Bodywork and metal
Rust cut out, new steel let in, panels aligned and shut lines set before any primer goes on.
Metalworkfrom $65 an hour
Old cars brought back, one stage at a time
Bodywork, engines and interiors restored in our own workshop, with a photo diary sent to you every Friday so you can watch the car change. Most full restorations take between nine and eighteen months, and we tell you that before anything is signed.
9 to 18 monthsfor most full restorations
Every Fridaynew photos and notes sent to you
Every stagepriced before it begins
Nobody knows the real bill until the paint comes off
A car can look sound at a viewing and still hide filler, old repairs and rust inside the sills. We estimate from what we can see, then strip the body to bare metal and show you what is really there before the bodywork budget is fixed.
Restoration here is measured in months, not weeks. Parts for older cars can take a while to find or have made, and paint needs time to cure between coats, so we would rather give you a realistic finish date than a hopeful one.
- A written range at assessment, firm stage prices after stripping
- Photos of every hidden problem before we repair it
- No stage starts without your go ahead
Seven stages between arrival and handover
Every car passes through the same stages, though not every car needs all of them. Each one is priced and agreed before work on it begins.
Assessment
Two hours on the lift, a road test if the car runs, and a written estimate given as a range.
Strip and catalogue
Every part removed, photographed, labelled and boxed, so nothing goes astray over the months.
Bare metal
The shell is media blasted. This is the point where the bodywork budget is set and shared.
Metalwork
Rotten steel cut out and new metal let in, shaped by hand where no repair panel exists.
Paint
Primer, guide coats and colour in our booth, cured between coats, then flatted and polished.
Mechanical rebuild
Engine, gearbox, brakes and suspension rebuilt or recommissioned while the paint hardens.
Trim and shakedown
Wiring, glass, brightwork and interior refitted, then a run of test drives before handover.
Body, engine and cabin under one roof
Some owners bring a car for a full restoration, others for one part of it. Prices are starting points for a small saloon or roadster.
Bare metal respray
The original colour or one you choose, laid down in our booth and finished by hand.
Whole carfrom $9,500
Engine and gearbox
Stripped, measured and rebuilt with new bearings, seals and gaskets, then run in on our stand.
Engine rebuildfrom $6,800
Interior and trim
Seats, carpets, headlining and door cards retrimmed in leather, vinyl or cloth true to the period.
Pair of seatsfrom $2,400
Wiring and electrics
A new loom fitted, gauges and switches restored, and the charging system made dependable again.
New loomfrom $1,600
Waking a stored car
For cars that have stood for years: fuel system, brakes, tyres and fluids brought back to safe use.
Recommissionfrom $2,200
Hourly work is billed in half hours. Parts are charged at what we pay plus a handling fee, shown on every invoice.
Six pages from one roadster's diary
Every owner receives dated photos and notes each week. These entries follow one car from the transporter to its first drive.
Where the months and the money go
These ranges come from recent full restorations of small saloons and roadsters. Yours may sit below them or well above, and the bare metal stage is where we find out.
| Stage | Usual time | Usual range | What pushes it up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment | Half a day | $350 | Nothing; the fee comes off the first stage |
| Strip and catalogue | 2 to 4 weeks | $2,000 to $4,500 | Seized fixings and parts already missing |
| Metalwork | 2 to 6 months | $8,000 to $30,000 | Rust in sills, floors and inner wings |
| Paint | 6 to 10 weeks | $9,500 to $16,000 | A colour change or a detailed engine bay |
| Mechanical rebuild | 2 to 4 months, alongside paint | $6,000 to $18,000 | Parts that must be made rather than bought |
| Trim and shakedown | 1 to 3 months | $5,000 to $14,000 | Leather, chrome replating and hard to find glass |
Figures are illustrative and change with every car. Your running total is updated in the diary each time a stage is agreed.
Cars that come through our doors
We describe our work by age and body style rather than by badge. If your car is not here, ask.
- Pre war tourers
- 1950s saloons
- 1960s roadsters
- Small sports cars
- Classic estates
- Early hatchbacks
- Vintage light commercials
- Left hand drive imports
We never buy cars to restore and sell on our own account, so the only interest we have in your car is yours.
Owners on their restorations (example reviews)
The Friday photos were the best part. We saw the floor come out in week six and understood exactly why the bodywork figure went up.
They said at the first visit that the engine could wait and the rust could not. The car now drives even better than it looks, and it looks very good.
Every stage price arrived in writing before the work, with photos attached. The only surprises were the ones under the paint, and those were shown to us first.
Asked before the car comes in
Why is there no fixed price for the whole restoration?
Because the largest cost, the metalwork, stays hidden until the car is at bare metal. You get a range at assessment, then a firm price for each stage once we can see what it involves.
How long will the car be with you?
Most full restorations take nine to eighteen months. A recommission or a single stage, such as the interior, can take a few weeks. The diary shows a planned date for each stage and is updated if anything moves.
Can we visit the car while it is being worked on?
Yes, on Saturdays by appointment. Many owners come at the bare metal stage to see the shell for themselves.
Will you keep the car original?
That is your choice. Some owners want the car as it left the factory, others want better brakes, cooling or a hidden modern stereo. Every change is noted in the diary so the car's history stays clear.
When are stage invoices due?
Half when a stage is agreed and half when it is finished. Parts over $1,000 are paid for when ordered. Payment is arranged directly with the workshop.
Can you collect a car that does not run?
Yes, on our covered transporter. The charge depends on distance, and we quote it before booking.
Will a restoration raise the car's value?
A careful, documented restoration often helps, but values follow the market and the car, so we never promise a figure. The diary and invoices stay with the car as part of its history.
Tell us about your car
Describe the car, its condition and what you would like done. We reply within three working days to arrange an assessment at the workshop or where the car is kept.
- Assessment fee taken off the first stage
- A written range before anything is agreed
- Weekly diary from the day the car arrives
Viewings, calls and collections
The workshop sits down a farm track, so every visit is arranged in advance.
Call or write
A countryside workshop about an hour from the city, with covered collection for cars that do not run
Workshop hours
| Monday to Friday | 08:00 to 17:30 |
| Saturday | Viewings by appointment |
| Sunday | Closed |
Collection and storage
Cars that do not run travel on our covered transporter. Finished cars can stay in our dry, heated store for up to a month while you make room at home.