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I understand after over 50 years and being responsible for over 100,000 restorations from new Rolls Royce's to 1920's cars. I still walk into work everyday and I am still amazed at how much I still have to learn. While the guy down the street and his crew of self proclaimed experts have the insight to know everything. Do you think this topic might be a hot button for me.

That would be 2,000 restorations a year or 40 a week. Perhaps there's a decimal point error in the 100,000 number??

That's 3 to 400 cars per month managing a mega body shop for 25 years plus 25 years of restoring and fabricating antique and classic cars and hand fabricating an exact replica of a classic. I did the math correct.

Then I presume many/most of the "restorations" were collision repair as done in a mega body shop

Yes that would be correct.Custom painting and restoration was before and after body shop time.but its funny if you fixed a 67 Camaro in 1970 it was just a repair today its a restoration. same techniques different time. I am still doing it professionally in my shop with over 30 national awards. But its about people that get a business licence [or not]and hang a sign and instantly become all knowing and the unaware crown them as gods.

Restoring an old car is quite different from repairing that same car when it was 3 years old. Back then all parts were available in a few days from your local dealer from a complete frame to new upholstery. When a car is 50 years old the ravages of time have taken their toll, a restoration can take a year, a repair back then could take a week. Sometimes previous repairs were done poorly or in correctly so you have to undo some modifications.

I repaired my mother's '53 Patrician back in '59, right now I'm restoring a '52 Patrician based limousine.
See below:

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I enjoy doing the restorations but I like to let my customers do the research for the parts and repair
process they prefer. That way they get involved with the repair process. It's done the way they want it and it saves them money by doing the leg work and procuring the parts [no mark up for them]
For Customs and Resto-Mods basically the same process just a little more creativity and open space.
If you keep a customer involved with a build. Encourage them to be critical of the repair process and have an open door policy were they can stop by anytime with no notice to check on their restoration at that point delivery day produces exactly what the customer ordered.
Collision damaged cars are repaired out of necessity. Restorations and Customs are done for the Love and pure enjoyment of the cars. That repair process should always be made an enjoyable experience. The's cars don't have to be fixed. We need to love to fix them.