The Restoration Shop

Reviews

Reviews are sorted by relevance, with the most helpful and insightful feedback listed first for easy reference.

  Edwin lino
2 months ago
They do amazing work, got a valve job done on my head and they left it looking brand new! Would highly recommend to come here

  Eric Shepard
5 years ago
We had a problem. My wife fell in love with a 1929 Crane farmhouse sink on eBay. We didn't realize until we hauled it out of a house in Connecticut that the the drain assembly had been broken off. After months of searching for a solution, the best option we had was to send the parts to California to be rebuilt for $$$$. That is when my wife found Ralph. He was able to repair the damage to the drain and now we have a working sink for a very reasonable amount of money. Ralph was really patient working with my wife in this multi-step process. The work was expertly and quickly done. We would both recommend him highly especially if you have a crazy problem.

  Bj Crewshaw
5 years ago
My friend dropped off a head to get it milled, the owner didn't like BMW much because they crack easier than most. However, he did a fabulous job filling an erosion spot beside the coolant port, milled the head very well.He expressed concern about my compression ratio being affected, but it didn't affect it hardly at any. Only went form 8:1 to 8.1-8.2:1Very professional, cares about the customers.I'll be recommending this shop to my friends, and anyone else who would need machine work for a good price.Both my friend and I were highly impressed with his shop.Thank you very much, The Restoration Shop.

  skinsfan 22554
9 months ago
I had a part on my wheelchair break that was not something that could be bought from the maker of the chair but I knew it could be made. I called so The Restoration Shop and spoke with Ralph and explained what I had going on. He had me text him pictures of what I was explaining so he could get a visual. Ralph made sure that it wasn't going to cost me more money going with him compared to buying the part or any other option. Honesty is a very valuable trait and you definitely have it at his shop. The part was done in the time he said, very excellent quality and a very reasonable cost. I hear people complain about cost and there is the old saying " Cheap Labor isn't good and good labor isn't ". I highly recommend Ralph and his guys and will definitely be using them from here on out

  Matt Gibson
a year ago
Took my Honda Pilot heads there to be worked on as they were in pretty rough shape. Ralph and his Team did an outstanding job with them. It turned out my Camshaft was jacked up as well. He essentially saved me 800 dollars by repairing mine instead of having to purchase a new one. Highly recommended!

  John Smith
a year ago
Excellent shop and service. Extremely knowledgeable machinists who did the work quickly with precision and quality. Restored a 1945 John Deere block and head. Highly recommended.

  Tristan Sandgren
3 months ago
Got conned pretty good here 750 just to clean and pressure test a 4 cylinder def would never recommend as they insane with the prices and take forever all I got from this place was a life lesson that somtimes you get screwed.

  Barb Cole
3 years ago
It's so nice to have found an honest and knowledgeable person in the automotive industry and Ralph is that and so much more!His advice and expertise saved me $6,000!I was at wits end after a dealership told me I was going to need a new engine because Chevy no longer manufacturers the cylinder head needed to repair the engine misfiring in 2 cylinders.Ralph could do a valve job and have the truck up and running for a few hundred dollars, but suggested I get a SECOND OPINION to make sure that was needed.I asked him if he could recommend an automotive mechanic who was knowledgeable and honest and he gave me the name and contact number for Tim at SOS Towing, who also runs a small repair shop.I called Tim and explained my situation. This was at 4:45 in the afternoon. Tim told me to bring it in and he would check it out for NO CHARGE, to see what was wrong. Tim and his son, Luke, pulled the engine codes, did a compression test and determined the engine was misfiring due to old spark plugs and carbon build up in the fuel injectors. So a new set of spark plugs and a throttle body cleaning and guess what...no more misfires!So, let me tell you, my new best buds are Ralph from The Restoration Shop and Tim and Luke from SOS Towing and automotive.They could have made a lot of money off me by having work done that was not necessary, (i.e. a valve job). They also solved some real heartache i was experiencing over a potential $6,000 engine replacement from a dealership.Thank you Ralph, Tim and Luke! I could not be happier!!!

  Cody Mangrum
a year ago
I used to work for Ralph. Best boss and probably the best job I ve ever had. Ralph taught me so much more than anyone ever has. Sadly I had to move back to Tennessee or if not I would ve stayed there forever. If you have any you re thinking of bringing them just do it. These guys didn t mess around when I worked there and I m sure they don t now

  David Farmer
2 years ago
I dropped off my VW 1.8T head to get cleaned, decked, and rebuilt. Ralph was VERY helpful on the first phone call. That's when I knew this was the shop to use. We had a couple hiccups because of parts issues on my end, but they did a great job with the head. Even pressure tested it to make sure it was good - unlike some other shops I had talked to. Reasonable price. Relatively quick turnaround.Also - I messed the head up when trying to install my timing tensioner stud. I was a dummy and tried to drill and tap the hole and made a total mess. I stopped by and confessed my sins. They called me back the *same day* and told me the hole was repaired and ready for pickup!THANK YOU!!! Highly recommend this shop.

  Nick Christiansen
2 years ago
Growing up working on cars with my dad at 14 my first job was in a small shop. I'd always see Ralph stop by really looked up to him and his knowledge. 19 years later he's always been my first go to for anything... like when I crashed my motorcycle at 20 years old he had to restore the engine mount that broke off and pull dents from the curb I hit on my ninja frame... flawless work!!!! got older building cars at shops from a 600hp 4g63 eclipse head to a MANY bulletproof jobs I've needed the heads repaired. I trust nobody else and never had any problem with the absolute best work! best shop around and I'll never go anywhere else!!

  Tony Taylor
5 years ago
The first time I met Ralph he was professional and polite escorting me through his shop to let me see what he could provide to his customers. I was impressed with the layout, cleanliness and how his employees were professional and courteous explaining each machine precisely. I knew without a doubt this is where I wanted my numbers matching motor to be rebuilt. Ralph was always upfront with the cost, never pushy but explaining in his professional opinion why he would take a certain route during the rebuild. I currently have three classic cars and understand the cost it takes to get them back to their original worth so everyone who comments about the price doesn't understand what is involved in a restoration. The motor and trans required a lot of machine work due to the car setting for approximately 30 plus years causing a crack in the block near the freeze plug. This included motor disassembled/reassembled, cylinders bored/honed, polish/balance crank, block decked, heads machined, plus a lot of other machining and assembly I left out. During the process Ralph communicated everything, plus he knew it was a numbers matching motor so all the original numbers weren't affected during the process. He put the motor on a test stand and it purrs like a kitten. I can't thank Ralph enough for bringing my motor back to life and letting me put my original 327 back on the street for everyone to enjoy. If you have any doubt about "The Restoration Shop" just stop by and take the tour, prices are right, shop is clean, and Ralph and his staff are "Top Notch"."Bowtie Forever"Tony

  Ben Taddeo
6 years ago
Ralph (owner) took the time to answer all of my questions over the phone before I brought my Hemi heads in for repair. Excellent communication, and they did an excellent job. When I dropped the heads off, his staff was pleasant and were thorough in asking what I wanted to have done. Ralph does a great job of calling and updating you on work progress. I would not hesitate to bring any work you need done to this place, and I plan to have them do more work for me in the future. The total price for the quality of the work done was reasonable in my view. Give them a call, you won't be disappointed!

  Leo Ramirez
11 months ago
Ralph and his team are awesome. Quick turnaround time on getting my cylinder head cleaned and milled. Will definitely use them in the future!

  Paul Beechner
9 years ago
Ralph is an honest and hardworking guy. As some others have said, if you want really cheap go somewhere else and receive what you pay for.... Very communicative and very very good work.Had a pair of Cobra DOHC heads cleaned pressure tested and surfaced along with valve stem seals replaced by him and it was a top notch job. Also had some work done to remove a bolt I broke off in the block and both jobs were done well and quickly.

  M W
3 years ago
Recently my zero turn sheared a bolt off in the crank shaft in the middle of mowing. In a moment of frustration and hast I tried to drill and use an easy out on the broken bolt while the motor was attached (big mistake). I only made matters worse. I got the drill off center and bit into the threads of the shaft. Ralph and Andrew definitely pulled my bacon out of the fire. They removed the bolt and made sure the rest of the threads were preserved. They took the motor at closing time on Friday and returned it the next morning. I couldn't ask for a better experience. Thank you Ralph and Andrew. I will recommend your shop to all my friends.

  Kent Mangold
7 years ago
I've used them twice for antique engine repair with excellent results. They restored my 1925 Triumph motorcycle engine cylinder which was in very bad condition with a new "blind hole" sleeve which no one else would touch. Fitted new piston, valves, repaired original guides, and should be good for another 92 years. Looks brand new! The cost was less than the estimate, which was a pleasant surprise you won't see often, especially for difficult projects. The prices are fair, but they are pretty busy, so you must be patient time wise. Good professional friendly communication. Place is a little hard to find, but Google Map will get you there. Drive slowly when you get close. Ring the doorbell on the side of the large building.

  Phillip Warren
10 years ago
I moved here from Fla and I've had engine work done very cheap and had problems. I learned that Ralph prices were fair considering the type of work his crew does. He has been in business for over 40 years in Stafford county alone. I made sure I did my research and decided to have them rebuild my 390 fe motor by him and needless to say , I am very happy to have his shop do my motor. I've seen him work on duesenbergs (million dollar car) and knew that if he was trusted to do rare classic car then he was the man to do my job. So if your looking for cheap expected to go elsewhere and have problems but This shop knows what their doing. In my opinion.

  Brian Blas
5 years ago
I recently took two duramax cylinder heads up to paul. I needed them milled cleaned and had valve jobs done to both. One head needed to be replaced all together. The time it too wasnt bad at all i was very happy to have them back within a couple weeks. The price was pretty steep but i was willing to have them done rite. The only issue i have is that i still have black soot build up in my intake ports that was primered Gray over top of it. For $1,085.00 i shouldnt have any built up. Other than this issue i have found so far everything looks great.

  Ron Hanner
3 years ago
I needed to have some specialized hardware fabricated for an antique I was restoring for my dad since brick and mortar, and internet stores failed me; and believe me, I did a thorough search. I thought I knew what I wanted. Just by luck of the draw I found "The Restoration Shop" via the internet. It was a fortuitous decision. While I only had broken samples of what I wanted, Ralph took the time to figure out exactly what I needed. His thought process was like an engineer trying to spec out the details of the mechanical parts. I was surprised by the level of detail employed, and I was more than pleased by the results. It is not often I need the services of a machine shop, but whenever I do in the future, I know exactly where to go, and that is The Restoration Shop for sure.

  James Meyers
a year ago
Brought The restoration shop a pretty unorthodox project on a Small engine. Him and his crew got my block completely cleaned up and over bored. They align bored it for ARP Studs and got my 4 cylinder block set up for a forged rebuild, Ralph and his guys really knew their stuff. Even remembered my project months later when I called to double check some specifications. Will return, Highly recommended!

  Cash The Stampede
3 years ago
Had been looking for a place to assist with my engine building/machining needs. Who woulda thought that I would have found such phenomenal work close by for such a reasonable price. More than pleased with the service I have received. Looking forward to all of the work I ll be doing with Ralph and The Restoration Shop!

  I am BROKE
7 years ago
Shop owner (Ralph) seems to know his profession, but his prices are very high. They quote one price over the phone and charge another when you pick up your items. Then, he tries to pressure you to have additional work done and makes sarcastic remarks if you don't. Highly recommend going elsewhere! However, if you use this shop, make sure your get everything in writing, upfront. Also, bring a lot of $.

  John Bigelow
8 months ago
Great place to go for motor work!!!! People are great .... Keep in contact with you to let you know what's going on ... Prices are great for the work!!!!!!! I will return.....

  Scott Phelps
11 months ago
Great place to go for engine restoration projects. Willingness to listen to the customer to understand the issues goes a long way. Highly recommend

  Tim Hartman
9 years ago
I did not speak with the owner but the people I did deal with were friendly and I have only heard good things about this business. $70 to replace a pressed in bearing inside a spindle may be a but pricey but it was done quickly and well. You get what you pay for. I would recommend this shop to my friends.

  Diann La Fratte
3 years ago
I brought a broken crossbar to repair a failed weld that was a manufacturing fault. They repaired it beautifully while I waited. They took the time for this small job in the midst of their other work. Thank you Restoration Shop.

  Bryan Ragland
6 years ago
Dropped some 66 mustang heads off to have valve job done, shop did very good work, fair prices and delivered when promised. Ralph was very informative.

  Tyler Howerton
8 years ago
First off I had to drive all the way to stafford from Woodbridge because I couldn't get a quote over the phone an I now no why for two threads on a torque converter to be tapped it would cost $70 For 2 studs to be fixed it would take a " PROFEESIONAL " an hour to do this ?? I will say that pretty woman that answered the door made the experience better ;) she's the reason for the two stars

  Bill Penley
10 years ago
Just had the head from my truck check here and the price was more than fair. Very professional and friendly and more than willing to give me options on repairs/replacement. Will definitely be doing more business here.