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Classic car restoration can be as complicated as solving a 100-piece puzzle with a blindfold. It all depends on your experience and the work you are planning to do.
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The Ultimate Guide for Classic Car Restoration Restoring a classic car to its former glory is the ultimate goal for many retro car enthusiasts. Whether you have managed to get your hands on an old wreck or a vintage vehicle locked away in your garage, understanding what you want to do with that machine and having a clear plan in place is essential. You need to take a number of factors into account, starting with how much budget you can devote to your pet project, the amount of time it is going to take, till where are you going to find the rare spare parts if you need them. Classic car restoration can be as complicated as solving a 100-piece puzzle with a blindfold. It all depends on your experience and the work you are planning to do. If you are going to take an ad hoc approach to your restoration, you may want to think twice before starting in the first place. You need a good plan and it should be put in place before you pick up that first spanner or start sandblasting the paintwork. Here’s a quick car restoration guide about what you should be covering: 1.Assess Your Car Whether you possess the technical knowledge or not, the first thing you need is to give your car a full assessment. That means going over it from front till back and top till bottom, basically cover every base to see what needs to be undertaken in order to restore the car to its pristine condition. You may get lucky and the engine is in a decent condition, but that is highly unlikely. So, make a list of what needs to be done and what are the priority tasks at hand.
2.What is Your Budget? Deciding on a budget is not only going to determine the type of car you buy but also what limitations there might be in the restoration process. It can delay your work if you have to wait for funds to become available; most people underestimate the cost of work when it comes to classic car restoration. Here's a tip: list all the things you need to replace and repair, add up the cost and then add another 25-30% just to be sure. This should give you a realistic figure of what everything is going to cost you. 3.How Much Are You Doing Yourself? The final budget takes a hit depending upon how much work you are going to do on the car yourself and how much is going to be outsourced to a specialist mechanic. On a broader perspective, those who undertake classic car restoration normally end up doing a lot of work themselves. But, if the skill set is not enough, you have no option other than to seek third party help. Do not consider doing some jobs yourself simply to save some money, bear in mind the consequences if things go wrong. You may end up doing more harm to the car than good. 4.Which ‘New’ Parts Need to Be Authentic? A classic car restoration might mean putting a car back together so that it matches the original or it could just mean that you want it to be road-worthy. Finding original spares can be hard, particularly for vintage cars, but you can find replacements that are less authentic but will do the job. This can come down to the personal preference of each car owner or simply the fact that you cannot find an original. Finding an original and authentic part is going to cost you both, a lot of time and a handful of money. So, it seems sensible to opt for unbranded replacements that come at a lower cost. 5.Plan the Work Once you have all the basics in order, the next step is to plan a schedule or establish a timeline that works for your classic car restoration. There might be some work that needs to be taken care of before you start the others and that is where possessing the right skills and knowledge comes into play. So, plan everything out to keep you on track. Summing Up Dismantling something you don't know anything about is not the way to go. If needed, do not hesitate to ask for help. Now that you have chunked up on
the complete car restoration guide step by step. It is time for a test drive. Unarguably the most important and exciting part of the entire journey. Just remember to keep an eye and an ear out for any small issues that become apparent when you start the car. Make sure everything is in working order before you take it out on the street. Go on, take it for a spin! You have earned it.
