Thomas Vintage Motors - Lafayette, Colorado

Cliff Simms

In October of 2015 my wife and I purchased her Uncle Jim's 1974 Jaguar E-type. He had just turned 90 and felt like it was time to pass it on. Uncle Jim was the second owner and we consider it a family heirloom. The car was complete and 'running' but it had been idle for a number of years and needed a thorough mechanical 'revival.'
I discovered that TVM was here in Boulder and drove the car over for their review and advice on how to proceed.
Tom made a detailed inspection of the car with me which gave me confidence that the car was a good candidate for restoration, although Tom said I probably shouldn't have driven it in.
That began a restoration odyssey which is still ongoing. Two quick points of information; this was my first adventure restoring a British sports car and I learned that the experience is a combination of passion and reason! At least I had fallen in love with a real beauty.
Second point; the experience for me was an education as well as an opportunity to observe their expertise.
Tom, Nathan and Jordan were endlessly patient and encouraging. Kris provided very detailed descriptions of the work that was being done so that I could understand what the car needed.
Jordan's work was excellent and he was supported by Nathan and Tom. His attention to detail and meticulous reassembly resulted in a car that is a real joy to drive. There are still some cosmetic things to be done but our first goal was to make the car roadworthy and reliable. That was achieved completely.

Scott Davenport

When my family moved to Colorado from the East Coast, I knew that I had to get my dad's 1956 Thunderbird tuned up. I wanted someone to go through the car from bumper to bumper, inspecting all electrical components, checking for any mechanical issues or wear, checking all fluids and finally tuning the engine for optimal performance at altitude.

At first, I was worried that I wouldn't find a local shop given such a broad and ill defined scope of work. Luckily, I found Thomas Vintage Motors. During my first conversation with Nathan at TVM, I quickly learned that performing a full tune up on the TBird was not going to be a problem - his past experience is rather impressive. After about 20 minutes on the phone, Nathan suggested bringing the car over to the shop and I happily obliged.

When I arrived at TVM, Thomas and Nathan spent at least 45 minutes combing through the current condition of the car, reviewing the depth to which I wanted them to delve in terms of repairs or restorations. Once we had a general understanding of how we wanted to proceed, Thomas suggested pulling the car into the shop's main bay. As soon as the garage door opened, it became abundantly clear that I had found the premier vintage car shop in Colorado and that my dad's TBird was in the very best of hands.

Over the next few weeks, Jordan and the team at TVM accomplished everything I had asked for. Every leak was sealed, all fluids were changed, original gauges that hadn't worked in 20 years came to life and the new brakes they installed gave us the confidence needed to continue driving the car on a daily basis. Yet what impressed me the most was the care with which Jordan tuned the engine. Jordan learned the ins and outs of the TBird's carburetor and calibrated it perfectly for altitude. This care and attention to detail is second to none. Simply put, Thomas Vintage Motors is in a class of its own.

Working with Thomas, Nathan and Jordan was a terrific experience and I cannot wait to bring the car back for its next phase of restoration.

67L48

Tom didn’t have any openings to repair my Rochester Quadrajet 4BBL carb that I had foolishly let deteriorate over a few years. However, he was quick to offer sound advice to me to get it up and running. I don’t know how to rebuild a carb and asked several really dumb questions, but Tom was patient and genuinely wanted to help me. And he did.

I was able to move my 1967 Camaro around and will soon trailer it … too bad, because I just found a great mechanic/shop.

I can’t recommend this shop enough. It’s not just the best auto service I’ve had, it ranks up there with the best service period.

Scott Lehman

Tom, Nathan, and Jordan are simply the best automotive engineers I know. Tom has worked on my Sprite several times and shares his decades of knowledge with me as I try to understand the inner workings of my cars. Tom is a walking dictionary, a truly fine human being, and a long time leader in the local vintage car and race scene. He is simply the best. Nathan is passionate about Formula Ford race cars and has worked on my Nike and my Winkleman after I sold it last year. Nathan is a true engineer, an ammusing Brit, and a careful artisan of his craft. He has confidently solved many of my tricky problems with creativity and a wealth of knowledge well beyond his years. When I think of Nathan, "skill" comes to mind. Jordan brings a youthful exuberance to the to the shop and the same commitment to craftsmanship that I have come to expect from TVM. Jordan takes as much pride in customer's cars as he does with his own race car. The whole crew at TVM embody the ethos of engineering craftsmanship that is all too rare these days. I am proud to call each of these gentlemen my friend and recommend TVM to anyone with a vintage automobile.

Ron Randolph

I have had two different Formula Ford race cars that I have owned, or currently own, worked on at Thomas Vintage Motors. The Owner, Tom Ellis, is a great business man and a good friend. He runs a very successful auto restoration and race car repair shop located in Boulder, Colorado. Nathan Down, the chief mechanic and mechanical engineer, did some extensive work on my 1969 Winkelmann WDF-1 Formula Ford, including chassis setup, repairs to the right rear corner, annual inspections and welding on the frame. Nathan is meticulous and detailed in his chassis setups and all work he performed on the Wink was top notch. Nathan has also done work on my 1981 Van Diemen RF81 Club Ford which I currently own. He performed the chassis setup and annual inspections on the RF81. I can always trust Nathan's work as he is very knowledgeable, thorough, detail oriented, customer oriented and a perfectionist. All quality traits that I look for in a mechanic. The work is always done to a very high standard. I wouldn't trust anyone else to work on my FF's for chassis setup or major repairs. I would highly recommend Thomas Vintage Motors and Nathan Down to work on your race cars.

Clem Losurdo

Nice to finally meet Tom. I feel he's extremely knowledgeable of many makes and models, which to me justifies the hourly rate told to me. The shop is impeccable and It appears he has plenty of high dollar customers yet he made me feel very welcome and accepted me as a new customer with showing interest in my Spitfire project car that I just purchased. Communication is key and they are very good at responding to calls quickly. I am Looking forward to working with them in the future. Clem.

JoAnn Wiley

Thomas Vintage Motors with Tom Ellis and Kris have been servicing my 1967 Lotus Elan Race Car for the last 3 years. During that time all the shop and trackside service has been very professional and of the highest quality. They treat my car with the same care as they do their more expensive customers cars. Tom Ellis and his lead mechanic Nathan have many years of extensive experience is all types of race and grand touring cars. They are always eager to provide advice even when it is not in the financial interest. They put their relationship with the customer first and always provide the best possible service be it in the shop or on the track. During this time my car has never had a DNF because of mechanical issues. I highly recommend their shop to anyone seeking quality service for the cars they cherish.

Richard Beard

Called for some advice on the suspension on my 1960 Thunderbird (Father son project car). Tom went for a drive with my son, took the time to explain a few things then encouraged us to take on the job, then said just call if you have questions (and help fix a fuel leak we noticed while we were there...could have easily caused an engine fire).Then took us on a tour. You know he has a passion for cars and service. Even though I have not had work done here, I would highly recommend base on character of the owner, Thanks Tom.