Over 50 years in the trade
Proper mechanical work for cars from the ’60s to the ’00s.
Autocraft is Denis: a Southend mechanic who has spent more than half a century keeping European cars on the road. If yours has points, a carburettor or a temperament, it is in the right hands.
- 50+ years hands-on experience
- 1960s–2000s European cars
- Southend and surrounding towns
What Denis does
Everyday maintenance through to the awkward faults other garages would rather not take on.
Servicing
Routine and major services done to the schedule the car was built with.
Fault-finding
Patient diagnosis of running, starting and reliability problems.
Carburettors and fuelling
Cleaning, rebuilding, balancing and tuning, plus early injection systems.
Electrics
Charging, ignition, lighting and wiring faults traced and put right.
Brakes and suspension
Overhauls, hydraulics, bushes, bearings and steering.
MOT preparation
Checked over and sorted before the test, and repairs after a fail.
Welding
Structural and MOT welding repairs.
Recommissioning
Bringing cars back into use safely after years in storage.
Pre-purchase inspections
An experienced second opinion before you part with your money.
Marques he knows well
European cars are the speciality. Modern, computer-heavy cars are not really what Autocraft is about.
Not on the list? Ring and ask. If it is of the era, there is a good chance Denis has worked on one.
How it works
Workshop jobs
Most jobs are taken away to the workshop in the Southend area, where the tools and equipment are. The workshop is not open to the public, so everything is arranged by phone or email first.
Driveway visits
If the car will not move, Denis comes to you and works on it where it stands, or gets it mobile enough to go to the workshop.
Pricing
Work is charged by the hour, with job times benchmarked against Autodata, the industry-standard reference. That keeps quotes fair and consistent.
Hours
Monday to Friday in the main, with some flexibility by arrangement.
Area covered
Mainly local to Southend, and further afield for regular customers.
Get in touch
Ring or email with the make, model, year and what it is (or is not) doing. A phone call is usually quickest.