21.05.2017 'Ready & Available For Hire'

The renovation is finally finished.  Austin has undergone engine upgrades as well as cosmetic surgery and is now a fully equipped prosecco and cocktail bar.  Sarah has been back in the classroom to gain the necessary license qualification to sell alcohol to the public and continues to work on the 'mundane' aspects of the business like sourcing the correct insurances and writing up risk assessments.  Even a small business like ours requires many requirements to ensure we remain legal and able to operate.  We have enjoyed the journey with Austin and would love to start another vintage restoration in the future but for now we will concentrate on getting Austin working hard so others can enjoy him as much as we do.  Watch this space for further blog posts on upcoming events.  If you read this and have enjoyed the journey too please come and say 'hi' if you see us out and about.

01.05.2017 "Cheers"

One thing we have learnt throughout this six month venture is that patience and attention to detail is paramount.  We are aiming for a high quality finish with many eye-catching features.  The fun really begins now we have an 'almost' finished bar (just awaiting the taps and cooling system).  We are in the process of sourcing the prosecco and other drinks so we can market a range of flavoured beverages which ooze vintage character and style.  We have taken our own photographs for our website and this is another project which is almost ready to go live.  Bank Holiday Sunday was spent scouring the many antique shops of Hemswell to purchase unusual props and useable objects including an old gas lamp, a vintage radio, a brownie camera and a brass bell (more photo's to follow).

23.04.2017 "When a Plan Comes Together"

We have taken advantage of the fine weather and the longer daylight hours this weekend.  When you are driven by wanting to finish a project you have started getting up early and working 10-hour days is not a chore!  This weekend we have finished the small touches needed to bring The Aust-Inn to life; replacing his badges and front number plate, giving him a thorough clean and of course, fitting the bar.  This has definitely been the highlight of this whole project for us.  To see The Aust-Inn at his finest we waited until dusk to dress his interior and switch on the fairy lights.  We have used this as a photo opportunity for our developing website.  We are really proud of our achievements and are really looking forward to promoting The Aust-Inn at some upcoming events we are hoping to be invited to.  We just need to sort out the carburetor so his engine is humming again, then we will take him to the cliff tops of Cayton for his final photo shoot.  

13.04.2017 Welcome to "The Aust-Inn"

This blog began with Mike and I buying a wreck of a van with countless jobs to start and finish which felt really daunting at the time.  This restoration journey has been a road with speed bumps, dead ends and cross-roads.  We have worked together and used our own unique set of skills.  We began with a vision which has morphed over the past few months into what you see in the photo's below.  We wanted to give Austin his own identity and maintain as much originality as possible, after all, we want people to admire this prosecco bar for its character and age, not for its clean cut image. We found a local guy to hand paint the signage:  WELCOME TO THE AUST-INN!!

10.04.2017 Raising The Bar

Austin's main purpose is to 'bring a bit of 60's sparkle' via his transformation into a fully functioning mobile bar.  The wood work is taking shape much quicker than the metal working on this project and there has been significant progress during the last couple of days.  We are taking our theme into the 21st century with a perfect blend of stained oak paneling trimmed with copper coins.  Each coin was dipped and polished and took no less than four hours to achieve a highly polished finish.  The coins have been set forever in a chemical we found online called epoxy resin.  Mixing two compounds, allowing the mixture to freelow over the surface and leaving to set for no less than 72 hours will give the bar an ultra modern mirror finish that is tough and durable.  Austin's brand is also starting to appear with the hand painted (YES.... hand painted) signage.

Epoxy resin finish

Hand painted (thank you Trevor)

08.04.2017 Phase 3 In Progress

Austin's bodywork has taken all our attention since we made him part of our family six months ago.  For anyone who has followed our journey it is clear to see the improvements we have made. Phase 3 is our final stage prior to marketing and promoting Austin as a business.  His bar is beginning to take shape much quicker than we'd anticipated.  We have swapped metal grinders and spray cans for a jigsaw and varnish stain.  Our bar concept is 'Olde English Inn' and we hope to successfully achieve this using stained wood, copper, brass, and using authentic pub ideas.  Online shops and bidding sites have become our best friend and  the postman might as well have a key as he's been round every day for the last two weeks.  We hope to have the bar finished by the end of April and are looking at ways of celebrating the grand opening of 'The Aust-Inn'...Austin's official name.

26.03.2017 What A Difference A Day Makes

For anyone who has followed our blog from the start our apologies for the various stages of bodywork images but for anyone who knows what it takes to restore a barn find, it takes time to rebuild the layers to a good standard.  We promise the paint work is nearing completion but these blogs have shown how many months of hard work in a cold and cob web filled single garage are finally starting to show results.  As you can see from the image, Austin used to look like a golf course; his green facade offering more than the usual 18 holes.  He is now gleaming with an old English 'Champagne Beige' lacquered finish, complete with copper rimmed wheels and freshly polished chrome fittings.  We are over the moon with how transformed Austin is starting to look and we aim to get his exterior completed in the next few days so the third and final phase can begin.

Before & After image of the wheel arch