Many of us aspire to owning a dream car but that dream does not have to involve driving the latest Porsche or Ferrari. Colin Gould of Kingsdown Garage, Faringdon, finds people can be passionate about something much more humble.

Even the most basic pre-1980s car, once it has been through his restoration workshops in Pioneer Road, can be transformed into somebody’s pride and joy.

He explained: “Whenever I buy a classic car for myself and do it up, somebody soon comes along and wants to buy it from me.”

Mr Gould moved to Faringdon from the garage’s original base in South Marston in 2000.

His own interest in cars began at about the age of six, when he had his own Triang model, with pedals, to ‘drive’ around in at home.

The early stage of his career was in the RAF, for 12 years, as an aircraft fitter.

“I worked on Vulcans, VC10s, Buccaneers and the only recently retired Jaguar small fighter bombers,” he said.

At Kingsdown Garage, he has one member of staff, Mick Lewis, who shares his love of motoring mechanics.

Work in progress includes a 1956 Riley Pathfinder, a 1938 Morris 10, Aston Martins from 1973 and 1984, a Volante and a Vantage, a 1973 Rover 3500 and a 1952 Austin Atlantic.

A 1952 Austin Sheerline recently left the workshops and was quickly replaced by a 1947 Wolseley 14/60.

Mr Gould explained: “I used to specialise in Rovers but drifted into a whole range of pre-1980 models.”

The most unusual car he looks back on, from the many which have passed through his workshops, is the Austin A30 which he converted into “the smallest limousine in the world.”

He said: “I extended the whole car, which was a four-door saloon.”

This vehicle, one of the smaller cars on the road in its era, became a foot longer and, unique among A30s.

One of his own favourite cars is the Rover P6, and he is currently working on one from 1973. Examples of the stately-looking Rover P5 also often come his way.

He points out, however, that although an old car may be cheap to buy, the purchaser needs to bear in mind that having it brought back to pristine condition can be an expensive process.

The Aston Martin Volante, a model in British racing green, was an example of how one job can lead to another — and another.

“It came in for a retune of the engine, as it was not running quite right,” Mr Gould explained.

“But I found the sills were rotten. As this is a soft-top model, there is no roof to hold the car together and the sills are critical.

“So I had to replace them with new ones made by a friend. But I eventually ended up taking the whole car apart and rebuilding it.

“I had to cut off the bottom of both the front and rear wings to fit the sills. And I had to strip the interior of the car, so as not to damage it while doing the work.”

The Rover 3500 has also involved a great deal of restoration of the bodywork. This, too, has needed new sills, and it also needed new wheel arches, new front inner wings and four new outer wings, plus a chassis leg repair.

All four doors are being either repaired or re-skinned.

“There are not many things I can’t do in the process of restoration, and if I can’t, I know a man who can,” added Mr Gould.

This may involve making replacement parts, as so many are no longer available from the manufacturers.

Mr Gould added: “People will either search for or come across an interesting car. They decide they would like to take it on, but they don’t have the experience to do it up themselves. They need to find somebody to do it, and so they come to me.”

His own car is one which he bought originally to break for spares but found that he could do all the necessary repairs himself.

It is a 1995 Jaguar X300, which he runs on liquid petroleum gas. This, he reckons, halves his fuel costs.

“It’s the only way I can afford to run a car like that,” he said.

His wife Jane, who helps him with the paperwork, has also been bitten by the classic car bug, driving a 1977 Triumph Spitfire, originally from California.

Mr Gould finds the biggest following among his clients is for British cars.

Older cars, such as the Triumph Stag and four-litre Vanden Plas, do have the advantage of being simpler to work on, having been produced before engines became computerised.

And Mr Gould gives important advice to his clients on the use of these now-restored cars.

“It is not sensible to keep them as just a big toy,” he said.

“Get in and drive the car — don’t leave it standing for weeks. If it is not being used, something will soon jump up and bite you in the wallet, as things will seize up. Lack of use is the main cause of problems.

“It’s surprising how many people have a classic car, but only take it out on the road two or three times a year.”

Name: Kingsdown Garage Established: 1989 Owener: Colin Gould Number of staff: Two Annual turnover: £120,000

Contact: 01367 244646