Osprey: An Auto Enthusiast's Dream Come True
Osprey Custom Cars Renovates Timeless One-of-a-Kind Vehicles
sprey Custom Cars are the visionaries and crafters behind the world’s most cutting-edge and timeless overland vehicles. They strive for the highest standard of excellence and their work can be found in countless auto enthusiasts' collections to showrooms of SEMA in Las Vegas. Their ultimate vision to create outstanding and laudable vehicles is prompted by their passion for old cars. From Defenders to Bronco’s to old FJ’s, Osprey provides a seamless and painless custom build and restoration process.
Osprey is a family business and understands the importance of building something that stands the test of time, as many of their clients have owned cars for generations and hope to pass their vehicles onto future generations. Vintage overland vehicles are incredibly popular in the New England area, and the North Carolina shop’s work can be spotted throughout the shores of the Hamptons and on the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
As owner, Aaron Richardet, puts it, “If you tell me where the customer is coming from across the country, for example, Nantucket and Hamptons, those people generally like original restorations and they want to take it back the way it was when it was bought brand new, because a lot of those people are the original owners. People from southern California, Texas, and Colorado, they want more custom work.”
Their most popular model to customize is the Defender 110, as clients love the ability to put their own spin on the vehicle. Osprey has seen a number of interesting requests, and prides themselves on the notion that, ‘if you dream it, we can build it!’ They’ve installed antique flooring, custom engraved exteriors and even custom paint jobs to match houses or other cars.
Their custom build process begins with the customers vision for the vehicle. You simply tell them what you want and have the ability to be as involved in the process as you want. If you would like daily updates and pictures, Osprey will happily provide daily documentation. The customer starts the process by choosing color from top-quality custom paint finishes such as Speis Hecker and PPG, including the interior and exterior, complete with aluminum primer, base coat, color coat, and clear coat. Then, Osprey will “install new doors alleviating the well-known problem of galvanic corrosion.” Plus the shop will install “new body panels where required and all body panels will then be sprayed separately, ensuring a long-lasting finish.”
All of the Defenders are rebuilt from scratch. They disassemble every last nut and bolt and replace everything with Grade A4 stainless and reconstruct the vehicle from the ground up. They explain that the chassis is often overlooked, but an essential aspect of the vehicle. “The entire unit is media-blasted to the bare metal, repaired where and if necessary, corrosion-treated inside and out, epoxy-primer coated and/or powder-coated to provide years of worry-free dependability.
Their entire business relies on their ability to deliver exceptional results with detail-oriented rigor. Osprey’s technical abilities include fully servicing the transmission, "including a new clutch system with a heavy-duty ford, bearing slave, and master cylinder for the manuals and complete new internals for the automatics.” They also renovate the entire brake system with brand new components including brake pipes, cylinders, calipers, vented discs, pads, shoes, and hoses. Additionally, they reconstruct the entire suspension system with new galvanized parts, among restoration to many other technical aspects of the vehicle.
Once the restoration or custom build process is complete, they subject the vehicle to a rigorous and documented testing procedure that they’ve honed throughout their many years in business. They will then transport the car anywhere in the country or internationally once the testing procedures are finished. Overall, Osprey promises to deliver nothing but the best, ensuring their clients' vehicles are unrivaled on the road.
www.ospreycustomcars.com
