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
Bare metal prep, sheet metal, chassis, paint and interior, done in our own shop. Whether your classic stays original or gets modern running gear, the restoration work underneath is the same.
Nostalgia Hot Rods restores and builds classic cars and trucks at 1196 Wigwam Parkway, Henderson, NV 89074, just outside Las Vegas, and at our second shop in Cedar City, Utah. Call (702) 369-7037. Street Trucks reported in October 2023 that we do everything in-house, from fabrication to interior and paint. That’s what classic car restoration takes.
Restoration is everything it takes to make an old car right again: the metal, the paint, the mechanical parts and the cabin. At our shop it all happens under one roof.
| Area | What we do | Where it’s documented |
|---|---|---|
| Bare metal | Media blasting, then acid etch and epoxy primer before any fabrication | Dustin, shop video, July 2023 |
| Sheet metal and body | Sheet metal fabrication and body work in our own shop | Dustin, Autotopia LA, December 2021 |
| Chassis | Chassis fabrication, from upgrades to frames we build ourselves | Dustin, Autotopia LA, December 2021 |
| Paint | Colors mixed in-house, then a paint process that’s mostly sanding | Our shop videos, 2023 and 2024 |
| Interior | An interior department with laser and CNC machines | Dustin, Road to SEMA ’24, June 2024 |
Most classics hide rust and old repairs under the paint. The only honest way to find them is to take the car back to bare steel.
Dustin explains our order of work in a July 2023 shop video. After media blasting, the bare steel gets an acid etch and epoxy primer straight away, before any fabrication starts. It stops rust from coming back and stops body work from failing later.
Even a car that’s already finished can go back to bare metal. WhippleD, a 1970 Chevelle from our shop, went back to media blast after it had been a complete car. Then came self etch primer and four coats of high build primer before blocking, as Dustin shows in a June 2024 video.
A show quality paint job is mostly sanding. Dustin describes our three stage method in July 2023: base coat, then clear, then wet sanding to find every flaw before the top coat goes on. On one car that wet sanding took about 200 hours.
Our lead painter takes it further on camera: wet sanding from 800 grit up through 1000, 1500 and on to 3000, then a five step compound process.
We mix colors in-house on our own machine and spray out samples, so the owner picks from a real panel. And the care goes underneath: on the builds Dustin shows in a May 2023 video, every part, including the underside, is painted, color sanded and polished.
Restoring a classic often means fixing what’s under it, not just what’s on top. A tired frame and worn suspension make even a perfect body drive like an old car.
We build chassis in our own shop. Street Trucks described the one under Perseverance in May 2019: a custom 2×4 frame in quarter inch wall tube, with a triangulated four link and air ride.
Our 1963 Corvette’s page describes a chassis we built by hand from 3/16 inch CNC cut steel, fully TIG welded and boxed, with RideTech adjustable coilovers.
A restored cabin is the part you live with, so it gets the same attention as the paint.
Our interior department works with laser and four axis CNC machines, and Dustin showed in June 2024 that our C2 Corvette panel designs are kept in CAD so they can be cut again.
Some interiors are a partnership. Published coverage credits HRH Designs for the interior of our 1963 Corvette and for Perseverance’s custom bucket seats in imported Scottish leather.
These are cars and trucks from our shop that outside publications covered in detail. Each line names its source.
| Car | What went into it | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 Corvette split window | Over 4,000 hours, PPG Pure White paint, an HRH Designs interior | duPont Registry, June 2021 |
| Perseverance, a 1967 C10 | About 3,000 hours over three years, plus 1,600 more inside the cab | Street Trucks, May 2019 |
| Atomic ’57, a 1957 Chevy pickup | PPG Atomic Silver paint, an LS3 and a TCI frame | Street Trucks, October 2023 |
| A 1959 GMC Apache | Original patina kept, engine bay and dash fully painted | Dustin, shop video, May 2023 |
A restoration and a restomod start the same way: bare metal, straight panels and good paint. The difference is what goes back in.
Some owners want the car the way it left the factory. Others keep the classic shape and add modern power, brakes and comfort. Our 1963 Corvette is the second kind: a factory split window shape with an LS3 making 525 horsepower, per duPont Registry.
You can also keep the history on the outside. Our 1959 GMC Apache kept its original patina, a barn find from Texas, while the engine bay and dash were fully painted.
Not sure which way to go? Our guide to restomod vs restoration vs pro touring lays out what each changes and how each drives.
Tell us about the car and what you want it to be. We’ll tell you what the restoration involves.
We’re a Las Vegas shop, but most of the cars we restore and build don’t stay here. Dustin said on camera in June 2024 that most of our customers are from out of state.
Finished cars are detailed and shipped, and a press release in April 2025 said our builds go to collectors, racers and enthusiasts across the world. If you’re out of state, read how our custom builds work before you call.
Restoration takes time. All Chevy Performance reported a typical 9 to 12 months in June 2024, and Dustin has put our average closer to a year and a half to two years. A car that needs a lot of metal work takes longer.
Yes. Our shop is at 1196 Wigwam Parkway in Henderson, just outside Las Vegas, and we have a second shop in Cedar City, Utah. Call (702) 369-7037.
We don’t publish prices. Every restoration has too many variables, starting with what’s under the paint. Reach out for a proper quote at (702) 369-7037 or use the quote form.
All Chevy Performance reported a typical 9 to 12 months in June 2024. Dustin has put our average closer to a year and a half to two years. Cars that need a lot of metal work take longer.
We take the car to bare metal. After media blasting, the steel gets an acid etch and epoxy primer straight away, before fabrication, so rust doesn’t come back.
Sometimes the original finish is worth keeping. Our 1959 GMC Apache kept its original patina while the engine bay and dash were fully painted.
Yes. Perseverance, a 1967 C10, and Atomic ’57, a 1957 Chevy pickup, both came out of our shop. See our custom C10 and classic truck builds.
Tell us about your classic. We’ll walk you through what it needs.
Nostalgia Hot Rods · 1196 Wigwam Parkway, Henderson, NV 89074 · (702) 369-7037