A custom-built red catering trailer finished in the workshop

Coachbuilding and Panel Fabrication Christchurch.

The trade most modern panel shops don't do anymore. Custom panels fabricated to fit, not bolted from a catalogue. Forty years on the craft.

Call 03 323 4115 Get a free quote

★★★★★ 4.9 starFamily run since 1999Insurance approved

Coachbuilding is a dying trade in New Zealand. Autobody & Glass Repairs in Belfast is one of the few Canterbury workshops still doing it properly. Custom panel fabrication, hand-formed metalwork, aluminium and fibreglass body work, all done in-house. Darryl Froom trained as a coachbuilder through New Zealand Railways in the 1970s and has spent 40+ years on the craft. From vintage car restorations to bus body rebuilds, classic motorhome conversions and one-off custom panels, every coachbuilt job that comes through this workshop gets the trade's full attention. When others tell you it's a write-off, this is the workshop you bring it to.

What goes wrong when you replace what should be rebuilt

Most modern panel shops have one approach for damage. Replace the part. Order a panel from a catalogue, bolt it on, paint over the gaps. That works for late-model vehicles where the parts exist. It fails on anything older than ten years, on classics, on coachbuilt motorhomes, on buses, on horse floats, on anything bespoke.

Catalogue parts don't exist for a 1960s Holden quarter panel. Or a coachbuilt 1980s motorhome side wall. Or the curved rear corner of a vintage bus. When the part doesn't exist, the modern panel shop tells the owner "it's a write-off" or sources a poor-fitting imitation and bills the job out anyway. The result is a vehicle that doesn't look right, doesn't sit right, and loses value as soon as the new panel goes on.

Why we still do it the trade way

Autobody & Glass Repairs has served Canterbury since 1999. Family run from one workshop in Belfast with an 18-metre heated spray booth and a four-metre fabrication bench. Darryl Froom holds a coachbuilding trade qualification through New Zealand Railways, where he started at sixteen and learnt the craft over years. The same hand-formed metalwork, aluminium body work and timber-frame techniques he learnt then still go into every coachbuilt job today.

Custom panels fabricated to fit, not bolted on from a catalogue. Factory colour-match paint mixed on site. We can also eye colour match. Every job in-house with no subcontracting out. Every coachbuilt job comes with a free quote, honest turnaround timeline, and no surprises on the invoice. Custom work takes time, but you'll know what time before we start. Servicing Belfast, Christchurch, Kaiapoi, Rangiora, Rolleston, Lincoln, Lyttelton, Halswell, Hornby, Riccarton, Papanui, North Canterbury and Mid Canterbury, plus coachbuilding work from the wider New Zealand area for vehicles other shops can't source parts for.

Why Canterbury picks Autobody for coachbuilding

When others say write-off, we fabricate.

40+NZ RAILWAYS QUALIFIED
Years on the craft
Darryl holds a coachbuilding trade qualification through New Zealand Railways. The trade that built passenger carriages, custom buses and one-off panels in the seventies still runs every coachbuilt job in our Belfast workshop today.
Meet Darryl
4mCUSTOM PANELS IN-HOUSE
Fabrication bench
Four-metre fabrication bench. Hand-formed metalwork. Aluminium and fibreglass body work. We make the panel that doesn't exist in any catalogue, then fit it to the vehicle.
See our work
0WHEN OTHERS WON'T
Write-off quotes
When the panel doesn't exist in a catalogue, most modern shops tell the owner it's a write-off. We fabricate the part instead. Vintage cars, coachbuilt motorhomes, classic buses, horse floats.
How we work

The same Jayco caravan door rebuilt and finished

HOW WE WORK

From bare metal to back on the road.

Same process, every coachbuilt and custom fabrication job.

Get in touch
Call, text or send photos. Coachbuilt panel repair, custom fabrication, vintage restoration, full body rebuild. We'll come back with a free quote and a realistic timeline. No obligation. No hidden costs.
Scope the job
Custom work isn't a catalogue purchase. We'll walk through what needs to be fabricated, what materials, what timeline. You'll have a clear picture before we touch the vehicle. Quote in writing. Honest timeline up front.
Drop it off
Drop the vehicle in at a time that suits. Coachbuilt jobs stay with us longer than a standard panel job, so we'll talk through the workshop schedule before we start. You'll meet the team. Same hands on every job.
Fabrication and finish
Hand-formed panels, aluminium body work, fibreglass repairs, custom metal fabrication, factory colour-match paint. All in our Belfast workshop. No subcontracting. We photograph the craft as it happens.
Fitment and inspection
Every fabricated panel gets fitted, adjusted, refitted. Then a full inspection before the vehicle leaves. Panel gaps, finish, seal lines, paint match. If it's not right, it doesn't go out.
Back on the road
Paperwork sorted, keys back to you. Documentation of the work, including before-and-after photos for insurance or resale value. Workmanship backed every time. If something's not right, we'll sort it.

Trusted across Canterbury

4.9Based on 22 Google reviews

Wow, what a team you are at Autobody & Glass Repairs. So impressed with the job you have done on the Pink8 roof. Looks incredible. Huge shout out to the team who were so professional, so kind and so darn efficient. Thanks for walking me through the repair process and for your guidance on angles. Extra thanks Liana for making Pink8 sparkle on the inside when we picked her up. Its great to know I have the best team to take care of my limos. You guys are Simply the best!! Thank you, thank you, thank you from Pink Limo
WendyPink Limo NZ
Facebook
Fast, professional, and high-quality work. The whole process was smooth and easy, and the repairs came out looking great. Would definitely recommend.
Naomi O'Brien
Had a few bumps and rubs tidied up on my car. The team(special mention Josh), did a fantastic job. Perfect colour match. Looks like new. Would definitely recommend.
Ian Coldicott
The team here did an amazing job on turning my plain food trailer into a showpiece. Great communication and attention to detail throughout the entire process. Highly recommend these guys for a top notch finish!!!
paul connolly
Darryl and the team did a great job dealing with my insurance company and getting my car back on the road after I'd been t-boned by a young, inexperienced driver. Got the job done. No hassles! Whether you've got a small car, a large commercial vehicle or a motorhome, they do it all.
Jennifer Kay Helms
Really great experience with this caravan repair service! The team were super friendly, easy to deal with, and did an awesome job. They kept me in the loop the whole time and made everything feel simple and stress-free. Definitely recommend!
Alana Hema