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CLASSIC CAR PORTRAITS
Immortalise your pride and joy with a professional classic car photoshoot, taken with a vintage 1960's Rollieflex. Available in a range of formats to choose from to suit your budget.

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RETRO CUSTOM MUGS
Our ever popular Retro Custom branded coffee mugs are now back in stock. While you are in the garage pondering over the next step of your project, get inspired by drinking your tea or coffee our of one of our Retro Custom mugs!

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RETRO CUSTOM LIMITED EDITION NEW BEETLE
Retro Custom were commissioned by Lancaster Volkswagen Letchworth to design and revamp a brand new 2014 New Beetle in 'retro' styled theme with air-cooled VW influences.

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GIFT VOUCHERS
Stuck for that ultimate gift for the VW owner who has everything? How about a Retro Custom gift voucher? Gift vouchers cover all workshop services and Retro Custom products and are available for however much you would like to spend.

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VOLKSWAGEN DEALERSHIP DISPLAYS
When Lancaster Volkswagen launched their new revamped dealerships, Retro Custom were invited to organise a full showroom display of Air-Cooled Volkswagens.

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PRE-1961 FUEL DIPSTICKS
Retro Custom manufacture a faithful reproduction of the hard to find fuel measuring dipstick for pre 1961 Beetles and Karmann Ghias which did not have a fuel gauge from factory.
LATEST BLOG POSTS
VIEW ALL --
04 February 2018 by Super User, in BLOG
Darren's Rothfink Bug In For MOT
Darren dropped his super cool Rothfink branded '63 ragtop bug in for its annual MOT today.Read More + -
16 January 2018 by Super User, in BLOG
Front Axle Beam Replacement
The front axle beam on Bruce's limited edition Sunshine Beetle had seen better days and was too...Read More + -
31 December 2017 by Super User, in BLOG
Work Starts On Nick's Floorpan Repair
Work got underway on Nick's semi-auto beetle floorpan half replacement. The existing pan halves...Read More +
Retro Custom Wallpaper For Your Computer, Tablet or Smartphone
-
HIGH RESOLUTION
Optimised for your desktop PC or smartphone -
SEVERAL DESIGNS AVAILABLE
Choose from a number of different images. -
FREE DOWNLOAD
Just download and update your background settings.
Workshop Services
- Published: Thursday, 24 December 2015 22:27
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 19263
Workshop Services.
At Retro Custom, we offer a comprehensive range of workshop services ranging from a simple oil service to a full-blown concours restoration. Whatever your budget, our team of specialist classic Volkswagen experts are on hand to advise you and undertake work on your vehicle to the highest standards.
We are fully vetted and accredited by the Retail Motor Industry Federation and are a fully approved member of the RMI's Trust My Garage scheme. This scheme is a collection of the UK's best garages nationwide, all of whom are dedicated to offering the highest levels of skill and service and work to a strict code of practice, meaning that you can rest assured that your car is in safe hands with a garage you can trust.
Our extensive experience of building and repairing high level vehicles means that you can rest safe in the knowledge that from the minute you drop your vehicle off, to the moment you collect it at the end of the job, it will be treated with the utmost care and respect.
To book your vehicle in with Retro Custom, either fill in the form on the blue 'Online Book-In' icon at the top right of the page or contact us by phone or email or use the form on the Contact Us page and give us as detailed a description of the works you require that you can. We will book your vehicle into our schedule at the earliest slot available for the amount of work you require. Please note, due to heavy demand for our services during the peak season of March to September, there may be a wait for all bookings, so please check the 'Bookings' page for the latest waiting times and if you are going away in your vehicle, please book as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment.
Stay in control of your budget. When your vehicle arrives at our workshop, we will assess the work you require and you will receive an estimated breakdown of the costs for your job based on both a visual inspection and our many years' experience of doing similar jobs. Once the estimate receives your approval, we will proceed with the job and should any unforeseen issues arise during the course of the works, we will inform you of any extra work required and further costs and work will only recommence upon your approval so you can rest assured there will be no nasty surprises when it comes to paying the bill at the end of the job!
Here at Retro Custom, we operate a full workshop management system so your project is closely managed every step of the way. Forget when your MOT is due? Can't remember when your last service was? No problem. When you drop your vehicle off to us, you will be assigned an account and you can opt to be sent MOT and service reminders when they are due by text message, email or by post. Not only that, your account is constantly updated when your vehicle is worked on so at any time you can find out where your project is cost wise and request a statement of work done to date.
Many of our customers have an active interest in their vehicles and when they are repaired they are curious as to what went wrong. We are more than happy to show you the old parts and explain what has gone wrong and what we have done to correct it. All parts removed are held for seven days then disposed of so are available for inspection at any time during this period.
Our fully equipped workshop has seven service and restoration bays including a four tonne BENDPAK two post lift and a four tonne TK Bradbury wheels-free four post lift. We also have a comprehensive range of specialist air-cooled VW service tools and diagnostic equipment to allow us to carry out virtually any repair job on your air-cooled vehicle. We have ECU diagnostic equipment to allow us to troubleshoot fuel injection problems on K-jetronic, AFC and Digifant fuel injection systems on both later pre-1979 Californian import Volkswagens and also Brazilian Bays.
If there is something you require which you cannot find on this website, drop us an email and we'll see if we can help.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT WHAT WE DO
- Category: Workshop
Restoration
- Published: Thursday, 24 December 2015 22:19
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 13589
Restoration.
Restoration and body repairs are part and parcel of owning almost any classic car, and classic VW's are no exception with many vehicles currently on the road in the UK having been restored at least once in their lives. Over the past decade classic VW's have appreciated in value and are no longer the cheap utilitarian vehicles they once were. Owning a classic VW, to some, is a serious hobby and investment and here at Retro Custom we fully understand what makes classic VW's so desirable and how to protect your investment.
If your vehicle is suffering from the elements and a little worse for wear or whether it needs a little bit of attention to bring it back up to standard, we offer a range of restoration and repair services to bring your classic VW back to its prime.
From small MOT repairs to full-blown concours restorations, we have the experience and knowledge to repair your classic VW to the high standard it deserves.
Body Repairs.
If your vehicle requires metalwork repairs, whatever your budget, we can help. We can undertake factory level repairs and put your van back to how it was when it left the Wolfsburg or Hannover factory. Many UK vehicles have been subjected to patchwork repairs over corrosion at some point in their lives and here at Retro Custom, we always remove all visible corrosion and put the areas back to how they should be.
Our extensive experience in restoring and repairing classic VW's means that we understand your vehicle's construction like the back of our hand and how to undertake the best repair possible within your budget. We specialise in localised repairs where the majority of the original metalwork is left untouched and the areas which need attention are cut out and new fresh metal is welded into place, retaining the originality of your vehicle as much as possible.
As many of the repair panels on the market are of varying qualities, we always use the best repair panels possible within your budget and in a lot of cases, we fabricate repair panels from scratch to ensure a perfect fit.
Restoration
If you are looking to restore your pride and joy, you have come to the right place. We specialise in restoring vehicles according to customers budgets and requirements, whether you are looking for a presentable daily driver standard or a full-blown concours vehicle, we can help turn your dreams and vision into reality.
Having regularly turned out a number of familiar multi-award winning show vehicles on the UK and European show scenes, we understand what is required to build vehicles to the highest level and our extensive involvement within the show circuit means that you can rest assured that your vehicle is in good hands.
It is no secret that classic vehicle restoration is expensive and we understand that not everyone has a large restoration budget. Whatever your budget, we will work with you to give your classic the best possible restoration possible at a price you can afford.
All restoration undertaken is extensively photographed from start to finish and at the end of the project, you will receive a photo book and CD detailing the full restoration of your vehicle to go with your vehicle's history.
- Category: Workshop
Fabrication
- Published: Thursday, 24 December 2015 22:17
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 15089
Fabrication.
Looking for something unique and special for your ride? Retro Custom offer a number of custom fabrication services and can make virtually anything you require for your vehicle. Ranging from a simple custom switch holder to hot-rod inspired billet custom parts, our fully qualified industrial designer and fabricator can make your unique one-off project happen.
We have a range of in-house specialist fabrication equipment to allow us to undertake most fabrication jobs and for the more adventurous project, we have a range of specialist engineers and manufacturers who we work alongside to make more complex components for our projects.
We can fabricate items from mild steel, stainless steel, aluminium, fibreglass, wood and plastic. We can also 3D print components and cast shapes out of both ferrous and non-ferrous metals.
If you have an idea you would like to see become reality, contact us through this website on the Contact Us page and we will happily discuss your requirements.
Some examples of our fabrication work can be seen in the projects section of this site.
- Category: Workshop
Electrical
- Published: Thursday, 24 December 2015 22:10
- Written by Super User
- Hits: 14212
Electrical.
Here at Retro Custom, we understand VW electrics inside and out. So whether your indicator isn't working quite as it should or your wiring is getting old and the car needs a full rewire, we can help.
We are air-cooled VW electrical specialists and have the experience and knowledge to undertake virtually any electrical job on your vehicle. Whether you have an early 1950's Beetle or a 1979 US Spec Bay Window camper, we can quickly diagnose and fix any electrical issues you might have.
If you are building a custom VW and require a custom wiring loom to power your various solenoids and switches, we can design, create and install one for you. We can also build a custom control unit to house all your relays out of sight.
Do you have a VW camper and need to run electrical appliances while on holiday? Need a 240v campsite hook-up? We specialise in installing leisure circuits in VW buses and tailoring them to your requirements. From a three-way fridge install to a full RCD protected leisure circuit, we can cover it all.
Are you a 1950's Beetle owner fed up of other road users not seeing your semaphore indicators? Don't worry because we can help. We can convert your rear brake lights to also flash as indicators and also get your semaphores to flash, making your indicators more visible on the road. Our flashing tail light circuit has been used on many early vehicles including top level show cars with great effect on todays modern car congested roads.
We also specialise in presentation wiring, so if you are building a show car with the wiring on display, we can wire your vehicle so the wiring becomes a feature to wow the crowds.
- Category: Workshop
TRUST MY GARAGE
Retro Custom are proud to be a fully vetted and accredited member of the Independent Garage Association's Trust My Garage Scheme.
The Independent Garage Association is part of the Retail Motor Industry Federation, one of Britain's oldest motor trade organisations. All Trust My Garage members operate under a strict code of practice and are part of a collection of Britain's best local garages and vehicle repairers.
All members are dedicated to providing the highest standards of personal skill and service and by choosing a TMG approved garage you can rest assured that your vehicle will be worked on and serviced according to the manufacturer's standards and the IGA's own strict standards of practice.
To find out more about the Trust My Garage Scheme, click here.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
TESTIMONIALS
What are our Customers saying about us?
I wouldn't trust anybody else with my 'baby'. They will look after your car as if it were their own, and they will give you time and service money can't buy. It's a pleasure being their customer.
Helen Burman // VW Karmann Ghia
Very high quality of work, profound knowledge of everything air cooled and friendly and helpful to go with it. Won't take my bus anywhere else.
Paul Silom // 1972 Bay Window Camper
Fabulous company who have given us fantastic service looking after our bay Hatty for the past five years.
Helen Shepherd // Brazilian Bay
Found Larry and his team on the internet. Been looking for an aircooled specialist for ages. Hey got one in Baldock. From stage one to completing a absolute full overhaul checking all the nuts and bolts and completing a major service these guys were brilliant. And at an affordable price. Magic.
Des Baggott // Brazilian Bay