Full restoration vs. repair work for shops that work on CCCA cars

1935PackardFeb 24, 2023

skilled workers to do the needed work

A friend has a top class shop and he says he has trouble finding full time staff to hire that are indeed skilled to do the level of work expected.

I bet its due to the lack of patience & attention span with many these days.  (Do I dare use the term 'younger ones'?) 

Having done my fair share of bodywork, I'm well aware it takes hours of work with the older 'tools of the trade' including various round and flat files of different teeth cuts, and various grits of sandpaper to progressively make the surfaces smooth; especially a new compounded curve fabrication from scratch.   I don't think there are many who have that level of concentration and patience anymore, unless maybe its their own project.

Craig

I would agree to this. In my geographic area. Full classic owners who are prepared to embark on the financial journey of a full restoration are few and far between. We have always offered full mechanical services on vintage cars. It probably makes up half of our currant business. Finding qualified staff who can problem solve and effect a presentable repair are difficult to find. Finding  a tech who can do those things and have a fine attention to detail to pursue the last 5 percent to make it perfect is even harder. As a shop I have gotten the reputation of being able to be versatile and think outside the box. We often have other shop bring us repairs that they have are not prepared to attempt of have attempted and it has gone poorly. While there seems to be no shortage of mustangs you will see a 1924 detroit, Sears model J, or Leon Bollee parked in the bay over.

I have been saying for years:The age of the full restoration is done. You only see very wealthy collectors that are heading to Pebble Beach going for the full boat restoration. The number of shops that can handle it is really dwindling.

There's that,  and Phil Hill lamenting he'd seen "more nice cars forever ruined for the sake of a few more points at some concours."  A late friend took Best of Show at Bauble Beach over 20 years ago, had his car(s) restored in the 1990s at a shop down in the Ag Valley charging $30 an hour, and you can deduce where much of that indentured labor heralded.   He also echoed something we'd heard from other fans of authentic vintage/Classic cars, and this is hairsplitting, and not a comment on taste or lack of:  The highest craftsmanship they'd ever seen were those at the Oakland Roadster Show.  

 Add to the above something most of us have long realized.  If you whisked a car off a 1930s or '40s showroom floor through a wormhole or H.G. Wells' time machine onto a concours field today, it'd be hard-pressed to garner 85-87 points.    As for well tended "fine cars" in the day,  they wouldn't even be allowed on most major concours fields other than as "barn find"  "historic preservation" class.

  The domestic janitorial d' nonelegances since the 1970s to date have little to do with the European events of the 1920s-50s, at which cars were judged solely on line, form, presence, often driven to the hotel in the rain the night before, a bit of mud still in their tire treads.

   Further, we've all seen too many CCCA "100 point" cars with gloss black engine accessories which were originally matte black,  "100 point" 1946-47 cars with whitewalls,  unobtainium in the day other than possibly the last month or two of the latter model year.

   Of the past three Bauble Beach Best of Show winners, two were billionaires, the other's net worth half a billion.

    What was once a hobby celebrating charm, enjoyment of old road cars, luxe and not,  has devolved into silliness for the half of the one percent, or those with no lives beyond their garage and shop.

In the 1960's all through the 70's any ccca or acca meets we went to everyone worked on their own cars. It was truly a hobby and everyone enjoyed it. Any show you went to had full classics too. Now we go to shows and 9 times out of 10 our 32 LaSalle is the oldest car there and the only full classic. I often wonder were all those old cars ended up that we always saw at meets. Agreed, it is no longer a hobby for the average person.

David ZitzmannOct 20, 2023

In the 1960's all through the 70's any ccca or acca meets we went to everyone worked on their own cars. It was truly a hobby and everyone enjoyed it. Any show you went to had full classics too. Now we go to shows and 9 times out of 10 our 32 LaSalle is the oldest car there and the only full classic. I often wonder were all those old cars ended up that we always saw at meets. Agreed, it is no longer a hobby for the average person.

This is true on all counts.   If you think about it (and are old enough) in the 1960s most (or many) did their own oil changes, and basic maintenance on their cars.   Every kid I knew had a gokart or minibike they were working on.  When we were in HS we all worked on our own cars (because we had to).    Things have changed a lot in 50 years.  I'm willing to bet that over 1/2 the car owners can't open the hood on their modern car.

I personally try very hard to work on my cars and I'm surrounded by friends who are mechanical savants.  But I will admit,  I end up frustrated quite a bit and need help all the time.