A CONVERSATION WITH MIKE HALL OF 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’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. In this interview, we delve into his transition from rock blasting to car restoration, the origins of the Rust Valley Restorers TV show, his selection process for builds and exciting projects on the horizon.
Bodyworx Professional: You previously had your own rock blasting/construction business. How did you end up in car restoration?
Mike Hall: I’ve always loved cars and have collected them my whole life. One of my first and favourite cars was a 1961 Sunbeam. 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.
BWX: How did the Rust Valley Restorers TV show come to be?
MH: 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.
BWX: How do you choose your builds?
MH: If it’s going to be featured on the show, the build has to have a story. One that sticks with me is from Season 4 of the show when we built a 1964 Parisienne for a family with seven kids. We have a saying, on the show: No sh*t leaves the shop. When we dropped it off, all the kids were wearing custom tee shirts; each with one word of that slogan on the back. It was an awesome and heartwarming experience all in one.
BWX: You held an auction in September 2022, where you listed all 400 cars up for sale. After the auction, how many cars do you have left?
MH: I sold all except for 50…but now I’m back up to 100 cars. I can’t stop.
BWX: 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.
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!
You can stay updated on build progress by following the Rust Bros. on Instagram at @rustbrosrestos.
