When the customer brought this car to us for restoration, we were planning on a body-off restoration that would follow CTCI standards for a top show car and Excellence in Authenticity Award requirements. This car will be completely restored with these standards in mind. When completed, it will have a white exterior, black and white interior, restored hard top and soft top.

The first step on this car was to strip off all the old paint. This makes it easier to repair any metal imperfections.

This next phase of the restoration is the process of spraying every inch of the body with primer. The steps that we go through are using an etching primer on the bare metal of the body and other various parts. Next, step is a urethane primer followed by body filler primer. Then we spray a coat of high build polyester primer. Then we can block everything and spray another coat of urethane primer, once again. Then the body and parts can be wet sanded. After all this, then we can finally start to paint everything.

We have several photos for our next process, which was the frame restoration. The first two photos are the original frame before we started restoring it, then you see the frame after it has had several coats of primer, wet sanded, and cleaned. The last photos are of the completely restored frame with the rebuilt engine, transmission, and the new brake lines. After the body is done in the paint booth, it will be ready to place on the frame.

A very important step in preparing the body for paint, is the application of seam sealer on every crevice and seam on the whole body of the car. This helps keep moisture out of the over-laps of metal and help prevent rust and corrosion.

We restore everything for this vehicle. It was agreed, before we started, that this car, when finished, would meet the CTCI standards to be a top show car. So every part on the car will receive the same meticulous attention that the body and frame has received. This includes the radiator, rims, and other various parts.

We have applied the paint to the body and other parts, then everything is wet sanded and polished. What you see now, is the final result. The car is ready to be placed on the body and the other parts will be reassembled, also.

Now that is beautiful car is done it will be going home to it’s owner to enjoy.