From sympathetic repairs to complete strip-down restorations, White's Bodyworks provides specialist classic car restoration from our fully equipped workshop in West Sussex.
With more than 30 years in business, we work on everything from cherished family classics to rare and unusual vehicles, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern repair, fabrication and refinishing techniques.
There's not much that Phil doesn't know about classic car restorations. He's been at it a long time. I've restored a few classics over the years and always look for a good bodywork and repair workshop that can do the bits I can't handle. White's Bodyworks ticks all the right boxes. Charles, Midhurst
No two classic cars arrive at our workshop in quite the same condition, and no two owners have exactly the same plans for them.
We undertake both partial and full restorations, whether you need help completing specialist work as part of your own project or want us to manage a much more extensive rebuild.
Before work begins, we look carefully at the condition of the vehicle, what can be retained or repaired, what needs replacing and the standard you want to achieve. The aim might be originality, long-term preservation, a show-quality finish or simply getting a much-loved classic back on the road.
Where original or hard-to-find parts are required, our experience and long-standing industry contacts can also help with sourcing suitable components.
A restoration can involve anything from repairing one problem area to taking a vehicle back to a bare shell. Our workshop can handle much of the specialist body and structural work required during that process.
Services include:
This means we can take on a complete restoration or work alongside an owner and other specialists on selected stages of a project.
Classic car restoration often reveals problems that cannot be fully assessed until trim, paint, filler or previous repairs have been removed. For that reason, we prefer to approach each project methodically rather than promising a one-size-fits-all restoration package.
1. Initial assessment
We start by discussing the car, its known history, its current condition and what you want from the finished vehicle. Where possible, we identify obvious corrosion, accident damage, previous repairs and areas likely to need further investigation.
2. Strip-down and investigation
For more extensive projects, components may need to be removed to expose the shell and structure properly. This is often when hidden corrosion or older repairs become apparent.
3. Structural repairs and fabrication
Corroded or damaged metal can be cut out and repaired using replacement panels or fabricated sections. We aim to preserve sound original material wherever practical rather than replacing parts unnecessarily.
4. Body preparation and paintwork
Once structural and panel work is complete, the body can be prepared for refinishing. Depending on the project, this might involve localised paintwork or a complete classic car respray.
5. Reassembly and finishing
The vehicle is carefully rebuilt, aligned and finished, with trim, fittings and components reinstated as required.
Throughout a longer restoration, we keep the owner involved in decisions that affect the scope, originality and cost of the project. Classic cars frequently present surprises; what matters is dealing with them properly when they appear.
Our workshop has seen an enormous variety of classic vehicles over the years, from relatively straightforward repairs to cars requiring extensive structural, fabrication and paintwork.
The projects below show the kind of work involved far better than a generic list of restoration services. Each vehicle has its own history, problems and objectives, and we document many of our restorations as they progress.
View more of our recent projects.
