Aimee, a trainee at XjRestorations is now finishing her final year of bodyshop training. Aimee has a solid understanding of modern bodyshop techniques, and is rapidly learning the traditional skills of refining classic vehicles.
Aimee had an apprenticeship with Vauxhall after leaving school, before joining the accident repair shop. It was then she knew that she wanted to be more involved in the bodywork side of the motor trade.
“Before joining the team at XjRestorations, I worked for an accident repair bodyshop,” says Aimee.
“I was looking for a wider skill set and more career progression and the opportunity at XjRestorations offered me that rewarding challenge I was after.”
And of course Aimee has a natural affinity to XJs.
“The XJ has a stunning line – it looks very sleek. The attention to detail is well thought out. They are so usable – even in today’s busy traffic conditions. They have really stood the test of time and personally I think they are still one of the best luxury saloon cars out there,” she comments.
Aimee is keen to see more women get involved with the engineering industry and says it is an “extremely interesting and varied job to have”.
“I think it would be great for more women to be involved in the trade. The thought of heavy lifting and a bit of dirt may put some women off, but it’s not all like that. There are some fine detail tasks like removing and renovating trim, refitting chrome detail accurately, final flattening and polishing – all of which is very rewarding depending on how involved you are willing to get. I enjoy learning all aspects of the trade, especially the restoration aspect.”
“We are all on hand to assist each other. Our personalities bounce off of each other really well. I really enjoy it.”
If Aimee could have any Jaguar in any colour she says she’d “quite like a silver XJ Coupe – I think there is something quite James Bond about them – but I also really like an E-type in white.”
To find out more about XjRestorations visit their ###a href="http://www.xjrestorations.co.uk/services/restorations.html">website.
Have you done or had any restoration work on your Jaguar? Get in touch with us at the JEC and we could feature your story on our blog.
The JEC offers advice, events and many services to its members including restorations, technical and specialist advice.
