Vintage auto restoration is a true labor of love.

Nick Alexander, the owner of LA's Nick Alexander Imports, knows a thing or two about restoring classic cars. He started collecting woodies, those distinctive classic cars with the wood paneled sides, in 1994. His ultimate goal is to restore one for each year that Ford and Mercury manufactured them, and he's well on his way. A dedicated car enthusiast, he takes the job of restoration very seriously; but he enjoys every minute of it.

• A fine vehicle. Alexander owns about 35 woodies, one for each year from 1932 to 1951. Although the cars were built to be affordable, Alexander considers them beautiful and of high quality—with joints like a fine piece of furniture and wood that's as dense and hard as the day the car was built. Alexander feels that vintage woodies are worth preserving like fine antiques.

• Attention to detail. With all fine restorations, the key is in the little details; and Alexander and his employees strive to get their cars as close to factory specifications as possible. This means finding the right parts and accessories—from the carburetor to the chrome trim and glass. The goal is perfection, "right down to the last nut and bolt."

• A labor of love. Vintage car restoration is as much a passion as it is a job. Each of the cars Alexander works on has special meaning to him and his workers, as they’ve searched hard to find them or felt pride in bringing them back to their former glory. Once the job is done and a car is "cherry" once more, Alexander can’t help but feel an affinity for it.

For more information on classic car restoration, join a vintage car club in your area, or check out the following organizations and websites:

The National Woodie Club
P.O. Box 6134
Lincoln, NE 68506.
www.nationalwoodieclub.com/

Hemmings Motor News
cars.hemmings.com