{"id":207,"date":"2019-04-11T09:00:26","date_gmt":"2019-04-11T09:00:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.co.uk\/magazine\/?p=207"},"modified":"2024-09-12T10:25:14","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T09:25:14","slug":"nec-restoration-show-restoring-the-faith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carandclassic.com\/magazine\/nec-restoration-show-restoring-the-faith\/","title":{"rendered":"NEC Restoration Show \u2013 Restoring the Faith"},"content":{"rendered":"

Okay, its full name is actually the Practical Classic, Classic Car and <\/span>Restoration Show<\/span><\/a> with Discovery. But that\u2019s a bit of a mouthful. From here on in, let\u2019s just call it the NEC Restoration Show because that\u2019s easier and frankly, it\u2019s what everyone else calls it, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Classic<\/p>\n

Long names aside, what is the NEC Restoration Show? As the name would suggest, it\u2019s a celebration of rust, of being in the garage and of rescuing otherwise forgotten cars. And for that, it\u2019s wonderful. The NEC plays host to a lot of car shows, but as a seasoned visitor, I can tell you that for the best part, those other shows generally feature the same cars year in, year out. Lovely cars, don\u2019t get me wrong, but cars that generally live to satisfy the show circuit rather than the local B-roads. And to me, that seems a shame. Cars are meant to be driven, and with it, they\u2019re meant to be worked on. The Restoration Show celebrates that.<\/span><\/p>\n

It also celebrates the joy or horror (depending on your outlook) of finding cars that close to or even beyond the brink. The Restoration Show doesn\u2019t make polish and wax a prerequisite. Cobwebs and dust are equally, no, wait, are more welcome.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike other car shows at the NEC, the Restoration Show doesn\u2019t fill the entire venue, instead it occupies halls 3a through to 5. That\u2019s more than enough though. It gives the show a personal, approachable feel. Basically, it\u2019s not overwhelming. It\u2019s considered size also means you get a chance to see everything, and you\u2019ll want to, as there is a lot to see.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Classic<\/p>\n

You have the trade halls where you\u2019ll find stand upon stand filled with everything you could possibly need to work on your classic. Do you need oddball parts? Someone will be selling them. Do you need tools? There are more here than you can imagine, both from individual traders and from big names like Sealey and Draper. Do you need parts? This show has you covered. From paint to carpet to service items, you\u2019ll find it all here. It\u2019s a proper wallet-worrier to walk around the halls. Even I didn\u2019t come out empty-handed, despite being there for work. Some hook, files, a set of mole grips and a model Ford Zephyr all came home with me. Whoops.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, it\u2019s not just parts, tools and other car-related stuff. There are the cars themselves, and the Restoration Show pulls no punches when it comes to getting the metal in. And it\u2019s through that metal that, in my opinion, the show gets even better. There is no brand affinity at play. If you like cars, you\u2019ll find something here to float your boat, be it a Porsche or a Peel P50, a Ferrari or a Ford, you\u2019ll see it. But here\u2019s the best thing \u2013 you\u2019ll more than likely see it in an unusual condition.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Classic<\/p>\n

By that, I mean that a large portion of the cars here aren\u2019t wax-heavy trailer queens. They are brought in on a trailer, but because they don\u2019t work, not because they\u2019re being preserved. Walk around and you\u2019ll find barn finds aplenty. The car of the show for me was the long dead Ford Consul Capri that looked like it was sinking into the floor of the NEC. I was baffled at the effort it would\u2019ve taken to get it there without it breaking in half.<\/span><\/p>\n

I was also wowed by the barn find stand, that played host to an E9 BMW \u2018Batmobile\u2019 covered in rust and cobwebs. The Mini Traveller, the Mach 1 Mustang, the NSU Ro80, the list goes on. Stands elsewhere displayed cars that were mid restoration, or again in \u2018as found\u2019 condition, and it was all brilliant. Seeing cars like this reminds you that the classic car world is human, and with it approachable. Halls full of immaculate metal do little to enthuse or motivate, but halls full of cars that are at the start, middle or end of their restoration journey do. You walk around this show and you start to itch to get on the spanners yourself. This show makes you want to tackle the jobs you\u2019ve been putting off. It\u2019s brilliant.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Classic<\/p>\n

Another unique element to the NEC Restoration Show is the fact that organiser encourage people to work on their cars while they\u2019re on the stands. This meant I could have a chat with the guy working on his immaculate Rover 800 Vitesse Sport (because I have one, too) whilst he was working on some wiring. I saw a couple of guys fitting a new interior to an MGB GT. On the MX-5 stand a car was being a complete transformation, while over on the Volvo 480 stand, a care was being detailed and brought up to near immaculate condition.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t