When Grammy-nominated pop artist Charlie Puth was in the market to restore his 1966 Lincoln Continental convertible, he first shopped the project around in his own back yard of Los Angeles.

The rubber, unfortunately, never met the road. None of the shops he talked to were the right fit for the job.

By chance, his head of security came across an advertisement in a copy of Highline Autos, where he read about a shop in Fountain Hills specializing in auto body, paint and restoration services. That shop was Impact Collision and, after a conversation or two, Puth was confident he had found the team that would breathe new life into his automobile.

“They sent us the car and, for starters, it needed all new interior,” said Impact Collision owner Bill Wallace. “So we did all new interior, back to factory specifications. Brand new leather, door panels and stuff like that. Then we went ahead and did the body work.”

Wallace said hundreds of hours of body work and paint went into the restoration, a project they worked on every day for about six months.

Wanting to keep things authentic, the team opted for refurbished parts whenever possible. Outside of a new pump and condenser, the only modernization was a fresh air conditioning system.

While Puth originally intended to refurbish the car for personal use, the road ahead took an unexpected turn.

“Barrett-Jackson was aware of the project and reached out to us,” Wallace explained.

As it turns out, many cars from actor Paul Walker’s collection were to be auctioned at the Arizona Barrett-Jackson event held the weekend of Jan. 11. Walker tragically died in 2013, his final film in the Fast and Furious movie series being Fast 7.

A tribute to Walker is played at the end of that movie with the song “See You Again,” which was written in Walker’s honor, playing in the background. The song’s writer and performer? Charlie Puth.

In the end, Puth decided to send his car to the block at Barrett-Jackson, where it was auctioned before the cars in the Walker collection. The car drew $110,000 as part of the highest-grossing auction in Barret-Jackson’s 49-year history, which made over $141 million in no reserve sales in January.

Wallace said he and his crew were proud of the work they did.

“They were ecstatic with the car,” Wallace said. “[Puth’s] dad rode it across the block and everything. It was great.”

Wallace said he enjoys restoring all cars, not just those owned by globetrotting pop stars.

“We do anything from a Volkswagen to a ‘66 Lincoln,” he said. “We work on all kinds of vehicles. It’s great that we get to do this and we’re proud to be a part of this community.”

Impact Collision, located at 11645 N. Desert Vista, can be reached at 480-809-6745. More information on Barrett-Jackson can be found at barrett-jackson.com.