McDonald Motor Trimmers

29/05/2026

This Week at McDonald Motor Trimmers...

It's been one of those weeks where we've barely stopped long enough to take photos... unless Mia was involved, of course. 🐶

While our Workshop Supervisor kept a close eye on proceedings (and the giant 10m x 10m cover spread across the driveway), we've been busy tackling a bit of everything:

✅ A massive 10 metre x 10 metre cover that took over most of the property.
✅ A tired old bench seat brought back to life with a fresh new look.
✅ A custom diamond-stitched motorcycle seat looking sharp and ready for the road.
✅ Plenty of other upholstery jobs keeping the machines humming and the coffee flowing.

Mia's official report states that safety standards were maintained, quality control inspections were carried out thoroughly, and several important naps were completed on schedule. We suspect she may have spent more time supervising than actually working, but HR says she's untouchable.

Thanks to everyone who continues to support our little family business. If you've got a seat, squab, cover, or upholstery project needing attention, get in touch — we'll fit it in somewhere between Mia's inspections and the next giant cover taking over the driveway! 😄

🐾

27/05/2026

🚨 JUNE FABRIC CLEAR OUT 🚨

So… turns out we may have slightly underestimated how much fabric we own 😅

Our container is officially PACKED and we need to make some room before the walls start bulging 😂

For the month of June, if we can use fabric we already have in stock on your job, you’ll get 20% OFF 🎉

Perfect time to get:

🪑 Squabs recovered
🏍 Motorcycle seats redone
⛵ Boat upholstery sorted
Covers made etc

There’s heaps of colours, textures and patterns hiding in here waiting for a new home!

Stock fabrics only. Excludes hoodlinings/rooflinings. Discount applies where suitable stock fabric can be used for your job.

📍 Mcdonald Motor Trimmers, 5 Robinia Place, Ohauiti. 07 5787903

22/05/2026

22/05/2026

Bit of a mixed bag in the shop over the last couple of weeks… and honestly we’ve been absolutely useless at taking photos 😅

Unless of course it’s off Mia (Cherry's Dog). Apparently once she put the hoodie on she got promoted from workshop dog to “regional manager of warm sunny spots.” ☀️🐶

Her current daily routine includes: • Finding the only patch of sun in the yard
• Supervising jobs from the comfiest bed possible
• Trying to convince everyone she’s starving
• And attempting to establish dominance over Grandad’s cat…
Unfortunately for Mia, the cat arrived, took one look at her, and basically said “that’s cute” before carrying on with its day 🐱😂

So yes… the cat is definitely boss. Mia just hasn’t accepted it yet.

Between the animal stand-offs and workshop chaos we’ve still managed to get a few jobs knocked over:

• Freshened up some boat seating, and made an all over cover.
• Re-carpeted a hearse rear floor
• Finished a custom squab that looks cosy enough to nap on ourselves
• Tidied up a van seat repair by replacing all the inserts.
• And handled plenty of the usual upholstery madness in between

At this point the cars are cleaner than our camera roll, the dog owns more hoodies than Mac, and somehow everything still gets finished 😆

Thanks again everyone for keeping us busy at McDonald Motor Trimmers 👍

08/05/2026

After 2 long weeks of smoke signals, carrier pigeons and yelling across the workshop… we finally have a work phone again 📞🎉

Another couple of weeks and another random mix of jobs through the doors at McDonald Motor Trimmers 😅

With some of our jobs coming from as far as Bay of Islands or New Plymouth.

This week we finished off some fresh camper squabs, completed a set of ‘47 Ford seats and door panels in classic red, got the Morrie seats all sorted, bonnet carpets and rebuilt a Chevy seat that had definitely seen a few years of life!

Plus the usual seat repairs, couple of hoodlinings, quad and farm equipment repairs and of course we have started on winter cover making season.

Safe to say the shop has been full of foam, vinyl, and the occasional “how did they even break that?” moment 😂

Back into it Monday!
📍 Now settled in at 5 Robinia Place, Ohauiti.

27/04/2026

Well… that was a week and a bit 😅

WE’VE MOVED!
Come find us now at 5 Robinia Place, Ohauiti 🙌

Somehow between moving everything we own (why do we have so much stuff?!) and questioning our life choices… we still managed to get a few jobs out the door at the old shop:

✔️ 2 x couches done
✔️ Mini hoodlining sorted
✔️ Chevy seats looking sharp
✔️ Ute bench seat brought back to life
✔️ Quad & KTM seats ready to rip
✔️ Camper squabs all tidied up

And the real highlight…

Mac (73) still climbing in and out of backseats like he’s 21 💪😂 (we’re starting to think he’s part machine)

Big thanks to everyone who’s helped us move, lift, carry, and keep us sane 🙌

We’re not fully unpacked… we’re not fully organised… but we ARE open 😆

Back to moving… back to trimming… back to it!

21/04/2026

This weekend is the big move of the last of our stuff needs to be out, we could just use another couple of hands if anyone is free? 9am Saturday 🙂

13/04/2026

Last couple of weeks at McDonald Motor Trimmers…

So… Cherry & Thomas decided it was a great idea to get married over Easter 💍🥂

…and leave Mac in charge of the workshop 😅

Good news—Mac didn’t burn the place down 🔥
Even better news—he actually kept everything running like a pro 👊

While we were off saying “I do” and celebrating…
Mac was here doing the real work:
• Keeping jobs moving (and probably muttering about it 😆)
• Bringing tired seats back to life
• Motorcycle seats getting the glow-up treatment 🔥
• Interior repairs and tidy-ups rolling through
• Making sure customers were looked after like always

Meanwhile…

we were making sure the wedding cars looked mint and enjoying a cheeky drink or two 🍾

Safe to say—team effort:

Mac = holding down the fort
Cherry & Thomas = turning up married and ready to get back into it 😏

Massive thanks to everyone for your patience while we took a couple of days off to tie the knot ❤️

Now it’s back to moving!

23/03/2026

Meet Derek the D-Max… or as he prefers to be known, “Sir Torque-a-lot of Tauranga.”

Now Derek wasn’t just any ute. Oh no. Derek believed—deep in his diesel-powered soul—that he was actually a luxury SUV… just temporarily misunderstood.

Every morning he’d wake up in the carpark like this, stretch his suspension, and think,
“Righto… today’s the day someone finally notices my refined elegance.”

Unfortunately, reality hit pretty quick.
Instead of valet parking at some flash waterfront café, Derek found himself hauling tools, dodging shopping trolleys, and reverse-parking three times because—let’s be honest—his turning circle isn’t exactly ballerina-like.

Still… Derek had confidence.

He’d sit there gleaming in that bold orange, watching the other cars roll in:

A little hatchback zipped past.
“Cute,” Derek muttered. “Bet you couldn’t tow a sausage roll, mate.”

A sleek sedan parked nearby.

“Nice try, but can you handle a muddy job site AND still look this good? Didn’t think so.”

Then came the moment.

A gust of wind blew some leaves dramatically across the carpark. Derek straightened up, thinking,
“This is it… my cinematic entrance.”
…only for a pigeon to land right on his canopy.

“Right,” Derek sighed. “Back to being a workhorse.”

But here’s the thing—Derek secretly loves it.
Because while the others worry about fuel economy and parallel parking, Derek knows he’s the one getting the real jobs done. He’s the one showing up when there’s gear to move, seats to pick up, or a last-minute mission across town.

And as he sits there, slightly crooked in his park (purely intentional, of course), he gives a little rumble and thinks:
“Luxury SUV? Nah…
I’m way better than that. I’ve got character.”
…and probably a bit of sawdust in the tray.