How much does it cost to restore a classic car?

When you're about to embark on a restoration, you need to consider not only the cost of the parts needed but also the fact that in many cases, you really won't get your money back on the car. There's no point beating around the bush here, the majority of the time a classic is the second car, basically just a grown up's toy for the summer and not a money maker.

Each car is different so we like to see the car with all its defects in either person or in photos, to give a true estimate of the cost. But I suppose you're here to learn if restoring your car is expensive. It is. It's very, very, extremely expensive so don't be shocked when we break it all down for you

What are the steps in restoring a classic car?

Just so you know, there really is no such thing as a 'typical restoration', as every car has its own unique personal history. From the initial construction at the factory through the years of maintenance and repairs, each car has its own particular strengths and weaknesses. A lot of these cars were hand-built, so things like door gaps on similar models are more than likely different!

Initial Meeting / Consultation This is pretty self-explanatory, we need to know what we're expected to do! Taking something and making it look good is the essence of our workshop, we know design and what will look good. But, this is where you need to tell us what work you would like carried out, how you want the car to look at the end, and most importantly what your budget is. We can give our opinion and advise you along the way. Actually, before we go any further, you should read this piece on pricing and values. Inspection We'll check out the car and see what the condition is like. Is it original, what parts are missing, what needs replacing... 'The List' is made here. Dismantling Every major assembly component is carefully stripped, with individual parts documented and photographed. Sub-assembly parts are grouped and bagged ready for refurbishment or replacement. This is a fancy way of saying your car is completely stripped out, and every part that is removed is safely stored. Media Cleaning Careful media blasting to return any corroded areas on the vehicle back to bare metal. Careful is the keyword here. This is followed by an inspection of the structural condition ahead of any metal rectification. Once the bare metal is exposed, these sections are given an initial coat of primer to protect against corrosion. Bodyshell Rectification Next up is the cutting out of any corroded metal. Rusty bits be-gone! New genuine panels or our fabricated panels are used in replacement and all types of welding are utilised throughout to ensure an authentic appearance. Component Refurbishment We've already checked the condition of every part we've taken off, so it's just a case of unboxing all the new pieces we've ordered (it's honestly like Christmas). Anything salvageable is then refurbished. However, seals, bushings, rubbers, nuts, bolts, brakes, pipes and hoses are always replaced. Then it's down to the overall finish you want on the car. It could be anything from how shiny do you want it, to fancying an uprated suspension or brake set-up... the list is endless, but thankfully you have us to advise you on what to replace and what will look best. Paint We use a unique 11-stage painting process, developed solely for the restoration of classic cars. The cabin, boot, underbody and under-bonnet areas are all sealed and protected, while our clear coat is brought to a mirror shine. Final Reassembly Fun time! A shiny shell with brand-new parts bolted on - what could be better! Protective covers are fitted over the body with any trim parts covered, and then any safety-critical fixings are replaced, fluids filled, and suspension and lights aligned before the final torque checks are applied to finish the reassembly. Then it's the setting up of the fuelling system and ignition timing, followed by the electrical system testing and.... vrooom! Sign Off Mileage testing is then carried out. Look, we built it so we deserve to drive it... maybe to the shops... the cinema even. This is probably the most important part. We will drive the car to bed everything in and double-check everything is good to go. Following this shakedown, the vehicle is re-inspected, it gets one last clean and wax and then we say our emotional goodbyes the night before the handover.

Bodywork - Lyons Garages Classic Car Restoration and Servicing Specialists

Name: Lyons Garages Classic Car Restoration
Address: Spanish Point, Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare, V95EH27, Ireland
Telephone: 065-7084096

Does your classic need a little helping hand? Is there an ever so slight bubbling on the paint? Or maybe there's more rust than paint? Or what if your car is having a complete mid-life crisis and wants to change its paint colour?

Well, dearest pals and amigos, you've stumbled onto the right website. Step 1 is done and dusted and you get full marks for getting this far.

Welcome to the world of cutting out rusty metal, fabricating new panels, welding, sanding, paint and polishing here at Lyons Garages!

mga metalwork

The above photo of a 1962 MGA might be a bit extreme, but you get the idea of what we can do with our array of metal shaping tools and talented classic car people that work in the garage.

Ok, let's get started and tell you what we can do:

Full Restorations (and not so full restorations)

We specialise in full restorations, and our aim is to complete all work to the highest possible standard. Or 'The Lyons Garage' standard as it's now known. All our work is fully documented and photographed for your future viewing and reminiscing. And for our showing off. Because if you can't show it off what's the point? That's completely different to wearing brightly coloured boxers by the way, but that's a story for another time.

Metalwork and Welding

As mentioned above, we do have an array of metal shaping equipment, from an English wheel, shrinker, stretcher... there's a lot of tools at our disposal. Then there's our spot welders, TIG, MIG, PIG... Ok, PIG isn't real I just made that up, but we have everything we need to replace every and all pieces of rust in your car.

Replacement Panels

We like to use genuine heritage panels where possible as these provide a better fit than spurious panels. They're also of a much higher quality which benefits the longevity of your car, so win-win really. We won't be just patching over a rusty spot! We'll cut out the corroded panel and replace it. If rusty metal is just plated over, the corrosion will only begin to spread. I must tell you about the time we found black silicone to hide a hole in a chassis.

Paint and Re-Sprays

Once we have the metalwork sorted, it's time to get the body ready for paint. You can find a full run-through of what a typical restoration looks like by clicking here, but this is just a brief low down on what we cover. Rub, rub, rub, into primer and then into paint. There's actually a whole list of stages and various primers, protectors and paints used by us just to get it into paint. We use specially devised paint for classic cars with around 11 stages... But can we really be giving away all of our trade secrets here?

Colour Sanding, Polishing and Detailing

So once the car has had its umpteenth coat of lacquer, it's time to... Sand it all over again! Madness we know, but it's how you get that flat shiny look, or 'show finish' as they call it. There's about 7 stages to this, and each panel will take a few hours... imagine the size of your arms after this. Wax on, wax off. Mr Miyagi would be proud of us.

Rust Protection

Using our turner/rotisserie, we can give that show finish to the underneath of your car too. But because we live in Ireland and it's wet for approximately 452 days a year, we'll make sure the under-body and sills are protected from the elements.

The Rebuild

Then it's everyone's favourite time, rebuilding the freshly painted shell. Everything is so clean and shiny, it's actually very easy to get distracted by the chrome. I see my reflection and I'm just mesmerised. I've got great hair...

Sorry, distracted again there.

Whether you're rebuilding the car yourself, or whether it's us, it's important to replace all rubbers and seals on the car. That's the very minimum that you should do. To make it perfect, you look at the chrome, glass, lights, suspension, brakes, engine bay... but that probably brings us nicely to our Mechanical Services section, so you can hop on over there to read more.

If you have a classic car and would like to talk to us about pricing or need some more information, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Try and give as much detail about your car as possible and include photos - the more we know about your car, the better our estimate will be.

The Garage

Classic Sports Car Specialists

For decades we've been at the heart of automotive excellence in Ireland. Hundreds of cars have been lovingly restored in our home by the sea, with even more being expertly serviced. Don't hesitate to contact us by emailing info@lyonsgarages.com, or by calling 065-7084096. Lyons Garages in Spanish Point, Co. Clare - Your home for all things classic cars.

Bodywork, Metalwork and Paint

The Garage

Classic Sports Car Specialists

Awards

Bodywork, Metalwork and Paint

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The Garage

Classic Sports Car Specialists

Awards