The show aired every Saturday morning in LA and was beginning to develop a loyal fan base. We were struggling to keep on schedule, but occasionally fell behind and had to improvise and not show work that wasn’t completed. We got the car 90% restored in 13 back-breaking weeks. In the end, it wasn’t ready to drive yet, but looked like it was. If I’d spent retail to do this level of work, it would have cost around $35,000 – over twice at the time what the car was worth. The only way I could keep up with the expenses of the show was to sell it to a local collector car dealer before it was done. They in turn sold it to someone who took it overseas. It came with every receipt and 4 ½ hours of TV documentation on TV showing it’s restoration.

What I got out of the whole experience was a priceless education in auto restoration and TV production along with the acquisition of some real friends and mentors. I owe a lot to Tom Horvath. He now owns System One auto polish (www.systemoneaps.com). Also Jim Richardson, one of the most knowledgeable guys around about old cars, and a heck of a nice guy. He believed in the concept of the show and supported me in many ways. I also want to acknowledge my photographer, editor, and true friend, Dan Brown. Dan has tirelessly edited, packaged, and done the technical work required to make the show look professional. I’m very fortunate to have met Dan. He remains a trusted and valued partner today in our continued TV ventures.

The show in its edited form is now on DVD and can be purchased in our store. Now that you know the ”story behind the story”, you can appreciate it even more. It was my first foray into the world of automotive TV, but it holds up well. Since then we’ve done another series with ’56 Chevy Sedan Delivery that will be available soon on this website.

Classic Car Garage has plans for continuing with more great projects soon. Keep watching this site for developments. Till next time, good luck with your restoration.

Jeff

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