CALL 217-419-2787
CALL 217-419-2787
Repairs, restorations, and custom builds for classic cars — Champaign, IL. We're not the fastest or the cheapest shop, we're the one you call when you want it done right.
CALL 217-419-2787Some cars aren't for sale at any price — they're family history. We handle the routine maintenance and the finicky stuff that keeps an heirloom car running the way it should: brake system core parts refreshed, electrical gremlins chased down and squashed, carburetors rebuilt and tuned back to original factory specification and performance.
Plenty of cars have been restored to look right, but not to actually run right. We fix the hard things other shops skip — bringing a car back to a genuinely dependable, working original. Prefer tasteful upgrades instead of strict-original? We do that too: disc brake conversions, fuel and ignition system updates, whatever it takes to make the car run smoother and stronger. Your call.
Transmissions, engines, driveshafts, and rear axles, rebuilt back to strong, reliable performance.
We're not the fastest or the cheapest shop, and we don't pretend to be. We work at $120/hr until the car is right, or until you tell us to stop — no corner-cutting to hit a price. Our shop has room to work on four cars at a time, and a secure, weatherproof storage building for cars that are waiting on parts or waiting their turn.
We're out in the country, we don't advertise, and most of our work comes from loyal customers who've sent us their friends. While your car is with us, it sits alongside our own personal collection — it gets the same care and attention we'd give a car we own ourselves.
“We're not usually tractor guys — but when a good friend and longtime customer asked us to restore his family's 1935 John Deere B in time for a family wedding, we made it happen. Factory green and yellow, running like the day it left the line, it made its surprise appearance at the wedding — a piece of family history brought back to take part in making a new one.”
“We love patina trucks — bringing them back to mechanical dependability so owners can use them in conditions that fit their mission, not just show them off in a garage.”
Some cars aren't meant to stay stock. When you want a classic that drives like a modern car — reliable, comfortable, ready to jump in and go anywhere — we build it that way, without losing what makes it a classic.
This customer wanted a modern driveline in his '55 Buick — something he could drive anywhere, anytime, the way he would a new car. We dropped in an LS engine along with the supporting fuel, cooling, and electrical systems, all while keeping the car's factory look inside and out.
One of our own fun projects: a 1954 Cadillac that came to us missing its original engine. Instead of a straight replacement, we built the “Diesellac” — a 5-speed manual transmission paired with a Ford Powerstroke diesel engine.
A true one-of-one: a 1977 Jeep J20 body, expertly fitted to a 2000s Chevrolet Avalanche frame and running gear. Modern chassis, suspension, and drivetrain underneath a classic Jeep truck body on top.
Kept the patina, modernized everything underneath: this Land Rover Series got a modern Land Rover 3.0L turbo engine and running gear, so it drives like a current model while still looking every bit its age.
Passion. Skill. Experience. We love what we do. From patina trucks to American modern classics to Stanley Steamers. From 60's Porsche perfection, to classic BMW's, with us you know your car is in good hands.
Every car we work on gets cared for like it's our own — while it's in our shop, it sits alongside our personal collection, receiving the same attention and stewardship we give the cars we own ourselves.
As the aftermarket for original and reproduction parts keeps getting thinner and less reliable, we don't stop at “that part doesn't exist anymore.” When we can't find the right part, we make it or modify one ourselves until the fit and look are correct. And when a job calls for outside expertise, we lean on a network of proven specialists we've vetted over the years, so you get the best value and quality available — not just whoever's closest.
Our own collection lives alongside the cars we're working on — and every so often, some of them go to work themselves, on loan as movie cars for local film productions.
Watch our five-part 'The Road' series, starting with the story of a 1966 Ford station wagon.