We start with a 40+ point inspection to see where your baby is at - Whether it’s been sitting for 20 years, or 2 days - we like to inspect all cars we have not seen end to end to make sure it’s safe, and then tackle the things that will make it run again. We want you as a repeat client - not just a quick job. And we want you and your family safe driving around in your classic ride.
Cars that sit a long time can need some tender loving care to get back on the road. Rubber hoses break down, fuel and oil goes bad, and brakes start leaking. We can handle all of this - and get everything in working and safe order before we just fire it up and go.
After years under cars, we've honed the best installation matched with the right parts to do the job right
All tires manufactured after the year 2000 are required to have a date code on them. This tells us when the tire was made. Even if a tire “looks good” if it’s older than 10 years old - we need to replace them. It can have great tread, and be in good shape - but the rubber has degraded so much that at highway speeds, a tire older than 10 years old can blow out when it heats up on the highway. Don’t risk it!
If a car has been sitting a long time - we can do the routine stuff to get it back on the road - but our inspection report also will tell us what needs attention now - and in the near future. From here we can estimate the absolute necessary repairs for safety - then what we can wait on down the road to handle - as well as recommended upgrades.
Each job will be estimated individually, but here are some guidelines to help you budget
A typical 2.5 hour inspection is around $450. Getting it running will require more labor and probably parts that will be determined after the inspection.
for the inspection
Lots of things happen when a car sits… things degrade, oil, gas and brake fluid eats stuff up. So the answer is usually no…. We’ll likely have to do some more work
Absolutely not. We’re happy to walk through the most important things to handle right away - and stuff that can wait. If it’s a safety concern we will recommend that you tow the car rather than drive it.
For us - every square inch of the shop needs to generate income. And your car sitting around means we can’t work on someone else's car. If you need storage, we can point you in the right direction.
