Hello Community,

Can anybody recommend a one-stop-type-shop in Northern California / San Francisco that could restore/update an EJ1? Or SoCal?
It's in decent shape, but can use interior, exterior, and mechanical work; just overall renewing and updating it. It's held up well over the past 25+ years but wear and tear has gotten to it.

Basically, I don't know how to do the work myself, don't have the tools, don't have time to drive from shop to shop to shop to shop because I'm working to have the money to pay knowledgeable professionals who know what they're doing in a field where I'm self-admittedly stupid.

Yes, I know there are such things as new cars. I like this one. I like it enough to have had it for 25+ years and still prefer to preserve it over buying something new. I still look back at it after parking and walking away 10 feet. It's like that.

Thanks in advance for all leads and constructive advice.

 

there is no real one stop shop.
body shops will normally do just body or collision related damages like suspension replacement. (due to certain chemicals that can not be used in a paint environment)
mechanical shops do not normally invest in body shop equipment and materials ^^read above regarding chemicals.

however...each field will do sublet services as in...
you brought your vehicle to a body shop for body restoration...but decide that you are wanting to do mechanical servicing as well. The body shop can bring your vehicle to thier trusted mechanical shop after body and paint has been completed. The mechanical shop will their work and bill the body shop. The body shop then bills you the complete total with mechanical repairs with mark up.

That way, you bring your vehicle to 1 place...and pick up from same place once everything is completed.

restorations are very time consuming and expensive.
shops dont normally take in jobs like this unless business is slow.
there are restoration shops around...but usually for old school and muscle cars.
these customers drop 100k to complete work without blinking an eye and these vehicles are normally not driven regularly or even at all and can afford leaving a vehicle with a shop for 8+ months.

at the body shop im at..we do body restorations on old school cars. it is not our main thing, but we do em.
we have customers spending 70-80k on just body restorations here.

time is money..and focusing a lot of time on one vehicle is not normally profitable.
(especially with chances with damages occuring during the time the vehicle is in the shop)

 

Sorry for the super-late reply. Thanks for your advice. Yeah, I know it's going to be grip so I'm just doing things as they need to be done at this point.