WORKING in the world of car restoration can be considered a sign of craftsmanship.

For Steve Downs of Steve Downs Classic Restorations in Southminster, this is business as usual.

As he approaches the fourth year of his vintage restoration business which started in 2015, the 58-year-old is the second generation, after his father, to breathe fresh life into cars.

Mr Downs has been sprucing up cars for nearly 40 years and his passion started in the seventies when his father John owned a business in the Dengie.

John specialised in restoring cars from the Twenties and Thirties to their former glory.

He was also a founding member of the Austin 7’s club in Essex in the Seventies.

Steve said: “Back in the day we used to go to their meets everywhere at the weekends.

“We went to London, we even went all the way up to Scotland.

“It definitely was ground into me.

“It is a passion, it’s in my blood.”

He started working for his dad, even doing some work in Latchingdon. But in the early nineties the recession hit and the business could not sustain itself and was forced to close down.

Some years later, Steve worked for himself and then for Fullbridge Restorations.

Finally, a few years ago, he took up his dad’s mantle and set up shop in Southminster once more. He added: “The level just cranks up higher and higher. The job is to make it look like it has never been touched.

“They’re definitely big money jobs, we’re talking up to £50,000 on some restorations.

“We can usually have cars in the garage from 18 months to three years.

“I like the metalwork side of it. Stripping it, grinding it down, repainting it and putting it back together.”

Steve’s clientele are real enthusiasts. One client has about 60 cars, 27 of them being Ferraris.

He has also worked on cars such as a 1926 Bentley, 1936 Austin 7, 1965 Ferrari 330GT and a gold 1966 Pontiac GTO.

His 83-year-old father occasionally comes into the shop to help out on repairs - especially on the Austin 7’s.

Steve said: “He likes to come in, it keeps him busy.”