Articles


Classic Car Restoration

by Dan Farrell

Car restoration is one activity that will leave you with a high sense of accomplishment. It is a hobby that demands persistence, dedication and money!to say nothing about time. Fords and Chevy's are the two models that are the easiest to start with as there are always parts available as the need arises.

Before any car restoration you will need to set up your shop for the project. Collect the materials needed such as a camera, a few cardboard boxes, a sharpie and some tags for labels. It is important to keep track of the parts that are taken off now rather than later. When it is time to start taking the car apart you need to estimate what needs to be replaced and what needs to be repaired. In this way will ensure you are not wasting parts at any time during the car restoration process.

Take inventory of the parts as you pull them off by separating them into two individual boxes labeled replace and repair. Take pictures of them as you do this getting a picture of what the car looks like with them on and off. This method will also assist you in determining how much money you will need and how long it will take you to finish the car restoration.

After you have all the parts removed you can start the cleaning process. The cleaning process of the car restoration entails the car be stripped down to bare metal. There are several ways to do this but you need to find the one you are most comfortable with. The easiest method is to have the car dipped in acid. This removes dust, rust, and other foreign materials.

You will be able to view the damage the car has been through once it is stripped. You could find rust holes, damaged floorboards, and dents. But do not despair! Even if the car didn't look very bad when you purchased it you must realize that this car has had a had a event-filled life. You want to extend it's life right? So get busy and take that Sharpie to mark all the things that either require replacing or repairing.

Now it's time to patch up all those dents, holes, and other areas in order to get set for sanding. You will use several grades of sandpaper during the sanding process starting with 36 to 80. Once you have completed this step you are ready to apply the glazing. Begin with 220 wet grit sandpaper and go on to 800 wet grit sandpaper. This will leave your car with a hazy mirror image and also give a preventative measure against scratches.

Your car restoration is finished! You are now ready to display your beautiful car to the neighborhood with well earned pride.

For All The Essential Information On Car Restoration go to: car restoration stories

Published March 30th, 2008

Filed in Hobby