Finch Restorations

18/03/2026

🏁 Adelaide Motorsport Festival 2026 🏁

A few more highlights from our weekend at Victoria Park. Even with the rain, the Adelaide Motorsport Festival delivered an incredible mix of historic and modern performance machinery.

It was great spending time with enthusiasts who share an appreciation for the engineering, craftsmanship, and history behind these remarkable vehicles.

If you had to drive just one home from the festival, which would it be?

A. Historic race car
B. Classic grand tourer
C. Modern supercar

Comment A, B or C.

13/03/2026

🛠 Daimler 2.5 Litre V8 — Arrival to Departure 🛠
When this Daimler arrived at Finch Restorations it was tired, dusty, and very close to barn-find condition.

Over time our team carefully brought the car back to its elegant best - restoring the mechanicals, interior, and finish so that this classic example of British motoring could return to the road.

The photos show the journey from arrival in the workshop through to the finished result.

Which image surprised you most - the way it arrived, or the way it left?

11/03/2026

🏁 Adelaide Motorsport Festival 2026 🏁

Rain certainly made an appearance this year, but that did not stop a fantastic weekend of machinery and motorsport at Victoria Park.

Thank you to everyone who braved the weather and stopped by to say hello to the Finch Restorations team. It was great speaking with so many enthusiasts about the craft of vehicle restoration and the projects currently underway in our workshops.

Here are a few moments from the weekend.

Quick question for the enthusiasts:

Which era of cars speaks to you most?

A. Pre-war classics
B. 1950s–60s sports and GT cars
C. 1970s–80s performance machines
D. Modern performance cars

Comment A, B, C or D.

27/02/2026

🏁 Adelaide Motorsport Festival 2026 — This Weekend 🏁

The Adelaide Motorsport Festival is nearly here!

Join us this Saturday and Sunday, February 28th and March 1st at Victoria Park from 8:20am–6:00pm.
📍 Victoria Park
🕗 Gates open at 8:20am

Visit the Finch Restorations stall to see live 3D scanning, an exploded view vehicle display, and coachbuilding bucks for an upcoming project.

We hope to see you this weekend!

26/02/2026

Precision over production.
Finch Restorations is expanding our Body & Paint capability at Hindmarsh and is seeking an experienced Body Finisher / Panel Be**er – Surfacing & Fitment (Restoration) to join our team.

This role suits tradespeople skilled in precision surfacing and fitment, structural metalwork and hotwork, or a combination of both.

We are looking for people who value detailed workmanship and take pride in restoration-level standards on significant classic vehicles.

📍 Hindmarsh, Adelaide
📅 9-day fortnight option available

Full details and application here:
https://finchrestorations.com.au/vacancies/prep202601

If this sounds like someone you know, please share.

**er

Finch Restorations is hiring an Automotive Body Finisher in Hindmarsh. Precision surfacing, panel alignment and fitment on classic vehicle restorations.

19/02/2026

🇬🇧 All British Day 2026 — This Sunday 🇬🇧

All British Day is nearly here. Finch Restorations is a proud supporter and Gold Sponsor of All British Day.

Join us this Sunday, February 22nd at the Echunga Recreation Grounds from 10:30am–3:00pm.

📍 Echunga Oval
🕥 Gates open at 10:30am

Visit the Finch Restorations stall to see live 3D scanning, explore a Daimler transformation story, and see the bucks for an upcoming project.

We hope to see you this Sunday!

10/02/2026

🔧 Motorbike Mechanic or Experienced Generalist Wanted 🏍️
Love real mechanical work — carburettors, ignition systems, engines and drivetrains?

Finch is expanding and seeking:

• Specialist Motorbike Mechanic
• Experienced Generalist Mechanic

This is real hands-on work across classic and historic machines — motorcycles, cars, and heritage vehicles — in our Hindmarsh and Adelaide Hills workshops.

Carburettors, ignition systems, engines, drivetrains, and proper mechanical fault-finding. No production-line servicing. No parts-swapping culture — just careful, skilled work on significant vehicles.

If you take pride in doing things properly and enjoy bringing classic machines back to life, we would like to hear from you.

👉 View the role and apply here:
🔗 https://finchrestorations.com.au/vacancies/mech202601

📍 South Australia
🕰️ 9-day fortnights available
📩 [email protected]

Finch Motor Company is seeking a specialist motorcycle mechanic to work on classic and vintage motorcycles in Adelaide. Hands-on mechanical work, 9-day fortnights available.

23/01/2026

🛠️ Sentinel Lorry — Sliding Door Restoration 🛠️

As restoration work continues on the Sentinel Lorry cab, attention turned to the function of its sliding doors — key elements in both operation and completeness.

A rusted section of floor beneath the right-hand door was removed and replaced with a newly fabricated panel, fully welded and finished to restore integrity at the base of the entryway.

With the foundation addressed, the upper door sliders were grit-blasted and rebuilt with new ball bearings. The restored doors were then mounted and carefully adjusted to ensure smooth, aligned travel.

This work marks another step in completing the cab — and in returning the Sentinel to full working order.

20/01/2026

A wonderful video depicting Bugatti evolution over a century.

19/01/2026

🛠 Sentinel Lorry — Roof Fabrication 🛠️

A significant milestone has recently been reached in the restoration of the Sentinel Lorry with the fabrication and fitting of a new cab roof.

The process began by carefully templating the original roof and constructing a buck to guide the shaping of new panels. New left and right roof skins were then formed, trimmed, and welded together, followed by the fabrication and installation of the inner support channels.

Once fully aligned, the completed roof assembly was carefully fitted to the cab and adjusted to achieve a flush, accurate fit.

More than simply enclosing the cab, this stage represents both a structural and visual step forward, bringing the Sentinel closer to returning as a fully restored example of heavy-duty British engineering.

16/01/2026

🏆Summernats Retro Tech Award Winner🏆

The highly competitive Summernats Retro
Tech award is the prize for vehicles that seamlessly integrate modern engines and technology into classic cars. Interiors play an important part in the overall look, and need to complement the paintwork and style of the car.

Our multi-award winning trimmer, Benny, did the interior on the 1970 Datsun 1600 that was awarded the 2025 Retro Tech prize. The story is covered in this month's copy of Street Machine.

Seats were retrimmed in tan leather and adorned with tri-tone tartan stitching. Speakers were moulded into the front-door trims with a modern centre console.

"Benny made the interior everything I had dreamed of", stated owner Emma Mullins. "Originally, I was going all black with a teal stitch, but Benny said it would have no impact. It was a mission to get it done in such a short timeframe, but I am eternally grateful for Benny's work".