Innovative Restorations has sponsored the American Italian Civic Club Car Show in Waterbury for several years, and members of our team have taken part in judging there. Our shop is in Wallingford, about 20 miles east of Waterbury, and we welcome classic car owners from Waterbury, Naugatuck, Cheshire, Middlebury and Watertown.
Rust and Metal Repair Done Properly
Older vehicles often hide rust and past repairs under the paint. During a restoration we media blast parts to bare substrate, epoxy prime them, and complete structural and nonstructural repairs in our metal shop. See our metal fabrication page and our article on the hidden problems commonly found during a restoration.
From Repairs to Complete Builds
Not every car needs to come apart. We handle general service and repairs, mechanical upgrades, paint work, restomods and frame-off restorations. If you are unsure which your car needs, our guide to mechanical repairs vs. full restoration is a good place to start.
Classic Trucks, 4x4s and Restomods
Trucks and 4x4s feature throughout our gallery, including a 1976 Ford F250, a 1978 Jeep CJ5 and a 1992 Dodge W150 build with heated seats, LED lighting and a 4-inch lift. If you want the classic look with modern drivability, a restomod can add disc brakes, fuel injection, air conditioning and updated wiring.
What Happens When We Find a Surprise
Restorations often uncover problems that could not be seen at the start. That is why we provide a second assessment once the vehicle is disassembled and stripped to its bare substrate, stay in regular contact during the build, and ask for your approval before moving forward on any unexpected repair. Our article on restoration costs explains how pricing works.
Common Questions
Does my car need a repair or a full restoration?
It depends on the condition of the vehicle and what you want from it. We can inspect your car and provide a thorough condition report so you can decide with the facts in hand. Our guide to the signs it is time to restore your classic car is a useful starting point.
When should I schedule the work?
Book early. Spring is the busiest time of year, and scheduling during the off-season leaves more room for thorough repairs and for sourcing hard-to-find parts. Read more in why the off-season is the perfect time to schedule repairs.
Getting Here from Waterbury
Take I-84 east to I-691 east, then head south toward Wallingford. The trip is usually about half an hour. Our address is 50 Capital Dr., Suite B, Wallingford, CT 06492, and we are open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and Friday, 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Get directions from Waterbury.
Tell Us About Your Car
Contact us or call 860.852.3275. We start with a few questions and will give you an initial estimate before any work begins.
The Auto Restoration Service Process
Disassembly
Vehicles are fully disassembled, parts condition is assessed and parts are labeled.
Metal Repair
Vehicle body is measured and braced, mounted on vehicle dolly, and then all necessary parts are media blasted to its bare substrate.
Epoxy Prime
Vehicles are then epoxy primed, then sent over to the metal shop for structural and nonstructural repairs.
Test Fit
While their body panels and trim are test fit on the vehicle to ensure a smooth final assembly
Body Work
Onto the body shop for body work then two stages of priming and blocking.
Paint
Once body work is completed the vehicle is fully disassembled, prepped, tapped and painted.
Wet Sand & Polish
Next wet sand and polish.
Assembly
Lastly, final assembly for delivery.
What Customers Say
Adam and his team did a excellet job completing the mechanical upgrades and paint work on my classic Ford. Having had a bad experience with a previous shop that was incompetent and ill-equipped to perform the work, I knew from my initial meeting with Adam that they are a professional and extremely knowledgeable shop. My expectations were more than met with the quality and attention to detail that was shown on my project. I’m now a long lasting customer and would without hesitation highly recommend Innovative for all your automotive needs. You’ll be in good hands there! – Chris
Adam and the guys worked on a vehicle of mine and the workmanship was perfect! He also dealt with the insurance company so I didn’t have to which was great. It was nice having someone I could trust to deal with that. He also showed me around his immaculately clean shop. You could tell by the vehicles in there that people have trust in him and the company with the high quality of classic vehicles in the shop. I would recommend this company to anyone.
Had some custom work done on my ’48 Desoto here and I am very happy. Very knowledgeable and can do it all start to finish. Also had them restore an old Murray pedal car for my daughter that came out amazing. Just picked up a second pedal car and will definitely have them restore this one as well.
“It was wonderful experience at Innovative Restorations which left me speechless with the quality of work and promptness. Not only the job done was flawless but cost effective. The best service you can get. Adam Bradley, whom we met, knows his stuff and expert in giving the most cost effective solution for the job.”
I am extremely satisfied with Adam and his crew at innovative restorations. Adam is one of the few business owners that will go out of his way to ensure that his clients understand the process of restoration and all of their options. He is up front, honest and performs top of the line work. I would highly recommend innovative restorations for your basic day to day maintenance or the highest level of automobile restoration.
“The guys at Innovative are top notch. My wife and I had our vehicle fixed here. The communication was great, the deadlines where met, but the quality of work is where this place really shines. Another point I would like to mention is how clean and organized the working area was, these folks really take pride in their work. I would gladly recommend this establishment to anyone looking for quality professional body work, paint, restoration, and repairs.”
Great shop! These guys are honest and the prices are fair. They can handle all your restoration needs! I will definitely be back for more work.
I came to Innovative Restorations for some non-emergency, but important mechanical work. They fit me into their schedule quickly, as it was my day off and I really appreciated their flexibility to accommodate my schedule. The technicians were both courteous and knowledgeable. There was a pleasant waiting area that was clean and quiet. You can tell that a lot of care goes in to making sure their customers are comfortable. If you’re a car person there is a lot to look at and admire here. I highly recommend Innovative Restorations!
I brought my car in to have the alternator replaced. They provided me with a reasonable, detailed estimate very quickly. I liked that they told me what had to be fixed right away, vs what will need to be fixed in the future. They took the time to explain the repair to me which I appreciated. I had my car back within one day of dropping it off which was great. Very well organized and professional, I would definitely recommend and go back for future mechanical needs. Great to deal with, thanks again guys!
It was wonderful experience at Innovative Restorations which left me speechless with the quality of work and promptness. Not only the job done was flawless but cost effective. The best service you can get. Adam Bradley, whom we met, knows his stuff and expert in giving the most cost effective solution for the job.
Highly recommend Adam and his team when you have issues with your car or even if you have a question. Adam is very knowledgeable, patient, and is willing to work with your concerns.
Adam was most helpful with planning and executing the paint job on our 1966 Morgan. The job turned out to be a six month project that required much sheet metal talent and a minimum amount of filler. He received the car in seven pieces and worked with me to finish the tub first followed by the fenders. The front fender on a Morgan is eight feet long and due to Adam’s diligence he found a weld crack in the left fender that had gone undetected by me, but would have led to failure at a future date. The hood or bonnet was another challenge to remove the wrinkles using minimal filler. To summarize our experience with Adam, I must brag about our first place concur winner this past
Autumn Mog 2019
The Autumn Mog was a gathering of 45 Morgans with about eight vintage four seat models.
These Guys are hands down are the Best. I brought my 1961 VW Dunebuggy there and the Men had fixed the fiberglass tub flawless , rewired it correctly & Painted it Perfectly. They are My Personal Body Shop.
The guys at Innovative are top notch. My wife and I had our vehicle fixed here. The communication was great, the deadlines where met, but the quality of work is where this place really shines. Another point I would like to mention is how clean and organized the working area was, these folks really take pride in their work. I would gladly recommend this establishment to anyone looking for quality professional body work, paint, restoration, and repairs.
Just had Adam and his team put a rear diffuser on my car and they did some great work. The car looks great and they did a check on my entire car. Thank you for the great service. No one gives that kind of detail to their work done.
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Trusted Partners
We don’t just focus on performance and skills, we also use quality parts and services to ensure our customers are always getting the best. Here are some of the trusted companies Innovative Restorations is proud to partner with.
