CONTOUR ACADEMY: Learn pro restoration techniques

PRICE: See offer on p.20 CONTACT: contouracademy.com

WE’VE all seen or heard of the skilled craftsmen who can produce a one-off body panel to precisely fit a classic car. Such skills are increasingly lending themselves to Land Rover restoration as quality body sections become harder to source, and as years of corrosion destroy hidden sections that were never expected to be replaced.

Developing the skills and acquiring the equipment to make complex panels takes time and money, but most Land Rover restoration repairs involve smaller repair sections which we can make ourselves, given some expert tuition and a few basic hand tools. Contour Academy offers a series of videos explaining the skills and techniques used in metal forming, including shaping steel and aluminium panels, forming flanges, jig building, making patterns for body sections, using a wheeling machine (English wheel), plus TIG welding of steel and aluminium.

I’ve watched the 25-minute video, Flanging, which clearly explains the methods for producing convex, concave and straight flanges on the edge of a steel panel. The filming, audio and presentation are all of high quality and left me feeling I had enough information to give flanging a serious go. Of course, plenty of practice is needed to wield the hammers and manipulate the work piece with anything like the apparent ease and precision demonstrated by tutor Bruce Macleod.

If you want to know how to flange a repair section so that it can be properly welded in, or even produce a large panel, this video is £60 well spent, and the skill will come in useful for other work.

■ Contour Academy in Peterborough has over 40 years experience in building and restoring historic and classic vehicles, and runs hands-on courses for professional and amateur restorers.