Restoring an automobile can be a traumatic time for most people. For a start the vehicle obviously means a great deal to the owner and entrusting their ‘pride and joy’ with a complete stranger is something that just doesn’t come easy. An owner needs to feel confident that their chosen restoration specialist is someone they can trust, someone who understands exactly what is required and someone who treats the vehicle as if it was their own. Needless to say, Proj-X covers all these bases and holds the necessary skills to ensure a truly painless ‘event.’
Proj-X works one on one with every client to generate a comprehensive ‘master’ plan. This plan serves as a continuing point of reference throughout the restoration and compiles a merging of joint visions and mutual suggestions. No matter how big or small, each Proj-X job is approached with the same objective in mind- 100% customer satisfaction. Our blemish-free track record speaks for itself. The following is just a sample of our client testimonials….
My experience with Layne and the crew at Proj-x has been excellent. My 1965 Mustang needed a lot of work fixing dodgy wiring primarily, but also several other problems that had been bugging me for some time. Layne and the guys approached the task with a cheerfulness and expertise that made it a pleasure to do business with them. Restoration work is their go and not just Mustangs, they will look at any challenge and give you a fair, no B.S. assessment of what is required.
And to sum up their attitude to customer service, they had my car during the recent floods and although their shop was inundated they made sure that my car along with several others were moved to safety, even before they started to rescue their tools and equipment!
I have no hesitation recommending Proj-x to any prospective customer.
Please call if you want further feedback.
Pete McCluskey (2011) 1965 Mustang Fastback.
My journey with Layne and Proj-X started with an L02 compliance on a freshly imported 1965 Mustang Fastback. Layne was very accommodating of shipping schedules and and did the L02 as promised. Driving straight from his shop to Queensland Transport, I had no problems getting the car registered. As part of the compliance, Layne also did a thorough mechanical inspection and I left with a list of his recommendations for future work.I had planned to get the work done about 6 months down the track after enjoying driving the car, however, a fried clutch soon had the car sitting outside my house, undriveable. Once again, Layne was able to quickly clear some room in his schedule to take the car off the street.
The initial request to Layne, “replace the clutch with something lighter”, and a scheduled cowl repair with Sixties Rust, soon turned in to a full mechanical rebuild (engine, transmission, suspension and steering), rotisserie restoration and bare metal respray.Throughout the 10-month plus restoration, Layne kept me well informed and was always available to discuss how things were progressing. His initial quotes for his work were highly accurate, both in time and cost. The end result is a fantastic car that is a pleasure to drive.
Layne’s professionalism and after-sales support has also been great – from a list of “what to do re: engine break-in, etc”, to his prompt responses to minor issues in this period.
I will have absolutely no hesitation in returning to Layne for further work – hopefully all that is required now is routine servicing!
Lukas Mar (2011) ’65 Fastback Mustang
“Hi Layne,
Once again I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for the restoration work you did on my 1966 Ford Falcon. When I initially set out to find a shop to perform the work on my car, I contacted you and instantly felt at ease and comfortable with the prospect of leaving my vehicle in your hands. After making contact with another couple of shops, it was an easy choice to select Proj-X as the preferred place to have the work done. And you didn’t disappoint.
My initial thoughts on your personality and attitude toward your work were realised as you progressed through the build. I was kept updated on all aspects of the restoration and you answered all my questions along the way.
With these older cars, unforseen problems can arise at any point, and my car sure did prove that theory correct. In my opinion you went way beyond the call of duty when my engine rebuild threw a major challenge in your path. I couldn’t have been happier with the effort and solution you provided to overcome what could have been a major set-back in the restoration process.
The end result was everything I have envisioned, and more !! Your wealth of knowledge, attention to detail and appreciation of classic and muscle cars definitely shows through in your quality of work. You have brought back to life and preserved a small piece of Australian motoring history, and for me, that’s what it’s all about. Your personable approach and relaxed attitude made the whole process virtually stress free.
I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend your services to anyone who wants restoration or performance modifications to their vehicle.
If you wish to use my vehicle as an example of your work, I would be more than happy to let you use any photos or information when communicating with potential new customers.
Regards
Stan Thomsen (2010) XP Falcon
G’day mate.
My ’66 Mustang coupe is so much happier since we met you!
When we first started talking about fixing up the old girl several years ago, she was running a little hard and looking a little rough. She needed help, but I was not sure exactly what she needed or where to start.
I remember your advice to me – secure and stabilize the frame and infrastructure first, then we can start working on making her pretty again. So that is what we did. The undercarriage and engine area had some weak spots which were reinforced, welded, cleaned and coated. That work was completed sometime in 2004. I was able to drive her with confidence again.
Yet, something was missing. So the next year, we began the restorative work on the interior and exterior that has brought her to a fabulous look once again. As you may recall, I was a little skittish on exactly how much all of this was going to cost. I appreciate the way we were able to work out a plan to complete the work that was cost effective for me, yet did not cause you extra, unnecessary work.
You were able to do all of the prep work for the exterior paint job, replacing many of the old and tired parts and getting the frame completely ready for the new paint. It was important to me that we stayed with the original dark ivy green paint and you respected that decision. Along the way, we decided to get new seats that would bring back the original feel of the pony interior.
As you reluctantly turned her back over to me (I think that she became as much your baby as she was mine), you surprised me with a completed cleaned and painted engine. Wow! She was once again a very pretty girl and was turning heads.
I enjoyed my 289 three-speed like never before – a great car that was restored to her original condition using all the right parts. Like many older vehicles though (mine had over 200,000 miles on it), there can be many other areas that need work.
Just this past year, I wanted to ensure that she was completely road worthy as I will take her on the highway quite a bit. You were once again willing to take her back to repair and replace many of the drive train components including the transmission, drive shaft and the differential. In addition, we replaced the head gaskets, carburetion system and a few other suspect areas in the engine. I must say that I was impressed that you personally did all of this work – where did you learn how to do all that stuff?
One last thing, I am so glad that we put some new “wheels” on her. While the original wheels and traditional hubcaps were certainly adequate, a new set of chrome rims as well as new rubber give the Mustang that sporty look.
I guess as I think back on all the decisions that we have made in the restorative process, some things stand out.
- You were willing to work with me at my pocketbook’s pace
- You did not let me make a bad decision – let’s take care of the important things first
- I was always informed of where you were along the way and did not have any unpleasant surprises. That being said, you do run into unexpected things in a 40+ year old car and I felt you handled these well.
- You took our car into your family – treated it as your own. While that might sound silly, it was really important to me.
Layne, thanks for all the work that you have done. When the coupe needs some more work, you can expect to see her coming around.
Warm regards,
Eric Lorenz (2008) 66 Mustang Coupe
Eric & Lori Lorenz
