Restoration Division of Moss – Classic Car Company

Not too many parts suppliers can boast of having their own Restoration Shop as part of their operation! The Restoration Division of Moss Motors is Classic Car Company, located at 5921 Mathews St. in Goleta, about four miles from Moss headquarters.

The decision to add a restoration facility was made in 1980 with a two-fold purpose in mind: the: finished cars would showcase the quality of Moss products, and the in-house facility would assist Moss in the development and quality control of new products. In both areas, we have been very successful. Cars restored at Classic are delighting their owners and showing how well Moss products enable British sports-cars to be returned to their original condition. Many new products have been tested and modified as necessary before being introduced, and the development of our own line of upholstery kits has been hastened by our being able to actually install them in customer cars. We have also been able to respond to customer complaints about products by trying them ourselves and taking corrective action where necessary.

Classic Car Company came into being in its present form in 1975 when Lawrie Alexander (Moss’ Sales and Marketing Manager) bought out a one-man shop which worked on both sports cars and American classics. The following couple of years saw the emphasis change to the repair and restoration of MG’s (Lawrie’s first love), and Moss acquired a rapidly growing customer. Numerous show-winning cars were produced under Lawrie’s leadership, and the company became well-known on the West Coast for the exceptional quality of the work performed. In January, 1981, Lawrie joined the Moss organization and Classic Car Company became part of Moss Motors.

A slightly modified ‘Big Healey’ currently in the works at Classic. the triple Webers should really bring out the beast in this car!

Now, under the leadership of Nels Miller, Classic offers a wide range of services: total, frame-up restorations; “street” restorations where mechanical integrity is the main priority, with appearance still to a high standard but not as fully detailed as the show cars; mechanical overhauls of all kinds; minor rebuilds of carburettors, etc.; routine service and maintenance and minor repairs; body and paint repair. In essence, Classic is a full-service shop with the emphasis on quality work, originality and pride in doing the job correctly the first time.

Customers bring (or send) their cars to Classic from all over the country. It seems that the knowledge that the job will be done properly outweighs the transportation expense, especially for people living in areas of the country where there are no local shops that understand how (or care) to work on their British sports cars. If you have a car you would like restored or repaired by caring people who know how to do the job the right way, and you can arrange the transportation to Santa Barbara, please call Nels Miller at (805) 964-8010 one afternoon (2:00 pm to 4:30 pm P.S.T.) to discuss how Classic Car Company might help you.