HomeOur work

Jobs, stage by stage.

What separates a run-of-the-mill restoration from ours is the tedious last ten percent. These are our own photographs of our own jobs.

The rear of a 1968 Mustang fastback in black and white primer, tail lights fitted

A ’73 Nova Skyroof, stripped for blasting.

The newest album, October 2026. Picked up on the trailer, rolled into the shop, onto the rotisserie and down to bare steel, ready for media blasting. Ryan filmed the first week himself. Tap through the stages.

The bare primer shell of a 1973 Nova strapped on a trailer under the trees — 01Picked upThe shell came to us on the trailer, already in primer, doors and glass out.

Ryan on the trailer bed guiding the Nova shell into a barn — 02Off the trailerRolled off by hand and into the shop. The trim and brightwork came along wrapped in a crate.

The Nova shell mounted on a rotisserie in the shop, doors open, floor exposed — 03On the rotisserieMounted on the rotisserie so the floor, the rockers and the underside can be worked at eye level.

Two technicians working on the Nova shell on the rotisserie under the shop lights — 04Down to steelEvery panel checked and the shell readied for media blasting, the first week on the floor.

1973 Chevrolet Nova Skyroof, October 2026

Picked up, stripped, ready for blasting.

01Picked up02Off the trailer03On the rotisserie04Down to steel

Shot on the shop floor, October 16, 2026. One minute fifty, no sound.

Walk around it with Ryan.

The Skyroof opening, the underside on the lift, the shell going onto the rotisserie, and the trip in on the trailer. This is what the owner gets as the work goes: the car as it is, not a brochure.

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Karl’s ’68 Mustang: the last ten percent.

We gapped out Karl’s ’68 Mustang after installing new unisides, custom S197 seat mounts and every piece of exterior metal in its time in our shop.

Fitting windows, trim and gaskets while the car is in bare metal gives us the chance to modify panels and gaps for a perfect fit. That means minimal bodywork and a much better end product.

A door gap on the Mustang, the edge finished bright against black — Gapping a door in bare metal

A technician finishing a roof edge on the Mustang with a grinder — Finishing the roof edge

Full restoration

Mike’s 1971 Chevy C10 restomod.

One of our earliest full restorations, and it will always be a favorite.

The C10 pickup in satin grey, front three quarter view — Out front

The C10 from the rear, tailgate and chrome bumper — The tailgate

The chrome grille and bumper of the C10 — Brightwork

The dash and wood steering wheel of the C10 — From the seat

Stage by stage

Three repairs, the way their owners saw them.

The inside of a yellow Mustang door with rust along the bottom edge — 01The rotRust had eaten into the lower frame of the door, so a surface treatment would not do.

A new black steel corner section welded to the yellow door, the seam still raw — 02New section fittedThe rusted metal along the bottom edge and corner came out. A new section of steel went in.

The door bottom with the new black section, the weld seam ground to bright metal — 03Seam ground smoothThe seam is ground smooth so the new metal meets the old with very little filler.

1968 Ford Mustang Fastback Mach 1

A door bottom, cut out and remade.

01The rot02New section fitted03Seam ground smooth

A bare metal patch panel clamped below a windshield opening on a car in red primer — 01Fitted and clampedA custom patch for the corroded seam below the glass line, clamped until the curve matches.

The cowl patch welded in and ground, bright metal against red primer — 02Butt weldedWelded in edge to edge and ground, so it reads as part of the body.

Cowl repair, below the windshield

A patch shaped to the curve.

01Fitted and clamped02Butt welded

The lower body of an olive Jeep with an old patch panel and rust through the wheel arch behind it — 01What came inAn old patch and the rot behind it. The weld had failed Maryland safety inspection, so it came off.

A new sheet metal patch panel welded into the lower body of the Jeep, the plug welds still visible — 02New steel, welded inThe original metal in the lower corner was cut out and replaced. It is a common place for rust on a Jeep.

The repaired lower body panel of the Jeep ground smooth, bare bright steel under the Jeep badge — 03Metal finishedGround smooth and contoured. The bright silver is fresh bare metal, worked as straight as the tools will get it.

The finished bare metal panel under the orange Jeep badge — 04Ready for primerStraight metal needs very little filler. Sealed at the seam, then on to primer and paint.

Classic Jeep body repair

From a failed weld to bare, straight steel.

01What came in02New steel, welded in03Metal finished04Ready for primer

Chassis and frame repair

Four frames, given their strength back.

A frame rail rusted through in several places, seen from under the vehicle — Rusted through

A new frame section with fresh welds, the steel coloured blue and gold by the heat — A weld-in frame section

A repaired mounting bracket on a frame, coated in black — A new mount, welded and coated

A frame rail on stands with a new section welded in — A rail made whole

A new hand made engine dust shield beside the rusted original — An engine dust shield, replicated for an REO fire truck

New floor pans welded into a Nova, seen from the driver’s door — Nova floor pan replacement

Yours could be the next album.

Tell us the vehicle and what it needs. We send photographs as the work goes.

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A restoration projectMetal fabrication

“After finding my restoration project needed some precise metal fabrication work outside of my skill level I reached out to Handformed Hotrods. The owner, Ryan, contacted me following up and immediately knew his team and him could handle the needed fabrication work. After dropping the car off Ryan kept me informed along the way, even uploaded progress photos to an online album to view. Handformed Hotrods exceeded my expectations across the board from work performed to customer service. If you needed metal fabrication work done, I definitely recommend these guys!”

Paul GGoogle review

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