Restoring your classic car is a very rewarding pastime, although it is likely to cost more than you think or may have budgeted for. The level of support available, both from the Alvis clubs and commercial sources, makes a run down Alvis a good proposition for restoration. You will also have a most desirable and driveable car at the end of it. It will generate a lot more interest than some other marques, as well as being more exclusive. Of course you can pay somebody to do the work for you and fellow Club members will give advice. You will lose some of the satisfaction of doing it yourself and the appreciation of Alvis engineering practice that this brings. Most of us have to farm out some of the work anyway.

Well restored Alvises are not cheap. Iif you do a proper job you will see some return and maybe a profit, if you sell the car on when it is finished. If you do decide to restore an Alvis, make sure that the quality of workmanship and materials you use are at least equivalent to those used when the car was new. There is nothing more irritating than a fine car which has had corners cut in bringing it back from a state of neglect or abuse. Things like vinyl upholstery and poor quality hooding tend to make cars difficult to sell.

It is important to choose the right car in the first place; to make sure that not only is it within your budget, time frame and capability to restore, but also that you will like the finished article and enjoy driving it. There are some (non-Alvis) cars the author would dearly like to own but he is well over six feet tall and simply cannot fit in comfortably. Some wives/partners are not too keen on cramped, draughty and damp sports models (this can be an advantage). Open cars are however usually easier and cheaper to restore than saloons, especially if they have fewer doors.

Make sure that you have sufficient garage space: a car stripped to its component parts occupies much more space than the assembled article and beware of the inexorable law that the number of old cars always expands to fill all available accommodation (the author writes with experience). Membership of the Alvis Owner Club will allow you to see various Alvises and talk to owners in an unpressurised situation. You should also be able to ride in and possibly drive a good example of the car you would like. The Buyer's Guide section of this site includes some comments on various aspects you should consider before committing to your purchase, although the heart always seems to triumph over head when choosing cars.