See the full build: every build we've finished
Handing a car to a shop is an act of trust, and most of the horror stories come from shops that never explained how it was going to go. So here's how it goes with us. No packages, no fixed prices on a website, no promised dates we can't keep. A conversation, an honest look at the car, a scope you approve, and then the work, with you in the loop every week.
Already know what you want? Start a build or call (205) 618-8145.
The form takes about three minutes: the car, what you're after, rough condition, a budget range if you have one, and a few photos if you have the car. No car yet? Skip the photos. If you'd rather talk, call the shop. Either way, you'll hear back from a person, not an auto-reply.
We'll get on the phone and talk through what you've been picturing: motor, paint, stance, interior, how you plan to drive it. Photos of the exterior, engine bay, interior, and underside help us a lot here. Be honest about the rust. Everybody's car has some, and we'd rather know now.
There's a limit to what anyone can tell from photos. Once the car is in Pelham we go through it properly, and on a full build that means taking it apart and seeing what the years did underneath the paint. We'll show you what we found before anything beyond that gets quoted.
You get a written scope and a detailed estimate up front. Everything we do is billed on time and materials: the hours worked and the parts used, against that estimate. If we find something along the way that changes the plan, you hear about it and approve it before the work happens, not after.
We keep the queue small on purpose so the cars in the shop keep moving. That means there's sometimes a wait before yours starts, and we'll tell you where you stand rather than take the car in and let it sit. When we have a start window for you, you'll know.
As of October 2026, we have a start date or two opening up in the next month or two.
Teardown, metal, paint, drivetrain, interior, in whatever order the car needs. A full restoration or resto-mod build typically runs 12 to 18 months once it starts; an engine swap on its own is typically 30 to 45 days in the shop. Condition, scope, parts availability, and how quickly approvals come back all move those numbers, and we'll give you a window for your car once it's scoped. You get photos and progress updates every week from the people actually doing the work. Interiors are stitched in-house; some panels and components we buy rather than fabricate, and we'll tell you which.
Before a car leaves, it gets driven and gone through. Then delivery day, which is the part we never get tired of. Watch Gary get his Thunderbird back if you want to see what that looks like. We'll be there when you turn the key.
Our work carries a six-month warranty, and we'll go over exactly what it covers before the build starts. If something comes up once the car is home, call us. You'll be talking to the same people who built it. We'd rather hear about a problem early than have you live with it.
Plenty of the cars in the shop didn't come from Alabama. The process is the same one above, with a few differences: the photo step matters more, the first call gets longer, and the car arrives on a truck. Most of our out-of-state work comes from the Southeast, because a day's drive makes everything simpler, but we build for owners anywhere in the lower 48.
The full walkthrough, from the first call to transport to delivery at your door, is on the nationwide restoration page.
It depends on the car, its condition, and the scope, and anyone who gives you a number before seeing the car is guessing. A roll-in upgrade and a frame-off resto-mod are different jobs by an order of magnitude. We bill on time and materials with a detailed estimate up front, and the form asks for a budget range so we can tell you early whether what you want and what you've got line up.
A full build typically takes 12 to 18 months once it starts. An engine swap on its own is typically 30 to 45 days in the shop. Two things to keep straight: those are time in the shop, and start availability is separate, so ask us where the queue stands. And they're typical, not promised. Condition, scope, parts availability, and how fast approvals come back all move them. What we do promise is that we finish what we start, and you'll see progress every week while the car is here.
Often, yes. New crate engines and properly built motors are usually fine; a pull-out with no history gets looked at first, and we'll be honest if we think it's going to cost you more than a new one. Parts you've already bought get the same look. Tell us what you have when you reach out.
Yes. We've finished more than one car that sat somewhere else for years, and some of those owners are our best stories. The assessment step matters more with a started car, because we need to see what was done and what was skipped before we can scope the rest.
Yes. Our work carries a six-month warranty. We'll walk you through what it covers, including how parts and any engine you supply are handled, before the build starts, so there are no surprises later.
Please do. We're at 135 Corporate Way in Pelham, Alabama, about twenty minutes south of Birmingham. Visits are by appointment so we can give you real time. Call or use the form to set one up.