Restore your story

If you’ve ever responded to an ad with the words “Restoration Project,” you’ll probably have a great story to tell, or be locked up in an insane asylum.

A new service -- Celebrating our Story -- can’t break you out of the loony bin, but it can help you tell the story of your restoration and allow you to share it in new and unique ways.

“All too often, we take lots of photos during the resto or custom build, but they end up at the bottom of the cupboard, never to see the light of day,” said Celebrating our Story owner Dan Rotman. “I was as guilty of that as anybody, until I worked out how great it would be to have a permanent record of my own Targa Tasmania car build up.”

With his background as a journalist and photographer, Dan is able to create great-looking books that tell the story of a restoration or customization.  According to Dan, the books, using on-line publishing facilities, can be surprisingly affordable.

“In the context of a rebuild, a book can cost less than a gasket set for a rare machine -- and there’s no constant search on eBay.”

If a book is a bit old-school, Celebrating our Story can do a website or a DVD as an alternative.

“Whichever option you choose, it’s an opportunity to celebrate your hard work,” he said.  “I can also see that anyone with a car or bike collection would also have a reason for celebrating their story.”

The other great thing about having a permanent record that you can share story with others is that it can easily be updated.  

“If you have a repaint or find that rare part, adding more images or information is easy and low cost.”

For more information, visit www.ourstory.net.au.