Welcome to the website of Classic Car Dashboard Restorer Simon Lorkin.

Restoration of dashboards and woodwork for classic cars and painted wood effect for metal interiors by Normandy based British craftsman – France

With more than 30 years experience in the restoration of fine antique furniture and wooden interior trim of classic cars dashboard restorer Simon Lorkin offers his services to both classic car lovers and to classic car businesses and restoration garages.

Simon Lorkin is a British craftsman and dashboard restorer who moved with his family to the Normandy countryside in 2004 and from his workshops he works passionately and with perfectionism for his clients in France, Europe and worldwide.

Classic Car Dashboard Restoration Services

Woodwork Restoration

Are you looking for and authentic restoration for your classic car? Has your woodwork already been restored or replaced and it seems too shiny or ‘plastic’ looking with a very thick modern varnish, like you find in modern cars? Discover how dashboard restorer Simon Lorkin can help you. Read more…

Triumph Frog-eyed Sprite dashboard restoration with burr walnute painted wood effect

Wood Effect Restoration on Metal

Would you like to have a wood effect for your interior but it’s in metal? Dashboard restorer Simon Lorkin can do a hand painted wood effect for your dashboard, door cappings, window surrounds and any exposed metal pieces. Read more…

Facel Vega Restoration

Back in 2011 Simon Lorkin succeeded in finding the way to restore the beautiful French Facel Vegas which have their own style wood effect. He can restore your dashboard as will as picnic tables and middle ashtray to bring out the original beauty of your classic car. Read more…

Frequently Asked Questions…

 

“What age cars do you restore ?”

Because of the methods and products I use I only work on Classic Cars. As a general rule I only work on cars older than I am, that means I restore dashboards and interior trim for cars manufactured before 1970.

 

“Do you make replacement Dashboards ?”

I’m a restorer, I only work on items sent to my workshop. Dashboards and interior trim arrive at my workshop dismantled and with all dials and accessories removed. I restore the items and ship them back to you or your restoration garage.

 

Please check out my FAQs page for more information on how I work and how I can help you achieve a beautiful interior for your classic car.

Restoration Projects & Photos

Discover my restoration projects on my blog. I publish about the classic cars I work on and the work involved in restoring the woodwork or metal interiors, to bring out the beauty of the the cars as they would have been when they were first built. – Articles by Simon Lorkin, craftsman Dashboard Restorer and owner of Classic Dashboards.

Dashboard Restorer – Mercedes Pullman Woodwork – 6 door Limousine

Dashboard Restorer – Mercedes Pullman Woodwork – W100 – 6 door Limousine A special re-veneering project for a very special car – 60 pieces for a stretched limousine.   This project is the largest I’ve had so far. I’m often asked to restore sets of woodwork for Bentleys Jaguars, Rolls Royces and Mercedes but this…

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Facel Vega Dashboard Restoration – A Facel 3 project

Facel Vega Dashboard Restoration – The end of a Facel 3 project. Simon Lorkin, hand painting the unique Facel Vega wood effect.   What a pleasure! It is not often that I see the dashboards back in their cars after I’ve restored them but this week I had the pleasure of seeing photos of this…

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Burr Walnut Veneer stock for classic car dashboard restoration

Burr Walnut Veneer stock for classic car dashboard restoration Behind the scenes with Simon Lorkin | Classic Dashboards   I thought you might be curious about the veneer stock that I use for classic car dashboard and woodwork restoration. I have a regular supply that I keep stocked up for individual dashboard projects. When it’s…

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New Classic Dashboards Video

New Classic Dashboards Video Discover a little about Simon Lorkin’s restoration work. I’m proud to share my new short video that shows a little about what I do and how I came to be a restorer of dashboards and interior trim for classic cars.   Classic Dashboards – Simon Lorkin from Simon Lorkin on Vimeo.…

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Retromobile Paris – Classic Dashboards visits the famous classic car show

Retromobile Paris Classic Dashboards visiting the wonderful Classic Car show at the Paris Expo. Since 2008 we’ve done various local and regional classic car shows at Caen and Rouen, with our stand. As the business is growing we decided it was again time to visit the highly respected and enormous classic car show that is…

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Simon Lorkin – Living France article

Simon Lorkin – Classic Dashboards Living France article. Master of Art – The British furniture restorer carving out a niche in Manche – Normandy – France.   Here it is, my new press article featured in Living France magazine about my journey from being an antique restorer in Surrey, England to becoming a classic car…

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Classic Car wooden dashboard restoration and reveneering - Classic Dashboards

AC Aceca Dashboard and wood trim restoration

AC Aceca Dashboard and wood trim restoration Burr walnut re-veneering on rounded and concave woodwork – Classic car Restoration     Veneering the AC Aceca dashboard Depending on the client’s ideas and requirements, when re-veneering the main AC Aceca dashboard I book-match the veneer. For those that don’t know the expression this means taking two…

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PRESS ARTICLE – Classic and Sports Car Magazine

PRESS ARTICLE – Classic and Sports Car Magazine features Dashboard Restorer Simon Lorkin. I’m happy to announce that I’ve been featured in a lovely press article. In the September 2017 edition of Classic and Sports car Magazine. For those who don’t know the magazine it is world leading car magazine and has a well deserved reputation…

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