Hils Everitt – Editor at Large
So, while the saga about what 4×4 to buy to replace my beloved WJ continues, in the meantime it needed some cosmetic surgery to spruce it up for selling. While I was away on hols in Corsica enjoying two-wheel fun with the Tour de France and the Italian Lakes, I left it with Diamond Styling at the Vestry Industrial Estate in Sevenoaks to sort out the rather tarnished alloys. The last two snowy winters have played havoc and they needed a good clean up. When I first took the Jeep to see Paul, another road cycling fan so I was there for rather too long, he took a look and sucked his teeth, as expected, then said yep fine, there are a few dodgy spots but we can sort them out. I had a new set of wheel centres that the lovely guys at Jeep sourced for me, so Paul offered me £60 per wheel, and I said “Done!” I was quoted anything from £55 to £80 per wheel; the lowest was just too far away and inconvenient. Paul’s price included removing and refitting the wheels and tyres.
Paul and his team do a lot of fleet work for trade customers as well as private jobs like my Jeep. And the finished product is superb. First they chemically strip the old paint and the wheels were low pressure blasted to improve the surface condition and new paint adhesion. Next any kerb damage is then either machined out or filled, although mine didn’t have any, well one minor nudge that wasn’t my fault…
Spec: 2.7 CRD Limited
Mileage: 95,500
MPG: 32/33
Costs: £240 four alloys treated
Arrived: September 2006
You can read more about this Jeep in the November 2013 issue of 4×4 Magazine – available here
