Restoration diary
Photos, videos and notes posted from the shop floor into a private diary each owner can follow.
Classic car restoration software & owner portals
Classic car restorers: let owners follow every bolt. Restore more, ring less.
Owners ring every Friday for photos, the hours live on a clipboard, rare parts are buried in an email thread with a bloke in Ohio and the bill lands like a shock at the end. We build restoration diaries, job costing, parts tracking and owner portals for classic car restorers, then we host them and look after them.
Looking for restoration software that keeps owners in the loop and the job on budget?
A restoration isn't a service job. It's a two-year relationship with an owner who loves the car more than their house, a shell on a rotisserie, three hundred bagged parts on a shelf and a list of subbies doing chrome, trim and machining. Most workshops run it on a whiteboard, a camera roll, a clipboard of hours and a lot of phone calls explaining where the money went.
Wollopit builds custom restoration software around how your workshop actually runs. Snap a photo on the shop floor and it lands in the owner's diary with a note. Hours and parts post to the job as they happen. Extra work gets quoted and approved online before anyone picks up a grinder. Progress payments ask for themselves at each milestone. We connect the tools you already use, replace the ones holding you back and look after the lot on our own servers, so you can get back on the tools.
01The problems
What we hear from classic car restorers
Does your restoration workshop have these problems? Here's how we'd fix them.
Restorers we talk to do beautiful work and lose hours every week explaining it. The car is the easy part. Keeping the owner calm for eighteen months is the hard bit.
- The problemOwners ring for updatesEvery Friday the phone goes: how's she looking, any photos, when's paint? Someone stops work to text a blurry pic.How we fix itA restoration diary owners log in to see. Photos and notes go up from the shop floor in seconds.
- The problemThe bill comes as a shockHours and parts pile up for months, then the invoice lands and you spend an hour justifying every line.How we fix itLabour and parts logged against the job as they happen, with a running total the owner can see any time.
- The problemExtra work turns into argumentsYou find rust under the floor pan, mention it on the phone and six months later the owner swears they never agreed.How we fix itVariations quoted with photos of what you found and approved by the owner online before work starts.
- The problemHours on a clipboardTechs scribble times on a sheet that may or may not make it to the office. Half the hours never get billed.How we fix itClock on and off each job from a phone or a shop tablet, so every hour lands on the right car.
- The problemRare parts lost in emailsA grille from the US, a badge from a club swap meet and trim from the UK, all tracked across inboxes and text threads.How we fix itParts sourcing per project: supplier, price, freight, ETA and status, with landed cost added to the job.
- The problemWhere's the left door hinge?The car came apart two years ago. Hundreds of bagged parts sit on shelves and nobody remembers what's missing.How we fix itBag-and-tag with QR labels, a photo of every part and a shelf location, so reassembly isn't a treasure hunt.
- The problemSubbies are a black holeThe chrome is at the plater, the seats are at the trimmer and the block is at the machinist. Nobody knows when anything's back.How we fix itSubcontractor tracking per job with what went out, when it's due and a reminder before it's late.
- The problemProgress payments chasedMilestones get hit, nobody sends the invoice and the workshop funds the owner's car for three months.How we fix itPayments requested automatically at each milestone, paid online by card or bank transfer and synced to Xero or MYOB.
- The problemToo many cars, one whiteboardEight cars in eight stages and the plan for the week lives in the foreman's head.How we fix itA workshop board showing every car, its stage, who's on it and what's holding it up.
- The problemDisputes over condition on arrivalAn owner swears a scratch wasn't there when the car arrived. You've got no photos to prove it.How we fix itAn intake check with photos, odometer, missing parts and the owner's sign-off on day one.
- The problemNo record when the car leavesTwo years of work and the owner drives off with a receipt. The history that adds value goes nowhere.How we fix itA build book handed over at the end: every photo, part number and stage, ready for insurers, buyers and concours judges.
- The problemFinished cars never shown offA stunning restoration rolls out the door and the only proof is a story on someone's phone.How we fix itProject galleries on your website with before and after shots, turning finished cars into your next enquiry.
02What we build
Solutions
What we build for classic car restorers. Usually all talking to each other.
Pick the one that's hurting most or join the whole lot up. Everything is built around how your team works, not the other way round.
Owner portal
One login for the owner: progress, costs, approvals, invoices and the build plan in one place.
Job costing
Labour, parts, freight and subbies posted to each car live, with budget versus actual at a glance.
Variations & approvals
Extra work quoted with photos and approved online, so nothing gets done without a yes on record.
Time tracking
Clock on and off each car from a phone or shop tablet, with hours flowing to the job and payroll.
Parts sourcing tracker
Every part hunted per project: supplier, overseas freight, ETA, landed cost and status.
Bag-and-tag parts register
QR labels, part photos and shelf locations for everything that comes off the car.
Subcontractor tracking
Chrome, trim, paint, machining and electrics sent out, tracked and chased before they're late.
Workshop board
Every car on one screen in the shed: stage, who's on it and what it's waiting on.
Milestones & progress payments
Stages with dates, automatic payment requests and online payments synced to Xero or MYOB.
Intake & condition reports
Photos, odometer, missing parts and owner sign-off when the car arrives.
Build books
A handover record of the whole restoration for insurers, valuers, buyers and concours.
Enquiries & waiting list
New projects captured, assessed and quoted, with a waiting list that tells owners when they're up.
Project galleries
Before and after showcases on your website, built to rank for 'classic car restoration' in your area.
03The systems
The big ones
Your whole restoration shop, on one system.
These are the systems restorers ask us about most. Each one works on its own and they get properly clever when they're joined up.
Restoration diary
Owners watch the car come back to life.
Take a photo on the shop floor, add a line and it lands in the owner's private diary. They see the rust repair, the fresh primer and the engine on the stand without ringing you once. Every entry builds the car's history as you go.
- Post photos and video from any phone
- Notes per stage or per day
- Private login for each owner
- Weekly digest emails or SMS
- Owners comment and ask questions
- Tagged by stage: body, paint, mech, trim
- Before and after comparisons
- Hide internal photos with one tap
- Builds the handover book as you go
Job costing & variations
No more invoice shock at the end.
Every hour, part, freight bill and subbie invoice posts to the car as it happens. Owners see a running total against the budget. When you find something nasty under the paint it's quoted with photos and approved online before anyone touches it.
- Clock on and off per car
- Parts and freight added as they arrive
- Subbie invoices posted to the job
- Budget versus actual per stage
- Variations quoted with photos
- Owner approval online with a timestamp
- Running total in the owner portal
- Unbilled hours flagged
- Invoices straight to Xero or MYOB
Parts sourcing & register
Every part found, landed and on the right shelf.
Track every rare part you're hunting across overseas suppliers, club contacts and swap meets, with landed cost added to the job when it arrives. Everything that comes off the car gets a QR tag, a photo and a shelf spot so reassembly is a scan, not a search.
- Parts wanted list per project
- Supplier, price and overseas freight
- ETA and back-order tracking
- Currency and landed cost
- QR bag-and-tag labels
- Photo of every removed part
- Shelf and bin locations
- Missing parts list before reassembly
- Owner sees what's been sourced
Workshop & subbies
Every car, every stage, every subbie on one screen.
A workshop board in the shed shows each car, its stage, who's on it and what it's waiting for. Work sent to the platers, trimmers, machinists and auto electricians is tracked with due dates so nothing sits forgotten for months.
- Board view of every car in the shop
- Stages you define for your workflow
- Techs assigned per car and task
- Waiting-on flags: parts, subbie, owner
- Sent-out log for chrome, trim and machining
- Due dates and late reminders
- Weekly plan on a shed TV
- Bay and hoist bookings
- Shared Google Calendar view
Payments & handover
Get paid at each milestone. Hand over a history.
Set the stages and payments up front, then the owner gets a payment request the moment you tick one off. When the car rolls out they get a build book with every photo, part and stage, which is gold for insurers, valuers and future buyers.
- Milestone payment schedules
- Automatic requests when a stage is done
- Card and bank payments via Stripe
- Overdue reminders by email and SMS
- Synced to Xero or MYOB
- Deposits for the waiting list
- Build book generated from the diary
- Shareable link for insurers and buyers
- Gallery for your website with owner OK
04How it changes
Before and after
A two-year restoration, wolloped.
Here's how a month on one car could change. Every workshop runs differently, so we map yours first.
Before
- Owner rings Friday asking for photos
- Hours scribbled on a clipboard by the hoist
- Rust under the floor mentioned on the phone and forgotten
- Grille from the US tracked in an email thread
- Milestone hit but nobody sends the invoice
- Costs explained line by line at the end
After
- Owner already saw this week's photos in their diary
- Hours clocked to the car from a phone
- Variation sent with photos and approved online
- Grille ETA and landed cost on the job
- Payment request went out when the stage was ticked
- Owner watched the costs build all along
05Services
Everything under one roof
Software, websites and systems for classic car restorers.
Whether you're starting fresh or upgrading what you've got, it's one team from the first sketch to the support call.
Custom software for classic car restorers
Built around how your restoration workshop actually runs: restoration diary, owner portal and the admin in between, in one system you own.
Websites for classic car restorers
Fast, hand-built websites that rank for the searches your customers make and turn visits into enquiries, bookings or orders.
Restoration workshop system upgrades
Running on spreadsheets, old software or a platform you've outgrown? We move your data across and upgrade in stages so the business never stops.
Apps and portals for classic car restorers
Job costing and variations & approvals: customer and staff portals that work on any phone without an app store.
Integrations and automation
We connect Xero, MYOB and Stripe so information moves on its own and nobody retypes it.
Hosting, support and care
Managed hosting, updates, backups and security for your restoration workshop, looked after by the people who built it.
06Integrations
Connections
Plays nicely with what you already use.
We connect to the tools you rely on, work alongside workshop software you're happy with or replace the ones holding you back.
- Xero
- MYOB
- Stripe
- Square
- Workshop Software
- Mechanic Desk
- Google Calendar
- Google Drive
- Dropbox
- Twilio SMS
- Mailchimp
- Google Business Profile
- YouTube
- Carsales
- Gumtree
- Facebook Marketplace
- eBay
- Australia Post
07How we work
The process
Some people dip their toe in. We turn up in a rebreather.
We get properly below the surface of your restoration workshop: the systems, the busy days and the jobs everyone hates. Then we fix the bits that matter most first.
- 01
Think
We spend time in the shed, at the parts shelves and in the office, then work out where the hours and the phone calls actually go.
- 02
Archi-tech
We plan it before writing code: your stages, costing, parts, subbies, owner portal, payments, hosting and cost.
- 03
Build
Real engineering, shown to you early and often. Usually the owner diary or job costing first, so you get a win on the cars already in the shop.
- 04
Look after
We host it, maintain it and keep improving it. When something breaks you call the people who built it.
08Questions
FAQ
Things classic car restorers ask us.
Something else on your mind? Ring 0423 011 252 and ask the people who'd build it.
Can owners approve extra work in the portal?
Yes. Variations are quoted with photos of what you found and the owner approves online. You get a timestamped yes before anyone starts, so there are no surprises at the end.
Can my techs post photos without it taking all day?
Yes. Snap a photo on a phone, pick the car, add a line and post. You can keep some photos internal and only share the ones you want the owner to see.
Can owners see costs as they build up?
Yes, if you want them to. Hours, parts, freight and subbie invoices post to the job as they happen, with a running total against the budget in the owner portal. You choose how much detail they see.
Do we have to switch from our current workshop or accounting software?
No. If Workshop Software, Mechanic Desk, Xero or MYOB are doing their job, we build around them. If something is holding you back, we'll show you what replacing it would involve before anything changes.
Can it handle parts from overseas?
Yes. Track suppliers, currencies, freight and back orders per part, with the landed cost added to the job when it arrives.
What happens to the diary when the car is finished?
It turns into a build book: every photo, part and stage in one record the owner keeps. It's handy for insurers, valuers, future buyers and concours.
How much does a restoration system cost?
It depends on what you need, so we quote up front once we understand it. No surprise invoices, no lock-in and you own what we build.
How long does it take?
Smaller jobs like an owner diary or progress payments can be quick. Bigger systems are planned in stages so you get the first win early instead of waiting for everything at once.
Who looks after it once it's built?
We do. We host it on our own managed servers and keep it updated and secure. When you need something you ring the people who built it.
We already have systems. Can you upgrade them instead of starting again?
Usually, yes. Most classic car restorers we work with keep what's working and upgrade the rest in stages. We move your data across, connect the old and new while we switch and retire the old system only when the new one is proven.
Contact
Got a restoration workshop problem? Consider it wolloped.
Tell us what's slow, broken, manual or missing. You don't need a spec, just describe what's going on.