Choosing a restoration shop is the biggest decision in a frame-off project, bigger than the paint color or the engine. You are handing over a car you have owned for decades, or one you just paid serious money to acquire, and the shop you pick sets the schedule, the budget conversations and how much of the work you get to see. If you are in Sherman, Grayson County or anywhere in North Texas, this is the checklist we would give our own family before they hand their keys to anyone, including us.
The short version: a well-run shop shows you its work, its process and its paperwork before you ask. The sections below cover what that looks like, the questions worth asking any shop, and what in-house work gives you as a client.
What does a well-run restoration shop show you?
Documented progress with real photos. A restoration is a long sequence of stages: teardown, media blasting (blasting the old paint and rust off with fine abrasive), rust repair, primer, bodywork, paint, reassembly. A shop that treats each stage as a record can show you every one of them, not a couple of hero shots at the end. Ask how you will get to see the photos. At Texoma, every completed labor task is photographed and the photos appear in the owner's client portal. Ask to see a photo log from a recent build, because it shows process as well as outcome.
A portfolio and references. Finished work you can look at, and past clients you can talk to, tell you more than any brochure. Ask for people you can call or email, and bring the practical questions: was the timeline accurate, did the scope change and how was that handled, would they do it again. You can also see the range of work on our project pages, linked at the end of this post.
Substantive in-house capability. Paint, bodywork, mechanical work and upholstery each need their own expertise and dedicated space. When all of that sits under one roof, your build runs on one schedule with one point of accountability. We cover what that means day to day further down.
A written scope with real detail. Verbal agreements work for first conversations. Before anything is disassembled, a good shop puts the scope of work, how the price is structured, the payment schedule and the expected timeline in writing, so everyone is working from the same page when decisions come up mid-build.
Timelines that include their assumptions. Restoration is slow work, and an honest timeline says what it depends on. Here is how we frame it: 6–10 months for a driver-quality restoration, or a solid car that needs mechanical and cosmetic work; 12–18 months for a full show-quality restoration; 18–24+ months for a frame-off on a rust-heavy or incomplete car. Every build is quoted individually after inspection, and parts availability and issues found along the way can move the timeline. We go through this in more detail in our post on how long a classic car restoration takes.
What does good communication look like during the build?
Regular contact matters more than any particular channel. Calls, texts, a client portal and photo updates all work, as long as there is a rhythm you can count on. Ask a shop how often you will hear from them and in what form. A short update that says the car is on track is still an update, and it tells you the schedule is being managed.
The same goes for the build schedule. A well-run shop can explain how many projects are active, which stage each car is in and roughly where yours would fall in the queue. Ask to walk the shop floor. You are looking for cars that move through stages, with work happening on them, so you can picture your own car going through the same sequence.
How should an estimate and deposit schedule be explained?
An estimate with a breakdown. A good estimate is built from real line items: labor, parts, sublet work (the small jobs a shop sends to specialists, such as chrome plating or machine work) and paint materials. A single round number tells you little. A breakdown tells you what is included and gives you something to compare against your own budget.
It also helps to know that no estimate can be exact before teardown. ClassicCars.com's guide to picking a restoration shop makes the same point: until a car is stripped to bare metal, nobody knows exactly what is under the paint, so serious shops talk in ranges. For full frame-off restoration, the range at our shop is $100,000 to $300,000. Where a project lands depends on rust and metalwork, parts availability, finish level, issues discovered after teardown and any changes in scope. Every build is quoted individually after inspection. We break these drivers down in our restoration cost breakdown, and the choice between rebuilding on the original frame and a full teardown is covered in frame-off versus frame-on restoration.
A deposit and payment schedule that is explained up front. Shops handle deposits differently, and the amount varies from project to project. What matters is transparency. A shop should explain its deposit and payment schedule at the start, show where the money goes, and tell you what happens when the scope changes. Ask what the deposit covers, when later payments come due and how you will see the work they pay for. At Texoma, that means photos of every completed labor task in your client portal. And if an approved task runs out of time, or we find something that expands the scope of work, we contact you and get a change work order approved before we continue that labor.
Plan for that last point from the beginning. A teardown can reveal rust or hidden damage, and a sound budget leaves room for what gets found. Every scope change should be approved in writing before the work continues.
What questions should you ask any restoration shop?
Treat the shop visit as an interview. You are about to spend serious money, and a good shop expects the questions. These tend to be the most useful:
- Can I see photos from start to finish on a recent project similar to mine? This shows process, not just the finished car.
- Who will be working on my car, and what is their background? Know which people handle bodywork, paint, mechanical and interior, and ask how long they have done that kind of work.
- What does your current build schedule look like, and where would my car fall in it? The answer should name stages and rough timing, with the caveat that discovered issues can move dates.
- What happens if you find more rust or other problems during teardown? You want a documented process: stop, photograph, call you, and get a change work order approved before going further.
- What insurance covers my car while it is in your care? Ask for proof of coverage, and confirm with your own insurer how your policy treats a car in a shop.
- How do I see progress: calls, texts, a client portal, photos? The method matters less than the commitment to a regular cadence.
- How do you handle deposits and payments? You are not looking for a particular number. You are looking for a clear schedule and a clear answer on what the money pays for.
For more help building your own list, the Bring a Trailer classic car restoration guide is a useful outside reference on how restorations are scoped and what owners weigh along the way.
What does in-house work give you?
Every shop has outside vendors for some things, such as chrome plating, machine work or foam sourcing. The question is where the core work happens. At Texoma, paint, bodywork, mechanical work and upholstery are all done in-house, which gives the client two practical things: one schedule and one point of accountability. When something needs a decision, you talk to the people who are doing the work, in the building where your car is.
The bodywork and paint sit in the same building as the mechanical work, so the people building the car see the whole picture. The body tech sees how the engine bay is coming together. The painter knows which trim pieces have to come off before paint goes on. The tech setting up the suspension knows what the finished ride height needs to be. That communication happens in the hallway rather than by phone and email.
Upholstery benefits the same way. Interior work done in-house can be fit-tested against the actual car repeatedly during the build, and the craftsman can keep refitting a headliner or seat until it sits right. On a specialized or unusual car, where judgment calls come up constantly, having the experience in the same building keeps those calls quick.
How we operate at Texoma Classics
Apply the same questions to us. Texoma Classics has been in business for more than 25 years, and paint, bodywork, mechanical work and upholstery are all done in-house. We have worked on everything from tractors to Airstreams, and you can see the range on our project pages: the 1965 Ford Mustang restoration, the Massey Ferguson tractor restoration and the 1993 Airstream Excella restoration.
Every completed labor task is photographed, and the photos show up in your client portal. If an approved task runs out of time, or we discover something that expands the scope, we contact you and get a change work order approved before we continue that labor. We explain our deposit and payment schedule up front, and we quote each build individually after inspection. If your car needs more than you planned for, you will hear it before we start that work.
If you are weighing shops for a full classic car restoration, the best next step is to see the shop and the car together. Dallas-Fort Worth owners are a short drive from our Sherman shop. Contact us to schedule a consultation or inspection and tell us about your car. We will give you a straight answer about what it will take.
Frequently asked questions
How do I choose a classic car restoration shop?
Start with what the shop can show you: photos from a recent build, finished work, and references you can speak with. Then ask how it handles communication, estimates, deposits and scope changes. A well-run shop answers all of this in writing before your car is disassembled.
How much does a full frame-off restoration cost?
For full frame-off restoration, the range at our shop is $100,000 to $300,000. Rust and metalwork, parts availability, finish level, discovered issues and changes in scope decide where a project lands. Every build is quoted individually after inspection.
How long does a restoration take?
A driver-quality restoration, or a solid car needing mechanical and cosmetic work, runs 6–10 months. A full show-quality restoration runs 12–18 months. A frame-off on a rust-heavy or incomplete car runs 18–24+ months. Every build is quoted individually after inspection, and parts availability and discovered issues can move the timeline.
What does a restoration shop deposit cover?
It varies by project, so ask the shop to explain it. You should be able to learn what the deposit covers, when later payments come due and how you will see the work they pay for. At Texoma, the schedule is explained up front and every completed labor task is photographed for your client portal.
What happens if the shop finds more rust after teardown?
A teardown can reveal rust or hidden damage that was not visible before. When that expands the scope, we contact you and get a change work order approved before continuing that labor.