1947 Ford Business Coupe

What is a restoration? A restoration can be a concourse-perfect vehicle or a nice street restoration or many stops in between. A full frame off restoration  is a complete rebuild. As agreed upon is an important part of the restoration process.  An agreement for services must be made by the owner of the vehicle and the restoration shop prior to each part of the restoration. Payment of the restoration is also made by agreement. A down payment at the start is required based on the initial process agreed upon by the vehicle owner and the restoration shop. An hourly shop rate will be charged. Shop supplies specific to the vehicle, parts and materials are billed above the hourly shop rate.

The Frame-Off Restoration.

1) The body is removed from the frame. Both frame and body may be put on a rotisserie. The motor and transmission is pulled from the frame. The front end and rear end  are removed from the frame. Everything is disassembled until the frame is bare.  The frame is then restored; sandblasted and painted. At this point the body mounts, suspension, brakes lines (gas and brake) are replaced if necessary, and agreed upon. At this point the motor and transmission may be overhauled, rebuilt or detailed, as agreed upon.

2) The tear down of the interior includes carpets, seats, door panels, headliner, dash, console, everything in the interior may be stripped out, repaired, replaced as necessary or agreed upon.

3) The disassembly of the exterior of the vehicle includes removal of moldings, trim, including chrome, bumpers, lights grilles, handles. More extensive removals may include locks, latches, weather strips, back and front glass, window glass as agreed upon. Door pins, bushings door regulators, window motors, everything is checked for proper operation and decisions made about repair, replacement and agreed upon.

4) Body work begins. This may be as simple as sand, prime, paint or blasting to bare metal, rust repair, and panel replacements. Decisions are made at this point and agreed upon by the vehicle owner and the restoration shop. This may be the most expensive part of the restoration, depending on the original product and the desired look of the final product. The many hours spent in blasting, sanding, priming, panel replacements, blocking, more priming, is not readily apparent to the vehicle owner. The final product will depend on the preparation.

5) The vehicle is painted to the agreement between the vehicle owner and the restoration shop. This part of the restoration is so individual, with so many variables both in the product and owner's tastes, that we won't go into it here.

6) The reassembly of the vehicle with all the weather strips, moldings, chrome, lights, grille are completed.

7) The interior is reassembled, upholstery, carpets, door panels, headliner, dash, all interior trim.

8) The final step is cleaning and detailing.

This is a very brief description of a restoration. As you can see there is no typical restoration. every single vehicle, every single owners' dreams, desires and affordability are very different.

Again, as agreed upon is an important part of the restoration process.  An agreement for services must be made by the owner of the vehicle and the restoration shop prior to each part of the restoration. Delays in work progress may be caused by parts availability, payment of monies due to the shop, changes in the progress may be the result of circumstances with the vehicle or the vehicle owner, or other unforeseen problems. Storage fees only apply if payment of monies due the restoration shop are not paid within 30 days or less.

There is a big difference in the way a body shop and a restoration shop conduct business. There is a very considerable amount of skilled labor, knowledge, expertise, tools, experience, and much time involved in a restoration project. There is no way to estimate what the cost will be or how much time it will take for any given part of the process.  While your vehicle is undergoing restoration, keep in touch with the restoration shop and visit as often as possible.

Please call us with questions, bring us photos, show us your vehicle. We will be happy to discuss all parts of the restoration process with you.

Be reminded: always carry full coverage on the vehicle while it is being restored and transported.

We look forward to seeing and talking with you!

Office 850-838-1168...... Bud's Cell - 850-843-0127

email: BudChute@aol.com        cchute@aol.com or Motorvationsfl@aol.com