Muscle Cars - Who would you recommend for restoration in Manila?

**midinite** · November 7th, 2006 05:44 PM

Originally Posted by woodfire

yung nag-restore kay Otep is not into muscle cars. They are into vintage cars ("40's and '50's).

I guess your best bet is to divide-up the work and have it done in Manila (if you're based here). I made a terrible mistake on having my car restored on a turn-key basis at Bulacan. It was a terrible and very costly mistake......

2 questions:

1. where is Otep's restoration facility? Would be good to check out
2. What happened in Bulacan?

Would you say that sometimes the deterrent to the hobby are the fact that there are those who charge an arm and a leg and even dupe the hobbyist. Nakakahinayang kasi medyo shortsighted. (not that i am pointing a finger at anyone because it is prevalent in other fields as well).

sayang kasi if the hobbyist had a good time restoring he would keep doing it. If he didnt then he would possibly look for another hobby that would be less painful. Hopefully not knitting. Kaya sometimes it doesnt make sense why some will not do a good job so as to increase repeat customers.

lastly, there was once a time i had a car with one guy for 5 f*&^% years. Kasi I was stationed outside the country and he kept milking me saying it was for parts and labour. everytime i came back on home leave it was the same old BS and fighting match. Needless to say, as much as i wanted to have that car restored (it was my dream car - i always wanted one as far back as the 80s) I cut my losses and sold the unit. Now i hear he is up to his old tricks and still trying to pass off cars with dubious paperwork...where the buyer is left with a hot potato...interestingly is he is part of the circle of the vintage car club boys

**Chip** · November 8th, 2006 07:37 PM

On engine rebuilding

Is a service manual a MUST? Or can a fairly talented mechanic or talyer rebuild it, given the right equipment and components.
Do the engine rebuild kits they sell online contain all that you need ba? Was planning on ordering one eventually.

The reason I am asking is because I remember that my suking mechanic used to work for Gm (or was it dodge) in 70s.

**woodfire** · November 8th, 2006 10:48 PM

Guys,

Otep and his dad had their '40's-era Ford restored in Marilao Bulacan. I believe they had a problem with the restorer there in Bulacan. Anyways, just let Otep be the one to relay their experience.

My experience with my restorer in Bulacan is traumatic. If I were younger, I could have brought out my gun on him. But, as the saying goes, age and wisdom have a way of tempering emotions.

I'm now planning to pull out my '67 stang convertible and bring it to a restorer in Manila. A fellow car enthusiast referred me to a restorer in Mandaluyong who's into muscle cars.

**swordsman** · November 9th, 2006 12:40 AM

Originally Posted by woodfire

Guys,

Otep and his dad had their '40's-era Ford restored in Marilao Bulacan. I believe they had a problem with the restorer there in Bulacan. Anyways, just let Otep be the one to relay their experience.

My experience with my restorer in Bulacan is traumatic. If I were younger, I could have brought out my gun on him. But, as the saying goes, age and wisdom have a way of tempering emotions.

I'm now planning to pull out my '67 stang convertible and bring it to a restorer in Manila. A fellow car enthusiast referred me to a restorer in Mandaluyong who's into muscle cars.

Is the traumatic experience with the restorer of your '67 stang? Or are those separate incidents? Is the '67 convertible stang same one that was being restored since may of 2005 on the other thread?

Also, ilan ba ang muscle car restorer sa mandaluyong? I know there's at least a bad one from this thread by midinite My engines have been stolen. Suggestions for recovery. Maliit lang yata mundo ng muscle cars dito sa mandaluyong so baka iisa lang tinutukoy.

With these bad experiences you guys went through(and you are more experienced in these cars, what more kung newbie), nakakabawas ng enthusiasm in getting into the hobby.

**woodfire** · November 9th, 2006 08:35 AM

the restoration of my stang started in December 2004. Believe it or not, it's still being restored!

The thing that really pisses me off is that all the required parts for restoration are already with the Bulacan restorer since these parts where all shipped early last year from the U.S.

The Mandaluyong restorer I'm referring to is the one owned by Lito Galvez.

**swordsman** · November 9th, 2006 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by woodfire

the restoration of my stang started in December 2004. Believe it or not, it's still being restored!

The thing that really pisses me off is that all the required parts for restoration are already with the Bulacan restorer since these parts where all shipped early last year from the U.S.

The Mandaluyong restorer I'm referring to is the one owned by Lito Galvez.

whooa! 2004? that is frustrating. 'hope you have better luck with Lito Galvez's shop. Di naman yan yong bowtie, no? Hehehe. Feedback na lang, in case i decide in getting into the hobby. My budget isn't exactly cash 'lying around', so i wouldn't probably survive the bad experiences what you and midinite went though

**chrisboy** · November 9th, 2006 11:56 AM

oohh.. this sounds like a beware kinda thing huh. i also want to get in this muscle car hobby. and i really dont know anything about it. all i know that it looks pretty neat to have one and looks fun to resurrect one. i also dont have money for this, pero bahala na si batman sa budget. there are bank loans naman eh hehehe aray...

id love to do a DIY but heck i dont know anything. siguro self study and really experience lang kailangan and hopefully someday... i can do some of the stuffs by myself na.

hope to hear some feedbacks with restorers. thanks!

**OTEP** · November 9th, 2006 12:01 PM

Otep and his dad had their '40's-era Ford restored in Marilao Bulacan. I believe they had a problem with the restorer there in Bulacan. Anyways, just let Otep be the one to relay their experience.

Sir dindo, what problems are you reffering to? Wala naman pong major problem of epic proportions. Na-restore naman yung unit. Not museum quality. But then again, our budget was not museum quality either.

Sino po ang restorer niyo diyan?

Mas nagkaproblem pa kami sa W123 and Leder Interia for the crappy interior work they did. The work was revised by a no-name shop. Mas maganda pa resulta.

**midinite** · November 9th, 2006 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by swordsman

whooa! 2004? that is frustrating. 'hope you have better luck with Lito Galvez's shop. Di naman yan yong bowtie, no? Hehehe. Feedback na lang, in case i decide in getting into the hobby. My budget isn't exactly cash 'lying around', so i wouldn't probably survive the bad experiences what you and midinite went though

There are several in mandaluyong - bowtie, oboy reyes, ben lim and yes lito galvez. someone did tell me though that he has a case (just what i heard) against him by one Australian for not having the work done on a car that had been sitting there for X number of years as well. Seems to be a favorite pastime of "restorer" mechanics. plus i heard (again from another source) that lito charges an arm and a leg. these are opinions of others yet it is the reason some have chosen to do restoration themselves. but by all means, i would suggest that the restorer or hobbyist check out the facilities and interview other customers.

also, lito was purported to have spread rumors about another individual to cover up his delinquent restoration according to insiders.

swordman is right, the problem is that many get burnt kaya it discourages people...that is what i don't quite understand.

**woodfire** · November 10th, 2006 09:20 AM

Yikes! Thanks for the heads up midinite!

I guess I'll just park it in my garage in the meantime and do some research/due diligence on who can work on it. For the detailing, trims etc... I'll just work on it myself.

My concern now is the convertible top. Can anyone recommend a very good installer of soft tops?