Renown Auto Restoration Blog

All-original barn finds are getting rarer and rarer these days. Special cars are picked out of storage every day by hotrodders seeking that diamond in the rough. However, in the beginning of 2020, we came across a perfectly cut jewel of a car: a 1968 Camaro Z-28 RS in Le Mans Blue Metallic with every option checked. This example was bought new in 1968 and then parked after 58,000 miles at some point in the late 70’s. The next time it would see the light of day would be at our shop.

In this short 4 minute video you can see as our team reunited the body of this 1969 Oldsmobile 442 with its chassis. I was glad I was there to capture it.

Using heat and cold is an advanced technique for straightening metal. In the early days of automobile manufacturing panels were rarely complete straight even when a vehicle was new. It wasn't until more advanced processes for shaping metal came about in the 60s and 70s that panels were more reliably even and straight. Click on continue reading to see how we use heating and cooling metal to straighten the door panel on this pickup truck.

 

Last we saw the Oldsmobile 442 it was getting its body removed form its frame. You can see more about that here. This time we want to show you how and why we bag and tags the parts when we disassemble the car. It is very important to keep track of everything when you take a car apart. Click on continue reading to see more on this process with this Olds 442.

 

If you have ever heard the term "Body Off Restoration" but did not really understand what that meant, you are in for a treat. We took a few photos and a quick video of our guys as they separated the body from the frame of this 1969 Oldsmobile 442. As you can see, we literally take the body off of the frame. The frame will be media-blasted and powder-coated, and the body will be media-blasted before we begin making it "laser straight." Click continue reading for more on this car and those processes.

 

A term some of you may have heard of is a guide coat. This 67 Camaro is in the final steps to prepare it for paint. Click on continue reading to understand what a guide coat is and how we use it to achieve a show quality finish on this, or your classic car.

  

Recently a group of Ferrari enthusiasts embarked on a spirited drive through the Texas Hill Country. Several of the cars damaged their diffusers (the lower part at the rear of the car, below the bumper). Here at Renown this is something we can repair to show quality levels. Click continue reading for more on the options we offer to fix these diffusers, including a special process know as Hydrographics.

 

Generally speaking, when we talk about wet sanding an buffing in the automotive environment, we are looking to get the absolutely best shine out of the paint finish on a car or truck. We are looking to get a true show car finish. To help with this I have the diagram below which shows a surface that is not perfectly flat vs one that is. This is NOT to scale, but it is representative of the surface of a car after it has been painted. (Click on Continue reading to for more information and some impressive photos that show this process.)

 

It's not just about cars. When a sweet couple comes in and wants to have their original scooter restored, how can you say no. That is exactly what happened. This sweet woman wanted to have the Radio Scooter she had as a child freshened up so she could give it to her grandchildren. To pass on a family heirloom. We even contacted Radio Flyer. Notice that this is a Radio Scooter, and is from the Radio line before they were Radio Flyer. We even sourced the wheels and decals from Radio Flyer. Click on Continue Reading to see the full post with before and after photos.

 

The Shelby is ready for the owner to pick up.