Andy Moss’s Passion for Classic Car Restoration

Feb 23, 2022

Passion for Classic Car Restoration-Andy Moss at Event-AM Restorations
In this blog edition, we catch up with the owner and founder of AM Restorations, Andy Moss’s passion for classic car restoration. Andy opened AM Restorations nearly 10 years ago and hasn’t looked back since. From an early age, Andy has always loved cars. He started his career as an apprentice for a Volvo dealership, where he worked for 7 years. After spending time in various garages, he gained a huge amount of restoration experience from working as a mechanic in a body shop. He then started restoring his own classic cars, which began with his treasured Triumph Stag. Andy said, “I’ve been a mechanic all my life and I started restoring cars long before acquiring the premises in Plympton. I won prizes with my own cars and the business has been built on the grounds of me doing my own restorations. I then started restoring cars for other people and that’s where AM Restorations began.” Andy’s skill of restoring cars comes naturally and he is mainly self-taught. His passion comes from seeing the transition from starting with a shell of a car to seeing the end result in all its glory. Andy adds: “That feeling of seeing the end product and thinking ‘I did that’ is second to none. It’s a great achievement.” There are currently a few projects being worked on in the garage at the moment. Take a look at the exciting cars that the team are fixing up below.

Triumph Stag 1

Passion for Classic Car Restoration-Triumph Stag1 Restoration-AM Restorations 06
Currently part way through a full body restoration. Many panels on the car have been renewed, including the floor panels, sills, front wings, rear quarter panels and the boot floor. Currently, the car is having the underside prepared ready for a RAPTOR underbody treatment. Work will then be done,  giving the car a full respray in a classic British Racing Green, with a twist! It will be metallic.

Escort RS Turbo

Owned and stored for many years, Andy and the team are excited to be entrusted with this Escort RS Turbo. The car has recently been stripped down for access to the areas in need of repair, and required welding repairs have begun. Once completed, the shell will be prepared for a full respray to its original colour ‘diamond white’. Mechanically, many items will be refurbished and upgraded.

Triumph Stag 2

Laid up for many years, AM has just taken delivery of this project. A full body restoration will be completed, including panel replacement and a full respray.

TR7/TR8

Passion for Classic Car Restoration-TR8 Restoration-AM Restorations
A stalled restoration project which started many years ago, AM were approached to take on this TR V8 project to finish for the owner. When it arrived at the workshop, the suspension had been refurbished, re-bushed and the body had undergone a full restoration and respray. The first job was to sort through the supplied parts, make a list of any missing components, and produce a worklist. Many mechanical upgrades are being carried out, including a Holly Sniper EFI conversion. A bit of a jigsaw as there are non-standard and uprated parts. They, therefore, have to be sourced, adapted and modified to make them work. The interior will also be getting a full upgrade with the details yet to be decided by the customer.

Mini Moke

This was recently completed. This project involved the fitting of a complete new floor and other minor repairs around the body. The shell was then given a refresh with a new coat of paint. Raptor treatment was applied to the underside for protection and also applied to the interior of the tub for a durable hard-wearing finish. Mechanically, an upgrade was carried out on the front brakes, converting them to disc brakes – bringing them up to modern specification. The engine had many oil leaks when the project arrived, therefore many new seals and gaskets were fitted.

The Future for AM Restorations

Passion for Classic Car Restoration-Mechanic Andy Moss-AM Restorations

Andy still attends classic car shows where possible, but not quite as much as he used to. Three years ago he sold his 2.8 litre Capri and swapped it for a motorhome which is now another passion of his. He likes to combine this where possible with live music events and will quite often turn up to a music event in the motorhome. He explained. “If I can get to a music festival in the motorhome, I’m in my element there. I’m booked to go to the Download festival in June at Donington Park so I’m looking forward to that.”

Take a look at our projects archive to see what the team has been working on!

Andy is proud of what he has achieved in setting up the business as he’s never run one before. The business is still doing well despite difficult times through the years.

In time, Andy’s ultimate goal is to expand the business. In an ideal world, he would like to take over the premises next door (as they are outgrowing theirs). Andy said: “If they move to bigger premises, it would be fantastic to be able to offer classic car storage and classic car sales as well. Watch this space!

Ready to Get Started?

If you’re currently deciding upon having your classic car restored to its former glory, and have all of this to look forward to, why not choose AM Restorations for the project? We are trusted and experienced classic and vintage car restorers located in Plymouth. With a range of mechanical and restorative services, we can help you get the best out of your vehicle, giving you a finished product that will give you a huge amount of joy and satisfaction for many years to come.

To find out more about our classic car restoration services call us on 01752 346544 or visit our contact page to get in touch. Our friendly and knowledgeable team will be able to get you back on the right track with your car restoration.