Restoration is a different kind of work from collision repair. There is no adjuster, no deadline set by a rental car, and the scope is whatever you and we decide it is.

It starts with an honest look underneath

Vermont is hard on vehicles that have wintered here for decades. What shows on the outside is usually a fraction of the story, and the only way to know is to get the vehicle up, pull interior panels, and look inside the rockers, the floors, the wheel arches, and the frame rails.

We would rather tell you at that stage that a project is bigger than you hoped than discover it halfway through with your money already spent.

Metal replaced, not covered

Where a section has deteriorated past saving, it gets cut out and new steel welded in, shaped to the original contour, with corrosion protection applied inside the joint before it is closed up. Filler over compromised metal buys a season and fails from behind.

Panels that are still sound get worked rather than replaced. On older vehicles a good original panel is often better than what is available to buy.

Deciding how far to go

Not every vehicle warrants a full concours restoration, and not every owner wants one. A truck that will be driven every summer might want solid metal, sound paint, and nothing beyond that. A car headed for shows is a different budget.

We will tell you where the money makes a visible difference and where it disappears.

The auto body work is what we do

We are a body shop, so we take on the structure, panels, and finish. Mechanical and interior work is generally handled elsewhere, and we will coordinate around it.

Talk it through

Call (802) 782-5373 or bring the vehicle to South Main Street. Restoration conversations tend to take longer than estimates, and that is fine.