Jeff Snyder of Jeff's Resurrections shares how he makes car restoration perfection

The name of Jeff Snyder's shop isn't just a description of the automotive rebirth he and his team performs. It's also an homage to the funeral home his grandfather and father ran. And while there's not much overlap between rebuilding cars and caring for the dearly departed, Jeff credits the family business for the mindset that helped him create award-winning work. "I think part of it is the attention to detail I learned in the funeral business,'" he said in a 2010 interview with Hemmings. On this episode of the Hemmings Hot Rod BBQ, Mike Musto pick's Jeff's Brain about how he started in the restoration business and how he approaches the challenge of rebuilding some of the rarest and finest automobiles (and motorcycles) ever produced to a concours-winning standard. From his first toe-dip into automotive repair - starting with the rusty Chevy Van he drove in high school - Jeff recounts when his hobby turned into a business and goes all the way into the modern day, explaining tricks such as how to make urethane paint mimic the lacquer look of older cars. It's a fascinating peek into the excruciating level of detail that goes into a high-end restoration and, like every episode of the HRBBQ it's centered around a love of cars. #hemmings

Added 3 Aug 2026