FAQ
Most frequent restoration questions and answers
Reputable shop owners will gladly provide you with contact information for several of their customers. Spend time not just looking at the car, but also asking about how the process went.
A good shop owner will be proud to show you around and explain the different stages of restoration.
Not every shop can handle every facet of restoration. Some act more as general contractors. There’s nothing wrong with that as long as it’s understood up front.
An experienced restorer should be able to spend time with you to determine what a restoration will cost. Plan on that figure being low by about 25 percent to include unforeseen circumstances.
Depending upon how much work your shop has in-house and the time of year, the shop should be able to give you a pretty close estimate of when it will be finished.
If your car is relatively common, it will be easier for a shop to know how much work to expect; if your car is outside the mainstream, expect that it will be an hourly job.
Restoration shops vary on how much they need to get started. Some ask for a third up front, a third halfway through and a third at the end. Others will invoice you monthly.
A restoration without photographs of the process becomes an unsubstantiated claim. Make sure that your restorer can provide good quality digital photos of the process.
Call ahead, but shop owners generally welcome regular trips to the shop. It lets them know that you haven’t disappeared and that you’re interested in seeing the job finished.