1196 Wigwam Parkway
Henderson, NV 89074
702.369.7037
Reach us at
Mon - Fri: 9:00am - 3:00pm
Our shop is open
Henderson, NV 89074
Reach us at
Our shop is open
The short answer: restore a car if you want it exactly as it left the factory. Restomod it if you want the classic look with modern driving. Build a hot rod for power and attitude, or pro touring to corner and stop like a modern sports car.
Nostalgia Hot Rods builds and restores classic cars at 1196 Wigwam Parkway, Henderson, NV 89074, just outside Las Vegas. Call (702) 369-7037. Most people asking this question have a car in mind and want to know which kind of build fits it. Here are the four options side by side, with one of our own cars as the example of each.
you have a rare or numbers matching car, or you want it judged against how it left the factory.
We do restorations too, and we’ll tell you plainly when we think a car should be kept original.
you love the classic look but want modern brakes, air conditioning and an engine that starts every time.
Our 1963 Corvette keeps its shape and drives like a modern car.
you want more power and more attitude than the car ever had, and comfort comes second.
Our 1957 Bel Air runs a supercharged LSX on a frame we built.
you want the car to corner, brake and accelerate like a modern performance car.
Our twin turbo 1969 Camaro sits on a Detroit Speed chassis.
Here’s how the four compare on the parts that matter. Each column describes how these builds are generally done. The last row is a car from our shop.
| Restoration | Restomod | Hot rod | Pro touring | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The look | Exactly as it left the factory | Classic, often with small updates | Lowered, louder, often bolder | Classic, low and wide |
| Engine | Original or correct to the car | Usually a modern fuel injected V8 | As much power as it can use | Modern, high output |
| Chassis | Original, restored | Often new or upgraded | Often new | New, built to handle |
| Brakes | Original type | Modern discs | Modern discs | Large modern discs |
| Comfort | As original | A/C, modern seats, audio | Second to power | Modern, but built to drive hard |
| Built for | Shows and originality | Driving anywhere | Cruising and attitude | Road and track |
| Our example | Ask us about restoration work | 1963 Corvette | 1957 Bel Air | 1969 Camaro |
A restoration brings a car back to the way it was built. The goal is accuracy: the right engine, the right colors, the right materials and the right finishes, down to the small parts.
That’s the right choice for some cars. A rare model or a car with its original matching engine and transmission is often best kept original. Changing it can’t be undone.
The trade off is how it drives. A restored car drives like its year. Brakes, steering and comfort are what they were when it was new.
Classic car restoration is part of what we do. If you’re not sure whether your car should be restored or modified, ask us before anything is changed.
A restomod keeps the shape and character of the classic and modernizes how it drives. Think fuel injection instead of a carburetor, disc brakes, better suspension, air conditioning and a modern stereo.
Our 1963 Corvette Split Window is a good example. From across the street it’s a 1963. Underneath, it has a GM LS3 rated at 525 horsepower, a Tremec six speed, a chassis we built by hand and Vintage Air heat and air conditioning.
That’s the appeal of a restomod. You get the car you always wanted to look at, and you can drive it across the country.
All Chevy Performance said it in June 2024: our builds are meant to be driven, with horsepower, driveability and comfort all taken seriously.
A hot rod is a classic built for more power and more presence than it ever had from the factory. It’s usually lower, louder and faster, and it doesn’t pretend to be stock.
Our 1957 Chevy Bel Air shows the idea. It runs a supercharged LSX on a frame we built, with big wheels and a low stance. Nobody would mistake it for a factory car.
Trucks count too. Atomic ’57, a 1957 Chevy pickup Street Trucks featured in October 2023, runs an LS3 rated at 535 horsepower on a TCI frame with RideTech air suspension.
Comfort can still be part of a hot rod. It just isn’t the point.
Tell us what you have and how you want to drive it. We’ll tell you which way we’d build it, and why.
Pro touring takes the restomod idea and points it at performance. The car is built to handle, brake and accelerate like a modern sports car, on the road or on a track.
That means a new chassis, serious suspension, big brakes and wide modern tires. Our twin turbo 1969 Camaro runs a Nelson Racing twin turbo 427 LS on a Detroit Speed chassis, with Wilwood brakes, as All Chevy Performance reported in June 2024.
A pro touring car is still comfortable enough to drive. But every choice is made for how it performs.
In practice, most custom builds mix these. A restomod can have pro touring brakes. A hot rod can have air conditioning. A restored body can hide a modern chassis.
That’s fine. The labels help you describe what you want, but they aren’t rules. What matters is how you want the car to feel when you drive it.
That’s the first thing we ask about. The answer decides the engine, the chassis, the brakes, the interior and the finish, whatever the build ends up being called.
See more examples on our restomod and pro touring builds page and our Corvette restomod builds page.
Our projects typically take 9 to 12 months, as All Chevy Performance reported in June 2024. Dustin put our average higher in March 2023, at about a year and a half to two years. A build with more custom fabrication, like a new chassis or a widened body, takes longer.
We’ll tell you at the start what your build involves and where the time goes. You don’t need to live near Las Vegas. Our builds ship to collectors, racers and enthusiasts across the world.
Read more about how we work on our custom hot rod builder page.
We showed 10 vehicles at SEMA 2023, as Motorious reported that November, and our WhippleD Chevelle was unveiled at SEMA 2024.
Not quite. Both modernize a classic. A restomod usually aims for comfort and everyday driving. Pro touring aims for handling, braking and speed like a modern performance car.
Yes, but it can be hard to undo. If the car is rare or still has its original matching engine, talk to us before you change anything.
We don’t publish prices. Every build has too many variables, from the car you start with to the parts you choose. Reach out for a proper quote at (702) 369-7037 or use the quote form.
Our projects typically take 9 to 12 months, as All Chevy Performance reported in June 2024. Dustin put our average higher in March 2023, at about a year and a half to two years. Builds with more custom fabrication can take longer.
Tell us about your car and how you want to drive it. We’ll help you decide which way to build it.
Nostalgia Hot Rods · 1196 Wigwam Parkway, Henderson, NV 89074 · (702) 369-7037