Glossary & FAQ's

It's important we speak the same language and answer some questions you might have.

Glossary

Restoration is restoring a car to the original factory specs. There are several grades of this, see below.
Customization is tweaking and improving on factory specs to increase performance and suit your personality. Think hotrod, street rod and custom colors.
Repair & Service means we keep your car running it’s best possible life.

Frequently Asked Questions about Classic Car Restoration

Q: Does Hewitt Hotrods & Customs offer Estimates for their Restoration and Custom Vehicle services?

A: We do not give estimates, bids, quotes, ball parks, etc., on restoration of mechanical, body or paint for the following reasons:

- There is no way to tell how much labor or parts will be needed for a specific project. Concealed previous repairs and hidden rust damage may not be visible at the beginning of the project.
- Requests for changes and/or modifications to projects by owners can be made without having to renegotiate the final price.
- Job integrity is not compromised by trying to fit repairs and refinish into a specific dollar category.
- A quality restoration will outlast a mediocre one. Someday, as your restored vehicle continues to appreciate in value, the vehicle’s value and the restoration costs could be equal or even less.

Q: What types of Restoration options does Hewitt Hotrods & Customs offer?

A: We offer four types of restoration options:

Museum Quality / Concours Grade - Concours condition represents the highest level of restoration for a classic car, typically reserved for auto shows and private collectors, these vehicles are rarely on the roads. Cars of concours grade are restored to their factory “as delivered new” condition, which leaves no room for customization if you plan to have these cars judged in professional car shows. Hewitt Hotrods & Customs has the professional expertise and specialized tools this process requires.

Show Car Condition – The primary goal is to impress professional judges who scrutinize every aspect of the vehicle and measure against the vehicle’s original assembly line specifications. The car needs to be flawless, restored down to the most excruciating detail. Again, this leaves little room for modernization, customization or performance enhancements.

Street Show Condition – A high quality restoration that can impress judges and professionals, almost to factory specifications. Since these cars are not being judged on original assembly line specifications, there is more room for customizations in color, accessories, interior and performance. It’s still about quality and details but this car is street ready and begs to be driven.

Driving Condition – An everyday driving car. Classic transportation. Gotta get from point A to point B, but with a touch of nostalgia and flair. The car needs to be solid, in good running condition and most importantly, street ready and safe. This is where many restorations start. Some drivers want to incrementally improve the car over time; others are happy just maintaining its basic functionality and roadworthiness.

Q: I’ve heard of different restoration grades or classes, what is the difference, how do they compare?

A: Different shops, regions and trade publications may use alternative phrases to describe the categories of restoration work, so it can be confusing. Our staff at Hewitt Hotrods & Customs understands and “speaks” fluently in many different restoration “dialects”.

Here’s an example of another grade we’ve used to restore classic cars:

Concourse – A vehicle built to the same style as it was from the manufacturer although, it is restored to a greater level of cosmetic quality than the production line would have done.

Resto-Mod – A project that has a totally stock body but a late model, reliable drive train. Suspension modifications for road handling with front and rear disc brakes are common. The classic look with late model technology!
Custom Rod – What is usually referred to as a 1949 and newer body style with custom modifications to the drive train, suspension, interior and even the body. Usually, these vehicles include a custom paint job.
Street Rod – A pre-1949 body style and is usually built with many new parts. This project is custom built for the driver to fit him or her specifically. Everything from mild to extreme drive trains are installed, including the latest technology. These vehicles have numerous custom fabricated parts. Custom paint jobs with major body modifications are quite common.

Here’s another Classification scale we’ve used:

Class 1 – "Trailer Queen": Vehicles that are never driven and are exclusively for show only. They never lose a class and very few exist.
Class 2 – "Superior Restoration": These vehicles will likely win their class at a national show unless a Class 1 is present. They are very competitive at a national level.
Class 3 – "20-footer": A vehicle with an older restoration or a good amateur restoration. These are commonly found and may place at local car shows.
Class 4 – "Good": A drivable vehicle with a deteriorated restoration or a poor amateur restoration. These
vehicles are in need of a restoration at 20-feet.
Class 5 – "Restore-able": Vehicle is in need of a complete restoration. It may not run and will likely have rust, but most parts are still intact.
Class 6 – "Parts Car": A vehicle that is wrecked, weathered, rusted or stripped.

At Hewitt Hotrods & Customs, we’ll talk with you and work with you to determine the restoration you are looking for, regardless of which classification scale we use to describe the work.

Q: What is the Investment Potential of restoring a vehicle?

A: The value of any particular vehicle depends on how collectable and/or desirable it is.

For example lets say that there is a Fiat with $10,000 worth of restoration work to be done and a Ferrari with $10,000 worth of restoration work to be done.

Although no two vehicles are the same, as no two snow flakes are identical, we will still use this to compare value.

Say these two vehicles have the same rust, same dents, same price for each part, same availability and time to find each part. In addition, they take the same time to fully restore the complete vehicle right down to the minute!

The value of the Ferrari is approximately $350,000 and the Fiat is approximately $6,000. Regardless if it took the same investment to restore them we would still have a value difference. Supply and demand will always set vehicle values and we cannot change that. The Customer dictates
the investment value/return by what vehicle they love and decide to restore.

Please Note: We are NOT in the business of restoring vehicles based on investment potential alone or in an attempt to make a profit from their sale. If you are looking to have a vehicle restored simply on its investment potential or in an attempt to make a financial profit, please seek out a different restoration facility. We are in the business of restoring vehicles to suit the vehicle owner.

Q: How does Hewitt Horrods & Customs handle its Billing and Documentation?

A: All billing from Hewitt Hotrods & Customs is handled through our parent company, Draxler's Service, Inc.

- At regular intervals we provide our customers with Billing Invoices which include time summaries, labor records, photos and/or videos of work done.
- The labor records from our technicians provide written information pertaining to your project.
- On each invoice you will receive a summary of the total hours performed.
- Authenticity is vital to the customer who desires a totally original show car. Through research,
  documentation, digital photos and phone calls to the right people we unravel the mystery to build it correctly.