Not good. Guy did a "comprehensive inspection" of my British classic but missed a cracked exhaust valve + no compression on one cylinder. Also missed a bent frame. Eager enough to take my money, though. read more

Very nice guy. Recommend visit in person to meet and see his shop before deciding to work with him. The one thing I would change from how we did our restoration is to have a clear communication plan for updates. It was difficult to reach the owner, which made the experience more stressful than it needed to be. read more

The dude is VERY rude. Tried to get some info on a car I was possibly going to buy that he had previously renovated and sold (to the seller) and he was just obnoxious as could be. I was so taken aback that I had to terminate the phone call telling him that he both blew a sale and , lost a new customer. The seller had the some issue. read more

Happened to come across this place by chance. The owner is very knowledgeable, and took my MG in and serviced it quickly. So happy to have found this place so close to my house. I plan to have more work done here. What a find! read more

This not a Recommendation! I called this shop to see if they were willing to do some major work to my British car. Within seconds of receiving the call, and during my introduction, the guy hangs up on with "I do not wish to buy anything". What?? I called back and said I am not selling anything I wish to Buy something. After describing my problem and getting his (abbreviated) 'WE CAN DO THAT", bring it in. Whoa dude, after just hanging up on me I'll need some more detail! How do I know you can do this work; convince me. I know it is very common problem. I have owned the car for 38 years. Before you even get near it I need something that tells me you know what you are doing. So, how about a ballpark price? (sidebar: I know what others "ballpark" this work at) "No we don't do that you will need to bring it in." Newsflash, British Car Restorations your next job depends on you presenting a picture of trustworthiness and ability to help a potential customer find faith in your abilities. You did not! And now this work will go to someone else. And yes, there are other shops to do this work, who are willing to be cordial and openly discuss their work. I will surely point out to them your lack of business ethics, and perhaps help them get additional clients. You see we, British car enthusiasts are a tight knit bunch. We share our experiences. And this this what I will share with them: Go to another shop, to get your British car worked on. This place does not seem to share our love of keeping them on the road. read more

I bought a 1968 Triumph TR250 and have entrusted it to Cecil Barrett. He has never failed me. The work has always been done correctly and the car is always ready when promised. I even had a strange problem with one battery terminal completely shearing right outside my home before I got my car into the garage. Mr. Barrett came to my home and placed a new part and insured the Triumph ran. I was at work and the car started immediately and I put it in the garage before a snow storm struck the next day. I cannot recommend British Classic Restoration more highly. read more

Cecil knows vintage and classic British cars and knows how to get them to run properly. He was trained by BL in the proper way and can accurately diagnose problems and provide fair estimates. He has worked on my 1970 XKE, 66 Sunbeam Tiger and 1960 Triumph TR3. Good shop and hard to find. read more

I found Cecil accidentally and I am so glad I did. I whole-heartedly recommend Cecil - he is a dedicated mechanic who goes the extra mile to make sure the job is down right, even if it means spending a great deal of time he did not intend to (and did not charge for) to make it work. My TR6 had been in a front-end accident and required substantial body work to get back into shape. So much work that it could not even drive. I cold-called Cecil about my issue and he came to my house on his way home from work not once, but three times (once with his body man) to give an inspection and an estimate. This was all at his suggestion. The price he quoted was more than fair and he honored the price when the work was finished, even though I know he spent much more time on the car than he intended. The car looked absolutely beautiful. In addition to getting the car back on the road, he also then spent considerable time (all at very reasonable prices) to get the car running smoothly and - even able to pass a DC smog test. Cecil is a man of his word and is extremely knowledgeable, I do not think you can ask for more than that in a mechanic. - One happy TR6 customer. read more

My experience with British Classic Restoration has been exemplary. The first service I contracted Cecil Barrett to perform on my 1970 MGB Roadster was a simple tire change. Easy enough? Actually, no. Y'see, my LBC (Little British Car) is equipped with Dunlop wire wheels and mounting tires on them properly and damage free requires unusual skill and largely forgotten technique. Chances are, your local tire shop will have no one on staff who has the requisite knowledge, experience and equipment needed to do the job properly. Thankfully, the huge tire dealer just up the street from Cecil's garage was acutely aware of their own lack of expertise in this area, while happy to sell the needed tires, kindly and honestly recommended I seek a specialist like Cecil to mount them correctly. And, he did. From the outset -- both in job performance and passing on of his impressive knowledge -- Cecil has continually inspired confidence. As he states himself, this master British Leyland trained technician seeks to diagnose a problem or fault accurately and fully then resolve it at what an electronics engineer would call "component level." For instance, I returned recently to British Classic Restoration as my MGB that had been exhibiting (to use a highly technical term) a back end "clunk." The popular approach to eliminating this annoyance -- which, left untreated, can lead eventually to catastrophic failure of the car's rear end -- is to simply replace the differential's thrust washers "in situ". Sure, in some cases this economical repair may do the trick and ofttimes mitigates the symptom. But, as Cecil demonstrated to me, replacement of superficial components often merely masks an underlying and potentially serious cause of trouble. Because he is thorough and proudly dedicated to keeping our classics trouble free and on the road in the long term, my favorite LBC mechanic removed the differential, disassembled it and discovered -- as he suspected all along -- worn axle splines (He wasn't kidding. I saw them). On his advice, I then obtained the proper new parts for Cecil's rebuild of the car's rear end. Yes, it was more expensive than a relatively quick n' easy thrust washer replacement, but I now drive a little old MGB with lovely, smooth mechanical shifting and speed changes that I know is not in the process of self destruction. I trust Cecil implicitly. If he told me my carbs or distributor or engine or gearbox (or differential) was in need of attention, even if the device had been supposedly serviced or rebuilt by someone else a week earlier, I would confidently entrust the job to Mr Barrett. read more

I purchased a 1967 Jaguar that I wanted British Classic Restoration to look over as the car was overheating. Per Cecil or Charles (as he's given me 2 names) the car has a a bad radiator and all the hoses are bad in the car. He quoted me $1000 to rebuild a radiator and hoses ( and many places are telling me that's a big no no). He also informed me the Carburetors are bad. Another almost $900. Then I was told the heating valve had been bypassed and that I would have no heat in the car in addition to other minor issues as well. More$$$ The dealer I purchased the car from promised me that the Carburetors had been rebuilt. I also asked this Cecil what was causing the leak or overheating. After going back and forth about he finally said one of the hoses is leaking. I needed a second opinion so I had the car towed to my regular mechanic so that he could look over and store the car until I am ready to get work done.......and he informed me that the Carburetors in fact had been rebuilt and are ok. Also that the radiator appears to be ok and that a hose is leaking but the set of hoses are only $150 for the car plus an hour or two of labor. Also that the valve that was bypassed will not effect my heat in the winter as it will affect the heat not being able to turned off in the summer per say. I brought my car British Classic Restoration because Mr. Cecil sounded very knowledgeable and appeared to be very friendly. But it seems very untrustworthy. After telling him I was having it towed until I am ready to do any work and I am having some financial problems to spend that much at the moment......he asked the driver where the car is heading to; and after being informed another shop he calls me with an attitude and hangs up. This was not at all professional. Maybe he does good work , and maybe he was looking to get me to fully restore the vehicle instead of just getting it running. But bottom line is I DON'T TRUST THIS SHOP after hearing about the Carburetors and getting a totally different second opinion from someone I have trusted for years. 1 STAR IS FOR HIS AVAILABILITY AND THE SECOND STAR WAS FOR HIM TAKING THE TIME TO LOOK AT THE CAR..... THAT'S IT read more

My recent (2017) very expensive experience with British Classic Restoration (Cecil Barratt) servicing our beautifully restored (elsewhere) Series I E-Type OTS was a disaster! I was charged for work that was done incorrectly, work that was not done at all and expensive parts that were not installed (all documented). I strongly suggest you steer clear. read more

This small shop does great work! I had a very difficult problem to diagnose with my XKE. Cecil, the owner, took the car in and kept it for a few days. He was able to pinpoint the issue and resolve it for a reasonable cost. It is a pleasure to work with an honest mechanic who treats his customers like family; he could have charged me out the wahzoo - but instead I will be coming back. Also, for anyone interested in seeing classics up close, and in parts, his shop always contains an interesting rotating assortment of British metal in various states of restoration and repair. Not easy to find, as it is accessed from the back, but worth the adventure. read more

I've been going to Cecil for decades for work on all my cars, especially my 67 XKE. He is one of the few old time mechanics who understands how classic cars operate based on a lifetime of classic car work. I'd trust his ear and instincts to any mechanic who can only diagnose a problem with a engine code scanner. read more