Konstantin Busch - Classic Car Restoration Tips

The following is a list of what you need to know before embarking on a car restoration project of your own:

How much is the car? If the car is something that has been in the family for awhile and you want to restore it out of sentimental value, this is a good way to get started. While most of us think of vintage car restoration as being what are termed as “classic” cars that have held their value through the years, such as the 1950s Chevys, some people seek to restore vintage cars that, although not valuable, remind them of fond memories.

If you are thinking of restoring a vintage car on your own, here are some other things that you need to know before you get started:

Is the car solid? Some cars have a rotted floor that has to be completely replaced. In some cases, the car can fall apart if the floor is rotted through. You do not want to be spending a lot of time and money on a project that is doomed for failure. Take the car into a shop and have it looked at by a professional. Have them tell you what is wrong with the car and what needs to be replaced before embarking on the project. It may prove to be too costly. This is especially important if you are buying the car for restoration.

If you decide to buy a car to restore, be wary of “deals.” Some cars are so rotted through that no restorer wants to touch them. For your first project, do something simple, just to get a feel of the craft. Later, as you get to know the world of vintage car restoration, you can work on bigger and better projects.

Make a list of exactly what needs to be fixed and what has to be replaced. Take a good look at the chassis. A car floor is very expensive to replace. Pull up the carpet and see if the floor is rotted through because of rust. There is an old joke that “rust is the only thing holding this car together.” Not true - rust will cause the car to completely fall apart. Small pockets of rust can be sanded and repaired, but if the whole floor is a pile of rust, the project is going to be expensive.

Figure out where you are going to get the parts for the restoration. Start looking around online and in the area for vintage car parts. Thanks to the internet, you can find just about anything you need online.

Set aside a budget to work with. This will most likely be an ongoing project, so you may want to establish a monthly budget towards the car restoration so things do not get too out of hand.

Most importantly - realize that your first try at restoring a vintage car may not turn out like a brand new vehicle. Cut yourself a little bit of slack and understand that few people turn out masterpieces on their first try. It is pretty certain that Picasso turned out something pretty bad on his first attempt at painting, too.

By having a grasp on what you are going to need to do, an approximate cost of the project and your final expectations of the project, you should be ready to begin your first vintage car restoration project!

There is an old riddle that asks “how do you eat an elephant?” The answer is “one bite at a time.” This is the best attitude to take when looking over the automobile that you are going to restore. Just take it one part at a time and learn as you go. Love for cars and the ability and desire to learn are all that you need.

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