The key to a good restoration is starting with a solid body. It would make all restorations easy if we could start with a rust free, perfectly preserved body and frame. Being able to bring life back to a “rust bucket” is what makes the difference between a body shop and a restoration shop, It takes many years of experience to refine the art of metal replacement, frame repair and surface preparation. Knowledge of suppliers, either reproduction or original (O.E.M.) comes from many restoration projects. A quality restoration takes patience from both the owner and the restorer. Good communication is necessary from the very beginning of a project. There are different degrees of restoration. Is the car going to be "daily driver", or a "drivers class show car" or a "trailered concourse classic". In some cases reproduction parts are just as good as O.E.M. but much less expensive.