The Ultimate Classic Car Restoration Company
Welcome to Unit 11, a leading destination for classic car restoration in the UK. The business was built around a simple idea: deliver the standard of workmanship and communication that classic owners have struggled to find elsewhere. With over 40 years of combined experience across restoration, detailing and sympathetic modernisation, our team brings together craftsmanship, precision and a genuine understanding of historic sports cars and race cars. Every service is carried out in house, giving us full control over quality and allowing customers to follow the progress of their car with complete confidence.
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Our full vehicle restoration service is designed for classic cars that require extensive work. From chassis repairs and engine rebuilds to bodywork and paint, we meticulously restore every component of your vehicle, ensuring it leaves our workshop in concours condition.
The bodywork and paint of a classic car are crucial to its character and appeal. Our skilled technicians specialise in metal fabrication, rust repair, and body preparation, ensuring a flawless finish. With our colour-matching expertise, we guarantee your classic car’s paintwork will be period-correct and stunning.
The heart of any classic car is its engine. Our mechanical overhaul services include engine and gearbox rebuilds, suspension refurbishments, and brake system overhauls. We use only the highest quality parts and fluids, ensuring your classic car performs as beautifully as it looks.
A classic car’s interior is a testament to its era. Our interior restoration services include reupholstering seats, refurbishing woodwork, and repairing or replacing dash components. We strive to use authentic materials and techniques, preserving the originality and comfort of your classic car’s interior.
Are about giving a classic a touch more usability without robbing it of its character. If you want central locking, Bluetooth or full Apple CarPlay integration, we can install it in a way that respects the original trim and feel of the cabin. If the brief is more mechanical, we handle engine and suspension overhauls with the same level of care. The aim is simple: keep the soul of the car intact while bringing its capability up to modern expectations.
Recommissioning is about bringing a classic back to life properly, not simply getting it to run. We carry out a full mechanical and electrical check, refresh critical fluids and components, and restart the engine with care. Once everything is stable, the car is road tested to confirm it performs safely and reliably. It leaves ready to be driven with confidence, rather than risk the problems that come from a rushed revival.
Our Heritage
Company founder Jon Billingsley has been immersed in classic cars for years, largely driven by his own frustration with restoration companies that fell short of the standard he expected. Although his background is not in the automotive trade, he has built and run substantial businesses across different sectors, giving him a solid understanding of operations, logistics and what good service should look like.
Coming at restoration from the customer’s side has shaped the way Unit 11 operates. Jon took his own experiences of poor communication, missed deadlines and inconsistent workmanship, and built a business that delivers the level of care and professionalism he wanted for his own cars.
Today Jon races a 1957 Austin Healey 100M and often takes guest drives in significant historic machinery. That hands-on involvement, paired with a genuine appreciation for detail, sets the tone for the workshop. Our approach is simple: do the work properly, respect the car, and never cut corners.
How we Work
Unit 11 has been built with the customer firmly in mind, which is why every stage of the restoration process is handled in house to maintain full control over quality and consistency. Whether you need a small issue diagnosed, routine servicing or a complete nut and bolt restoration to concours standard, the approach is the same: clear communication, careful planning and uncompromising workmanship.
We recognise that every owner and every car has different priorities. Once the scope of work is agreed, we structure invoicing in a way that suits you, whether weekly or monthly, so the process remains transparent from start to finish.
Our open door approach means clients are welcome to visit the workshop at any time to see progress first hand. If you are unable to attend in person, we keep you updated with regular photos, reports and calls. Our team is always available to discuss ongoing work, and we maintain a full photographic record of the entire process, which can be provided at any stage.
The aim is simple: to give you confidence in the work, clarity in the process and a finished result that reflects the pride you have in your car.
Servicing
Our classic car servicing options cover everything required to keep an older vehicle running safely, reliably and as its makers intended. This includes full check ups and routine servicing, along with seasonal preparations such as dedicated summer or winter service packages. We carry out rebuilds of IRS units, engines and gearboxes, and handle clutch, suspension and braking maintenance with the level of care these systems demand on ageing vehicles.Â
Air conditioning systems can be serviced or recommissioned, and we offer thorough pre MOT checks to highlight and resolve issues before testing.Â
Our team also provides expert valeting and detailing to maintain the appearance of your classic, and we supply and fit tyres suited to all classic vehicles, ensuring performance and authenticity are maintained.
- Full check up and routine servicing carried out with the sensitivity older vehicles require, ensuring reliability without disturbing original character.
- Seasonal servicing for summer or winter use, preparing the car for temperature changes, storage conditions and long distance driving.
- Rebuilds of IRS units, engines and gearboxes, using trusted methods to restore performance and drivability.
- Clutch, suspension and braking maintenance tailored to ageing components, improving safety and road manners.
- Air conditioning servicing and recommissioning for systems that have been unused or require specialist attention.
- Pre MOT inspections to identify issues early and avoid unnecessary failures or surprises at test time.
Expert valeting and detailing to preserve paintwork, interior trims and overall presentation. - Supplying and fitting tyres suitable for all classic vehicles, balancing period correctness with modern
Full Restoration
Our specialists care about these cars as deeply as their owners do, which is why every stage of the process is handled with meticulous attention to detail. We operate an open door approach, so you are welcome to visit the workshop and see the progress for yourself as your car is rebuilt, refined and brought back to life. If you decide to add modern touches or bespoke upgrades during the project, we can incorporate them seamlessly so the end result feels truly personal.
Whether you want a faithful restoration to original specification, a subtle blend of classic character with modern usability, or a concours level finish, every vehicle in our workshop is treated with the same care and respect.
Our restoration services include:
- Full or part classic car restorations tailored to the condition and requirements of the vehicle
- Â Complete mechanical work including engine overhauls, brake systems, suspension and drivetrain repairs
- Upgrades for modern driving such as power assisted steering, disc brake conversions and electrical improvements
- Upholstery, trim repairs and detailed interior restoration
- Full engine restoration and sympathetic performance enhancements
- Paintwork resprays carried out in our in-house paint shop
- Panel fabrication and structural repairs produced to original specifications or bespoke requirements
- Shot blasting to safely expose underlying corrosion and prepare the shell for precise bodywork and paint
Frequently asked questions
Still have questions? No problem, check out the most commonly asked question below
We begin with a full inspection covering mechanical systems, electrics, bodywork and any previous repairs. This gives us a clear picture of the car’s condition, the work required and any hidden issues that may affect reliability or safety. From there, we create a transparent plan so you understand exactly what is needed and why.
Yes. If originality is the priority, we follow correct period methods and use parts that match the factory specification wherever possible. This applies to paint, interior trims, mechanical components and general finish. The aim is to retain authenticity and protect long term value.
We do. Many owners want their classic to drive more comfortably without losing its character. We offer tasteful upgrades such as improved braking, power assisted steering, modern electrical components and reliability-focused engine work. All upgrades are fitted sympathetically so the car still feels true to itself.
We operate with an open door approach, so you can visit the workshop at any time. If distance or availability make that difficult, we provide regular updates by email or phone along with clear progress photographs. You will never be left guessing where things stand
Yes. Every project is recorded with detailed notes, images and invoices that outline exactly what has been carried out. This supports future maintenance, helps with resale value and gives you complete confidence in the quality and provenance of the work.
Unit 11 – 12 Railway Street Industrial Estate, Gillingham Kent ME7 1YQ