1962 International Travelall Custom Build with 6BT Cummins Swap

 Introducing the 1962 International Travelall!

When this mostly original International Harvester Travelall arrived at our shop it was powered by a running 392 and a barely shifting 3 speed manual transmission. Although it was functional, it was far from what most people would consider "fun", which lead the Travelall's owner to find our shop. He had some big ideas that he needed executed, and we were inspired to build his dream for him.

See our introduction YouTube video below for a walk around and ride along in the Travelall as it was when we first got our hands on it.

A few spirited conversations and some brainstorming sessions later and here we are... about 1/2 way through frame modification to accommodate a custom build plan including a new driveline powered by a 12 valve 6BT Cummins Diesel powerhouse from Big Bear Engine Company 

Enjoy a few photos of the journey so far and we'll continue adding content and updates as we move along! Follow us on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date and see our latest updates first.

Dash and interior were mostly stock when it arrived

Tear down and engine removal in progress   

A Car So Nice We'll Build It TWICE! 1980 Turbo Trans AM

1980 Trans Am Turbo 301

This one owner 1980 Pontaic came to us several years ago in need of a mechanical diagnosis of a severe engine knock  and a complete repaint. The body was fairly aged with a few areas that had some rust holes, but it looked like it was just sheet metal rust and the majority of the structure was intact. It still had it's factory color, Ontario Gray, but at some point it had been repaired and repainted with the wrong Phoenix put on the hood. The graphic was turned the wrong way and the all of the decals were the wrong color. Although some parts would need replacement, it was mostly complete other than missing the air cleaner which turned out to be very challenging to find!

Owned locally in Wisconsin, the car has been with the same owner for decades, but it had been several years since it was driven at all and the interior was in pretty rough shape with no headliner to speak of and some mouse houses throughout. There was no shine left to the paint and the decals were barely visible and sun faded. The good news? No bright work! Chrome work can be very expensive, and on this car, even the window trim is painted flat black.

1940/41 Willys Gasser: Project Spotlight

1940/41 Willys Gasser

1940/41 Willys gasser arrival ALL STEEL body

Willys have been an staple of gasser builds for decades. Their weight distribution and ease of customization makes them a popular choice. However, since drag racing is the primary use of a gasser style build fiberglass front clips became popular. It's rare to find an all steel body, but we are lucky enough to be restoring one at Driven! The main body is a 1940, and the front clip and doors are from a 1941. 

When the car arrived it was in various stages of restoration. The chassis had been modified, partially boxed and had suspension modifications. The x-frame had been cut out and re-welded and the rear suspension was completely non-functional with the leaf spring shackles installed incorrectly. The ladder bar system was actually posing a safety risk in the configuration it was in, cutting out part of the x frame to fit them. 

Click "READ MORE" to continue reading

Wisconsin Car Shows and Events Calendar

View our Google calendar showing a current list of  Wisconsin Classic Car and Truck Shows as well as a few other major automotive events. More events will be added as dates are finalized.

This is a LIVE calendar! 

Now updating for Wisconsin Car shows 2024

Presented by Driven Restorations LLC, Randolph WI

• View events in coming months by clicking the arrows near the month name 
• Click the event name to see more details
• Something missing? Comment below or email drivenrestorations@gmail.com to have your event added to this calendar

Parades are a great place to see some classic cars and trucks

Collect some trophies for your classic by attending
concourse style judged shows
Shown here: Customer owned 1949 Chevrolet 3100

Dodge County Car Show and Swap Meet

Lodi WI, Tuesday Night Cruise In

3 C's Car Show, Randolph WI

SEMA is the worlds largest car show! Every car enthusiast should attend this show in Las Vegas at least once. It is now open to non-industry attendees.

Add some hardware to your garage display! Our builds went 3/3 at Pardeeville Car Show this year

1969 Nova SS Project Spotlight

1969 Nova SS 396: Project Spotlight

This 1969 Nova was purchased locally by it's owners and had a few details that needed improvement right away. It was updated and upgraded in a few different stages at our shop, Driven Restorations in Randolph WI.

We first went through the mechanical inspection. While there were glaring concerns about the longevity of the engine we did some basic maintenance and got it in safe working order for it's first cruise season. Later that year, the car returned for it's necessary engine overhaul. The 396 was using about a quart of oil between every gas tank fill up. We rebuilt the engine over winter and did an overall facelift of the engine bay to get the car owners back on the road for the summer season once again! That season was far more enjoyable for them, but there was still something missing.

Third time is the charm for this muscle car as it came back to the shop for a full facelift. The transformation was really incredible as the Nova went from dull and boring baby blue to the brilliant Hugger Orange the car owners were looking for.

    

1969 Nova SS arrival shortly after being purchased. Complete inspection and mechanical repairs were first on the list for that summer's cruise season.

Bigger rear tires and gave this Nova some attitude and stance 

1924 Ford Model T Maintenance and Repairs

1924 Ford Model T

Updating the "wedding car"

    This 1924 Model T has a lot of sentimental value for the owner and his family. It was restored a few decades ago in a home garage completing paint and mechanical work to get it ready for the owners wedding. The body was re-painted and interior updated around 1990 and for a 30 year old paint job on an almost 100 year old car it's still in good shape. The only major defect is on the cowl, which needs some TLC after years of the hood scratching it to shut the fuel off for storage.

1931 Ford Model T on arrival to Driven Restorations LLC for a variety of mechanical and body work

There was a long list of things to take care of mechanically. A full tune up with plugs and wires and a carburetor rebuild was first on the list. Oil change, coolant flush and fuel system clean out were also high on the list of priorities. The fan bearing was very wobbly, steering was loose and had a shimmy when turning, brakes were in good shape but wheel bearings needed replacement and rear axle needed new seals as it was a leaky mess everywhere it went.  If you're ever in South Central Wisconsin you just might see it in a parade.

Fresh from a storage shed, the Ford has a significant amount of dirt built up. Underneath it all is an older lacquer paint job completed 15-20 years ago. The cowl and mirrors will be repainted and the rest of the body will be touched up 

Continue reading for more details and completion photos...

SOLD!1949 Chevrolet 3100 Classic Pickup Truck

Truck was sold on Bring A Trailer 2023: 1949 Chevy 3100

Photo taken summer 2021, this classic Chevy is in immaculate condition!

This is your opportunity to purchase a rare beauty

Offered for sale is this 1949 Chevrolet 3100 1/2 ton pickup truck. It was fully restored in 2012 by us at Driven Restorations LLC. Work included complete frame off body and paint, restored original bed wood, new original style interior and complete mechanical overhaul. The original 216 c.i. in-line 6 engine was fully re-built. This truck has the 3 speed on the column manual transmission.

1936 Buick Special 41 Series: A Closer look

1936 Buick Special 41

What arrived at our shop in pieces is whole once again! When we took on this project for our customer the car was disassembled and none of the parts had any labels on them. There were buckets of bolts, most of which were broken off, and random parts from other cars to add to the puzzle. Adding to the challenge was poor print quality of original handbooks and complete lack of photos or comparable vehicles as this is a one year only, exceedingly rare model and year. The entire vehicle was restored to original with a couple minor modifications including a rumble seat and custom color burl wood on the dash and interior window surrounds. 

Completed restoration of 1936 Buick Special 40

Completed restoration photo shoot underway in fall of 2020

With the interior fully wrapped in upholstery, you can hardly tell that the frame of the body and doors are wood

 

The interior trim parts, cables for throttle and choke, as well as the gauge cluster and clock were all restored to original condition...

1970 Monte Carlo SS Chassis: A closer look

1970 Monte Carlo SS

The details matter. Every last detail will be judged on the AACA circuit when this build is complete so we take every nut and bolt to a level rarely seen in automotive restoration. Perfection. 

Extensive research and hours upon hours of rebuilding and refinishing have gone into the parts on this chassis, from the frame clip colors, bolt head markings, and date codes to the color finishes and exhaust bends. Here's a closer look at the rolling chassis with up close photos featuring detail most people rarely notice. 

1970 Monte Carlo SS 454 fully restored rolling chassis

1969 International Scout 800A: Restoration In progress!

1969 Scout 800 Aristocrat

We recently began work on a vehicle rarely seen in "running & driving" condition before restoration work begins. Let us introduce you to the 1969 International Scout 800 Aristocrat, the classier package of a classic utility vehicle. 

Most of the Scouts from this era have been parked behind a barn or in a ditch never to be rescued or driven again, and that's partially because they were designed to be used and abused from interior finishes being weatherproof, to have no body seals or splash shields to prevent road grime from getting into every seam in the body panels. Once no longer reliable for daily driving Scouts were frequently fitted with a plow and used to clear snow until the body rusted off it's chassis. This particular Scout was spared that fate. There are signs that it had a plow on it at one time and there is a significant amount of rust and structure that needs repair, but overall, it's an impressive example of a 90% complete original 4x4 model 800A. 

The 1969 Scout 800A in the shop and ready for a frame off restoration

Might be missing a few parts for the window...

Fuel cell location not recommended, but it worked well for test drives to be sure it ran and drove before the owner purchased this project out on the East coast and hauled it home to WI

Scout 800A

Scout 800A: As expected, there is a large amount of rust and damage on this Scout. The Aristrocrat package does feature chrome bumpers and a few other unique "classier" aspects that are uncommon for a utilitarian designed vehicle

233 AMC Inline 6 was running when it arrived to the shop, although it definitely showed signs of a lifter issue 

1969 Scout 800A engine bay with 233AMC

Headliner material

 

1969 Scout "weatherproof" interior has seen better days. 

Originally a Maine vehicle and daily driven by the previous owner until the mid 70's there were a few items in the headliner helping us located the original owner of this Scout