Our Team

Our Team

Our team comes from near and far. Some with many years of experience, and some coming from a postsecondary degree, but together our team is the perfect mix for Motion Products, Inc. Each and every position at MPI is just as important as the next. While our expectations are high, we find a balance of growth and educational opportunities.

We emphasize that MPI is not only made up of the beautiful cars we restore, but the talented people that are driven by a passion to restore them with such care. Our employees are some of the best in the industry and strive to preserve the cars at the highest authenticity possible.

Throughout the company, most team members believe communication is key. Departments work together to gain an understanding of what’s necessary to keep a project moving forward. Many of our employees that have worked here for several years pass their knowledge onto those who are starting out. The challenges our employee’s face is what motivates many to do their part throughout the restoration project so that in the end, the final results can be admired by all who come in contact with the restored vehicle.

Vehicle Assembly/Disassembly

The assembly and disassembly team will keep track of every part that comes off the car to stay organized. Start to finish, they see what the car looks like in the first stage of restoration and makes sure it is put back together properly. Once every piece is removed, it is restored by the corresponding department to the owners standards. The disassembly team also works alongside with the fabrication department in the early stages by setting up the car for fitting the suspension.

100+ years of combined restoration experience and vehicle knowledge is what makes MPI so prominent in the industry.

Metal and Trim Fabrication

In the fabrication department, our craftsmen shape metal, work with the chassis, interior sheet metal, measure and restore body panels, repair corrosion, and much more. Every day they face new challenges, then come up with action plans to meet the client’s expectations. They also work closely with the body shop to make sure the car is in the right condition before their work can be done. The fabrication department provides a solid foundation for the rest of the restoration progress to take place.

Alongside the metal department is our trim fabrication department. Restoring these pieces of the car can often be a very difficult task. Working with aluminum, brass and stainless steel they create the bits and pieces needed to complete the final touches of the car. “Cars were hand built back then, and are still repaired in the same fashion at MPI. Each one is slightly different due to parts of a vehicle being built for each specific car making these some of the most unique cars in the world”, said Dave Jensen, MPI’s trim fabricator.

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Body and Paint

After the metal fabrication steps, the paint department has the bare aluminum or steel body. They first thoroughly clean the bare metal, then etching primer and an epoxy are applied.

Following that, the body is block sanded, so the panels are straight, and the curves are correct. A final primer is sprayed on the body and block sanded again to ensure the body is shaped authentically before the final paint steps take place.

The paint quality is often the first thing a person notices on a restored vehicle. The Motion Products paint department has presented many concours-winning paint finishes at shows including Pebble Beach, Cavallino Classic, Amelia Island and Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. With their talent and knowledge, the paint department strives for authenticity with every project that enters the booth.

Mechanical

We know that every car has been on its own journey. The engine department fully dismantles, assesses, rebuilds and reassembles engines all in house. The level of organization and cleanliness assures a Motion Products built engine meets original or custom specifications outlined by our clients goals.

After the engine is rebuilt, it is broken in on our dynamometer. During a dyno test, we are looking at the overall integrity of the engine, checking for leaks, and reviewing the overall dependability before it’s installed at the assembly stage.

Our mechanics are also confident and capable of tearing down and repairing transmissions, differentials, rear axles, and suspension components in house making our overall operation even more seamless. The process of keeping all these pieces on track for correct rebuild takes skill and organization that our shops provide to meet and exceed your expectations.

After assembly, we begin the refinement process. We perform a visual inspection. For quality control, depending on the weather, we either put the vehicle on the chassis dyno or take the car through a road test process. After the car has passed the road or chassis dyno test multiple times, we can confirm the car is dependable, safe, and authentic.

Machining

All design work, engineering and machining are done in house to create parts, components and other detailed items for your restoration project to ensure our highest quality standards. We have experienced automotive engineers and machinists who utilized software such as Computer-aided Design and Computer-aided Manufacturing, or CAD/CAM. This has allowed MPI to make some of the most detailed components and rare parts needed for the car restorations.

To learn more about our machining capabilities please visit our Why MPI page.

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Components

Many of the cars that come to MPI for restoration often need little pieces restored too. All of our components are hand restored or machined in house. The components department takes care of ignitions, locks and latches, compressors, horns, brakes and many more. Reproducing these pieces involves researching what the full piece is supposed to look like, creating a mold for the piece or machining it. Then, we document the pieces we make for future use if needed. Many of the commonly used parts we make are put in stock at our sister company, T. Rutlands.

If you need any odds and ends for your classic car, we might just have your piece in stock or have the ability to create it! Check out our Parts and Resources page for more information or contact us with any questions.

Interior Upholstery

Our upholstery technician, Aaron Siebers, has taken his upholstery skills to new heights with our Pebble Beach projects this year. Aaron has many years of experience in furniture upholstery and custom aircraft upholstery that has helped him navigate automotive upholstery. “The major difference between these types of projects is that our projects here at MPI are more custom. Each car is just a little different,” said Aaron. We take pride in our team’s attention to detail when it comes to restoring these historic vehicles.

Historical/Research

Depending on your preference and the goals of your vehicle, our researchers can help determine the specifications of your car from a certain era, race, or how it was made from the factory. Using our knowledge and archived collection of photos and other global resources, we can provide some of the best recommendations to cut your research time and inform you to help make mechanical and cosmetic decisions. Our research team has excellent connections to get credible information about your car, and are fully committed to making all cars authentic. Our research team is made up of passionate people to help take our mission to the next level of making all cars the most authentic they can be.

Parts

Our parts department processes parts that we make in-house and takes care of partners that we distribute for. If you are in search of specific parts for your classic or modern sports vehicle visit, our Parts and Resources page or our proud partner T.Rutlands.