Zander Drives Cars

The rolling hills of the Vermont countryside are known for very little aside from being green, hilly, and cows. These three things, while very interesting in their own rights, aren’t really something that us “car people” would be very intrigued by. Happily for us automotive enthusiasts, the state does boast one of the most prestigious and respected restoration shops in the country, and perhaps the world: Sargent Metal Works.

This 12,000-square-foot garage in Bradford, Vermont specializes in the restoration of pre-WWII era cars, specifically, Bugattis. Although, it’s typical to spot an old Ferrari, BMW, or some other multi-million dollar show car. I say show car because that’s what a lot of these cars are. A majority of the cars being restored by owner Scott Sargent and his team usually belong to large collectors who take them there to be restored and cleaned for either diving purposes or before major car shows, such as the Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance (which happens on the 15th of August) or The Peninsula.

Now, here’s what a majority of you are probably looking forward to: the shop itself and what’s in it. As stated before, the shop is 12,000 sf and contains, machinery-wise, a spray booth, metal presses, milling machines, bandsaws, and a massive lathe just to name a few. All of these machines are operated by Scott’s staff who have decades of experience under their belts.

So, the cars. As I stated earlier, Sargent Metal Works primarily focuses on pre-war Bugattis, so naturally, there are a few of them. Let’s go on a tour. Out of the roughly 20 cars in the shop, there were at least 15 Bugattis spanning from gran-Prix-winning race cars, to sleek coach-built cruisers. What isn’t pictured is the astronomical amount of rear wings, new camshafts, and engine blocks all used to supply these cars. Aside from the parts easily available to buy overseas, Scott and his team utilize independent metal shops across the US to 3D print and create new engine parts such as the engine block itself.

As you may have noticed, there are a few pre-70s Ferraris also in the shop. The 275 GTB and a 250 are both cars that are apparently driven “frequently” by their owners.

Other oddities in the shop are a Jaguar XK120 drophead, a Superpreformance Shelby replica, a Lotus Europa, and a Hudson Wasp. The latter is getting a full resto-mod treatment with an LS crate engine, air conditioning, new struts, breaks, and more.

When asked why he chooses to work on these other cars aside from Bugattis, Scott said simply “I like to work on the cars I actually like.” Talking with Scott, it’s immediately evident that not only does he know his stuff, but he’s passionate as well. His love and knowledge for Bugatti is unmatched and absolutely stunning to no end. To put it bluntly, he’s exactly what you think of when you think of “classic car guy” in the best possible way.

After my shop tour, I had the chance to talk with Scott more about Bugatti and various other automakers that he and I like, as well as electric resto-mods. It’s also worth noting (while I wasn’t able to snap a picture) that in his office is an ex-racing 1965 Ford Mustang covered in books, sketches, and order sheets. Talk about a cool ass table. Genuinely, it was one of the most informative and fun things I had ever done. Something about being in the presence of a like-minded person who knows his stuff and has something to prove for it is a crazy experience for anyone into anything. One thing is for sure though, don’t tell him you think the Ferrari Daytona is the prettiest Ferrari ever made.

More than ever, a massive thank you to Scott Sargent of Sargent Metal Works for letting me come and gawk at old Bugattis for a couple hours. If you have the chance, go see it. You can see the Metal Works website, with all their projects and information here.