When we talk about classic cars one of the most prominent topics is restoration. With several TV shows featuring big names bringing classic car restoration into people's homes and the continued popularity of classic car shows there is more awareness than ever of car restoration. Over the past decades, the classic car industry has grown from small backstreet garages tinkering away to large and well-organised businesses. Along with this, the standards we expect of our cars have gone up. The quality of finish of many classic cars is way beyond that achieved when they were first built.
So, what is restoration? At Twyford Moors we generally undertake full nut and bolt restorations.
This process involves stripping a car right back to its constituent parts (e.g. every nut and bolt) and refurbishing each component to be as good or better than new. For others, a restoration might simply involve repairing some metalwork, respraying the car and attending to any necessary mechanical faults.
For me, restoring my own Wolseley at home, it is all about carefully preserving as much originality as possible. I value the car's age and idiosyncrasies for sentimental reasons.
In my opinion, a restoration is a personal journey for you and your cherished car, as unique as each individual. Whether you entrust your car to a professional restorer or painstakingly refurbish it at home by yourself it reflects your tastes, aspirations, and skills. Perhaps we cannot define “restoration” but variety and individuality are what make the classic car scene so vibrant. What is certain is that taking a wreck of a car to a show winner is not for the faint-hearted!
Over future editions I will share further articles on the world of classic cars. I hope to give a broad and varied view of the classic car scene. If you would like to read about anything in particular, please email me at harry@jagxk.com
