About Frost

Frost Auto Restoration Techniques (also known as Frost UK, Frost Auto, Frost Restorers and Frost A.R.T) is a company specialising in High Quality Tools and Equipment for the Automotive Restorer (Cars, Bikes, Kit cars, Boats and Commercials).

Our Story

“Frost” is a 100-year-old family business, originally general engineers, but soon becoming specialists in Sheet Metal Working Machinery—which the Company still manufactures today.
In the late 1980’s the Company was spending time advising callers where to find various types of restoration equipment, partly because of the continued manufacture of the wheeling machine (English Wheel) and partly due to Mike Wood’s contacts from racing Classic Cars. Then Mike, the current Director, had an idea to put his knowledge in car restoration into a little sales booklet and so Frost Auto Restoration Techniques was born.
Frost is a unique business where you can find everything you need for your Classic or Custom from Rust Treatments and Paints to Specialist Mechanical and Bodywork Tools.
We offer an outstanding range of brands some of which are exclusive to Frost such as POR 15 (Paint, Rust Treatment, Tank Sealer), Eastwood (Paint, Automotive Tools), One Grand (Car Detailing) and Dinitrol (Rust Treatment) as well as hard to find tools which are not available from major retailers.
Our local shop is based in Rochdale just off junction 21 of the M62. Our opening hours are Monday to Friday 08.30 till 17.00. To checkout our wide range of products before coming into the store, please visit our web page www.frost.co.uk and see for yourself, the sheer variety of our products. If you are unable to come to our shop, you can always place an order from our website or give us a call on 01706 658619

 

The Timeline

-       1988, Mike took a stand at Classic Car Show at the NEC Birmingham. Lots of enthusiasm was generated and slowly this developed into a Mail Order business.
-       1989, Mike took stands at 26 shows including the huge auto jumble at Beaulieu and the first full-time employee was engaged.
-       1999, the team had a website and grown to 7 full-time employees mailing out 50,000 full colour 62 page catalogues.
-       2000, the first shopping cart was made and Frost became an “multichannel seller” with both online and offline stores.
-       2007, customers can create their own online account to search and save their favourite products. Technical articles and instruction videos were also added to the website for the better online shopping experience.
-       2009, the catalogue has grown to 100 pages and contains over 1200 items, which Frost mails out four times a year to its 100,000 mail list.
-       2010, Ebay shop launched and following by Amazon store in 2011.
Up until now, we have expanded our communication channels to Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Linkedin, Google+ and so on, that customers can easily contact us.
After several years of experience, Frost became an agent for Millers Oils, POR-15 (paint), Eastwood (paint), One Grand (polishing), Dinitrol (Rust prevention) and store a large range of hard-to-find tools & equipment.
The team is always looking for more new and innovative products to add to the catalogue. They are also very happy to share their passion and knowledge with any restorer in their restoration project.

Frost Sponsors and Partners

Vintage Sports-Car Club (VSCC - Website: www.vscc.co.uk)
Since 2006, the Frost Auto has sponsored VSCC trials. These trials are one of the oldest forms of motor sport, where competing cars must climb sections of varying gradient and difficulty, the 'Frost Trials Trophy' is the VSCC award for Long Chassis Cars.
Andy Saunders (Website: www.andysaunders.net)
The UKs top custom car builder, used Frost tools for his various car projects and especially for the Citroen Picasso project.
Ron Covell (Website: www.covell.biz)
One of the most highly-regarded metalworkers in the US staged his first workshop in the UK in 2008 in collaboration with Frost.
Bluebird Project (Website: www.bluebirdproject.com/K7)
Frost supplied products to help with the complete rebuilding of Donald Cambpell's Bluebird K7 world water record challenger by the Bluebird project (particularly for the reconstruction of Bluebird K7's nose section, skin and structure).
Bennetts Custom Bike Build
The world-renowned bike builder Roger Allmond has created a unique machine on a project that has taken over a year from idea to completion. Utilising the latest motorcycle technology and materials, the hand-built bike is set to create new boundaries of motorcycle engineering. Frost are amongst UK sources for materials, components and equipment used in the construction.
Mike ‘Spike’ Edwards (Dedicated coaching website: www.v121pro.com)
As the only ACU Certified Commercial Coach, Mike has quickly set the standard for intensive targeted on track coaching; he is a traditional mentor – a competitor with over 30 years race experience; with 4 separate British Championship titles, in-depth experience winning on the Roads, and at World and European level – his history in the sport runs deep.
IK Classics - Lead Loading Course (Organised by Michael Coman at IK Classics - November 2014 and February 2015)
One day course that covers the process of lead loading or body soldering as traditionally used in car body construction and restoration.The course provided practical instruction, demonstration and hands on experience. More pictures avaialble here.