Choosing a VW Restoration Company: What I Wish I'd Known

The Reality Check

Starting out with a Volkswagen campervan restoration can be a daunting process. I'm not going to sugarcoat this: finding the right restoration company took me nearly two years of frustration, false starts, and broken promises.

It's really important to do your research and find the right restoration company for you. Personally, I wanted to be part of the restoration journey—be involved, maybe even help along the way. I needed someone with the patience to put up with my everlasting list of questions. I wanted to learn as much as I could, and I was starting with next to zero knowledge.

When I bought Jenny, she was full of rust and holes. The windows and doors were mostly off. The engine ran, but not well—she'd been sat dormant for a couple of years. I knew she needed work, but I hadn't fully grasped the scale of what lay ahead.

The Search (Or: Two Years I'll Never Get Back)

I thought finding someone to do the work was going to be easy. I had a fairly decent budget and a clear brief—why wouldn't anyone want to take it on?

I was so naive.

After being promised and strung along by numerous people—the last one telling me they'd definitely be up for it but kept pushing the date back further and further until I gave up asking—I learned a harsh lesson: this project was bigger than I'd planned for and required a specialist.

I was so frustrated by this point. I had lost almost two years without making any progress at all. Jenny was sat on my driveway, deteriorating, while I chased promises that never materialized.

Finding Sunflower Campers

It was a chance encounter that led me to Jon at Sunflower Campers. (Sadly, they're no longer trading, but I couldn't have recommended them enough at the time.)

Yes, I had to be patient and wait. But it was worth it.

Jenny went into Sunflower Campers and stayed there for about nine months. Nine months of proper, professional restoration work by people who knew exactly what they were doing.

Why I Bought a Shell (And You Should Too)

I bought Jenny as a shell. Deliberately.

By having her stripped back properly and restored professionally, I wouldn't have to worry about the quality of the work. More importantly: I knew exactly what was hiding under the freshly sprayed paintwork—solid metal.

There are so many horror stories of people paying top dollar for a van that looks amazing, only to discover later that it's full of filler. You're not buying solid metal—you're buying concealed rust with a pretty coat of paint over it.

I wanted to avoid that nightmare entirely.

The Strip-Down: Discovering the Real Damage

As we continued to strip the van back to metal, there were plenty of surprises. Filler hiding under seemingly solid panels. Rust far worse than I'd anticipated. Holes where there should have been metal.

The Floor: Worse Than Expected

Once we started cutting away the flooring, the extent of the problem became clear.

The Filler Discovery

This was the moment that justified everything. Look at how much filler was hiding under what looked like decent paintwork:

This is why you buy a shell. This is why you have it done properly. Because otherwise, you're buying someone else's covered-up rust problem.

The Rebuild: Solid Metal, Proper Welding

Once all the rust was cut away, the real work began: replacing it with solid metal, properly welded.

The Front End: A Pleasant Surprise

Not everything was bad news. The front end was already solid—one of the few areas that didn't need major work.

Wheel Arches and Corners

The wheel arches needed significant work. Big chunks of rusty metal had to be removed and replaced.

The Lonely Van

There were moments during the restoration when Jenny looked pretty sad, all alone on her stands in the workshop. No doors, no wheels, just a shell being painstakingly brought back to life.

Battery Tray and Rear Corners

The battery tray area is notorious for rust on these vans. Battery acid eats through metal over decades. Jenny was no exception.

The Rear Roof Line: My Biggest Worry

This was the hole that worried me most. Rust in the rear roof line is structural and expensive to fix properly.

New Sills: Structural Integrity Restored

The sills are critical structural components. New outer sills were welded in, properly, with no shortcuts.

Progress: Solid Metal at Last

After months of cutting, welding, and fabricating, we finally had something solid. The tail end was now more metal than rust for the first time in years.

First Colour: The Beginning of the End

Seeing the first bit of turquoise paint going on was emotional. After all the cutting, welding, and frustration, Jenny was finally starting to look like a proper van again.

What I Learned: Top Tips for Finding Your Restoration Company

1. Ask Around for Personal Referrals

A personal referral from someone you know and trust is worth its weight in gold. Join VW forums, Facebook groups, local clubs. Ask who people used and whether they'd use them again.

2. Be Patient—Good People Are Busy

If someone can take your van immediately, that's actually a red flag. The best restoration companies have waiting lists because they're in demand. That's a good sign.

I waited a year for Sunflower Campers. It was worth every day of that wait.

3. Visit the Workshop Before Committing

Go and see where your van will be worked on. Look at other projects they have on the go. Are they organized? Professional? Do they seem to know what they're talking about?

Trust your gut. If something feels off, walk away.

4. Get Everything in Writing

Scope of work, timeline (even if approximate), costs, payment schedule. Everything. In writing.

This protects both you and them. No verbal promises, no "we'll sort it out later." Get it documented.

5. Understand That Costs Will Escalate

They always do. Always. Budget for 50% more than the initial quote because once they start cutting into your van, they'll find things that weren't visible during the initial inspection.

This isn't them trying to rip you off—it's just the reality of working on 50-year-old vehicles.

6. Communication Is Key

You want someone who'll keep you updated, send photos of progress, answer your questions. If they ghost you for weeks at a time, that's a problem.

Sunflower were brilliant at this. Regular updates, photos showing exactly what they were doing, patient explanations when I asked (probably) stupid questions.

7. Specialization Matters

Find someone who specializes in air-cooled VWs. Not just "classic cars" or "general restoration"—actual VW specialists who know these vehicles inside out.

VWs have quirks. You want someone who knows those quirks intimately.

Was It Worth It?

Yes. Absolutely yes.

Two years of searching, nine months in the workshop, and significantly more money than I'd initially budgeted. But now I have Jenny, properly restored, with solid metal throughout, and I know the quality of work that went into her.

I can drive her with confidence. I'm not wondering what's hiding under the paint. I'm not worried about structural integrity.

That peace of mind? Priceless.

Questions about restoration companies or the process? Drop me a message on Instagram @jennythebus!