At C.A.R.S we have had a number of interesting requests when it comes to restoration.  We’ve restored a small 1930/40’s childrens’ tricycle.  Quad bikes and beach buggies have been repaired and brought back to life again.  Plastic welding repairs to motor bikes (farm and road) can usually be undertaken depending on the type of plastic and damage.  So if you have a special project you’re considering bring it into the workshop or email us photos and what your thoughts are and we’ll see what can be done.

If you are looking at importing a vehicle from overseas or purchasing one in New Zealand it pays to have someone check it out in person before you invest your hard earned dollars on what can potentially be a disastrous nightmare.  Steve is happy to go with you and check a vehicle over and give you a run down on its condition and what will be required to make it roadworthy and NZ compliant.  Photos and images online can be extremely misleading.  Holes in floor pans can be hidden by carpets.  Rust can be covered with tape or newspaper and paint.  What is acceptable panel repair work overseas may not be acceptance to New Zealand standards.  Better to spend a few hundred dollars at the beginning checking it all out properly than to find you’ve invested thousands in a lemon.

Insurance Work

Depending on the insurance company and type of cover you have in place over your classic car, you can usually request that the repair work be done by a specialist in the classic car industry. We can work with your broker or assessor to ensure you get the best result for your cover on that treasured classic.

Panel beating

We can take care of any type of panel beating required.  Whatever your panel beating needs contact the friendly staff at C.A.R.S. and they'll see you right.  Honest, reliable, top-quality service is what we deliver.

We can also arrange your WOF check and repairs as may be required to ensure your vehicle is safe and roadworthy.  We’ll handle it all for you.

Customizing and Certification

Steve likes nothing better than to transform a car into a piece of art, he can design something new to make your car unique bringing your vision to reality.  His previous body kit work has won awards.  It you are looking to kit out your car - flares, mouldings, spoilers, bonnets, boots, etc, we can source and supply standard body kits or arrange for your "one off" to be fabricated and fitted.  Give Steve a call or pop into the workshop for a chat.

We work with vehicle certifiers (low volume, structural, etc) to get your car NZ registered and on the road, safe and fully operative.

The recent 2014 AMOC car show proved to be great success for the club and public alike! Attendence was high and the quality of cars on display would have made any Blue Oval Henry fan proud. The build quality on the cars on display was second to none. Un-fortunately, there must be a winner picked for the display which does not make our judges jobs any easier!  We won by the way!

A new entry to be showing up at this years owners club show, will be a new addition to the stable of great looking Mustangs from the greater Auckland area.  In this case it will Be Kent Wheelers 1965 Fastback.  Its a great looking car with tons of extras.  Built to the same quility as all our concour's winners, this car is boasting a full custom engine bay.

Following on from the pleasing results at the 2010 Mustang Convention, the "green beast" (a bright green 1973 Mustang Mach 1 owned by Rex and Karen of Northland) was invited to attend the 2011 Concours de Elegance held at Ellerslie on 13th and 14th of February this year.  The Auckland Mustang Owners Club chooses four of its member vehicles to enter into this car show.  Cars entered vary from Mustangs (of course) to Mini and Mercedes-Benz.  To be invited as one of four mustangs entered is quite something for the green beast but to actually take team 1st place - well we've had our cake and eaten it (not to mention cleaned up all the icing as well!). 

Some useful links:

American Ford Parts - http://www.americanfordparts.com

Gear Box Factory - http://gearboxfactory.co.nz

Ford V8 Parts - http://www.fordv8parts.com

Dustless Blasting Counties -https://www.dustlessblastingcounties.com

Curly’s Salvage - https://www.curlys.nz

Wired Auto Electrical -https://www.wiredauto.co.nz

Prepurchase

Looking at purchasing a classic or vintage car.  It’s a lot of money to invest and checking it out as much as possible before parting with your hard-earned dollars is always recommended. Talk to Steve about what you are wanting to obtain or what you’re looking at to see how he can help.

Panel beating

We can take care of any type of panel beating required.  Whatever your panel beating needs contact the friendly staff at C.A.R.S. and they'll see you right.  Honest, reliable, top-quality service is what we deliver.

Restoration and Repair of all Vehicles

C.A.R.S can restore any type of motor vehicle.  No project is too big or too small for our dedicated team.  We are experienced in working with steel and manipulating bare metal.  If a part is beyond repair and a replacement cannot be found we can usually make it from scratch.  1955 Citreon, Ford Thunderbird Convertible, Ford Falcon Coupe, Ford Ranchero Ute, Sunbeam Chrysler, Cadillacs, Austin Healey's, Jags, Corvette, Holden Monaro, HQ Holden, EH Holden - these are just some of the many varied motor vehicles C.A.R.S. has restored or repaired.  We will tackle any project whether it be your family heirloom Holden left to you by your great-great-grandfather or a freshly imported Mustang rebuild - if you require any repairs or restoration work bring it to C.A.R.S. and get it done right the first time.

Insurance Work

Crashed your treasured classic.  Bring it to C.A.R.S. for assessment.  We can provide your insurer with a repair estimate and carry out the repairs for you. 

Private Work

If you have a special project car you want some specialist help with, don't be afraid to come in and "pick our brains".  We are happy to discuss any projects you are undertaking, whether you are doing the work at home or through our workshop.  If you want a hands on experience during your restoration this can be arranged as well.  We welcome customer involvement throughout the project.  Whether you get everything done in one hit on a limitless budget, or stage by stage on a tight budget, we will accommodate your needs and requirements and work alongside with you to help bring your dream to reality.

Customizing and Certification

Steve likes nothing better than to transform a car into a piece of art, he can design something new to make your car unique bringing your vision to reality.  His previous body kit work has won awards.  It you are looking to kit out your car - flares, mouldings, spoilers, bonnets, boots, etc, we can source and supply standard body kits or arrange for your "one off" to be fabricated and fitted.  Give Steve a call or pop into the workshop for a chat.

Over 35 years’ experience working in the panel industry of New Zealand has given Steve Sankey a great love and passion for seeing cars restored back to their original condition and, in some cases, even better than their original condition!

His experience with structural repairs and the manipulation of steel is invaluable when restoring a 1955 Citreon or 2004 Ford Mustang. American, Australian, English, German - any make or model motor vehicle can be restored or repaired by the team at C.A.R.S. If a part cannot be repaired or replaced, Steve can usually make it from scratch.

Whether you are working on a budget and want to do work on a stage-by-stage basis or want to carry out a full "back to bare steel" complete restoration, C.A.R.S. can take care of it all for you. It is our aim at C.A.R.S. to give you an enjoyable restoration experience from start to finish.  At all times throughout your project, you will be kept fully appraised and up to date.  We do not incur further expense without checking with the owner first. We always provide a good honest service. Even if you want to just pop in and get some help with a project you are doing at home - please do so. We are open 6 days a week, Steve is available by mobile at any time and is more than happy to help where possible.

Photos are taken throughout the course of restoration.  A huge plus is that you will be dealing with a panel beater who knows what he is talking about - not a sales rep!   We welcome customer involvement throughout the project.  No job is too big or too small for our dedicated attention.

On completion of your restoration job copies of all photos can be provided so that you have a record of the work carried out on your baby.   We can organise the certification, warranting, servicing, etc for you.   Feel free to call in and inspect our workshop.  Meet Steve and the team at C.A.R.S.  We provide a top quality and honest service - get your car restored or repaired right the first time.