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Body-off restorations
Classic Car Restoration
Mustangs, Broncos and Land Cruisers taken back to bare metal and built again. Metalwork, paint and reassembly by the same crew, in the same shop — we take projects from across Florida.
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- Open 7 Days
- All Insurance Accepted
- Se Habla Español
What is included
What a restoration covers
A restoration is decided at the beginning, not the end. What you choose to fix at bare metal is what you stop worrying about later.
Strip to bare metal
Everything comes off and the old paint comes back. Only then do you know what you actually bought, instead of what the seller told you.
Rust and metal repair
Rotten sections cut out and replaced with new metal, welded and finished. Filler over rust is a two-year repair at best.
Body-off work
Body separated from the frame when the project calls for it, so the underside and the chassis get done properly rather than sprayed around.
Panel fitting and gaps
Old cars did not leave the factory perfect and sixty years have not helped. Doors, hoods and fenders get fitted before paint, not after.
Paint in original or custom color
Factory formula for a faithful restoration, or something completely different for a restomod. Both get the same prep.
Reassembly
Trim, glass, seals and hardware refitted. This is the stage where a restoration either lines up or gives itself away.
How it works
How a project starts
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Tell us what you want at the end
A faithful factory restoration, a driver you can use every weekend, and a restomod are three different budgets. Deciding early saves money.
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Assessment and teardown
The car comes apart and we document what is really there. The estimate that matters is the one written after this, not before.
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Metalwork and bodywork
Rust repair, panel replacement and alignment. The longest stage of the project and the one that determines everything after it.
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Paint
Bare metal, primer, block sanding and color, in our own booth. Body panels are often sprayed separately at this stage.
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Reassembly and sorting
Trim, glass and hardware back on, then the details get chased until the car is actually finished rather than nearly finished.
Our work
Restorations in progress and finished
Real cars from our own bays in Lake Worth Beach — no stock photos.
Frequently asked
Restoration questions
How many hours does it take to restore a classic car?
Hundreds, and on a full body-off build it can run into the thousands. The number swings enormously depending on how much rust is hiding, whether panels are available for that model, and how close to perfect you want the result. Anyone who gives you an hour count before the car is stripped is guessing. What we can do is give you a real estimate after teardown, when we can see what is actually there.
Is restoring an old car worth it financially?
Usually not, if the only measure is resale, and you should hear that from the shop before you start rather than after. A full restoration frequently costs more than the finished car is worth on the open market, and that is true for most models. People do it because they want that specific car, often one with history in the family. Where the math changes is on sought-after models and on restomods, which tend to hold value better than a factory-correct example.
Where does a restoration start?
With an honest look at the car and a decision about what it is going to be. Bring it in and we will go over it with you: what the rust situation really is, which panels are available, and what each level of finish would involve. A lot of people arrive expecting the worst and find the car is better than they thought, and a few find the opposite. Either way it is better to know at the start.
Can you finish a project somebody else started?
Yes, and we see plenty of them. Half-finished projects are common and there is no judgement in it — life happens. What we will do first is assess what was already done, because that determines whether we can build on it or need to go back a step. We will be straight with you about which one it is instead of quietly billing to undo someone else’s work.
Related services
What else we do
Got a project sitting in the garage?
Bring it by, or send photos. We will tell you honestly what it needs and what each level of restoration would actually involve.