American Restoration on the History Channel

**CountrySquire** · October-27-10, 01:44 PM

Did anybody watch this? How nice would it be if we had a place like "Rick's Restorations" in the Detroit area. But perhaps there is; Can anyone share thier experiences about going to a shop that fixed any old thing you brought to them?

**gazhekwe** · October-27-10, 02:17 PM

That's not a bad idea. There are people who could do that. Luckily, I know a couple people who can fix anything, but a shop would be so great. Keep the good stuff out of the landfill, save a little money, maybe. You wouldn't always have to buy something made in China to replace the item. Lots of good reasons!

**fryar** · October-27-10, 02:29 PM

There's gotta be MI folks doing this sort of thing!

**One Shot** · October-28-10, 12:16 PM

Watched only one episode but I thought it was way cool. Got me thinking too...Do you think anyone will want to buy our everyday items in 50 years? Sad we've become a throwaway society.

Toolbox · October-28-10, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by CountrySquire

How nice would it be if we had a place like "Rick's Restorations" in the Detroit area. But perhaps there is.

Tons of places in the area that are much better at the job. There is a shop in Troy that will correctly restore pre war car if your wallet is deep enough. I am sure 56packman can fill in what went down at Carrail and several other fine facilities in the area. A lot of these shops are word of mouth, need to know operations.

Larry Smith turns out some nice European car restos at Autometric.

Here is a picture of his garage. That is a Stout Scarab in the background.

**Hamtragedy** · October-28-10, 11:28 PM

Mod Steve at the Cadieux Farmhouse has a museum's worth of old artifacts that he rebuilds, from old Victrolas to old fans. He worked at M&M hardware on E. Warren for years before they closed.

He is also an antique plumber, and rebuilds shower mixer valves that many Detroit area houses still have, from Speakman Mix-O-Meters to Kohler-Neidecken. Don't rip out your shower stall just yet, call him first.

**fryar** · October-28-10, 11:50 PM

Originally Posted by One Shot

Do you think anyone will want to buy our everyday items in 50 years? Sad we've become a throwaway society.

My two cents are for you to take any marquee Apple product you may have that you no longer use from the new Steve Jobs era - basically, anything iMac and thereafter, so maybe an old ipod or Mac mini or something - and you at least stick it in a ziploc baggy and store it with all of the other junk you hold on to [[come on, you know what I'm talking about). I'm not at all an Apple fanboy, but I do think that all of these stylish game-changers Apple has introduced over the last 10-12 years will be sought-after collectibles down the road for future Antiques Roadshows.

Toolbox · October-29-10, 09:26 AM

Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

Mod Steve at the Cadieux Farmhouse has a museum's worth of old artifacts that he rebuilds, from old Victrolas to old fans. He worked at M&M hardware on E. Warren for years before they closed.

He is also an antique plumber, and rebuilds shower mixer valves that many Detroit area houses still have, from Speakman Mix-O-Meters to Kohler-Neidecken. Don't rip out your shower stall just yet, call him first.

Steve rebuilt a 20's American Standard sink and gave it to my wife and i as a wedding present. You need antique plumbing fixtures for your restoration he is the man.

He can also do a mean job of restoring your vintage Vespa or Lambretta.

**CountrySquire** · October-29-10, 02:45 PM

Does Mod Steve have a shop or store or something?

Toolbox · October-29-10, 08:21 PM

Originally Posted by CountrySquire

Does Mod Steve have a shop or store or something?

He runs an antique shop out of his farmhouse on Cadieux first house south of Mack on the east side.

**Hamtragedy** · October-29-10, 10:48 PM

Correction. It's south of Warren on the east side behind the Sherwin Williams. The farmhouse was never lived in by the Cadieux Family but was a tenement farm that they owned, in fact, the last one to be sold by the Cadeiux'.

He keeps odd hours, and makes service calls. He has an impressive collection of smaller parlor stoves that he has reconditioned, and early gas stoves that he has rebuilt including a Garland and an Eagle. Two months ago someone showed up on his doorstep in the pouring rain with a 150lb porcelain 1890's Chicago sink with damaged irreplacable fixtures and drain. He fixes most damaged stems and gets angry when he can't save an old drain, often because it's 10 lbs of nickel plated brass that will now serve as a paper weight.

He loves vintage stuff, is a younger guy, and a bit of an eccentric. He worked for a while in the forge in the Cottswold Cottage at Greenfield Village. I've seen him repair stuff from religious artifacts to a VW. He also does giltwork.

**CountrySquire** · November-01-10, 07:59 AM

This Steve sounds like a national treasure. I found a number listed for the Farmhouse but it is not in service any longer. If any one knows how to contact him please let me know.

**56packman** · November-01-10, 08:09 AM

Toolbox, since you mentioned it, the shop in Troy is doing quite well, he has two buildings side by side in that industrial park. I remember when he was in a building right on Maple, behind Sahlein mfg. It was sort of an old car guy co-op, Dick Sahlein had an extra cinder block building behind his plant and he had a couple of his own cars in thers, and he leased space to other guys who were fixing/restoring their own cars there. He outgrew that building, moved to another, and now is in two buildings. There is a great shop on Grand River in Redford, Orchard Restoration. they do excellent trim [[interior) work as well as convertible tops, and full body-mechanical work. They have a great restorer, Larry "Jocko" McNeil on staff there.
Koffel's in Commerce does some fine work as well.

Toolbox · November-01-10, 07:12 PM

Originally Posted by 56packman

Toolbox, since you mentioned it, the shop in Troy is doing quite well, he has two buildings side by side in that industrial park. I remember when he was in a building right on Maple, behind Sahlein mfg. It was sort of an old car guy co-op, Dick Sahlein had an extra cinder block building behind his plant and he had a couple of his own cars in thers, and he leased space to other guys who were fixing/restoring their own cars there. He outgrew that building, moved to another, and now is in two buildings. There is a great shop on Grand River in Redford, Orchard Restoration. they do excellent trim [[interior) work as well as convertible tops, and full body-mechanical work. They have a great restorer, Larry "Jocko" McNeil on staff there.
Koffel's in Commerce does some fine work as well.

I remember the name of the shop now: Classic and Exotic Service. A few friends have worked there over the years.

**Packman41** · November-01-10, 09:08 PM

Another place to go is R&A Engineering out past Ann Arbor in Manchester, MI. Bob Anzalone is a past Ridler Award winner and knows how to lay down a great paint job. He does a lot of work on collector cars, but also found time to paint and pinstripe my 1941 Packard bicycle.