Here are some pictures of restorations, customizations, and results of cars that have been given the Metric Autohaus treatment.
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Before: Full body-off, nut & bolt restoration of a 1969 Standard Beetle. This car had undergone previous "restorations" where pop-riveted tin and body filler seemed to be everywhere (previous shops had used license plates for floor pan sections!). The body and chassis were so badly damaged by the patch jobs, that we had to source a workable chassis and body from California to help the customers save money on labor. The body was literally separating from the chassis; quite possibly the worst rust we had ever seen on a Beetle. Since the owners bought the car NEW from the VW dealership in 1970, we saved and refurbished as much as we could from the original car.

After: Rodney and Claudine were very surprised at the results achieved by doing a full restoration "the right way". Every single nut and bolt was replaced, and the body and chassis are 100% rust free; just as it was when they bought it back in 1970. The car was also brought into the modern era with a 2-stage white pearl with clear coat paint job, a high powered Kenwood sound system, an alarm system, 4-wheel disk brake system, and so on. Claudine now slips into her "time machine" and cruises up and down the roads of Washington, D.C. in style, while saving gas and being a stylish individual.
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Before: This poor Beetle had seen better days. It had been hit so hard in the front that the hood and apron were pushed 2" off center. The integrity of the original hood was maintained by metal working the dent out with dolly, hammer, shrink slappers, english wheel, and planiser. The fenders could not be saved economically, so they were replaced along with a front apron clip. The entire body was media blasted and sanded, then primed and painted.


After: In keeping with the original VW Beetle vein, an original paint code was used to shoot the car in single stage, correct  VW colored paint. New bumpers, rubber, and a coat of wax helped to revive this old Beetle for more years of pleasurable driving and service.
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Before: The 1962 Australian Right-Hand Drive Beetle arrives at the shop. It is beat up, crusty, and lacking in style and creature comfort. Heath knew he only had 24 hours to work on his own project, so he cranked up the i-pod and worked through a Sunday.


After: Bright and early Monday morning; the Beetle has Heath's style. Working all Sunday, digging through parts containers, and ignoring the clock, something really special came of those long midnight hours.  When you restore and modify VWs for a living, you have to find personal time where ever you can to complete your own projects. I think Heath broke a few records completing this project.
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Before: This 1974 Porsche 914 1.8L came in tattered and in need of restoration. The body was as rust-free as they come, but the car needed more horse-power, suspension tweaking, and some polishing. A high-output 2.0L was built, with a 8.6:1 CR, polished rods, spun balanced/counter weighted crank assembly, 45 IDF Twin Carbs, loped cam, better exhaust, and too many modifications to list here. With the engine pulling like a reliable race car, the suspension saw 914-6 springs, and torsion lowering. Just the hoods and headlight covers were color-matched, and the entire body got a polish and wax sealant. The bumpers and top were done in a PPG DCC Gloss Black.


After: The tan interior was bumped out for a sportier black trimmed cockpit. The 2.0L Alloys were detailed in black insets with outer polished ribs and rim. The roaring 2.0L heavy breathed engine was housed in full detailed trim, tins, wiring, heater tubes, heat boxes and exchangers, and rubber. A new set of speakers were housed in new NOS 914 speaker grilles. The new Ansa Exhaust note sounds like a 914 below 3,000rpm, but opens to a throaty, Monte Carlo roar above 3,100rpms...all on pump gas. This car turns heads, and turns corners like it's on rails.
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