“The last respray looked fine from ten feet.”
Up close there is orange peel, dry edges and a shade that is not quite factory.
Photo: Ivan Fernandez
Classic restoration · Naples, FL
Every great car deserves a second first day.
You finally own the car you dreamed about, and it is tired or wearing someone else’s bad respray. See every stage, from bare metal to booth, before you trust anyone with it.
- 4.8★ on Google · 54 reviews
- Owner-run: Diego Gauto
- FL repair registration MV62776
- Paint booth on site
- Book a free estimate
Sound familiar?
What restorers are asked first.
If you’re reading this page, one of these is probably on your mind.
“My restorer was up north. I moved, the car didn’t get easier.”
You need someone here who has had cars like yours apart.
“I don’t want a budget that explodes.”
You can live with a long job. You can’t live with surprises you never approved.
“I want to see it. Not hear about it.”
Bare metal, primer, blocking. You want photos of each, because that is where the truth is.
How it works
A restoration, in four steps.
- 1
Visit the shop
See what is on the floor. Bring photos of your car and any old paperwork.
- 2
Walk the car together
Ask Diego to inspect it with you and talk through what it needs, panel by panel.
- 3
Agree the work in phases
Ask for a written estimate for each phase, so the budget is a plan, not a guess.
- 4
Follow every stage
Ask for photos at bare metal, primer, blocking and paint, before each stage is covered.
Ask out loud
Talk to Marisol, our estimate concierge
A voice assistant that answers questions about the shop, walks you through the three photos, and takes your details for Diego, any hour you think of it. It never quotes prices or ready dates.
Straight answers
Fair questions for any restorer.
You’re thinking…
“Isn’t this a collision shop?”
Here’s how it works
Photos taken at the shop show a Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 in bodywork, a Jaguar E-Type inside and a C3 Corvette at the door. Restoration is what the photos show.
You’re thinking…
“Restorations always run over.”
Here’s how it works
Ask for a written estimate for each phase. Under the proposed Diego Promise, nothing extra would happen without your approval and photos.
You’re thinking…
“Will the colour be right for the year?”
Here’s how it works
Bring the original colour code or a protected sample, like a door jamb. We match the car, not the chip book.
You’re thinking…
“Will my interior come back covered in overspray?”
Here’s how it works
Masking and interior protection are part of the job. You can see the masking in the booth photos.
In their words
Customers on the work.
4.854 reviews on Google · quoted verbatim
Google
I reached out to Diego's Auto Body for a mildly random request- to go to a dealership and drive/inspect a car for me that I am purchasing out of state and won't be able to see in person. Diego did not hesitate in accepting the random job, gave me an incredibly reasonable price, and he went over and did it himself on the same day! He called me after and we talked about the vehicle and he was just such a lovely, helpful person overall. I would highly recommend this shop for their fairness, responsiveness, and overall kindness. Thank you, Diego!
Google
Diego does a great job. He and his team worked a miracle on the front right fender of my Mazda CX-5 and fixed the bumper as well.
Google
Amazing!!!!! Exceptional service!! Diego was professional, everything listed on the invoice was done perfectly plus more. Amazing quality, great prices. Work was done super fast and perfect.
The shop on Domestic Ave
Visit
Come and see the floor.
- Bring photos and any history of your car
- Ask to see work in progress on the floor
- Ask how the job would be split into phases
Restoration stages
Bare metal to booth, photographed.
Real cars from the shop floor, each photographed at a different stage. These are separate photos, not one car’s before and after.
Bare metal
Strip to steel. Old filler, rust and past repairs show themselves.
A bare shell on the shop floor
Bodywork
Repair the metal and fill only what needs filling.
A Dino 308 GT4 mid-bodywork, original yellow showing
Primer & blocking
Seal the metal, then block-sand in rounds until the reflections run straight.
A Dino 308 GT4 in primer and filler
Paint
Masked and sprayed in the booth, then cut and polished.
A car masked in the booth
Free written estimate
See it in person, then decide.
Pick a time online, bring the car to 4186 Domestic Ave, and walk it with Diego. Ask for a written estimate, take it home and compare it.
- 01Pick a timeChoose a day and a half-hour slot that suits you.
- 02Bring the carTo 4186 Domestic Ave, Naples. Call if you are running late.
- 03Get it in writingAsk for every line of the estimate on paper.
Quick answer
Classic car restoration in Naples starts with an honest inspection, then phases: strip to bare metal, repair and prime, block-sand until the panels are straight, then paint in a booth. Diego’s Auto Body on Domestic Ave has been photographed with cars like the Ferrari Dino 308 GT4, Jaguar E-Type and C3 Corvette. Ask for a written estimate for each phase.
Planning guide
How a restoration actually happens, stage by stage
Start with an honest inspection
Every restoration begins with the question the last owner did not ask: what is under the paint? A good inspection looks at panel gaps, filler, old accident repairs, rust at the sills and floors, and the quality of the last respray. Bring whatever history you have. Receipts, old photos and the original colour code all change the plan.
Bare metal: where the truth is
Stripping a panel to bare metal shows you the car you actually bought. Old filler, hidden rust and past repairs all appear. It is also where honest shops send photos, because it is the one stage you can never see again once primer goes on. Ask for those photos. They are your record of what was done.
Primer and blocking: the slow part that matters
Primer seals the metal. Then the painter block-sands, often several rounds, with a guide coat that shows every low and high spot. It is slow and it is invisible in the finished car, which is exactly why it decides whether the reflections run straight down the side. A rushed job skips rounds. You can see the result under garage lights for the rest of the car’s life.
Paint in the booth
Colour goes on in a booth, away from dust, with the car fully masked. Original colour matters to classic owners, so bring the paint code or a protected sample from a door jamb or under a trim panel. Clear coat, cut and polish come after, and the reassembly of trim, glass and rubber is where care shows: no overspray, no scratched brightwork, no paint smeared inside.
Budget in phases, not a single guess
A full restoration estimate written on day one is a guess, because nobody knows what is under the paint yet. Phases are honest: an estimate for strip and inspect, then a written estimate for bodywork once the metal is visible, then paint and reassembly. You approve each one. Call (239) 261-2199 to bring your car by.
Does Diego’s Auto Body restore classic cars?
Yes. Photos on the shop’s Google listing show a Ferrari Dino 308 GT4 in bodywork, a Jaguar E-Type, a C3 Corvette and a finished Ferrari 308.
Can you match the original factory colour?
Bring the paint code or a protected original sample, like a door jamb. Ask Diego about the paint system and how the colour is matched for your car.
Will I see photos of each stage?
Ask for them. Under the proposed Diego Promise, stage photos (bare metal, primer, blocking and paint) would be part of every restoration.
How is a restoration estimated?
Ask for it in phases: strip and inspect first, then a written estimate for bodywork and paint once the metal is visible, each one approved by you.
Can I visit the shop before deciding?
Yes. Call (239) 261-2199 and bring photos of your car to 4186 Domestic Ave, Naples.
Do you work on Corvettes as well as European classics?
Photos taken at the shop include a C3 Corvette alongside Ferraris and a Jaguar E-Type.
Start with three photos
Tell Diego what happened.
4186 Domestic Ave, Naples, FL 34104
Owner-run · FL repair registration MV62776