Let's face it-not all of us have the tools, skills and
space to restore a muscle car by ourselves. Where does this leave us? There are
hundreds of restoration professionals out there who can tackle even the
rustiest hulk of a formerly glorious car. Before you can choose a restoration
shop, you've got to decide what you want the finished car to be
(Concours-winning show car, or simply a nice driver?) and how much money you
can spend to get it to that point.
When you finally own a restoration-worthy car, you'll have
to determine if you can perform any aspects of the rebuild yourself, or if
you'll have to farm out the entire project to specialists. If you reason that
restoration is out of your league, the next step becomes the homework you'll
have to do in order to pick a restoration shop that will deliver the finished
product you envision while remaining close to your budget and time schedule.
"Talk to other people at car shows," "Pick a
car like the one you want to restore, or one that appeals to you. Talk with the
owner about the restoration, and find out if any other cars at the show were
done by the same restorer." You may learn of shops that specialize in GMs,
Fords, Mopars or AMCs, but they aren't automatically your best choice-the best
will be restorers who do the most careful and thorough work.
You'll have to do a fair amount of research; call a variety
of shops and speak with the owner or principal restoration specialist. Talk
with them about your vision of the completed car, and ask them what they have
to offer. A good shop manager will be more than happy to discuss his experience
and restoration techniques, and will do the same for any of his employees. It's
also important to learn if the shop stores all cars being worked on indoors,
and if they carry enough insurance to cover all vehicles in the shop.
As you visit prospective restoration shops, you should pay
attention to the appearance of the facilities and the equipment with which it
is furnished. If you've got a car that will require extensive metal
fabrication, look to see if they have a metal brake, an English wheel, a
shrinker/stretcher and a bead roller, among other important metalworking tools.
They should also have a blast cabinet, a lathe, and a half-ton press as well as
gas and MIG welding equipment. Organization and adequate space are also
important in a shop.
"When you're working on a car, it's often hard to keep
the work space clean, but it's important that there is room to work on a car
and good access to the parts and equipment that will be needed.
The reputation of a shop is extremely important, as is the
satisfaction of its former customers. "Stop in the local parts store and
ask the guys how (the restoration shop is). They'll always tell you-they never
pay on time, or, they're great guys who do good work." Contacting old
customers is also a smart bet. "A restoration shop should be willing to
give you the phone numbers of previous clients," "You should talk to
those clients about what was done to their cars, and look at (the work) if
possible."
You will sometimes come across shops that advertise both
collision work and auto restoration. While most restoration professionals focus
solely on restoration work, some shops combine it with collision repair. Some
restorers caution against using a combination shop, arguing that collision
expertise isn't restoration expertise and that prompt work and attention to
detail can suffer.
When you feel comfortable with a shop, it's important to
discuss all the particulars of the costs that occur during a restoration. You're
talking $2,000 to $3,000 per car just for paint, primer and painting supplies.
I have a 1970-1/2 Z/28 in here now that's going to cost $10,000 just to paint.
You have to understand, these are projects that can take four to five months to
finish. It's not like Mrs. Smith, whose Honda Accord gets smacked up and it's
gone from here in three days."
When you've chosen your restoration shop, get a written
estimate for the labor, materials and parts required for the project, but
remember that estimates are subject to change. "It's difficult to figure
an exact price on any restoration," You've got to be prepared to spend
more money, a car's restoration may end up costing many times its value. A shop
that specializes in your car may change a flat rate, with a clause for extra
charges due to unforeseen additional work, while a general restorer may charge
for labor, materials and parts separately. A deposit is often required to
secure services and begin the parts ordering process.
Be aware that better restoration shops will often have
substantial waiting lists, ranging from months to years.
"Any good restoration shop will be booked for at least
a year,". "If you can get into a shop right away, you should question
the quality of its work.
Once a restoration begins, most good restorers want to
remain in touch with the car's owner to allow progress updates as well as to
keep abreast of potential financial issues. If the shop you've chosen isn't
within reasonable driving distance, be sure to ask for detailed photographs on
a regular basis. Who knows-maybe your car will become the next HMM restoration
profile feature!
source:
Feature Article from Hemmings Muscle Machines
by- Mark J. McCourt
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