Introduction.  The study examines the information practices of enthusiast car restorers in order to gain a greater understanding of embodied information practices.

Conceptual framework. The study is informed by a range of different theoretical approaches including practice theory, sense-making and Foucauldian, multimodal and critical discourse analysis.

Methodology. The study uses an ethnographic approach, using semi-structured interviews and in the garage ethnographic observation.  Analysis was undertaken using an inductive, thematic approach.

Findings. Enthusiast car restorers see the lack of information resources relating to their hobby as a challenge as much as a barrier. Car clubs and informal social networks of fellow enthusiasts provide both mentoring and moral support. Learning by doing is central to developing embodied knowledge. Participants describe working on their cars as providing them with a sense of achievement that was otherwise missing in their lives. 

Conclusion. The study’s findings show that enthusiast car restorers live in a complex information world, where social networks and learning by doing are central. The study’s findings in relation to alienation, achievement and identity suggest that research into embodied practices may have a broader significance than has been hitherto recognised.