bodywork | Ask Honest John

Ask Honest John

Most recently answered bodywork questions

Old British cars of the 1970s were probably more susceptible to rust than modern cars.

The email regarding paint problems following bonnet repairs reminded me of problems I had about thirty years ago when I was unfortunate enough to own a BL Princess. After about 12 months, pit marks appeared...

Can I reject a car over damage and mismatched tyres?

My 2013 BMW 33-D Touring was delivered in August. Upon delivery, I noticed that the car had bodywork damage, which the supplying dealer has repaired. I have now noticed that the on the nearside, the front...

How can we get bird droppings off our Range Rover Evoque's paintwork?

My wife's Range Rover Evoque is only a few months old. We found some bird droppings on the car that, after attempted cleaning, did not remove the matted look. We took it back to the dealer who, to our...

Will a 2005 - 2010 spoiler fit my Vauxhall Zafira?

I am having trouble finding a second hand lower black spoiler for my 2010 Vauxhall Zafira. Will a 2005 to 2010 spoiler fit on my bumper or do I need to get a 2008 to 2011 part?

Is £400 a reasonable price to repair the sills on my 1996 Ford Escort?

I run a 1996 Ford Escort Ghia 1.8i Cabriolet. It's done 73,000 miles and is in excellent condition. Recently, I took it to a local garage for its MoT. I was told my car needed new sills to pass and I was...

How can I remove another car's paint scuff from my paintwork?

What's the best method of removing another car’s paint from your own car’s paintwork?

Should I buy an Agila with a cracked bumper?

The Agila I was thinking of buying from has been found to have a cracked front bumper on its pre-delivery inspection. Presumably it is only plastic, but they don't know how it occurred and this is worrying....

I had an Austin A35 van with a floor made of newspaper.

In today's Telegraph you asked if readers had heard of newspaper clippings inside a car. My story involves a car made of newspaper clippings. My first vehicle was a green Austin A35 van, bought for £150...

We found a pair of pliers inside the chassis rail of my 1938 Alvis Speed.

NB's report of the inscription inside the Porsche body shell reminded me of a strange discovery found during the restoration of my 1938 Alvis Speed 25 some twenty years ago. When the ash body frame was...