Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi Everyone

Had a cracking day over there yesterday with a lovely country roads run there and back with old and new friends alike, really what it's all about!

Here are some pics (apologies for quality of some of them, mobile phone camera!):

The way over:





First of all we met for a history of the company by the very knowledgeable museum curator, he made the tour really interesting, all the staff have been there a long time and are passionate about what they do. The craft as you will see later is stunning and varied.

An Aero Supersports work in progress:





Reception and important car display (GT3 and Le Mans cars there too):







Andy's new car :

Starting assembly of a plus 8, the classic body with bonded aluminium chassis and BMW V8:









A stack of engines, useful!:



Some 4/4 (4cyl Ford engines with 4 wheels!) rolling chassis:

The Panel Shop.

Fettling wings:



Fitting and fettling of wings and doors:

The Wood Shop







Preform of Rear Wings on 4/4 with the really old clamped moulds, panels are laminated ply with a fast setting PU adhesive to set in 1 hour:







This is how it's done for the modern cars, vacuum moulds:





Veneering a dash with the burr walnut using vacuum bags too:

Trim Shop

Seat leather being bonded to foam:





Fitting it out, any combination of colour and is trim possible:





The roof being prepared to go onto the car:



Internal parts all crafted in house:



The tool kit goes in and includes a hammer!

PDI and Final Repairs Shop:

Aero pre-formed wings made by superheating and blow moulding under high air pressure:



An Aeromax that looks like it's going no further!





3 Wheeler body storage:





PDI bays:

3 Wheeler Assembly

Wacking great 2 litre, 2 cylinder:

Absolutely Fab day out.

All started for nearly all of us with a top quality breakfast. (Peter needs smaller fingers to enter postcode in his satnav).

The drive there was good although we only just made it in time.
The drive back was awesome, great choice of roads Paul and almost empty.

As for the factory tour, if you haven't done it yet it's well worth organising a trip there.
So good to see craftsmen working. Very surprised at the age of the workforce, much younger than I expected, so looks like they're in good hands for years to come.
According to Peter, who arrived first, the staff canteen is very reasonable . I must keep him in eyesight next trip.

On the last tour I went on the current MD was telling me that the workforce are in 3rd generation, handed grandfather rights down in each of the shops, very impressive. Sadly the board is no longer 3rd gen but that's another story depends which side of the fence you sit on!

The MD, Steve Morris is a good guy and took a lot of time chatting with my boys which I was really impressed with, he himself came up from apprentice at 16!

Video of part of the run over there added near the top of post 1.

Sadly none of the better run back as I left the camera running whist were were on the tour and the battery went dead!

Makes me look so slow

Thought the opposite you were going well!