How We Work
A Process Built on Trust
No mystery timelines. No surprise bills. From the first walk-around to the final walkthrough, you'll always know where your vehicle stands, what's happening next, and what it costs.
Start to Finish
Six Steps, Zero Guesswork
Consultation
It starts with a conversation. Stop by the shop for a walk-around, give us a call, or send photos through the Build Inquiry form. We'll listen to what you want, look at what you've got, and tell you honestly what it will take.
Estimate & Scope
You get a written estimate — not a guess over the phone. For restoration and resto-mod projects, we go a step further: a defined scope of work and a budget-range alignment before any work begins, so your goals and the plan match from day one.
Deposit & Scheduling
A deposit reserves your slot on the schedule and lets us order parts and materials. If it's insurance work, we coordinate directly with your carrier so the claim moves while you get on with your life.
The Work
This is where three decades of craftsmanship earn their keep. You'll get progress photo updates at every milestone — teardown, metal work, primer, paint, assembly — so you're never left wondering what's happening behind the shop doors.
Quality Check & Detail
Before anything leaves, it goes through a full quality inspection under the lights — panel gaps, finish, function. Then it gets detailed, because every completed job leaves this shop looking the part. No exceptions.
Delivery & Aftercare
We walk the finished vehicle with you, answer every question, and send you home with care guidance for the fresh finish. And if anything ever isn't right, come back — we stand behind our work.
No Surprise Bills
Billing, Plainly
Collision & Insurance Work
Billed directly to your insurance carrier. In most cases your out-of-pocket cost is your deductible — nothing more. We handle the estimates, supplements, and paperwork with the adjuster.
Detailing & Paint Work
Quoted as a flat price up front. The number we quote is the number you pay — if we find something that changes the scope, we call you before we touch it.
Restoration & Resto-Mod Projects
Billed time-and-materials — the honest way to price craftsmanship. You receive detailed billing statements paired with photo-documented progress, so every hour and every part is accounted for and visible.
Deposits
Deposits scale with project scope — a modest hold for a detail or repair, a larger commitment for a full build that reserves shop capacity and covers initial parts and materials.
Draft note: exact terms, deposit amounts, and payment schedules are confirmed in writing at the estimate stage for every project.
Straight Answers
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does collision repair take?
It depends on the damage and parts availability, but you'll get a realistic timeline with your written estimate — and progress updates along the way. We'd rather quote you an honest date than a fast one we can't keep.
Do you work with my insurance company?
Yes — all carriers are welcome. We use insurance-approved repair processes, communicate directly with your adjuster, and handle the claim paperwork and supplements so you don't have to play middleman.
What does a restoration cost?
Honestly: it varies more than any other work we do, because quality restoration is labor-driven — hours of metal work, bodywork, and finishing that depend entirely on the car's condition and your goals. That's why we have the budget-range conversation up front, and why our Build Inquiry form asks about your budget range. We'll tell you what's realistic before a single panel comes off.
Can you help ship or transport a vehicle?
Yes. Plenty of our project cars arrive on a trailer — some don't run yet, and that's fine. We can help coordinate transport to and from the shop, whether it's coming from across town or across the country.
Do you take winter storage or off-season projects?
Winter is prime project season in Northern Michigan. Dropping a classic off in the fall for work over the storage months is one of the smartest ways to schedule a build — ask us about off-season timing when you inquire.
Will my daily driver get the same care as a show car?
Same techs, same booth, same standard. The hands that restore the classics are the same hands that fix your commuter — that's the whole point of doing both under one roof.