Belfast woman drove across Europe in bargain basement banger

The freelance refinisher and business owner of Paint by Rach travelled for a 1,575-mile charity event in a Rover 216 Cabriolet.

The Bangers4Ben ‘Bangers does Bond’ themed rally in October set participants the task of purchasing their very own ‘banger’ for less than £750, before gearing up to take on the challenge of a lifetime, starting from Monaco via the south of France coast road, and then heading towards the Alps.

“What an exciting project this has been, and all for such a great cause in Ben,” said Rachel. “We’ve had such fun in transforming the Rover into what it is today and we could not wait to put it through its paces and raise those all-important funds along the way.”

Specialising in the automotive industry, as well as having experience in marine, commercial and domestic spraying, Rachel started her Belfast business, Paint by Rach in 2018.

Her main passion is promoting the automotive industry to the next generation and breaking down the stigma against mental health in the industry.

She took part in the rally as part of aftermarket event organiser, Automechanika Birmingham’s team, which is appropriately named Automechanika Banger-ham, alongside Louise Baker, self-taught mechanic and owner of independent garage, Womanic, in Birmingham.

With more than 20 years of industry experience ‘on the spanners’ Louise spent 10 years specialising in working on Rover vehicles, focusing solely on servicing, maintaining, modifying and rebuilding the cars, before starting her own venture six years ago.

Rachel and Louise worked tirelessly to breathe new life into the Rover 216 Cabriolet, which is fitted with a Honda engine, with Louise rebuilding it to ensure it was roadworthy and Rachel transforming the bodywork to give the Rover its own personality.

Both Rachel and Louise love their automotive jobs and are passionate about keeping people safe on the roads and taking care of people's cars. They were both hugely enthusiastic about joining the rally as both are strong advocates for Ben, a charity especially designed for garage and bodyshop professionals to support those that are struggling mentally and financially.

The ‘Bangers does Bond’ rally was created to raise essential funds for the charity; all that’s required is to pay the £750 entry fee and buy a car for less than £750. The teams, who participated in fancy dress, could paint, decal, and enhance their car whatever way they choose, while raising as much money as they can for Ben in the process.

All the cars will be auctioned after the event at BCA Blackbushe to raise as much money as possible. The Rover 216 Cabriolet will be auctioned at Automechanika Birmingham in June 2023.

Alex Jones, marketing director of Messe Frankfurt UK, organisers of Automechanika Birmingham said: “I’m was excited to have Rachel and Louise on board for what was a fantastic, few days of fun and fundraising, all in the name of the worthy cause, Ben.

“Both are highly regarded professionals in the industry and have worked tirelessly over the past few weeks to get their ‘banger’ ready for the rally – driving such a distance in a car worth under £750 is no easy task!

“We could not have got all the cars roadworthy without the help of friends along the way who have donated body paint and parts galore so a special thanks to Axalta, LKQ, Calthorne Tyres, School of Thought, Perfections Bodywork West Midlands, Speedwells Birmingham, Auto Test Centre Tyseley and Car Spares Hall Green.”

You can support the Automechanika Banger-ham team here https://giving.ben.org.uk/pf/lou-rach