What is Resto Repair on a Classic Car or Truck?

Resto Repair is the process of making repairs to a previously restored, built or Restomod class of car or truck.

Sometimes a favorite car, truck, or even an old bus restoration needs to be modernized or just repaired back to what it once was with components that are available today.  This would be for example a 60’s era Ford, Chevy, or Dodge that had an extensive build back in the day but that day was over 25 years ago and the “Resto of the day” is starting to show its age and your ride needs either updating or maybe repairs.

In the year 2025, this could also include a 2010 Mitsubishi EVO or a 2005 Subaru WRX STI (yes! Those cars are 15-20 years old now!) that had a build with what was common at the time. But times are changing and what’s known about the right way to modify or repair a modified vehicle changes with time. In many cases what was available “back in the day” is obsolete now.

Resto Repair Classic GMC Pickup Truck Engine

An example of this would be removing an old carburetor and installing an aftermarket fuel injection system.

There are lots of ways to approach something like this. For example, our preferred method is to be complete with a new tank with a modern in-tank pump and all new fuel lines, or there are frame rail pumps for those who want it done on a budget. If we go back just 10 years ago the systems we might have put in are different from what we would offer now. The whole intent of Resto-Mod is to bring a modern vibe in terms of power train and safety to an older car, as time moves on so does what should be done to a previous project.  Another example of this is the type of AOS we would have put in a Japanese Performance car such as an EVO, STI, or GTR say 10-15 years ago is vastly different from what we would install today.

Resto Repair Classic GMC Pickup Truck Inside

For that Resto Repair on a classic car, understanding that it’s a 60-plus-year-old car is key to having a positive outcome.

There are always going to be a ton of unknowns especially when its already had the work done a few times prior and in the same way modern cars do not use lap belts, we don’t approach modifications the same way they were done “back in the day” this doesn’t mean that whomever did the work prior did anything wrong, it’s just that thinking about safe and reliable modifications has been a focus in the aftermarket for quite some time and how the aftermarket thinks about those things changes for the better.

I can well remember putting a frame-mounted electric fuel pump turned on by a toggle switch in the 90’s but that would never be how we did that service today.

And if you just bought a dream car, that more modern car that needs cleaning up, remember that most of those cars, the Ford GT500s, mid-90s-2000s Camaros, C5 Corvettes, STIs, EVOs, etc, were the highest performance models of their time, and if you’re not the original owner you surely don’t know how it was treated. A thorough look over the vehicle can help scope repairs and upgrades, and it often involves restoration to bring the car back to a ‘clean’ condition.

It’s important when owning a restoration that you go into any repair, service, or update with a shop that will clearly listen to you about what your goals are with the car.

Sometimes it’s an inherited car you really want to keep because you have fond memories, but you don’t like that every time you try to take it on a Sunday drive it’s a hassle. Other times you want a modern drive-train put into an older sleeker body line. Gone is the “V8 Torque Yawn” and in is the Supercharged instant gratification feeling of a modern Dodge Hellcat.

This is what we call Resto Repair: it’s a new Category and defines what we do best. Keep you in the car you love, how you want it to perform, for as long as you want to own it. Contact Our Shop Today with and need or questions on your next Resto Repair. Check out our Classic Car Performance Service page for more on how we can Resto Repair classic cars or trucks.

Thanks for reading,

Justin Stobb.