“I remember looking out the window and thinking: This is cool,” said Tom Metcalf owner of Safety Fast Restoration, Mansfield.
A native of Ashland, Metcalf reminisced about the first ride he took in his neighbor’s MG. That experience, at age 7, sparked a passion for British race cars that grew into a lucrative business right in Mansfield.
Safety Fast is known in the MG world as authentic, professional restorers of pre and post-war European sports and touring cars. “We have a world class reputation,” said Metcalf.
Located at 118 Park Avenue East, Metcalf started Safety Fast Restoration in 1990 when longtime friend John Fernyak asked Metcalf to restore a 1946 MGTC. Still operating from his original location, Metcalf has no plans to move anywhere but forward.
“We are very busy, we like our location,” said Metcalf. The business has grown from doing about one restoration project at a time to currently about 20 at any given time. “Only problem is keeping up with demand.”
He added, “These are fun cars to drive, real drivers car.”
The name comes from an MG racing team from the 1930s. Their slogan was ‘Safety Fast’.
“In the mid 30’s these cars were capable of doing well over 100mph.”
According to Metcalf, a typical project can take two years or more to complete. “It’s all about quality,” said Metcalf. Metcalf went on to explain that patience is an important part of a restoration project. Most parts come from England. Metcalf has been doing business for over 30 years with his friend and owner of Vintage Restorations, John Marks. Vintage Restorations is located in England and manufacturers of British Jaeger dashboard instruments.
Safety Fast prides themselves in the quality, care and passion that goes into every individual project. “We are high-quality restoration in the MG world,” Metcalf said. When a new car comes into the shop Metcalf stated, ”We all gather around it, anxious to get started.” Metcalf went on to say that the goal of Safety Fast is “to have fun and stay busy.”
The only challenge Metcalf seems to face is “finding good help, finding good vendors.”
Metcalf recently returned from a trip to England where he attended the MG Silverstone Show held at the Silverstone race track, strictly as a spectator. Metcalf did not have any of his own cars in the show. His private collection consists of 13 cars.
Metcalf is enthusiastic about attending the upcoming Amelia Island Car Show (Amelia Concours D’Elegance) in March 2014. “It’s the most prestigious, you have to be invited to attend,” said Metcalf. “You have to have a world class reputation to be invited.”
What began in the heart and mind of a small boy on the back roads of Ashland, races forward into a world class effort to restore the gems of the past.
