Jim Barber remembers the time not long ago when his shop hauled in a 1961 Corvette that had been rear-ended after the owner
decided to take it for a rare spin around the block after emptying a bottle of fuel stabilizer in the fuel tank. He also can
cite an earlier time when the owner of a 1954 Chevy pickup forgot to block the back of his enclosed trailer. As he was backing
the pristine pickup out of the trailer it articulated and the rear trailer door smashed the roof. Then there's the 1969 Shelby
Mustang that Barber's shop, Classic Automotive Restoration Specialists (CARS) in Belews Creek, N.C., had restored. Some time
after the restoration was completed, the owner brought it back to his shop for repairs. A folding chair shifted in the trunk
and damaged one of the rear quarter panels.
Alan Lewenthal, director of operations at Marquis Auto Restorations in Philadelphia, also has seen his share of accidental
damage to antique, classic and custom vehicles. Recently, the owner of a 1957 Thunderbird, which was restored about 10 years
ago, was backing it out of the garage, but neglected to close the driver's side door. The door was peeled off the car and
the front left fender was torn.
"The damage was extensive," Lewenthal says. "It was like a can opener."
All of these collector cars had been admired by many at shows and elsewhere, but in a blink became damaged goods. Such is
the case for some of the more than six million registered antique, classic and custom vehicles in the United States. Marquis Auto Restorations and CARS specialize in doing restorations, but both businesses also see a number of those cars in
need of body repairs after they've been restored. Typically, the vehicles that arrive to be repaired haven't been in a collision.
More often, the damage is the result of happenstance such as the folding chair shifting in the trunk or neglecting to close
the driver's door when backing out of the garage.
"We see them basically every couple of months," Barber says. "It does happen from time to time."
The Parts File: Ways to find parts for antique, classic and custom vehicles
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While fixing these vehicles might seem to be as simple as repairing late-model automobiles, they often bring a host of unique
problems that need to be solved. The fact is that it can be complicated and time consuming. For some, it might even be a drain
on the company's finances and some might lose patience because it can take two months to one year to complete the repairs.
Despite that, many can do the repairs if they have the know-how, patience and are ready to deliver a higher level of customer
service. Even with those in place, it's not always an easy avenue to drive down.
Taking some cues from restoration experts yields some hints and guidelines that can help a business get in the fast lane to
making repairs on these high-end and coveted automobiles.
