Mike Hall is a former rock blaster; car collector and one of the stars of Discovery Channel’s Rust Valley Restorers.
By ALLISON ROGERS
If you look at Mike Hall, you’d think he was made for the silver screen. If you stick around and watch him work, you’d be certain of it.
With a background in rock blasting and a lifelong love for cars, Mike Hall’’s journey into car restoration and the eventual creation of the hit TV series Rust Valley Restorers is a captivating tale. With his roots firmly planted in the scenic Rust Valley near Tappen, British Columbia, Mike has become a household name among car fanatics, captivating audiences across the nation with his car restoration abilities.
We had the opportunity to sit down with Mike Hall to hear more about how the show first started and some insights on future builds featured next season.
Collision Repair: You previously had your own rock blasting/construction business. How did you end up in car restoration, and how did the Rust Valley Restorers TV show come to be?
Mike Hall: When I was doing rock blasting, I’d work ten months out of the year and, during the two months I had off, it was too cold in B.C. to do anything. So that’s how I ended up with 400 cars on my lot. As for the show, it was supposed to be a show about rock scaling! After some research, the network found out there was a ton of red tape and it would be a massive liability.
The producers found out I had a collection of 400 old cars—that’s when the show theme changed to car restoration.
CR: Are you working on any exciting projects you can share?
MH: Well, there’s a lot of stuff we’re working on that I can’t share because it’s on the next season of Rust Valley.
I can tell you that we’re working on a 1970 Dodge Coronet R/T. Right now it’s just a fender tag and the VIN—but there were only 400 of them built. It’ll be painted Sublime Green. We also have another five or six cars we want built by spring, so there’s a lot to work on.
You can stay updated on build progress by following the Rust Bros. on Instagram at @rustbrosrestos.
BONUS QUESTION!
Q: What would you say to someone who wants to do car restoration as a career?
A: To succeed in this craft, you need to be highly committed. It’s not easy—car restorations are expensive. Whatever your estimate is, you’ll need to double it. As you peel back the layers of a build, you’ll continuously find more damage—things add up. That’s why I say you should never give a customer an estimate. An estimate is a best guess—a quote is what you will do the restoration for.
But, if you’re serious about restoring cars, learn to weld! Learn the basics. Finally, the best bodywork advice I’ve ever gotten: if it’s a high point, beat it down!
