, it would now have to be either a very new model, or something very exotic and rare.

In-short, we have a level of experience and expertise that cannot be matched, and this is the reason why so many reputable garages, body shops, and Classic Car restoration specialists, come to us to undertake their fabrication and welding work.

What our motor vehicle fabrication and welding specialists do...

Anything from relatively quick and simple jobs such as minor MOT Test issues, to fully restoring rare vintage cars that often arrive as a rusted out shell and several boxes of unlabelled parts (usually, with quite a few bits missing!).

Repair crash damaged structural components and/or bodywork.

Rejuvenate any Car, Commercial Van, Pickup Truck, Campervan, Motorhome, 4x4 Off-Road Vehicle, etc. that our clients want to keep cosmetically in good order and fully roadworthy… this could be because it makes economic sense; because extending the life of a vehicle is more environmentally friendly than buying new; or simply because of a love and emotional attachment to a cherished vehicle.

Restore (full or part) classic cars and most other motor vehicles.

Bespoke Fittings usually but not limited to - Commercial Vans, Pickup Trucks, 4x4 Off-Road Vehicles, Horse Transporters, Racing Cars, etc.

In fact, Fabrication and Welding specialists have always been the place to go for bespoke modifications to motor vehicles, and some of the things that people ask for are both unique and ingenious. The advantage that we have at Trickett Autoworks, is that not only do we have the specialist fabrication and welding staff, we also have a variety of other highly skilled staff who are very capable of undertaking the stripping out; modifying any mechanical or electrical components; prepare and respray any bodywork; and then put the vehicle back together... obviously, this can be a lot less faff for our customers, than having to coordinate a myriad of different trades.

Exhaust System repairs and bespoke modifications.

NOTE: A recent job (a very rare Italian sports car), required three whole months of meticulous welding and fabrication work. Obviously, welding and fabrication work on this scale is a very expensive undertaking but if the vehicle is worth it to you... then we have the requisite skills and experience to get the job done properly.

In summary...

At the very heart of Trickett Autoworks, are our specialist motor vehicle welding and fabrication services. These services provide the solid structure essential for any project, big or small.

Note: All bare metal is treated with anti-corrosion treatments prior to applying sealant or paint products.

If you would like to see more fabrication and welding images, please (CLICK HERE)

Looking to the future: -

At the very heart of Trickett Autoworks, are our specialist motor vehicle fabrication and welding services. Historically this is our roots, and because the foundation of all good motor vehicle restoration or rejuvenation work is a solid Chassis, Underbody and Body Shell, providing these specialist services will remain at the very core of our business.

Technology and materials used in the production of motor vehicles have undoubtedly improved, and this has brought us to an era where changing your family car or work van, is more likely to be a choice made because of the vehicles deteriorating aesthetics, rather than any practical necessity. Consequently, the need for our fabrication and welding services should be diminishing and our destiny wholly reliant on clasic car restoration work, but this this not the reality and for three main reasons: -

1) By now, metal was predicted to be replaced by plastics, fibre glass, and other exotic high-tech materials. Plastics and Fibre Glass have turned out to be of limited use, and whilst Carbon Fibre is a truly fantastic material, it is not suited to mass production. So, unless you can transport your family and/or tools in a hideously expensive Sports Car, metal is still the only viable material.

2) Environmental concerns! Finally, we are all realising that discarding, rather than properly maintaining, fundamentally good motor vehicles, is no longer sustainable. We see a great future in “rejuvenating” modern motor vehicles, increasing the current average lifecycle from 13.5 years, to at least 30 years.

3) We also foresee the need for replacing the enjoyment associated with “buying a new vehicle,” with the enjoyment of “personalising an existing vehicle”. Let’s face it, when you buy a new mass produced car or van, it’s nice but that’s it. It’s not just better for the environment to rejuvenate, modify, or upgrade an existing vehicle, it can be far more exciting and financially, a far better option too.

So, after more than 45 years of offering fabricating and welding services to the Public and Motor Trade, do we see an end… not at all, in fact we can see an increasing demand.

Environmental Note: for those who think that investing in Electric Vehicles is a better choice for the environment than keeping our existing cars or vans on the road, then please CLICK HERE to read our research on the subject. In short, we believe that Electric Vehicles will NOT be an environmentally better alternative to petrol or diesel powered vehicles for at least 30 years and in reality, probably not for at least 50 years!

Welding - A friendly caution: -

Welding on motor vehicles is both difficult and dangerous. So, before you have a go yourself, or entrust a non-specialist welder, let's understand the true meaning of "difficult" and "dangerous".

Difficult: -

Welding any thin sheet metal is inherently difficult. The majority of motor vehicles are constructed using a lot of thin sheet metal body parts and whilst the metal is thin, it has design elements that enable more substantive structural components to be attached to it e.g. the engine, wheels, shock absorbers, etc. Therefore, when replacing crash damaged or corroded sheet metal body parts, the quality of the fabrication and welding is critical to retain the structural integrity of the whole vehicle.

Welding overhead or in awkward spaces, makes welding a considerably more difficult. Unfortunately, welding overhead or in awkward spaces, pretty much defines being a motor vehicle welding specialist.

Choosing the correct welding equipment and consumables to suit each specific welding task, and dialling-in the correct equipment settings, requires considerable experience.

Keeping the welder, other people, and anything else within the surrounding area completely safe, can often be very problematic.

Dangerous: -

Firstly, motor vehicles are laden with highly combustible materials and fluids. All welding is done at temperatures way in excess of the ignition point of these materials and if they were to ignite, it's not just your motor vehicle at risk!

Understanding and identifying the structural components of a vehicle's design is essential, as poor welding and or fabrication work can significantly undermine the vehicle's structural integrity. This could result in a catastrophic failure either immediately, or at any time in the future.

During the various processes of fabrication and welding work, there are a number of serious health hazards e.g. UV Rays, Chemicals, Dust Particles and Fumes. Welding fumes are now known to contain highly toxic and/or, carcinogen particles.

Important Note: -

Besides the standard welding protection which has been used forever e.g. welding shields, leather gauntlets, thick coveralls, etc.(i.e. Personal Protection Equipment - PPE), welders are now required to wear Respiratory Protection Equipment (RPE) and in enclosed environments, they also need to use Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) equipment to protect both themselves, and any other people around them, from inhaling toxic welding fumes. Even outdoors welders must wear RPE, and unless there is adequate natural ventilation, LEV equipment must be used outdoors too.

Why the caution?

It is an all too frequent occurrence for us, to come across poor quality and dangerous welding.

A typical example of the issues we encounter, is when a client's car has just failed an MOT Test and they have booked us to fix the problem. From a visual inspection, both the customer and our staff would expect the work to be a "relatively quick and inexpensive job"… and it should be!

Unfortunately, it is not until you start stripping off the filler, fibre glass, underseal, etc. that the hidden nightmare of previous sub-standard and dangerous repair work, is fully exposed.

Whether the vehicle had been purchased in this condition; the client had paid someone to do this work; or if they had actually done the work themselves; nobody wants to find out their car was unsafe, and nobody likes the higher repair cost of fixing bodges!

Note: -

Fillers underseals and paints are used whether welding and fabrication work is executed to a high standard or bodged, as these are essential products that protect metals from corrosion and/or, to produce a smooth aesthetically pleasing surface finish. However, these same products can also be used inappropriately to mask sub-standard workmanship.

In summary: we are car enthusiasts and do not wish to stifle other enthusiasts from attempting to undertake fabrication and welding work on their own motor vehicles. However if you do, please ensure that you really know how to do a competent and safe job, and also fully understand the health risks associated with welding.

It is also worth pointing out that if you are welding in, or close to, domestic properties (which is highly likely), you should check that any Buildings and Contents Insurance you have, will cover any potential incident (as it probably won't).

Lastly, if you have had a good attempt at welding your car but the job turned out to be beyond your capabilities, please don’t just cover up an unsafe repair and hope for the best, as this endangers both yourself and others.

NOTE: If you decide that you would like to get some professional fabrication and welding work done on your vehicle, please be aware that you will probably need to search for a specialist, as most garages cannot justify the cost of Insurance Cover for welding work, and even more garages have given up welding recently, due to the high cost of purchasing and maintaining RPE and LEV equipment (necessary to comply with new HSE regulations).

Finishing on a positive note, specialist motor vehicle fabrication and welding businesses like Trickett Autoworks, charge a similar hourly rate to most standard garages. So, other than the fact that they may be a little further away, why would you actually choose not to use a specialist?