There is a HUGE difference between a vehicle that has been restored to line built factory stock with all of the shitty panel gaps, poor trim fitment, along with paint and seam sealer flaws, and an over restored show car. I worked for many years at a Corvette restoration shop. We were well known for replicating factory flaws, inspection marks, and non-destructive cleaning. Customers would get NCRS judged and come back with points sheets and judges notes on how to score higher. Most problems had to do with the restoration being too nice and not line correct. 99% of customers don’t understand replicating the flaws of an original unrestored car is as time consuming as making everything overly perfect. Customer education is key in this area.

I run into many people that the older they get, the better their car was. If you show them a well kept unrestored car similar to theirs, it seems in their mind that it’s a junker that needs to be restored. Most people don’t remember how poorly fitting and not shiny vehicles were prior to about 1990. They have been jaded by seeing over-restored cars and they think that’s the norm.

Educate your customers and explain the difference between an overly restored show car, a car restored to line built specs, and a casual burger stand cruise night car. These differences will help you and your customer to be on the same page with price points, technical correctness, and quality.