The Bottom Line On Car Restoration
Restoring a classic car gives you a chance to hit the road with your favorite ride without having to break the bank. Youll have to test everything and start your newly refurbished classic car to see if everything is okay. With no observable hitches, you should take it out for a ride and enjoy your hard work.
Classic Car Restoration: Tips And Advice For Beginners
Whatever your motivation for restoring a classic car, it is the ultimate labour of love, requiring time, patience, skill and of course, a good garage or workshop with the right tools for the job. For a classic car lover, bringing a car back to life is a rewarding experience, and one that could see you turn a profit when you sell the car on.
Original classic cars are becoming a rarity in the UK, with many being too expensive for the average collector. This means more classic car enthusiasts are turning to restoration as a way of affordably owning their dream car. But as with all dreams and ambitions, theres work to be done before you stand back and admire your handiwork with the average classic car restoration taking at least 1,000 hours to complete.
In this guide, well offer advice on what to consider when starting a classic car restoration project, and provide practical mechanical advice to help you get started. The guide is designed for people whove never restored an old car, to point you in the right direction no matter what your previous experience or skills.
Choosing The Right Car
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Why Restore The Dodge Dart
Because the market for Dodge Darts is still relatively untouched compared to other muscle cars from the era, its easy to find extra parts for restoration. You can find parts for the engine or the car for under a few thousand dollars and many of the six-cylinder versions of the Dart for a very low price.
Why Restore The Buick Electra 225
When looking at cheap cars for repair, the Buick Electra 225 ensures youll get an excellent vehicle for a low amount of money. With more interior room to work with, this General Motors classic allows you to replace more parts to create a luxury feel. Compared to earlier versions of the 224, some of which featured a convertible drop-top, these later models offer you a more affordable chance at restoring one of these classics.
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Dont Expect To Resell It
There are plenty of TV shows and websites that claim that you can restore your project car and resell it for thousands of dollars in profit. Unless you’ve found an extremely rare model and the chances of that are minimal your project car will be something for you and you alone. You will probably end up spending more money to restore the car than you’d ever make back selling it.
If you’re a junkyard junkie, you might get lucky and find a project car that is worth a lot. One of the two Mustangs used in the 1968 movie Bullitt was recently found in a junkyard in Mexico. Now, this is a one-in-a-million find, but if you keep looking you might get lucky.
Why Restore The Pontiac Star Chief
While the Pontiac Star Chief is on the higher end of the classic car price range, you can still find a running car for around $4,000. The attractive post-war design with unique fins and ornamentation of the early 1960s makes the Star Chief a great car to restore. Enjoy the V-8 options with solid horsepower and all of the available parts to enhance the vehicle.
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How To Restore A Classic Car
Taking on a restoration project is not something to do on a whim. It is a serious undertaking and will take up much of your time. How much of your time will depend on various factors, including your skills and experience and the extent of the rebuild. No matter the project, there are a few key considerations that are wise to consider.
Planning The Car Restoration Project
Before you start working on your vintage car, consider the following aspects:
Car assessment
Whats the condition of the classic car? Does it need a lot of bodywork or minimal restoration?
Authenticity
Are you going to stick to original car parts for your car restoration, or will you compromise on particular areas? Decide whether to go for original or aftermarket parts.
Budget for the car restoration
Factor into your budget everything that requires restoration. Look at the car parts, tires, wheels, paintwork, panels, and doors and the cost of repairing and restoring each of these parts. Combine the figures and add 30% to the final figure. Budgets are never fixed, and allowing yourself some wiggle room will make the restoration less stressful.
Work schedule
Do you plan on dismantling the project car? If so, consider a bottom-up approach. Take out the components that need replacing and repair. Document everything so you know where each piece goes.
Do you have an expert consultant when needed?
Theres no harm in asking for expert advice along the way. Visit online restoration platforms, check out auto expert forums, and gather ideas from car enthusiasts.
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Best Beginners Tips For Classic Car Restoration
Welcome to a world of blood, sweat and tears. Contemplating your first restoration project can seem completely daunting but these basic tips will ease you in gently and hopefully cut out a lot of frustration and heartache
You may have got to this point because your beloved classic has either been bought as a runner or has grown too tired to keep on the road without some major work. Or the only way you can afford to get the car of your dreams is to start with a basket case and put the hours in to bring it back to its former glory.
However youve got to this point, never fear. With a bit of planning, even the most complex of cars can be restored. If you understand the basics, know where to go for help and advice and are prepared to hand some jobs over to the professionals when you reach the limit of your abilities, anything is possible.
It may well be a world of blood, sweat and tears. But get it right, and its also one of pleasure and satisfaction. To make sure its more of the latter, here are our dirty dozen tips for first time restorers.
Words by Gerard Hughes
Why Restore The Chevrolet El Camino
Because the Chevrolet El Camino has such a distinctive look and a popular G-body platform, its one of the cheapest cars to repair. Over the years, the car has become a notable fixture in TV shows and movies the epilogue movie for Breaking Bad is even called El Camino. If youre interested in restoring a more unique-looking car that has regained its popularity, the El Camino could be the best option for you.
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Work On One Project At A Time
After youve dismantled the vehicle, its easy to get overwhelmed about where you should start and easily get distracted by working on one project here and another project there. Keeping your focus is really important at this point.
After dismantling everything, it will give you a good idea about the actual condition of your car restoration. You may have uncovered a few additional issues you didnt previously know. As annoying as that is, thats a very normal occurrence during a classic car restoration.
This is the time to divide your classic car restoration into separate projects. Take time to write down and list the different projects required to complete your restoration. This will help keep you organized and more focused as you have a list to check off. Seeing a checked off list can really give you empowerment to keep going forward.
As you will be working on one project at a time, remember to only buy parts when youre ready to bolt them in or install them. Dont get ahead of yourself and buy a whole bunch of parts way ahead of time or before you can actually use them. This often leads to lost or damaged parts from sitting in the corner of the garage for too long. Youll lose a lot of money by doing this.
Assess The Work & Budget It
It would help if you made an initial assessment of how much work is needed with the vehicle and budget accordingly. Keep in mind that this is an estimate, and costs can change from this the sad reality of life is that these estimates rarely end up lower than the original figure. Accordingly, we should keep a figure in mind for contingencies when we inevitably uncover additional issues.
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Finding The Car And Finding The Parts
The first step is to find your car and then to find replacement antique car parts. Do you have a specific make, model and year in mind or are you just looking for a project car? If you have a particular vehicle in mind, first make sure you’re going to be able to find the parts for it even if you can’t get them locally, are they available?
This is when you should decide whether you’re going to be okay with replacement parts or if you’re going to stick to original parts wherever possible. Original parts are a great way to make your restored car as authentic as possible, but they may be difficult to obtain depending on the make and model of your classic car. If you’re planning on aiming for one of the higher levels of car restoration, you should consider seeking out original parts whenever possible.
Preparing For Your Project
Before beginning your project, youll want to make sure youre well prepared with the tools youll need and a place to do your work. Having enough garage space to comfortably and conveniently get the job done is an important foundation for your project. Youll also want to have a variety of wrenches, sockets, screwdrivers, and pliers.
Once these initial concerns are addressed, you should start thinking about your plan for the project. One common debate among restoration enthusiasts is whether you should restore a vehicle back to its classic look or if you should give it a whole new personality when restoring the car. Whichever side of the debate you fall on, having a clear plan for the work you intend to do is essential.
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Be Prepared For Setbacks
Don’t stress if something doesn’t fit or you break something. Car restoration projects inevitably come with setbacks. Don’t let them stress you out just be prepared for them. Take a step back, figure out a new plan of attack and get back to the project. Don’t feel bad if you have to take a break. Sometimes coming back to it with a clear head is the best way to move the project ahead. Have a plan ready for when you hit those setbacks and make a vow never to quit. The last thing you want is to sink time and money into a project that you give up on a few months later.
Restoring a classic car is a fascinating and rewarding project. Just make sure you’re prepared and have a plan in place for every contingency.
Scott Huntington is a writer and blogger from Harrisburg, PA. He is obsessed with his new hobby of smoking meats and other food, and never turns down the change to experience thee restoration of a classic. Follow him on Twitter @SMHuntington.
Land Rover Series I/ii
There arent many classic off-roaders cooler than the classic Land Rover. Rugged veterans of thousands of battles, off-road courses, or emergency services, those simple but effective machines have a cult following all over the world. However, since all Land Rovers were bought to work or serve in the military, all of them are in dire need of restoration after several decades of active service. Fortunately, enough brand specialists sell and repair most Land Rover parts and even fabricate new ones. The only problem is that prices are on the rise, and these once cheap cars are not so inexpensive now.
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A Guide To Antique Car Restoration
Take a realistic approach and a holistic view before you embark on the project of restoring the antique car. Shop around, do research and prepare a realistic budget over time to bring about a positive result.
The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to car restoration DIY projects is that very few things will really be as simple as you think they will. When you are preparing for the restoration, a well thought out plan of attack is the best approach.
Set A Timeline For Your Car Restoration Process
The classic car restoration process step by step includes: planning, dismantling, bodywork, engine work, and rebuilding. Additional work depends on the car you choose to restore, but decide what needs to be done, then set up the order and a timeline. This allows you to have the necessary parts and help available when you need them.
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Classic Car Restoration: A Step
Classic car restoration is a challenging yet rewarding process for any car enthusiast. You might be ready to jump in with both feet, but before you get too ahead of yourself, understanding whats involved before you get started will prevent setbacks from occurring. While youll undoubtedly learn more as you move forward with your project, here are the most important things to consider before restoring a classic car, how to restore a classic car on a budget, and a step-by-step process for getting your car up and running.
Where Can I Find A Classic Car Parts Catalog
You need a classic car parts catalog for your muscle car restoration project. Your problem is that you don’t know where to find one. For classic American muscle cars, there are two excellent catalogs that you can obtain. No matter which make of car you have, Year One has a catalog that will contain just about any classic car part you need. If you have a Classic Chevy from the Fifties, then ClassicChevy is the catalog you need. For everyone else, whether it be Mustang, Camaro, GTO, or Mopar product, Classic Industries has a catalog for you. If you have a classic Mopar, Dantes has a catalog for you.
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How To Restore Classic Car Bodywork
4th Jan 2021
When you look into restoring a classic car, your first thoughts probably go to the engine, transmission and everything else that makes the car fun to drive. Aside from choosing a paint color, bodywork is probably far down on your list of priorities. However, this part of the restoration process is crucial to the look and function of the vehicle. Its also an expensive, time-consuming process that can rapidly get out of hand. By making the right choices for your project, learning how to restore classic car bodywork, and knowing when to call in professionals, you can keep costs and project time under control.
The Ultimate Classic Car Restoration Guide
Youve just survived the lengthy process of buying a classic car, hopefully, our Ultimate Classic Car Buyers Guide was helpful, now comes the fun part.
Restoring a car can be as complicated as solving a 1000 piece puzzle blind folded or as easy as putting a few pieces of Lego together. It all depends on your experience and the work youre planning to do.
What we can say for certain is that its going to take time, a lot of time and patience.
To restore a car successfully it requires careful planning, plenty of research, setting a timeline and deciding if youre going to do it all or source some professionals.
This car restoration guide provides a simple step by step process on how to restore your car the right way. Keep in mind, this is only a simple guide and should not be followed without strict research and have some sort of mechanical background. However, we will provide you with alternatives if tinkering with complex engine bays isnt your forte.
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