Restorations-
PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY TAKING NEW RESTORATION JOBS
PLEASE NOTE: WE ARE NOT CURRENTLY TAKING NEW RESTORATION JOBS
- Complete Restoration Work
- Street Restorations
- Custom Work
We can do complete or partial restorations and enjoy working with customers who are involved in their projects and perhaps don’t have the specialized equipment or skills that certain aspects of restorations require. We limit our total restoration projects so your vehicle is worked on and not used as a “fill in”. Due to this policy, you can be assured that your project receives the attention it deserves. Because of our 40+ years of experience, we can organize your project in the most logical manner to keep wasted time to a minimum. The most important part of any restoration project is to work closely with the customer to understand what the project’s objective is. The “map”, so to speak, can be drawn so getting to the destination will be the most direct route with the least amount of potholes and unexpected detours. Doing a “real” restoration means the complete dis-assembly of the vehicle and rebuilding, repairing, and refinishing of all components to factory original, then reassembling. It takes a lot of time, work, and effort to undertake a project of this magnitude, but if you want to win at the car shows, this is what it takes. Street restorations are an alternative to a full-blown restoration. On a street restoration, we are not going for that 100 point car, but we want a driver that we can enjoy for everyday use or on the weekend. For a street restoration we basically evaluate the problems, fix what’s broken, make it look good, and ensure it is reliable. Whether it is a full-blown restoration or a street restoration, or anything in between, we can help you attain the goals of your project with our knowledge and expertise. We also provide service work on those “old” cars and understand the “old” technology because we were there when the “old” was “new”.
Body/Paint Work
We have a complete body and paint facility to handle your refinishing needs. We do not do collision repair on late model vehicles, only restorations, street rods, and customs. Most body shops are not set-up for the demands of restorations or custom work. Usually if a body shop takes on a restoration project it's a fill-in when work gets slow. If you have any rust work to be done, standard body shop practices are not conducive to lasting repairs. What is involved in doing rust repairs? First of all the rusted metal must be cut out. Any patches or panels that are installed must be fitted correctly. After welding is done the welded area should be cleaned and a seam sealer used to moisture-proof the weld area on both sides. On panels, such as quarter panels, seam sealer is used on the backside and the first coat of body filler must be waterproof. Standard talc based body fillers are not waterproof and can absorb moisture which will cause rust bubbles to appear. Here’s the key that few people realize. When metal is welded, the affected weld zone changes the molecular structure of the metal causing it to be more prone to rusting in the heat-affected zone. We came upon this fact quite by accident. I had a new trainee that I was showing how to weld sheet metal. His practice piece was left outside and the next morning when we came in, we observed the welded area had begun to rust in the discolored heat affected zone whereas the surrounding metal was relatively rust-free. These are the little things that make the big thing (the project) successful. We’ve invested a considerable amount of capital in body and refinishing equipment as well as in training so from a street restoration to a full-blown show car, a custom, or anything in between, you can be assured that quality will go in before the paint goes on.
Machine Shop Services
A large portion of our faculty contains our machine and fabrication shop equipment. We not only have the standards, mills, lathes, brakes, and shears but specialized equipment to do complete engine rebuilding in-house. Everything from crank grinding to balancing, line boring to block boring, cylinder head rebuilding to crack repair. Our engine rebuilding services include everything from small motorcycle jugs to large caterpillar diesels and everything in between. We can help you with building that special engine or with fabricating that special piece to help you mount that special component.
When we do a complete engine rebuild, it is customized to the customer’s expectations and specifications and test run on our test bed before it is installed to ensure that before it goes in your project, you can see and hear it run and we can correct any problems before it is installed. If you rebuild your own engines we can do all the machining to your exact specifications. You can be assured that everything will “mic out” to the proper specifications so your assembly process will be trouble free.
We also provide high-performance machining operations such as balancing, porting, fly cutting of pistons, as well as multiple angle valve jobs.
When we do a complete engine rebuild, it is customized to the customer’s expectations and specifications and test run on our test bed before it is installed to ensure that before it goes in your project, you can see and hear it run and we can correct any problems before it is installed. If you rebuild your own engines we can do all the machining to your exact specifications. You can be assured that everything will “mic out” to the proper specifications so your assembly process will be trouble free.
We also provide high-performance machining operations such as balancing, porting, fly cutting of pistons, as well as multiple angle valve jobs.
Welding
Our welding capabilities include mig, tig, stick, oxyacylene welding, and brazing. We can weld aluminum, cast iron, stainless steel, as well as mild steel. We can also repair other metals such as pot metal and copper, just to name a few.
Special Repair Services
Our unique capabilities allow us to take a piece of metal and weld it, machine it, and refinish it. This allows us to take on some pretty unique projects that most places cannot take on. If it’s made out of metal and you need it fabricated or repaired, give us a call, we can help.
Service Work
- Fuel Injection Upgrade
- Electrical System Repairs
- Power Steering/Power Brakes Repair and Installation
- Air Conditioning Repair and Installation
- Any Type of Service Work You Require
We provide any type of service work for your classic or special interest vehicle. From routine oil changes and tune-ups, to major repairs. If your electrical system needs work, we can repair or replace it with a brand new, updated system. If you want to add power brakes, power steering, or air conditioning to your classic car, we can do it. Lately we’ve been installing fuel injection systems into the old classics and the difference is phenomenal. So from one end of your classic, to the other, we can do general service and repairs as well as updating it with today’s modern amenities.