Customer Reviews
Read what others think about our products and services. Your feedback matters, so feel free to share your own review.
Overall RatingI was recommended to visit Classic Car Lab by a friend of mine who had some work carried out on an MG. I have a Phase 1 Golf GTI. I was made to feel very welcome and they were very kind and patient going through whole the restoration process.
I got to see the whole restoration process from start to finish, and nothing was too much for them. The result was breathtaking, and I love going to shows and letting observers of my car that Classic Car Lab restored my car. I’m so pleased thank you Classic Car Lab.
I have now used Classic Car Lab on two occasions, once for bodywork and more recently for mechanical work. Each time the service has been excellent, the staff very helpful and nothing is too much trouble. Everyone is obviously more than interested in giving the customer the best experience ensuring that at the end of the day we walk away very satisfied, not always the case in this day and age! Well done to Paul and the rest of team.
Series 2 E Type re-spray
I recommend Classic Car Lab on many points. They are excellent at communication. The quality of work is outstanding, and there is no way you can fault their attention to detail. Their costings were accurate, and they were in touch with me several times during the restoration, showing me areas of concern. And it was down to me if I wanted to go ahead with the extra work after giving me advice. It is such a delight to have an honest garage that delivers what you are hoping to achieve. The paintwork was excellent. Well done Classic Car Lab
I brought my new-to-me Z4 Coupe in to Classic Car Lab after having read through their website and several reviews online. My car had 16 years worth of paint damage, scuffs, and some poorly done body work after what were likely some minor scrapes. The James's (there are two of them, one for service and mechanicals and the other for paint and body work) took excellent care of me, even going so far as to keep the car for a few extra days after I saw some other bits and pieces I wanted looked into. The quality of their work and the customer care were exceptional. Communication was strong throughout the process and I am completely satisfied with the returned product at the end of the process.
I had a problem with My Aston Martin DB9. The engine was not running correctly. The team managed to diagnose the issue, and I was back on the road in no time at all. They kept me informed and invited me down to the Lab to show me the part that was at fault.
Later on in the year, I had some work carried out on the body as there were bubbles forming on the paintwork. Again, the result was fantastic, and the way they matched the paintwork was as if nothing had ever happened. I would recommend Classic Car Lab to anyone.
From my very 1st phone call I was put at ease and knew straight away that I'd made the right choice. The costs and relevant timeline for each job was given upfront and i was never led into agreeing to work that wasn't needed. All the work was carried out to a very high standard and everything was explained at each stage. Paul and his team were very friendly, professional and easy to talk to. Photographs covering every stage of the job are also provided. I would highly recommend Classic Car Lab to anyone who is serious about having their vehicle brought back to Concourse condition. Bravo CCL, Fitz.
My car went into Classic Car Lab in summer 2013, during that time it underwent a full brake system overhaul which included replacing all the old copper lines, during this process Don informed me that the existing lines had been installed incorrectly and were dangerous, in order to safely install them they would have to remove the fuel tank and various ancillary items too.
The work carried out was of a very high standard (as you would expect) and throughout the course of the work I was regularly updated on progress and other areas of the car that would benefit from some attention.
I have always found CCL staff to be very friendly, approachable and above all knowledgeable, I think their work speaks for itself. I even chose to store my car there for some considerable time. I would certainly use them again and have recommended them to my friends and classic car associates.
My newly purchased TR6 was not starting easily or running well - it required a full retune, radiator, underspray and a whole host of other bespoke issues to get it running as it should. Fantastic work done by all at CCL - fully transparent and great interaction and updates. Car now running beautifully
Classic Car Lab have been fantastic and done quite a lot of restoration work on my MGBGT. They have undertaken re-trimming works, rewiring, bodywork and mechanicals. The car is now in much better shape and very close the the car it needs to be. Only limited tasks to do now. James and the team are very reliable and knowledgable. I have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone.
The classic car lab carried out a magnificent full restoration of my Jaguar XJR 1998 Saloon. It was in very bad condition e.g. body work, exhaust, wheel bearings, very rusty engine bay, lack of under seal etc. The car was stripped, and new body panels fitted, full respray, repairs to upholstery and finally full service and MOT. The car is now a masterpiece.
Thank you classic car lab
You could not hope to deal with more pleasant, skilled and professional people. Thank you Car Lab
Paul and his team are excellent. I went to Classic Car Lab in Otley as I purchased an Audi Coupe 20v Quattro from auction. The car had some issues and brake problems. All I can say is Paul and his team did an excellent job. Brakes were a tricky issue but were resolved. The car underwent a full respray windows etc and the team did an excellent job. I would have no hesitance in referring these guys to my friends. Even so my Audi looks amazing and probably best one in the country.
CCL undertook a body restoration and re-paint of my 1979 Lancia Beta Coupe over the spring/summer of 2024. It was previously unrestored. Although the job took longer than projected and there was a break in progress due to some staffing issues the outcome is superb and I'm hoping to show the car now going forward. Several Beta experts have commented on the quality of the paint finish and in particular the welding around the rear window and the offside sill. With regard to the latter there was astonishment at how CCL had managed to retain a factory seam. Paul the workshop manager was always attentive and regularly updated me on the progress. I can highly recommend CCL!
Over summer, I bought a 2011 plate Ford Fiesta Zetec S from a small garage in Lancashire. The car was low mileage and had a full service history (mostly by Ford) - even so, I decided to pay for an independent inspection by another garage in the area before buying the car. The inspection only flagged that several tyres had cracks on them and that there was some corrosion under the car - but to be expected for a car of this age. When the car arrived in Leeds, I decided to have the car undersealed and found that the Classic Car Lab in Otley offered this service. I booked the car in with James and when dropping the car off it became clear that James knows everything worth knowing about Fords!! I explained that the car was for my son and that my priority was for the car to be safe. James phoned within 30 minutes of dropping the car off and explained that he had found a number of issues which I should be aware of. I went back to the Lab and James showed me the issues he had found - so that I could see for myself. Some were safety related (brakes and suspension) and he also showed me that the past services had not been carried out as the history suggested. It was very clear that the oil filter and oil had not been changed for a very long time and the car still had its original spark plugs!! Long story short, I left the car with James for a week to sort everything out. The work has been carried out to an excellent standard and I know that my son is now driving a safe car. I then booked the car back in with James to fit some roof bars on the car. Ford did not make this easy - the work involved taking off the glued black strips which had been in place for the lifetime of the car - not easy! Once removed, James drilled holes in the right places, threading them to allow screws and then fitted the bars before glueing into place the new strips. All in all an absolutely top notch service from The Classic Car Lab from start to finish. I cannot thank James and the team at the Classic Car Lab enough and would highly recommend them to anyone!
First class service, very helpful and knowledgeable, been looking after the XK8 for years and keeping it in top condition.
Absolutely great experience from start to finish. Proper interested to learn what I was after although only a small restoration job. The finished job is totally tip top. Exceptional these days to receive such a friendly and professional service. So many companies and businesses make the claim. Very few deliver. Thank you to Paul and his team for a job extremely well done, on time and within budget.
I was made most welcome at my first visit when I met Dino and Antonio to discuss my requirements for remedial work to the bodywork and a full repaint. Having agreed the price an appointment was arranged to deliver the vehicle to your workshops. At that time the first of the stage payments was made. The system of stage payments was helpful in the financial planning for the exercise. Over the course of the restoration I made a number of visits to view the progress.
The work carried out on the body and final paint finish has been done to a very high standard. As I expected there have been some small items that required attention after collection such as some fixings not fully secure and door catch plates needing adjustment etc. I would like to make one small criticism of my experience with Classic Car Lab – A short regular update, say every two to three weeks by email on progress would have been appreciated.
The expected time of the restoration was exceeded by some two months, but the final result was worth the wait
This google review page wanted me to select all the services I used, but the service I wanted wasn't listed. What I really wanted to select was "miracles performed". I sent my MG to the team here and they not only took care of twenty years of issues on the body, but got the old girl back on the road. James kept me informed every step of the way, not just about what needed doing, but how much it was all going to come to as well. Suffice it to say, if you have a classic you love and want to last, take it to classic Car Lab. You wont be disappointed. Massive "Thanks" to James and the team.
My husband and I drove away from our wedding in my MGB Roadster in 1988. I’d owned it since I was 21 but the arrival of children meant a 2-seater would no longer suffice! My MG was relegated to the barn where it stayed until all our brood finally flew the nest last year.
Very friendly and helpful throughout the whole process of getting my E32 7 series back to roadworthiness. Top quality work, the car goes, stops and turns great now.
I cannot recommend The Classic Car Lab enough, it is a real find, a treasure tucked away in Otley. There is nothing Paul and his team don’t know about every type of car and they take such pride in their work and go the extra Mile, it’s been an absolute joy to deal with them and I won’t now go anywhere else.
I have a MG TF 1500, it broke down the other day and a friend of mine recommended Classic Car Lab. I contacted them and got the car over to them. Half shaft broke on the rear axle. A 70 year old car and they fixed it in one week. Such a pleasure to deal with, even the chap from the company that took the car over to them told me how nice the staff were to him. I hope nothing else goes wrong with the MG but if it does I have no hesitation in letting them sort it out for me.
I had taken the plunge and bought a car at an auction that was a bit sorry for itself. It had been totally neglected. I needed help and James was amazing the car is just like brand new, it roars and the work left me speechless. He is the Repair Shop for cars. I would highly recommend