Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

Ray White · Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6316 Location: Derby

Nelson Auto Electrical of Darley Abbey Mills is no more.

Chris Nelson is well known to me and other classic car owners. For whatever reason he has closed down his auto electric business and gone to work for Aston Martin.

This is a big loss to our local old car fraternity and I now have no one to take my electrical problems to.

I remember on one occasion I had been taken to the cleaners by another electrical "expert" with a 6 volt Dodge Brothers starter motor. He could not get it to operate properly so I took it to Chris who worked his magic and rebuilt the starter for just £100. It looked and worked like new. Since then he has been my 'go to" guy and was always willing to help. he even paid me a visit to help me with an electrical issue.

I now don't know if I will be able to get Chris to oversee the firing up of my MG TC. With all my electrical modifications I will need a second opinion before even switching on the ignition for the first time.!

Just a sad loss to our hobby locally.

The end of an era. Sad

Bitumen Boy · Posted: Sun Mar 06, 2022 12:49 pm Post subject:

We had an auto electrician like that locally, but he likewise decided to call it a day and the site was redeveloped for housing. I think a lot of these guys have looked at the increasing business rates and the like and just decided it's not worthwhile any more, especially if their premises are worth ££££££'s to a developer. It may be just the ones I've encountered, but auto electricians tended to be older guys, operating out of scruffy premises that they probably owned rather than rented, and probably self taught to boot - just the sort of people that the modern world has no space for Crying or Very sad

Ray White · Joined: 02 Dec 2014 Posts: 6316 Location: Derby

I don't know why he threw in the towel. It could have been for any number of reasons; although I can't have been be for development as his premises is part of a conservation area know as 'Derwent Valley Mills World heritage site'. The area is pretty rather than practical and you have to go out of your way to get to it. Perhaps it just didn't pay.

My guess is that he is SO good at what he does he was offered a deal by Aston Martin that he felt he couldn't turn down....? I just don't know. What I do know is that the MG guy next door is non too happy.

Of course there is also another 'knock on' effect with some faithful 'old timers' having to give up too.