Restoration of automobiles is an artistic practice. To make the cars look new requires the mechanic to have the imagination of a sculptor. One has to be able to envision forms and shapes before they exist materially. To rebuild automobiles after collisions means to reconstruct the crumpled and bent pieces of metal back into its original shape. Furthermore, this bodywork requires the hands of an artist. In the process of rebuilding, a mechanic hammers out and straightens all the creases and crevasses into a flat surface. Following this step, the mechanic coats the metal with a layer of “Bondo” putty to create an even smoother surface. After painting the car frame with a primer, the mechanic polishes the body with wet sand. Some repeat this procedure of priming and wet-sanding as many as three times. The best painting job is one where the mechanic was able to create a surface with depth. The making of these surfaces involves the visual and sensory perceptions of the mechanic rather than any automatized measurement. All these steps are embodied practices where mechanics use their hands and their eyes to restore the shape of the car back into life.
The mechanic’s aesthetic sensibilities extend far beyond car surfaces. They also appreciate and cultivate the craft involved in the making of internal car parts. One day, we saw Speed finishing up his work on the parts of an old Porsche engine. He was cleaning, painting, and drying the parts, which all looked like oversized black crystal jewelry. These parts could remind one of Minimalist sculptures. Speed explained that such concern for craft was one of the key aspects of Porsche automobiles: the car was well-designed and beautiful both on the outside and inside.
The Enthusiast Automotive mechanics belong to the larger community of people for whom the maintenance of their cars is a creative endeavor. These people restore and rebuild their cars into even more fantastic versions of what they used to be at the assembly line. They add new rims, enhance tires, or otherwise customize wheels; modify engines, switch to chrome components, repaint the body, or integrate large stereo systems. For many, such personalization of their cars is an on-going project. These classic car aficionados attend pick-and-pulls and swap meets, and browse the Internet and junkyards. They engage in creative ways of constructing automobiles at a minimal cost from parts collected in various places.
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