Bill Russell, owner of Apex Panel Beating & Spray Paint in Hastings, talks about losing his restored classic cars in a blaze that destroyed part of the business on Thursday night.
Hastings panelbeater Bill Russell says he is giving up classic car restoration after a blaze at his business destroyed vehicles worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Four classic American cars Russell had painstakingly restored over five years were reduced to charred metal skeletons by a fire in the storage area of his business on Thursday night.
He imported the cars from America and said they were worth at least $60,000 each.
Bill Russell surveys the damage caused by the fire.
The vehicles destroyed were a 1936 Ford V8 coupe, a 1951 Cadillac coupe, a 1962 Ford Thunderbird, and a 1974 six-door Cadillac Limousine.
The Limousine, which Russell had hired out for weddings, was a “one-off” in New Zealand, he said.
“A lot of work down the drain. You can’t replace those cars.”
A 1962 Ford Thunderbird (left) and a 1974 six-door Cadillac Limousine were among the classic cars owned by Hastings man Bill Russell destroyed in a fire at his panel-beating business.
He said he would not be looking for another restoration project.
“It takes too long to do a car up these days.”
The fire also claimed two racing cars belonging to friends that were in the shop ready to be painted on Friday, along with other vehicles belonging to customers of the business.
This Mazda RX7 racing car was also destroyed in the fire.
Russell also lost his brand-new aluminium boat, which he had not yet taken out on the water.
While the classic cars were insured, the payout would not fully cover the replacement cost of the vehicles, he said.
The fire service said the blaze at Apex Panel Beating & Spray Painting’s building, off Warren Street in Hastings, was “well-involved” when it got the call at 10.50pm.
Police, as well as the fire service, had been at the scene overnight on Thursday carrying out investigations.
Early indications seemed to suggest the fire was caused by an electrical issue.
– Stuff
"Unique" classic cars destroyed in Hastings panel beater blaze
Keine Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen