Hjeltness Restoration

Hjeltness Restoration is a family-run shop in Escondido, California, near San Diego, that specializes in the Mercedes-Benz 300SL. The business is run by Jerry Hjeltness and his son Eric. Its own pages and a Petrolicious feature describe a long focus on 300SL engines and complete body-off restorations.

What the shop restores

The Mercedes-Benz 300SL is the core of the business. The shop also says it works on other vintage European cars. Its portfolio pages show 1954 300SL restorations with chassis numbers and detailed documentation, and it accepts partial work from other shops.

Work done in-house

The website lists:

• Complete body-off restorations
• Mechanical rebuilds of engines, transmissions and rear axles
• Brake overhauls and clutch work
• Custom paint from bare metal
• Interior and convertible top restoration
• Pre-purchase inspections, on site or at the client's location
• Air conditioning systems the shop designed for 300SL models

History

The shop says it has completed nearly 45 body-off restorations in 30 years. A separate page associated with the shop says Jerry first bought a 300SL in 1960 and that the family built a reputation rebuilding 300SL engines in the 1970s before taking on full restorations in the early 1980s. We found no formal founding date, so none is given here.

Awards

The website reports a First in Class at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance with a perfect score sheet, and says its cars have also won at other concours. The 2011 award is the most recent dated one we found on the site, so it does not by itself show how active the shop is today. A 300SL restored by the shop also appeared in the 2013 Gooding and Company Pebble Beach auction.

Working with the shop

The shop serves both concours entrants and owners who want a car driven and kept in good order. It does not publish billing terms, so ask about scope, schedule and payments in writing. The guide on choosing a classic car restoration shop is a useful checklist for a specialist job of this kind.

Reputation

We did not find a review profile we could open with enough reviews to quote a rating. Testimonials on the shop's own site speak of attention to detail and honesty, and they are the shop's selection.

Visiting and contact

The shop is at 630 Alpine Way, Escondido, CA 92029. The phone number is 760-746-9966 and the email is [email protected]. Hours are not published. Our classic cars for sale in California page may help if you are looking for a car of your own. Hjeltness Restoration is an independent business with no affiliation with Classic Cars Arena.