My guide to finding a quality restoration shop, because bad shops have cost good cars their originality and their owners their money.

Ask the shop for references from three recent completed projects in the same price range as yours. Contact those references. Ask about timeliness, communication, and condition at delivery. Ask if they'd use the shop again.

Visit the shop unannounced. Look at the cars in progress. Is your potential car sitting in a dusty corner? Is the shop organized? Does the staff seem to understand what they're working on?

Get everything in scope before you sign. Change orders happen, but a detailed initial scope prevents the most common disputes. A shop that won't commit to a detailed scope is a shop that plans to use ambiguity to its advantage.