Articles

Car Restoration Tips

by Dan Farrell

Car restoration is one activity that will leave you with an extreme sense of accomplishment. It is an activity that requires dedication, time and money. 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 prepare your shop for the the task. Gather 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. With this type of organization you will make sure you are not wasting parts at any time during the car restoration project.

Take inventory of the parts as you pull them off by dividing them into two individual cartons labeled replace and repair. Take pictures of them as you do this so you know what the car looks like with them on and off. This process will also help you in determining how much the cost will be and how long it will take you to complete the car restoration.

After you have your parts removed you can start the cleaning process. The cleaning process of the car restoration requires 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 and fastest way by far is to have the car dipped in acid. This removes dust, rust, and other foreign materials.

Now you will see the damage to the car once it's stripped. You very well might find rust holes, damaged floorboards, and dents. But do not despair! Even if the car didn't look too bad when you bought 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 problem areas to get set for sanding. You will use several grades of sandpaper during the sanding procedure beginning with 36 to 80. Once you have finished 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 provide a preventative measure against scratches.

Your car restoration is complete! 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: Classic Car Restoration

Published March 30th, 2008

Filed in Hobby