Hillary’s Coachworks is the name to trust for your classic car repair and classic car restoration needs. Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells in the heart of Kent, we’re the modern local bodyshop with traditional heritage values. The most common question classic car enthusiasts ask themselves isn’t where or how they should go about repair and restoration work, but why. The reason often comes down to the return on investment.
Will a classic model be worth more after we complete a repair or restoration project? The answer is most likely not.
But, as an enthusiast, you probably know that classic car repairs and restorations are a labour of love anyway. This blog post explains a few of the things discerning owners in Kent should consider before choosing a company to take on the work, and what they can expect to gain in return.
The Repair and Restoration Process
Try to think of repair work as being a little different to a classic car restoration. If you have already restored a classic but have incurred damage, there is a strong likelihood that we will treat the work needed in the same manner as a repair to a more modern car. Classic car repairs focus more on bringing a vintage vehicle in an otherwise good condition back to the standard of the original restoration, if it had one.
With a restoration at our popular workshop in Kent, the job will involve many hours of manual labour and the sourcing of parts which, due to issues with widespread availability, could prove costly when you factor in the price of panel repairs or replacements, preparation work and refinishing.
The type of classic you own will, of course, make a difference to any expected return on investment.
A Jaguar E-type in a good state of repair will still be costly to restore but the more prestigious the model, the more likely it is that you’ll make back most, if not all the money spent on it, when you finally decide to sell. Parts cost more for an E-type than, say, a MK1 Mini, but the E-type will be a better candidate for classic car repair and classic car restoration work because other enthusiasts in Kent covet them so much.
With a more modern classic, like a Mercedes 190, a major restoration will cost more than it can ever be worth.
Making an Informed Decision
The one discerning factor with classic car ownership is what the model means to you, and how much satisfaction you can get from seeing it restored back to former glories. It is rare for major classic car repair or classic car restoration work to return as much, or more, of the money spent when it comes to resale values. Classic cars are a labour of love but the satisfaction of restoring them can still be very worthwhile.
At Hillary’s Coachworks, we talk to our Kent customers at an intimate level because we have their best interests at heart. By setting realistic expectations and investigating the market for things like parts availability on your behalf, our company makes classic car repairs and restorations at least a little more affordable while keeping inside the proposed budget.
