Praise The Rare Restorers

Any restoration of any classic car should be celebrated. Buying a classic is one thing, and a perfectly good thing at that. But buying one that’s down at heel, and that doesn’t run, and that is full of speed holes big enough to fit an Alsatian through is something else. It takes skill, it takes money, it takes cojones of a significant diameter. Anyone, anyone who restores a classic should be praised. Especially if that classic is at the rare end of the spectrum.

By their very nature, classic cars are more tricky to rebuild than their modern counterparts. Especially if said classic wears the badge of a long defunct company. However, it’s the 21st century and that means that for classics that have a bit of a following, parts, specialists, groups, clubs and advice are never more than a click away. The irony is, the connected, modern world has made owning a vintage car easier than ever. You’re never alone. We’re not saying that makes the physical act of restoration any easier, but it does soften the blow a little bit. Unless, that is, you’re one of the brave types who restore a classic for which there is no online enthusiast group, or considerable following, or… much else.

And those are the people we want to celebrate here. Every classic restored is another back on the road, but those spanner and welder-wielding legends that take on the impossible are not only putting them back on the road, they’re often saving cars from complete extinction and obscurity. That’s a brave thing to do. These souls look at a forlorn classic and they don’t panic about getting panels, or trim, or engine parts. They don’t look at a broken or missing unobtanium windscreen and run away. They don’t see missing metal and break into a cold sweat. Instead, they smile and see a thrilling challenge. Something only a rare classic car can offer when it comes to satiating such a person’s appetite.

These incredible, seemingly fearless restorers of the rare also do more than give their cars new life. They inspire those of us who might be a little less comfortable on the spanners. The classic car world is one that celebrates a pleasing sense of equality. These restorers help fuel that. If that person can restore that seemingly un-restorable car, then maybe we can do something? Maybe that job we have been putting off is something we should instead have a crack at? These impossible restorations fuel and ignite us, they make the impossible for us, seem suddenly very possible. That’s a special thing. They enthuse us to try new things, to learn new skills and to get more involved. And then we, with our new skills, enthuse others. It’s trickle down skill sharing, and it works.

Then, on a larger scale, we have the workshops and businesses that exist to carry out these restorations for people who want to save these rare cars but perhaps don’t have the time or ability. The individuals who do these restorations are amazing, but don’t think that the bigger companies doing the same are any less important. These workshops, littered up and down the country and around the world, are also hugely important. They are keeping skills alive, they are employing keen young staff and as such, ensuring the ongoing survival of our cars and our hobbies. And there is no shame to be taken in letting these businesses help with your rare restoration. It’s all contributing to the same industry, and the benefits are still far reaching.

Crucially, these people and specialist companies that seem to be unafraid of any classic, no matter the condition, are important because they are keeping rare machines alive. So, so many cars have gone now, consigned to being nothing but a Wikipedia page or a note in an automotive book. But that number would be so much higher were it not for the people spoken about in this article. The people who have stared a coach-built ‘one of one’ classic in the eye and calmly said “let’s do this”. The car almost doesn’t matter. It’s the grit, the determination and the can-do attitude that takes the spotlight. The humble Montego is rarer than some Maseratis, and parts are just as hard to find. But restorers of both should be celebrated, for they are paving the path of motivation ahead of us.