About Tilted Hat Motorsports
A standard learned in a basement. Proven on the lawn at Pebble Beach.
Tilted Hat Motorsports is a custom automotive shop on the banks of the Connecticut River in Vermont, specializing in restoration, hot rod building and restomods for collectors across the country who expect precision and performance.
Why "Tilted Hat"
The man in the tilted hat.
The company is named in honor of Ben's paternal grandfather, Bob Musty — a WWII Navy veteran who always wore his hat a little tilted to one side. A Stetson in the summer. An insulated cap in the winter. Always tilted.
"Grandpa Bob" was Ben's role model as a metalworker and craftsman — a man who could build or fix anything. Ben spent countless hours with him in the small basement of the home Bob built with his own two hands, watching him carefully turn raw lumber or pieces of metal into useful tools and beautiful pieces of furniture.
Eventually Ben learned to help, and together they spent many afternoons and weekends in that little basement.
Tend your tools. Keep a tidy workspace. Fine-tune each detail. Come back again and again until the product is perfect. Those lessons — and the image of his hero as a soft-spoken, hard-working man in a tilted hat — remain with Ben to this day.
Through Tilted Hat Motorsports, Ben and his team endeavor to give their clients the same level of craftsmanship and precision Grandpa Bob taught in that basement.
The Basement Lessons
Four rules that still run this shop.
They were taught over raw lumber and scrap metal decades ago. Today they're applied to prewar Bugattis and Coyote-swapped Broncos alike.
Tend your tools
A craftsman's work is only as good as the care he puts into his equipment — before the job ever starts.
Keep a tidy workspace
Order in the shop means order in the work. Nothing gets lost, rushed or overlooked.
Fine-tune each detail
Down to the last fastener. The details judges never see are finished like the ones they do.
Come back until it's perfect
Again and again, as many passes as it takes. The car leaves when it's right — not when it's close.
Founder & Lead Technician
Ben Musty, nearly 30 years in.
Ben has spent close to three decades in auto restoration, customizing and restoring cars for some of the nation's foremost collectors. His work has been displayed at many of the country's most prestigious car shows, including Pebble Beach, Cavallino and Amelia Island.
- Nearly 30 years of hands-on auto restoration experience
- Restorations and customs built for the nation's foremost collectors
- Work shown at Pebble Beach, Cavallino and Amelia Island
- Full-discipline shop: fabrication, welding, machining, engine, paint and rewiring under one roof in Bradford
Owner Reviews
The standard, as owners describe it.
"Working with the team at Tilted Hat was fun and very satisfying knowing the car was in good hands. Their work demonstrated amazing attention to detail, historical knowledge of the car and quality craftsmanship, and resulted in a very happy customer and an amazing MGB restoration. I highly recommend their services."Phil H. 1970 MGB restoration
"Ben and Tilted Hat Motorsports have my highest recommendation. I hired them to overhaul and restore my 1968 Corvette, and I could not have been more pleased with the experience. The quality of their work was top-notch. If you are considering a high-end restoration project, I encourage you to consider Ben and his team at Tilted Hat."Tim C. 1968 Corvette restoration
Start a Conversation
Your car deserves Grandpa Bob's standard.
Tell Ben about the car — a barn find, a half-finished project, or a concours candidate — and he'll talk the project through with you honestly. No pressure, no obligation.
188 Industrial Drive, Bradford, VT 05033 · Serving collectors across the country