Bill's Auto Restoration

Bill's Auto Restoration is a small vintage car and truck restoration shop at 3188 24th Avenue North in St. Petersburg, Florida. It works on vintage, classic, muscle and custom vehicles, with a portfolio weighted toward Ford and Chevrolet trucks and muscle cars. This profile is based on the shop's own website and public business records, and the shop has no connection to us.

Who they are

The shop's history page says it was founded by Bill Moore, who holds a chemical engineering degree from the University of Florida and spent more than 25 years in corporate roles before turning to cars. By the shop's account, restoring vehicles began as a hobby, with a 1967 GTO as the first project, and grew after a neighbor offered space in a warehouse. Florida business records list Bill's Auto Restoration, LLC as filed in December 2012, though the shop does not state a founding year itself.

What they restore

The site describes auto body, chassis, interior, mechanical and electrical work for vintage, classic, muscle and custom vehicles. Projects shown on the site include a 1951 Ford panel truck, a 1967 El Camino, a 1969 and a 1971 Camaro, a 1972 Ford Bronco, a 1970 Datsun pickup, a custom 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air and a Citroen 2CV. The mix suggests American trucks and muscle cars are the core, with the occasional import.

Work done in-house

According to the shop, the team includes a painter and bodyman with decades of high-end experience and an experienced welder-fabricator. The shop lists custom fabrication, paint and body work, engine swaps (including supercharged V-8 installations), fuel injection conversions for vintage engines and rack-and-pinion steering upgrades for vintage trucks. That points to a shop comfortable with both repairs and modernized builds, although it does not publish a concours or rotisserie capability.

Working with the shop

The website states that all work is by appointment only. It does not publish pricing, deposit terms or whether jobs are billed hourly or at a fixed price, so those are questions to settle in writing before work starts. Our guide to what a classic car restoration costs explains how budgets typically add up.

Reputation and awards

The shop does not list awards on its site, and we did not find a verifiable third-party rating with enough reviews to quote. Anyone considering the shop should ask for references and to see current projects in person.

Visiting and contact

The shop is at 3188 24th Avenue North, St. Petersburg, FL 33713 (business directories list it as Unit A). The phone number is 727-631-1897. Because it operates by appointment, call ahead rather than dropping in. If you are shopping for a similar vehicle instead of a restoration, see classic trucks for sale in Florida.