How To Restore A Car
Car restoration is one activity that will leave you with an extreme sense of accomplishment. It is an activity that requires 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.
Prior to any car restoration you will need to set up your shop for the project. Gather the supplies 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 take the car apart you need to determine 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 separating them into two separate boxes labeled replace and repair. Take pictures of them as you do this getting a picture of what the car will look like, before and after. This method will also aid you in figuring how much the cost will be and how long it will take you to complete the project.
After you have your parts removed you can start the cleaning process. The cleaning process of the car restoration requires the car be reduced to bare metal. This can be done through several methods although you will need to find one that you feel the most comfortable with. The easiest and fastest method 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 may 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 full eventful life. You only want to add to it 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 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 finished this step you are ready to apply the glazing. Begin with 220 wet grit sandpaper and proceed 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 pride.
For All The Essential Information On Car Restoration go to: car restoration stories
Published March 30th, 2008
Filed in Hobby











