Is restoring classic cars a dying art?

Starting his apprenticeship at 15, then his own paint-and-panel business at 19, Scott Benn has more than a little insight into classic car restoration – but feels it is an art that could die one day. 

After 39 years in the game, Scott has the expertise to build a classic car from the ground up, fabricating new panels and restoring cars to their former glory. He can panel and paint almost anything: buses, boats, horse floats, you name it.

Classic cars have always been a passion and that passion grew at about the same time the love of working for himself developed. He quickly realised as he was finishing his apprenticeship that he “didn’t want to be in an environment where there were heaps of people getting told what to do” so at 19 he started his own business, and now runs “S.I.B CLASSICS”.

Over the years his business has gone through many facelifts, from a large workshop with multiple employees in a busy industrial area in the Bay of Plenty to a smaller more specialized workshop in the country.

Although Scott now enjoys working on his own, he has tried to find an employee with the motivation he thinks is needed to succeed.

“To find somebody or a younger person with the patience and a real desire to learn has proved to be very hard.”

It is his inability to find a worker willing to commit to the trade that makes Scott sometimes worry classic car restoring may be a dying art, although not in his lifetime.

“In the classic car scene, there is a lot of money involved. As far as it dying in my time, I don’t see that happening.”

He points out there are always car shows, such as the Whangamata Beach Hop, where enthusiasts and people who dream of owning a classic car line the streets to watch the parade.

“I can understand that, yes, it will be a while before the art of restoring old cars disappears. Something that could have an effect on the classic car scene is the world economic shutdown.

“A classic car is not going to mean as much as other things. It’s not a necessary thing to own, its a want, a luxury. So that side of things. Yes, I can see it slowing but it will never die while I’m around.”