DREAM VISION

RESTORING A CAR CAN BE A REWARDING PROCESS, BUT DON'T BE BLINDSIDED BY YOUR PASSION

- CHRIS BEATTIE

If you're reading this, chances are you've been there, done (or maybe not done) that. We're talking here about taking on a resto project, which started with the greatest of intentions, but then took a hard U-turn and now you're wondering what you were thinking at the time. Maybe that pile of rust you discovered in a back paddock being used as a housing project for rats, snakes and spiders is now a gleaming show car, and you and the family love nothing more than taking it out for a drive. Or not.

When it comes to car building and restoration, for every success story, there are a library full of 'unsuccess' stories of tribulation, tear-inducing frustration and defeat.

I have a mate, we'll call him Mike, and he's seen more than his fair share of both. Mike is a very high-end car restorer, fabricator and customiser who people rely on to bring their various projects to life. And as he will tell you, expectations almost always far exceed the budgets and aspirations of the people who come to him with their projects.