we lost Dave Tinnell last night, RIP Dave
 

I remember the first time I went to his shop, I had never seen cars restored as perfectly as Dave could do them. His quality and attention to detail was unsurpassed. ive lost a good friend,and so has the hobby.

A Great Man and a Restoration Specialist
 

Dave was a great guy to talk cars and all the details he would share about his restoration work he would perform on any particular car. Dave was a phone call away always willing and never to busy to answer questions or just talk cars. Dave performed a restoration for me in 1999 of my 1969 L78 upon it's completion I entered the car in the prestigious Autorama car show 2000 and 2001 winning it's class as well as best interior, best paint, and engine compartment. Dave's "quality of workmanship is unsurpassed"

Thanks Dave, Peace be With You

Very sorry to hear. I did not know he was sick (assuming that was what took his life). Dave was a good guy indeed, one of the best restorers around.

Rip.

'


Sorry to read this too, thoughts and prayers for his family.
I never met Dave but know both he and his restorations were always first class!
RIP
~ Pete


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----I regret that I never met Dave. I do admire his work every day when I walk in my garage and look at My 69 COPO Chevelle that I purchased a year ago. The resto was finished around 2000 and is still crisp as can be today. Rip Mr. Tinnell!...….Bill S

RIP Dave
 

I saw lots of cars pass through his shop( that H.O. L78 camaro was one of them) and he never took a short cut or simply said that is good enough, only the best materials and whatever it took to be the best he could make them. thanks for all the kind comments ! his work speaks for itself and many of the cars he restored are still standing tall today. the burnish brown RS COPO was always my favorite of them all, I guess the B5 blue 1971 Hemi Cuda vert that sold @ mecum for 3.5 million was the most valuable . good bye for now Dave, ill see you again! in a better place.

R.I.P. Dave. Nice guy. I had him restore a 67 RS Z28 for me years ago. What I remember most about his restorations was how well his paint jobs held up 10-15- even 20 years later.

Godspeed Dave
 

Dave was an uncommonly kind man.

Classy, humble, talented, hardworking and funny as hell.

I was fortunate enough to buy the Burnished Brown COPO RS and still have it. It looks like it was restored yesterday. His time with Dwiggins allowed him to hone his skill and turn out some incredible restorations.

One time at his shop he dared me to go catch some frogs in the yard and he was going to prepare them for dinner! He was always cracking a joke and very willing to share information about what he knew.

Godspeed Dave!!!

Wow Fred, he sounded like a great guy. Sorry for the loss of your friend :(

…

… RIP Dave, what a credit he made to our hobby.

… He will certainly be missed. :flag:

I was lucky enough to meet Dave in 1983. This was the first time I had got to see a ZL1 ,I must admit I did not know what I was looking at since it was in peices and the engine not in it. Dave was on the phone and I was looking at the car. When he got off the phone he came over to me and said do you know what you are looking at as he "accidently" knocked the blanket covering the engine off. I was going crazy and he got a big kick out of my reaction. He was quite a jokester I learned over the years. I was lucky to have.met him. RIP my freind Steve

So sorry to here this
RIP Dave, Godspeed,
Joe

I just got in the house after attending Dave's funeral service. It has been a sad day. Dave restored 14 cars for me over the years and became a very good friend in the process. He was there in the beginning of this whole restoration craze that has taken place starting in the 1980s. He was a man with great talents beyond auto restoration, he was always more than willing to help a friend and a man with very high standards and ethics. He will be missed by all who knew him because you couldn't help but like him.

To all Members:

On behalf of Dave 'The Restoman' Tinnell's family we would like to thank everyone for the kind words and reminicings posted here on the forum. Dad was so very passionate about muscle cars and hot rods and would be very touched by the kind words spoken on his behalf.

Many Thanks, and if you have a car, rev it up one time for Dave!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/egq0gh02q2..._0849.jpg?dl=0

The picture in the dropbox file above :)

As was normal with Dave the cool 150 in the picture wasn't your run of the mill 150. It was a business coupe, radio and heater delete and all correct dual four barrel 270 horse engine. He restored this car for Johnny Drake. He and I owned one together exactly like this car only with fuel injection. I can't see the rear quarter panels to tell if the fuel emblems were on it so judging from Dave's apparent age at this time it has to be the Johnny drake 2x4 car. Most restoration shops concentrate on Tri fives or Camaro or Chevelles or at least only on a certain manufacturer but he was always amazing us with rare cars of all makes and years.
Just to name a few was numerous copo Camaro, chevelles, yenkos, the yellow Smokey Yunick hemi head 302 Z/28, Zl1s, hemi super birds, thunderbolts, the hemi cuda convertible that sold for 3.5 mil, even a javelin. He was a one stop shop and the best part was he was the fastest shop I have ever known.

Mick, thank you for sharing!:beers: