Any secret restoration/"overhauling" stories out there?

[Muscle Express Ryan]

I was just wondering if there are any stories out there, other than the ones we watched on TV, where a car was secretly restored?
If so please share. I think these stories are awesome, and I feel lucky to be apart of one.

We are currently working with a customer who is restoring a car for his father, and the father has no clue.
I can't reveal too many details but its an great story. I can't risk it getting back him.
But I can share a little...

The son contacted us several months ago with the plan to restore his fathers car as a gift.Which is cool to begin with, but the tricky and really cool part is that he didn't want his father to know.He wanted it to be a surprise.

Cool lets do this!!! We had to sneak onto his fathers property one day when the father was on a day business trip. He works from home and is not gone very often. The mother had to coordinate with us, and she was perfect, so we could get the decoy/replacement car to put under the cover while we took his car to restore. Luckily we had similar body type on hand. Bait and switch done.
We have the car and the son is taking this car very seriously. All DSE suspension, Mast X-Block 440 SS, a Monster Transmission 4L80E, Moser 12 bolt, 18 inch wheels (have yet to be determined) but it will be mini-tubed. And there is more...
We have a ton of pictures and even videos of the family with the car the day it was taken and throughout the process. It will be delivered for the fathers birthday in a couple months and I will post the pics then.
Thanks for reading and I would love to hear of any other stories like this, I used to love that show especially in the early episodes when it seemed a little more real.
I know this thread is worthless without Pics, but please share your stories and I will once we have the big reveal.

[neongreen]

I don't have any stories, but I would love to restore my dad's 1960 F100 for him, it was his high school truck and he's always wanted to restore it.

[TheJDMan]

This one always brings a tear to my eye! I know this is a commercial but the emotions are genuine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS3SvdWcAks

[Muscle Express Ryan]

That commercial is awesome. I wish I had that type of production.
We have some cool videos with the family thanking their dad and wishing him Happy Birthday.

All I have to say is cars are awesome on so many levels. And I think we will be able to pull some real emotion out, especially with how much torque this motor will have.

[zipsimons]

We can't wait to start on the paint work! It's a privilege to be chosen to participate in this build. You guys are awesome and we love making people happy!

[TAC]

I recently finished a build for a fathers day gift. The whole family was in on it and dad had no clue. He already has a 71 Nova , but it has been in pieces for 16 years. The son picked up a 72 Nova last november and I did a complete update on all the drivetrain. Took out the SB and put in a LS3 crate engine, T56 and 9". Custom rear torque arm susp. and Strongarms up front. New Revolution gauges from Speedhut and Wilwood Brakes all around. Here are a few pics and the link to the news cast that did a short story on it.

http://www.cheknews.ca/?bckey=AQ~~,AAAA4mHNTzE~,ejlzBnGUUKY1gXVPwEwEepl35 Y795rND&bclid=975107450001&bctid=2482891846001

[zipsimons]

Wow, looks great... Definitely some lucky dads

[Muscle Express Ryan]

Zip, we are glad to work with you guys as well.

TAC, That is exactly what I'm talking about. I love these stories. The fact that the whole family was involved and the secret never got out is awesome.
Thanks for sharing.

Without revealing too much I have to share these.

We just received this beast today!!!
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/07/100_2531_zpsf715cf61-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/100_2531_zpsf715cf61.jpg.html)

And these a couple weeks ago.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/07/100_2503_zps770b5a11-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/100_2503_zps770b5a11.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/07/100_2491_zpsa6d83c71-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/100_2491_zpsa6d83c71.jpg.html)

Its getting good!!

[Muscle Express Ryan]

Here is a rendering we recently had done.
The car is ready for paint now, so we will be able to share the whole story soon.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72_LE_MANSMuscleExpress_zpsc923bc61.jpg.html)

[Nicole45]

Seems to me interesting article here.. Pics of car and its related part found useful.

[oestek]

This one was not a secret, but the ending and reveal were a surprise... the owner, (my cousin Don) had no idea the car was close to being finished when we surprised him with it at the Chicago World Of Wheels show... the same show he took me to as a child. His reaction is priceless.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn5w2VT1aVI

[tmadden]

Sweet!!

[LeighP]

Friend of mine picked up one of these 65 Malibu SS cars....neat little ride....good size, good looks.

[Muscle Express Ryan]

That is a cool video. Cars can bring out so much emotion. They engage so many of our senses and are tied to so many memories.

[Muscle Express Ryan]

We had a small window to sneak the car off the property. The dad works from home.
You never know so we are trying not to let out too much info. but here is a shot, sort of, of the car hooked up as we took.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/TowShot_zpsdf5abe92-1.png (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/TowShot_zpsdf5abe92.png.html)

We then replaced one a-body with another. Its been under a cover for years in the front yard. They just replace the cover once a year and it was just replaced, how convenient.

Here is Danny covering up the decoy.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/100_8107_zps1a51736f-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/100_8107_zps1a51736f.jpg.html)

The frame was blasted,fully boxed with a ABC Performance frame boxing kit It will also be minitubed using the ABC performance minitub kit.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/101_0520_zpsb6953a63-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/101_0520_zpsb6953a63.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/100_2468_zpse65f15a4-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/100_2468_zpse65f15a4.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/100_2466_zps032b5229-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/100_2466_zps032b5229.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/100_2465_zps2f03effe-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/100_2465_zps2f03effe.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/101_0572_zpsf0fb589b-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/101_0572_zpsf0fb589b.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/101_0574_zpsebfee5d3-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/101_0574_zpsebfee5d3.jpg.html)

And DSE Speed Kit 3...
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/100_2650_zpse9081f1f-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/100_2650_zpse9081f1f.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/100_2626_zps839da483-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/100_2626_zps839da483.jpg.html)

MAST LSX 440

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/100_2655_zps03e2844b-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/100_2655_zps03e2844b.jpg.html)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2013/10/100_2669_zps1185dabf-1.jpg (http://s1303.photobucket.com/user/MuscleExpressInc/media/72%20Lemans/100_2669_zps1185dabf.jpg.html)

[Boatmark]

Reminded me of an old story I hadn't thought about in years.

Centers around a guy I know who restores and maintains WWII airplanes for a living. In a prior life he built some notable show cars. He owned a couple of really nice cars of his own sitting under covers in his shop, but was notorious for driving beaters. I mean real beaters. In the 80's that meant a real beater El Camino.

One of his good customers was always pulling his chain about it. How could he build such beautiful stuff, and drive such crap. So one day they stole the El Camino, and sent it to another shop for a quickie resto. It wasn't insured, so when it disappeared he just bought a beater truck and carried on. Six months later he drove up to his shop in the morning, and this now beautiful El Camino was sitting outside his door.

He was blown away by the gift, and drove it for a month or so, but once it was time to clean and detail it for the first time, it found a spot under a cover with the other cars in the corner of the shop. It just wasn't in him to drive a street car he had to clean and worry about.

Last I saw him he was driving a dropped and bopped short bed pickup. True to form it sat right, had wheels and tires that fit right, but the narrowed and tucked bumpers still had raw welds, and I doubt the truck had been cleaned in years.

At least he's consistent . . . . . . !!