Aston Martin DB6 Restoration

Project Information

Vehicle Details

Project Ref:

001

Make:

Aston Martin

Model:

DB6

Body Construction:

Aluminium

Project Description:

Project Photo Quality*

We are sorry that the photos in the project are not high definition. They were taken before the advent of modern camera phones.

Aston Martin DB6 Restoration – A Yorkshire Classic Reborn

At Classic Car Lab Yorkshire, we deliver world-class classic car restorations. Our Aston Martin DB6 project included a hand-stripped bare-metal respray in Silver Birch, a full straight-six engine rebuild, interior restoration with preserved Connolly leather, and concours-standard reassembly. From Huddersfield heritage to modern drivability, this project shows why our Yorkshire workshop is trusted across the UK and Europe for Aston Martin and classic car restoration.

Background – A Barn-Find With History

Every so often, a car arrives that embodies everything we love about classic car restoration. This 1966 Aston Martin DB6, discovered as a barn find, was one such project.

While the DB5 may forever be linked to James Bond, the DB6 is often regarded as the superior car. Aston Martin improved its chassis, aerodynamics, and comfort, giving it more legroom and a refined driving experience. For long-distance touring, the DB6 was the car to have.

Bringing this DB6 back to life in Yorkshire had a poetic touch. David Brown — the “DB” in Aston Martin — was born in Huddersfield. To us, restoring a DB6 here is more than engineering: it’s a homecoming. We collected the car from Scotland, returned it to our Yorkshire workshop, and began a full nut-and-bolt restoration to concours standards.

Stripping Down – Forensic Disassembly

A proper restoration begins not with rebuilding, but with careful dismantling.

Cataloguing Every Part: Each component was removed, cleaned, bagged, tagged, and photographed. This process preserves originality and guarantees precision when it comes to reassembly.
Paint Removal: Instead of chemical dipping or aggressive blasting, we stripped the paint by hand. This painstaking process allowed us to see the car’s true story hidden beneath its layers.
Revealing the Truth: Beneath the old finish we discovered areas of oxidisation, past filler repairs, and subtle distortions in the aluminium body panels.
Authenticity First: Where possible, we repaired and reshaped panels rather than hiding flaws under filler. This kept the DB6 true to its factory roots while ensuring structural longevity.

This stage is slow, meticulous, and essential. It transforms a tired old body into a clean canvas ready for the artistry of bodywork and paint.

Painting & Bodywork – From Bare Metal to Silver Birch

Metal Repairs & Panel Craft

Once the DB6 was back to bare metal, our craftsmen could assess the body in detail. Fortunately, the structure was sound, but there was still work to do:

New Inner & Outer Sills: Corroded steel sections were cut out and replaced with freshly fabricated panels.
Aluminium Welding: The DB6’s lightweight panels required specialist TIG welding to repair subtle cracks and corrosion.
Panel Beating: Our master panel beater reshaped surfaces by hand, restoring the elegant flow of the Aston Martin body lines.

Priming for Perfection

Once the repairs were complete, the shell was sealed in anti-corrosion epoxy primer. Over the next several months, multiple layers of two-pack primer were applied and sanded back by hand. Each round of sanding brought the surfaces closer to perfection, ready for paint.

Trial Fitting & Alignment

During this stage, we repeatedly fitted the doors, bonnet, and boot to check panel gaps and alignment. Shut lines on a DB6 must be precise — wide enough to function, but narrow enough to retain Aston Martin’s elegant proportions. Chrome bumpers and trim were also test-fitted before painting to guarantee perfect alignment.

The Final Finish

Paintwork: The DB6 was resprayed in its original 1966 Silver Birch, a colour immortalised by Aston Martin’s 1960s grand tourers. Each coat was laid down thin and even, ensuring depth and clarity.
Lacquer & Polishing: Layers of clear lacquer were applied, then carefully flattened and polished to a mirror-like finish.
Hidden Details: Even areas you don’t normally see — wheel arches, underside, inner wings — received the same level of attention and protection.

The finished body shimmered in Silver Birch, with crisp reflections and flawless curves — exactly as it should have left Newport Pagnell.

Engine & Mechanical Work – Restoring the Straight-Six

The Aston Martin DB6’s 4.0-litre straight-six is the heart of the car. When it arrived, it was seized solid. This didn’t intimidate us — it inspired us.

Stripping Down the Seized Engine

Cylinder Head Removal: The head was fused to the block and took several days of careful persuasion to release without damaging the alloy casting.
Inspection & Cataloguing: Once apart, every component was measured and checked against Aston Martin tolerances. This forensic process revealed exactly what needed replacement, machining, or rebuilding.

Precision Machining

Block & Pistons: The block was rebored and fitted with new liners, pistons, and rings.
Cylinder Head: Skimmed for flatness, with new valves and hardened seats installed to handle unleaded fuel.
Crankshaft & Bearings: Balanced for smooth operation, with new chains, bearings, and tensioners fitted.
Oil Pump & Ancillaries: Rebuilt for reliability and performance.

Fuel & Ignition Systems

Carburettors: Original SU carburettors were ultrasonically cleaned, rebuilt with new jets and needles, and calibrated to factory settings.
Fuel System: Lines, pump, and tank were restored or replaced for clean delivery.
Ignition: Distributor and ignition were rebuilt, tuned to period-correct advance curves.

Cooling & Reliability

Radiator re-cored for modern reliability.
Water pump, thermostat, and hoses renewed.
Seals and gaskets replaced throughout.

Detailing & Testing

Reassembled to factory torque specs, the engine was detailed with polished alloy cam covers, replated fittings, and period-correct finishes. Once back in the chassis, it was bench tested, tuned, and road tested until it ran as sweetly as it did in the 1960s.

Interior – Preserving Patina, Elevating Comfort

Inside the DB6, atmosphere matters as much as appearance. We aimed to retain originality while improving comfort for modern use.

Leather Seats: The original Connolly leather was preserved, carefully re-dyed and nourished. The natural patina — the marks of history — was kept, ensuring the car still smelled and felt like a classic.
Carpets & Headlining: New Wilton wool carpets were hand-cut and edged with period-correct bindings. A new stitched headlining restored the cabin’s elegance.
Instruments: The Smiths gauges were stripped, recalibrated, and polished, ensuring both accuracy and authenticity.
Trim & Details: Chrome switches and bezels were replated. The wood-rim steering wheel was sympathetically restored, retaining its tactile warmth.

The cabin once again blended the smell, feel, and look of a true 1960s Aston Martin grand tourer.

Reassembly & Testing – Bringing the DB6 Back to Life

Reassembly is where the restoration takes shape, and where patience and precision matter most.

Step-by-Step Rebuild: With every part previously bagged, tagged, and photographed, reassembly became a carefully choreographed process.
Major Systems: Suspension, drivetrain, and electrics were installed in sequence, with checks at every stage.
Panel Fit: Doors, bonnet, and boot were adjusted repeatedly for symmetry and shut-line accuracy.

Electrical & Mechanical Testing

Lighting, gauges, and electrics were tested before final trim was fitted.
Engine start-ups monitored oil pressure, timing, and carburettor balance.

Yorkshire Road Testing

The car was taken through staged testing on Yorkshire’s roads:

Bench Tests: Verifying oil pressure, carburettor synchronisation, and ignition timing.
Rolling Road: Ensuring the rebuilt engine delivered power under load.
Real Roads: From village streets to open moorland roads, every vibration and response was checked, refined, and perfected.

Only when the DB6 drove with the smooth confidence of a true grand tourer did we consider the restoration complete.

This just has to be one of my favourite restoration’s of all time.

Conclusion – A Yorkshire Showcase of Heritage Craftsmanship

This Aston Martin DB6 project is the essence of what we do at Classic Car Lab Yorkshire.

Respecting originality while improving reliability.
Combining heritage craftsmanship with modern precision.
Delivering concours-quality results with a human touch.

From bare-metal respray in Silver Birch to full straight-six rebuild, from patina-preserving leather to concours-standard reassembly, this DB6 is one of our proudest achievements. More than a restoration, it was the rebirth of a true British motoring icon.

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