"Why settle for less when there's a demand for excellence"
Chris Pursall - Director
Chris Pursall - Director
Prestige Paintworks was set-up in February 2009 by Chris Pursall. After 25 plus years working at accredited bodyshops and accident repair centres in the Southeast, Chris decided it was time to set up a specialist classic car restoration business.
Why do we specialise in the Restoration of Classic Cars?
We are all serious petrol heads with a genuine passion for the classic's, from a period when cars had style..
Quality.
Chris is a bit of a perfectionist to say the least so the battle for quality versus speed of throughput was always put to the test!
In his previous roles he constantly found himself in a moral battle of the job either being done "right" or "right now".
It seemed obvious that there was a large void within the industry for a shop to not just deliver good work, but to really stand apart and to provide great work.
Over time that void became more and more apparent and so the seed had been sewn. Top quality had to be the business model and over time to build a business that doesn't compete on price alone.
Opening a facility that could deliver an excellent service and with a "can do" attitude backed with a superb product would be a consistent focus. Since the start we haven’t looked back, building Prestige Paintworks on a solid foundation of over 25 years of hands on experience.
In his previous roles he constantly found himself in a moral battle of the job either being done "right" or "right now".
It seemed obvious that there was a large void within the industry for a shop to not just deliver good work, but to really stand apart and to provide great work.
Over time that void became more and more apparent and so the seed had been sewn. Top quality had to be the business model and over time to build a business that doesn't compete on price alone.
Opening a facility that could deliver an excellent service and with a "can do" attitude backed with a superb product would be a consistent focus. Since the start we haven’t looked back, building Prestige Paintworks on a solid foundation of over 25 years of hands on experience.
Who’s it for?
As we all know trying to please everyone simply doesn't work!
We solely focus on providing the serious discerning collector - those who appreciate the value in a top quality product and service, our main commodity is labour sales so being smart and not using up our time on budget restorations and low quality repaints is vitally important. Choosing the right clients to work with and their schedule of works is instrumental in supporting the market we serve best.
Our clients typically demand only the very best when it comes to classic car restoration - whether it is UK or International, and we are only a phone call away.
Now in our 16th year and with some fantastic long-term clients. We can spot a good job from a bad one within minutes when estimating a vehicle for restoration. When you've done something for long enough you can just tell.
We quickly spot issues which most people haven't even noticed or which others may have considered acceptable, We are passionate about what we do so it’s our job to notice when there are issues, or areas of concern, and to inform the client with the options available to correct them.
We don't do fixed price restorations. It might be fashionable at the moment, and there are some restorers that do that.
But consider this: how can we charge the same price for a fairly original car that needs a facelift as a barn find that needs everything doing? How is that remotely fair or even sensible? It leads to someone paying over the odds for one restoration but not nearly enough for the another.
We solely focus on providing the serious discerning collector - those who appreciate the value in a top quality product and service, our main commodity is labour sales so being smart and not using up our time on budget restorations and low quality repaints is vitally important. Choosing the right clients to work with and their schedule of works is instrumental in supporting the market we serve best.
Our clients typically demand only the very best when it comes to classic car restoration - whether it is UK or International, and we are only a phone call away.
Now in our 16th year and with some fantastic long-term clients. We can spot a good job from a bad one within minutes when estimating a vehicle for restoration. When you've done something for long enough you can just tell.
We quickly spot issues which most people haven't even noticed or which others may have considered acceptable, We are passionate about what we do so it’s our job to notice when there are issues, or areas of concern, and to inform the client with the options available to correct them.
We don't do fixed price restorations. It might be fashionable at the moment, and there are some restorers that do that.
But consider this: how can we charge the same price for a fairly original car that needs a facelift as a barn find that needs everything doing? How is that remotely fair or even sensible? It leads to someone paying over the odds for one restoration but not nearly enough for the another.
Why are we specialists?
With a small team of highly skilled panel beaters, painters and engineers who all share Chris’ methodical, detailed and thorough approach, Prestige Paintworks is renowned for its work within the automotive restoration industry. We are proud of being known as anything but a regular body-shop and paintshop!
Each restoration has its own unique history and its own challenges. We go through a step-by-step process where we break down every vehicle restoration into key stages and assess all of the work required, Sure, each project shares some commonality with another one, but in each case, it will be evaluated and judged on its own merit before any decisions are made. We then agree a plan with each client to move the project forward.
We pride ourselves on a very high standard and we focus on the Aston Martin, Ferrari and Jaguar marques, This means that many leading heritage specialists, who may be struggling with staff vs workload (and other resources), are entrusting Prestige Paintworks with key stages of body and paint work to help them cope with capacity whilst meeting deadlines and exceeding their customer expectation
Why are we different?
Unlike a lot of companies where the owners have chosen to take a back seat on the day to day running of the business and have employed managers to run things, Prestige Paintworks is different whereby Chris is still as hands-on today with restorations as he was over fourteen years ago.
Now with 40 plus years of experience and a broad skillset he can cover everything from strip and fit, metal fabrication including English wheeling panels to the preparation and painting of the cars, so his labour is invested on key stages where it’s needed the most.
These days the final preparation that goes into achieving a Prestige Paintworks standard paint job is carried out and overseen by Chris. This helps maintain the highest quality and continuity required with the final finish on all cars ultimately painted by Chris himself. His passion, endless enthusiasm and quite possibly a large helping of OCD achieve the end results you see today.
Now with 40 plus years of experience and a broad skillset he can cover everything from strip and fit, metal fabrication including English wheeling panels to the preparation and painting of the cars, so his labour is invested on key stages where it’s needed the most.
These days the final preparation that goes into achieving a Prestige Paintworks standard paint job is carried out and overseen by Chris. This helps maintain the highest quality and continuity required with the final finish on all cars ultimately painted by Chris himself. His passion, endless enthusiasm and quite possibly a large helping of OCD achieve the end results you see today.
What are the benefits?
What are the benefits?
We ensure that every vehicle is looked after correctly from start to finish. We discuss all our findings and how we go about executing them with the correct procedures, It’s clear that the best cars are the most valuable cars so it makes sense to invest in quality work rather than cutting corners wherever possible to cut cost.
So, whether one is thinking ahead, looking from a financial standpoint and considering a future sale of a car, or a Concours restoration, built to factory original specification, we ensure the right schedule of works fit each client’s requirements.
It is worth noting that a photographic record of the car restoration is important to build a detailed provenance file which will in turn boosts its value - enhancing the financial return,
Alternatively, a concours restoration, built to factory original specification, helps our clients win trophies at classic car shows and provides a great sense of pride and plenty of feel good factor.
We encourage the owners to call in as often as they can as well to see the progress being made on their project and also to be an active part of the restoration journey.
Not all our clients are local to us or even UK based, so we've created live videos too. This helps us walk the client round their car in a virtual tour, providing necessary client interaction. Regular communication is so important to maintain consistency in the project’s direction so the more times the client can call in to view progress the better.
So, whether one is thinking ahead, looking from a financial standpoint and considering a future sale of a car, or a Concours restoration, built to factory original specification, we ensure the right schedule of works fit each client’s requirements.
It is worth noting that a photographic record of the car restoration is important to build a detailed provenance file which will in turn boosts its value - enhancing the financial return,
Alternatively, a concours restoration, built to factory original specification, helps our clients win trophies at classic car shows and provides a great sense of pride and plenty of feel good factor.
We encourage the owners to call in as often as they can as well to see the progress being made on their project and also to be an active part of the restoration journey.
Not all our clients are local to us or even UK based, so we've created live videos too. This helps us walk the client round their car in a virtual tour, providing necessary client interaction. Regular communication is so important to maintain consistency in the project’s direction so the more times the client can call in to view progress the better.
Need proof?
Need proof?
Here is a link to some Prestige Paintwork’s customer reviews where they discuss their experience and restoration success.
We also have some uniquely different case studies showcasing the options available for the discerning private collector:
The Jaguar Series 3 E-type was commissioned for a collector to realise his lifelong dream.
The Aston Martin DB 2/4Mk1 Drophead was built to be as close to how it left the factory in 1954 – it is arguably the finest Mk1 Drophead to exist.
We also have some uniquely different case studies showcasing the options available for the discerning private collector:
The Jaguar Series 3 E-type was commissioned for a collector to realise his lifelong dream.
The Aston Martin DB 2/4Mk1 Drophead was built to be as close to how it left the factory in 1954 – it is arguably the finest Mk1 Drophead to exist.
:I
A brief bit about myself:
Long before I chose this industry as a career I could tell the difference between a 7/16 and a 1/2 inch spanner from the age of about 6 or 7, that's according to my father.
He is a mechanic, though now retired would often maintain cars for people after work and at weekends so I’d often be outside offering what little bit of help I could, passing tools was my introduction and over the years with my father’s supervision I would take things apart to see how they worked then put them back together again so it’s fair to say cars are in my blood.
Once I’d left school I knew working on cars was the future for me so as 16 year old YTS trainee I started in a small family garage called Car Services, to this day I will be forever grateful to Andy Funnell the owner, for giving me my first job opportunity in the motor trade.
Working there and with my father probably plays a large part in the way I am today in terms of work ethic etc.
Everyone helped out, so although you had a 'preferred skill' you were also pretty good at all the other aspects of bodywork, paintwork and restoration too and so you were always kept busy and 5.30am starts were fairly common, something that has stuck to this day.
Back then it was a mix of trade work, general accident repairs with resprays and minor restorations very common too. It's in the latter I was 'happier' if that's the right term. I wasn't interested in banging out trade work and quick turn around jobs like a lot of people were, I wanted to get stuck right into the bigger, meatier size jobs and that's never really changed.
Back then doing your own stuff after hours was ok too so I got to learn how to get out of trouble fast when you are repainting a car on your own at weekends and it didn't go as planned. I learnt pretty fast I can tell you.
I left there in '87 to start at another garage to learn from other panel beaters and painters to see how I could benefit from seeing how they were doing things and utilising some of their techniques to broaden my own skillset so that in time I could become a much better versatile all rounder, I didn't want to be reliant on someone else to move a job forward so the more I could do myself the better it was in my eyes.
Wherever it was I worked I leaned into the bigger labour intensive jobs.
I spent 9 years at Leeds Motors in Eastbourne from the early 90's firstly as a panel beater doing a fair amount of Cellette Jig work then later as a painter.
During that time there were always people wanting motorbikes painting in GP colours or repaints on cars etc so I've always favoured the bigger jobs and never got that sense of being overwhelmed by the size of the job, it was always about the details so I just got on with it and still do...
Over time the type of jobs you take on after hours change because if your work is good then people start talking and before you know it your working on something special or expensive that simply has to be right. Looking back I've got to work on some pretty cool things.
It was working on the nicer stuff that naturally steered me towards the prestige market, high labour input jobs are where I'm more comfortable probably because they require plenty of patience and resilience and I have been in this trade long enough to know that the values of Aston's, Ferrari's and Jaguars are a few of the cars that can justify the hours it takes to turn out the right result.
I always knew that at some point I would start my own business, probably because I always had the drive and motivation it takes to succeed.
It took until late 2008 for the time to feel 'right' so with the help of my wife Gina's family (thanks Mr & Mrs T) I set up shop and haven't looked back and to this day I am truly grateful for them all believing in me and although many still see me as Chris the painter I've proven myself to be a versatile all rounder who can take on anything and deliver my promise.
I started on my own initially but as more work came in more hands were needed to cope. I outgrew my old place and although it served me well it just wasn't the right setting for the type of customers I wanted my business to appeal to so a business loan from a client (you know who you are, thank you) prompted a move to where we are today in a modern secure building and now a modest team of 4.
If I'm honest I've never had any ambition to build a big business, I am a hands on guy simply doing a job I love for people who appreciate what I do and nothing more. Holding on to that and controlling the growth of my company is important, a business with lots of employees that takes a large volume of work to feed it just isn't me.
The biggest business isn't always the best business in my opinion and I honestly think I prefer a smaller team anyway with a versatile skillset who work really well together that's far easier to manage.
To many a job is simply a means to an end but to me it's more than just a job, it always has been.
Those with a creative mind are self driven and I think that shows in a lot of what I do,
It's a genuine enthusiasm to do the best, to do more and continually be better than the day before and to create what some people would consider art, I mean that's the best job in the world right ?
Winston Churchill apparently once said:
"If you find a job you love, you'll never work again"
That's also been linked to Mark Twain and Confucious but I think they all have a point....
Chris Pursall
A brief bit about myself:
Long before I chose this industry as a career I could tell the difference between a 7/16 and a 1/2 inch spanner from the age of about 6 or 7, that's according to my father.
He is a mechanic, though now retired would often maintain cars for people after work and at weekends so I’d often be outside offering what little bit of help I could, passing tools was my introduction and over the years with my father’s supervision I would take things apart to see how they worked then put them back together again so it’s fair to say cars are in my blood.
Once I’d left school I knew working on cars was the future for me so as 16 year old YTS trainee I started in a small family garage called Car Services, to this day I will be forever grateful to Andy Funnell the owner, for giving me my first job opportunity in the motor trade.
Working there and with my father probably plays a large part in the way I am today in terms of work ethic etc.
Everyone helped out, so although you had a 'preferred skill' you were also pretty good at all the other aspects of bodywork, paintwork and restoration too and so you were always kept busy and 5.30am starts were fairly common, something that has stuck to this day.
Back then it was a mix of trade work, general accident repairs with resprays and minor restorations very common too. It's in the latter I was 'happier' if that's the right term. I wasn't interested in banging out trade work and quick turn around jobs like a lot of people were, I wanted to get stuck right into the bigger, meatier size jobs and that's never really changed.
Back then doing your own stuff after hours was ok too so I got to learn how to get out of trouble fast when you are repainting a car on your own at weekends and it didn't go as planned. I learnt pretty fast I can tell you.
I left there in '87 to start at another garage to learn from other panel beaters and painters to see how I could benefit from seeing how they were doing things and utilising some of their techniques to broaden my own skillset so that in time I could become a much better versatile all rounder, I didn't want to be reliant on someone else to move a job forward so the more I could do myself the better it was in my eyes.
Wherever it was I worked I leaned into the bigger labour intensive jobs.
I spent 9 years at Leeds Motors in Eastbourne from the early 90's firstly as a panel beater doing a fair amount of Cellette Jig work then later as a painter.
During that time there were always people wanting motorbikes painting in GP colours or repaints on cars etc so I've always favoured the bigger jobs and never got that sense of being overwhelmed by the size of the job, it was always about the details so I just got on with it and still do...
Over time the type of jobs you take on after hours change because if your work is good then people start talking and before you know it your working on something special or expensive that simply has to be right. Looking back I've got to work on some pretty cool things.
It was working on the nicer stuff that naturally steered me towards the prestige market, high labour input jobs are where I'm more comfortable probably because they require plenty of patience and resilience and I have been in this trade long enough to know that the values of Aston's, Ferrari's and Jaguars are a few of the cars that can justify the hours it takes to turn out the right result.
I always knew that at some point I would start my own business, probably because I always had the drive and motivation it takes to succeed.
It took until late 2008 for the time to feel 'right' so with the help of my wife Gina's family (thanks Mr & Mrs T) I set up shop and haven't looked back and to this day I am truly grateful for them all believing in me and although many still see me as Chris the painter I've proven myself to be a versatile all rounder who can take on anything and deliver my promise.
I started on my own initially but as more work came in more hands were needed to cope. I outgrew my old place and although it served me well it just wasn't the right setting for the type of customers I wanted my business to appeal to so a business loan from a client (you know who you are, thank you) prompted a move to where we are today in a modern secure building and now a modest team of 4.
If I'm honest I've never had any ambition to build a big business, I am a hands on guy simply doing a job I love for people who appreciate what I do and nothing more. Holding on to that and controlling the growth of my company is important, a business with lots of employees that takes a large volume of work to feed it just isn't me.
The biggest business isn't always the best business in my opinion and I honestly think I prefer a smaller team anyway with a versatile skillset who work really well together that's far easier to manage.
To many a job is simply a means to an end but to me it's more than just a job, it always has been.
Those with a creative mind are self driven and I think that shows in a lot of what I do,
It's a genuine enthusiasm to do the best, to do more and continually be better than the day before and to create what some people would consider art, I mean that's the best job in the world right ?
Winston Churchill apparently once said:
"If you find a job you love, you'll never work again"
That's also been linked to Mark Twain and Confucious but I think they all have a point....
Chris Pursall
