Classic Car Repair Shop

[erik70rt]

Just posing a question here to see what the feedback would be.......

If there was a repair shop that specialized in classic car repairs/upgrades, would you use it?  Anything from simple oil changes to engine rebuilds/swaps.  Not a restoration or body shop.

Yes or no? 

If no, why not? 

I know a lot of us can do our own work but just trying to gauge if such a shop existed, would it have a chance at succeeding.

Thanks! 

[torredcuda]

There are a number of shops locally that do work on classics almost exclusively and they seem to be doing very well. I know guys in my local clubs that are always asking what shops there are to get some work done on their classic vehicles. I think you would do very well.

[71vert340]

I think a shop like that could succeed so long as it maintained good customer relations. In August, my son's 360 in his 71 Challenger in Virginia blew a piece of the timing cover gasket out at the coolant port for the water pump on the passenger's side between the timing cover and the block. Fortunately, it was to the outside of the engine and not in towards the timing chain, just as he pulled into his driveway. He contacted a couple of places that worked on old cars and they said they were busy but would get back to him. The wife and I drove back there in November for Thanksgiving and we ended up fixing it then. I was so sick with a sinus infection, but I stayed out there with him in his cold garage and we pulled things to get the timing cover off and install a gasket, timing cover, (old cover had corrosion in that area of gasket failure), crankshaft seal, hoses, etc. He learned how to do it, I left him a harmonic balancer puller and all is good. Point is, I was willing to pay a shop to fix it but no call backs for 3 months. With good customer relations, I think a shop could make it. A side note is I got to help my wife drive all the way back to Washington state while sick.
 Terry W.

[Brads70]

While I have never needed his services there is this guy near us that lots of local people use that have classic cars. Unless your looking at doing this as a part time retirement gig I would guess there would not be enough work to keep a shop going with rent etc.... that just did classic cars.  Brake jobs and front end work on regular cars would supplement  it perhaps and make it feasable?
https://www.gordiesgarage.ca/

[torredcuda]

This guy is a member of NH Muscle Car club and works the shows as well as running his business. He recently moved to a larger shop so it seems he is doing well.
https://www.thomasmotorsportsnh.com/

[PLUM72]

I believe Mancini Racing up in Michigan has recently opened a shop to do this type of thing.

[Chryco Psycho]

I have flown to many places to help people over the years

[erik70rt]

Thanks for the replies. It reinforces what I already thought. Yes, I am in discussions about opening a shop in south central area of PA, not far from Carlisle in an area that has good $$ and lots of retirees. We already decided we would not do body/paint as we don't want to get into that and all of the red tape that goes along with it. We see there is a demand and we don't see much competition in the area, esp since places like Totally Auto have shut down.

I've been repairing/restoring classic cars (mainly Mopars) since 1988, so I have a pretty good knowledge and a lot of tools!! After being an accountant for 37 years, it's time for a change to do something I actually like doing! LOL

I've already helped another friend start/run a successful hockey pro shop, so small business is not foreign to me.  Everything from stock, to dealing with customers, to repairs of equipment and on and on.