A large restoration shop opens just a few miles from my home! Here's the tour...

Restoration shop.

A nice organized shop with all the required tools, lifts and supplies is important to see if you are considering having a restoration done on a car. About three years ago I took my 71 stage 1 up to Canada to a well know shop. Upon arrival and inspection of the shop my friend that made the journey with me took me aside and recommended that we turn around with my 71 in trailer tow and GO HOME.
You see, I was blinded by the good reputation (the shop did a restoration for the president of another Buick club) of the shop and therefore I overlooked the filthy, tiny shop with its lack of organization, tools and equipment. But my friend saw things as they were and with great clarity.
Long story short, it turns out that the shop in Canada is really just a body and paint shop, not a true restoration shop. The shop poses as a restoration shop for Buicks but in reality has done only a few restorations to completion. Most customers just get fed up with the outrageous pricing and enormous amounts of time it takes them to complete even the smallest tasks and pull their cars in various stages of completion.
As it turns out the Canadian shop has no intentions of finishing cars to completion, they just lure customers in and charge about $40,000 - $50,000(labor only) for average paint and metal work ou: .
My 71 is now in a real restoration shop and will be completed for a reasonable price & in a reasonable amount of time. Live and learn - I have.

 

Cool shop! I'd hate to have to move a shop like that, but I guess if business is good and you need the space...!!!! What do you think JW? LOL!!!

- Bill

 

I think it's a freakin' nightmare to even think about working on all those different kinds of cars..

Specialization is the key to being able to get it done correctly. It's hard enough to just digest all the changes in the 70-72 GS's, between mid year changes, different plants ect... Imagine trying to build all the 64-72 GM A bodies, and they are only 30 or so years old.. now try and do that with fifty year old cars.. odds are, they rarely work on the same car twice in the same year.

Does look like a decent operation tho..

But I will pass.. I like my little 5000 square foot shop full of Buicks.. :grin:

JW

 

Cool, now I don't need to go down for a tour! I thought I might have my clutch repaired and an alignment done by these guys... I really would lke to do the work, I just think I'll trash something trying to support the engine and pulling the trannie, then I still do not have experience checking run out, friction surfaces, spring tensions, all the stuff I see in the manual for this stuff. Hopefully they can handle it. Without trashing my already restored stuff like I would.

 

I asked Terry, "How do you gain the expertise necessary to work on all these different kind of cars." His reply was, "We are up to the challenge." I would prefer a shop full of Buicks a couple of miles from the house Jim! :beer

 

Hi Ted,

If you can, please stop and see me and visit Marc Cleek's shop as well. The mornings would be best, but Monday all day works too.

Take care,

Brian