Nestled in the Georgian town of Oundle, QPrep offer a full range of motor and engineering services. We undertake everything from a simple service and MOT preparation on your daily drive through to full restorations and engine builds. Our first love is the classic and the unusual and as well as having the modern tooling and diagnostic machinery to handle todays cars, we have the experience and ‘know-how’ to work on everything from pre-war machinery to hot-rod conversions to prestige marques such as Jaguar E-Type’s and Porsche 911’s. Unlike many workshops, we take an engineering approach to problem solving and our machining capability allows us to find innovative solutions, including the manufacture of replacement parts that in some cases are no longer available.
If your pride and joy has developed a problem, and nobody else can fix it, or you just want a sympathetic approach to maintenance, give us a call. We just might be able to help.
QPrep Services
QPrep offer a wide range of automotive services including solutions for motor sports, classic cars, classic bikes and engineering solutions. Please click to read more detail below:
About QPrep
QPrep was established in 2011 by Quentin (“Q”) Nicholls and Steve Baker initially focusing on renovation of classic cars and motor sport support as well as engineering fabrication for a number of large customers. As time has passed, demand has moved more toward classic car servicing, engine rebuilds, and diagnostic services, although there is usually at least one long-term restoration in the workshop at any one time. Take a look at the Projects tab to see examples of the kind of work we undertake.
Although the workshop is equipped with modern diagnostic software for newer vehicles, QPrep take an engineering approach to diagnosis and fault finding. Rather than just endlessly swapping parts in and out of a failing vehicle, the team will seek to identify the root cause of a problem and fix the issue at source. If a component can no longer be easily sourced, using the engineering side of the business, QPrep have the option of re-making many of the parts, or can consult a wide network of specialists gained during both Q and Steve’s history to create a solution.
We take a real world approach to pricing, recognising that the labour of love that is owning, restoring or modifying a classic car needs to be balanced against real world cost. We will provide an estimate where appropriate for renovation work, and discuss this with you in advance, keeping you up to date as the work progresses. We will not undertake additional work without your authorisation. For more routine work, servicing, or diagnosis, our hourly rate is £75+VAT.
As both founders benefited themselves from apprenticeship programmes in their early years, QPrep is a great believer in preserving classic maintenance skills in the next generation and therefore runs an active apprenticeship programme for carefully selected young mechanics in the final years of their college courses, helping them complete their studies and providing employment options for the future.
Whether it is a simple service, a repair of that niggling long-standing fault, a full engine rebuild / replacement or a full ground-up restoration of your pride and joy, QPrep can help.
Meet the team
"Q"
Q started a 4 year apprenticeship with Fairline Boats in Oundle in 1978 whilst simultaneously undertaking a full City & Guilds MVCS (Motor Vehicle Craft Studies) course at college, gaining full car and light commercial vehicle qualifications. During his holidays he spent his time in clubman rallying and serving as a mechanic in the British Rally Championship for upcoming Finnish driver Michael Sundstrom, including Sundstrom’s entry into the RAC rally in 1984.
After 8 years with Fairline, Q went to work for Cruisers Incorporated in Winconsin USA, initially working in the US for product familiarisation then back to the UK as Engineering and Development Manager in the new Corby production facility. 3 years later he was recruited by Volvo Penta UK as Applications Engineer for marine pleasure craft, playing a major part in the development of new products. 3 years after this he moved to EP Barrus, the UK Distributor of Yanmar Marine diesel engines as General Manager and 5 years after this he was recruited by Vetus Den Ouden in the Netherlands to re-establish their marine engine business in the UK.
After a ‘first lifetime’ in the marine industry, Q went back to his roots, initially managing the family private hire business which soon transformed back into his first love building and supporting historic rally cars in the British Historic Rally Series before inevitably turning his attention to his first love - all things classic from the newly established Oundle workshop. As a result there are few engine designs or engineering challenges that Q has not seen in the past 35 years. Despite this, it’s a fresh challenge that excites him the most and he applies his engineering skills to any problem that passes through QPrep’s doors.
Steve
Steve runs the engineering side of the business. Like Q, Steve started as an apprentice, but for Newall Engineering, gaining Mechanical Craft Certifications 1 & 2 and City & Guilds qualifications. His first role was as a toolmaker, covering all aspects of machining and bench finishing to produce aluminium diecasting tools for domestic appliances and vehicle components. After this, Steve moved into assembly of specialised road sweeping vehicles, developing bespoke jigs and tools and designing new build techniques.
Following this Steve spent much of his working life with a domestic appliance company, again as a specialised toolmaker creating tools for the production line (from small hand tools through to fully automated machinery).
When this company decided to relocate Steve was given the opportunity to purchase the engineering machinery that he was familiar with and together with Q set up QPrep, re-focusing on bespoke vehicle related components, many of which can no longer be purchased new. In addition QPrep continued to produce small batch parts for various local industries.
Trevor
Trevor is our Workshop Manager. Trevor gained his qualifications in the mid-90’s and has spent much of his career gathering experience in BMW and Ford dealerships as well as a 6 year spell at Retropower working on custom built and bespoke vehicles. Trevor describes himself as ‘a go-getting, charismatic sort of fella’ and who are we to argue?
He likes to relax at home by, er, working on his cars, where he shoehorns improbably large engines into impossibly small spaces. When he’s not up to his elbows in grease he spends time with his 2 young kids and extraordinarily patient wife – no doubt seduced by his charisma…
Andy
Andy is our technical genius. With a wealth of experience gained over 10 years in motor engineering and a strong personal love of cars, Andy is as likely to be found punching keys on a laptop connected to a car as he is removing the same car’s engine.
Andy has really settled in to Qprep and has brought new skills with him whilst enjoying learning about some of the darker arts of repairing cars built many years before even Q was born
In his personal time, Andy likes (and can you spot a trend here?) to put very big engines into much smaller cars. During his breaks at work you can often find him playing with his computer. One lunchtime recently he actually managed to hack into Trevor and turn him into ‘a go-getting, charismatic sort of fella’ for 10 minutes before he re-booted
Clarke
Introducing our latest addition to the Qprep team, Clarke, who joins us as our apprentice. Clarke has already completed a diploma in ‘Light Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Principles’ & enjoyed the art so much that he has stepped up to undertake a Level 3 Apprenticeship.
Clarke is the proud owner of a Volvo 480, which he works on in his spare time in readiness for his driving licence. He is also a keen fisherman & introduces a new hobby to our team…training/fitness. No doubt Trev & Andy will be joining him in the gym soon.
Bel
Bel runs our office and handles all of the administration at Qprep. As a qualified primary teacher she is well-positioned to handle the rest of the team at Qprep. Don’t be fooled by the smile…
Bel joined us in 2021 after deciding to take a break from teaching for a while and was keen to do something difficult that didn’t require her to wash snot from her jumper at the end of the day. Now she washes grease from it instead.
Contact QPrep
Please use the details below to contact us at QPrep or use the form below and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you
We can provide a turn-key service to prepare your car for track and rally work. We are able to provide on-site engineering support with a fully equipped mobile workshop. For several years we have supported entrants in the supported entrants in multiple races/series and prepare track-focused cars for a number of clients.
Classic Cars
Our specialism is the unusual. As well as maintaining more ‘mainstream’ cars such as Jaguars, Triumphs, Fords, and classic Porsche’s, we look after a variety of American vehicles, self-built cars and completely custom vehicles. We were ‘made famous’ by our work on Evo’s John Barker’s heavily modified V8 Capri, which we still maintain. We are happy to work with owners who may be struggling with their own builds and provide advice and guidance where appropriate. If it’s not run of the mill, we can probably help.
Motorcycles
In addition to cars, we offer a full engineering and service capability around classic bikes. Everything from Nortons to Triumphs through to more modern Japanese machinery have passed through our workshop and we can offer everything from a simple service to a full restoration. We have been regularly featured in ‘Classic Bike’ magazine. If you need a sympathetic approach to your 2-wheeled companion, give us a call.
Engineering
We have onsite manufacturing capability which allows us to fabricate many parts ourselves, as well as undertaking pure engineering work outside of the motor trade. In the past we have made items as diverse as construction crane parts to retail displays to handles for church buildings!
Preparations
Many of our clients enjoy working on their own cars, and in some cases even undertake a build from the ground up. We frequently undertake preparation work on these builds where the owner does not have access to specific tools or expertise to undertake a specific task themselves. Likewise we can inspect a final build and can prepare a vehicle for an IVA test if relevant. We are happy to discuss requirements with customers and if necessary we can demonstrate specific procedures or mode-specific nuances.
Servicing
Need someone mechanically sympathetic to look after your daily drive? That’s us. We have the diagnostic machinery to handle most modern marques, and we can offer the full range of annual servicing requirements. We will always draw your attention to any further work required and discuss with you the best way to fix it. We can inspect your car before an MOT and undertake any work required to get through it as well as managing the MOT test itself. If you’d like your car worked on by people who just love cars, give us a call.
Privacy
Website Privacy Policy
The policy: This privacy policy is for this website; [www.QPrep.co.uk] and served by QPrep and governs the privacy of its users who choose to use it. It explains how we comply with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), the DPA (Data Protection Act) [pre GDPR enforcement] and the PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations).
This policy will explain areas of this website that may affect your privacy and personal details, how we process, collect, manage and store those details and how your rights under the GDPR, DPA & PECR are adhere to. Additionally it will explain the use of cookies or software, advertising or commercial sponsorship from third parties and the download of any documents, files or software made available to you (if any) on this website. Further explanations may be provided for specific pages or features of this website in order to help you understand how we, this website and its third parties (if any) interact with you and your computer / device in order to serve it to you. Our contact information is provided if you have any questions.
The DPA & GDPR May 2018
We and this website complies to the DPA (Data Protection Act 1998) and already complies to the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) which comes into affect from May 2018. We will update this policy accordingly after the completion of the UK's exit from the European Union.
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This website may contain sponsored links and adverts. These will typically be served through our advertising partners, to whom may have detailed privacy policies relating directly to the adverts they serve.
Clicking on any such adverts will send you to the advertisers website through a referral program which may use cookies and will track the number of referrals sent from this website. This may include the use of cookies which may in turn be saved on your computers hard drive. Users should therefore note they click on sponsored external links at their own risk and we cannot be held liable for any damages or implications caused by visiting any external links mentioned.
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Any downloadable documents, files or media made available on this website are provided to users at their own risk. While all precautions have been undertaken to ensure only genuine downloads are available users are advised to verify their authenticity using third party anti virus software or similar applications.
We accept no responsibility for third party downloads and downloads provided by external third party websites and advise users to verify their authenticity using third party anti virus software or similar applications.
Contact & Communication With us
Users contacting this us through this website do so at their own discretion and provide any such personal details requested at their own risk. Your personal information is kept private and stored securely until a time it is no longer required or has no use.
Where we have clearly stated and made you aware of the fact, and where you have given your express permission, we may use your details to send you products/services information through a mailing list system. This is done in accordance with the regulations named in 'The policy' above.
External Website Links & Third Parties
Although we only look to include quality, safe and relevant external links, users are advised to adopt a policy of caution before clicking any external web links mentioned throughout this website.
We cannot guarantee or verify the contents of any externally linked website despite our best efforts. Users should therefore note they click on external links at their own risk and we cannot be held liable for any damages or implications caused by visiting any external links mentioned.
Social Media Policy & Usage
We adopt a Social Media Policy to ensure our business and our staff conduct themselves accordingly online. While we may have official profiles on social media platforms users are advised to verify authenticity of such profiles before engaging with, or sharing information with such profiles. We will never ask for user passwords or personal details on social media platforms. Users are advised to conduct themselves appropriately when engaging with us on social media.
There may be instances where our website features social sharing buttons, which help share web content directly from web pages to the respective social media platforms. You use social sharing buttons at your own discretion and accept that doing so may publish content to your social media profile feed or page. You can find further information about some social media privacy and usage policies in the resources section below.
