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We reflect on a year of substantial restorative endeavours, feauturing a varied selection of classics, from vintage cars to modern-classic technology. Choose your favourite and you could win a workshop's-worth of quality tools, too TONY BAKER, JORDAN BUTTERS, JONATHAN FLEETWOOD, LAURENS PARSONS, ROSS PERRY, DAN SHERWOOD & ADAM SHORROCK Each month, Classic Cars commemorates the vision, skill and sheer decision that keeps the old vehicle world alive.

This year, we've witnessed an extraordinary range of obstacles and solutions: glassfibre specials reborn, hot hatches raised to better-than-new, and grand tourers and utilitarian heroes saved against all odds. Some projects expose the problems of preserving originality, while others showcase fresh or technological thinking whether that be extremely substantial research study, international parts searches, 3D-printed services or engineering updates that permit classic metal to flourish in a contemporary world.

Their stories, their fights with missing out on parts and terminal decay, and their exhilirating minutes of triumph. These stand testimony to the fact that restoration is always as much about spirit as it has to do with spanners. Now, as we cast an eye over 12 months of exceptional resurgences and hard-won triumphes in Legendary Repair of the Year 2026, Classic Cars and Maker Mart welcome you to vote for your preferred change.

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'The level of workmanship and dedication to detail in these classic cars and truck restorations is truly impressive. From painstaking bodywork to perfect paint finishes and carefully reconstructed engines, the ability and enthusiasm behind each job is clear to see.

The group handled to source the van from Germany, where it had actually served as a fire engine. They stripped the bodyshell, fabricated fresh panels and changed structural areas to bring back strength with creativity.

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Isoteak marine flooring was also set up together with bespoke cabinets, and plush seats cut in hand-stitched leather. Every detail received really very close attention from adapting off-the-shelf parts with custom repairings to handcrafting special folding actions and storage. Well-known designer Peter Stevens even played an important role, sketching bespoke outside seating and directing the interior design.

Imagine developed a narrower, longer fuel tank to allow new entry actions and calibrated the initial fuel gauge to deal with the system. Ultimately, the restorers fused modern coachbuilding, classic style and creativity to offer this Transit a lively brand-new role. Thanks to their exacting craftsmanship and Peter Stevens' impact, a once-derelict local workhorse now shines as an event-ready event of Ford's business car heritage.

He had always wished for one, so when he was offered this car for 3500 back in 2010, he purchased both the car and a used truck to transport the project home. When Ward started the repair, he discovered daylight revealing through the complex, rusty roofing system, while just half of the original interior stayed undamaged.

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Mechanical expert Neville Byford cleaned the furred-up oilways and restore the engine with reground crankshaft, new pistons and liners, and secondhand conrods. He rebuilt the transmission, changing the worn synchromesh. To maintain what they could, as lots of original suspension elements were reused, Ward likewise fixing Ruddspeed's quirks, moving the rear spring spacer during reassembly to offer a proper ride height.

Acknowledging its conversion to right-hand drive had left the dashboard and electrical wiring in a mess, Ward likewise sourced a brand-new loom, thoroughly labelled every wire and methodically restored the electrical system. After an especially difficult last assembly likened to needing 'arms like an octopus' he revealed the Giulia at the NEC Classic Motor Show to celebrate Alfa's 60th anniversary, after which he was eagerly anticipating taking pleasure in the cars and truck out on the open road, justifiably happy with saving a real Italian rarity.

David Stubbs and Chris Tye led the effort, stripping the Peugeot back to bare metal. They cut out rusty sills and a rusty rear-seat footwell, welding in brand-new metal to recreate factory shapes. The team fixed panels with care, utilizing a diminishing disc and templates from a mint donor 205GTI to make sure correct fit and shape.

For the paint procedure, AutoRara's professionals colour matched the original Cherry Red utilizing donor panels and painstaking research study. Inside, the group rebuilt the trim, replacing damaged clips, cracked plastics and worn out materials with genuine materials.