Vehicle Restoration 101 is perfect for anyone with an old or classic car that you would like to bring back to life!

Guidelines for Starting and Completing a Car Restoration Project

We get emails all the time, asking us for a step-by-step guide to performing a car restoration. Many people get started and become intimidated by the myriad of individual projects facing them and soon find themselves wondering if there is some magic “formula” for the task. Well, we don’t know if there’s any such formula out there, but we thought we’d put together a chronological outline that would help keep the project on course. Here goes.

• Clear a space and position the car carefully. It will be there a long time, so think about which way it faces, access around it, etc.
• Remove the battery and empty the gas tank. If the fuel is relatively fresh put it in your other cars. If not, dispose of it according to your municipal regulations
• Take lots of pictures!
• Remove the bumpers, then all chrome and stainless trim pieces including windshield and window mouldings. Create a hanging rack on your shop rafters for these long, fragile pieces, separating them according to whether they need re-plating, polishing or replacement. Start listing everything on a clipboard sheet. If possible, record whether you need to replace or repair a part.
• Remove the glass and store it carefully.
• Take pictures!
• Remove the seats, front and rear.
• Remove door trim, interior trim, headliner, carpet
• Take pictures!
• Mark wire locations on dash instruments. If the entire dash can be removed, do so with instruments mounted. If not, remove each instrument and place in boxes for clean-up, rebuild, etc.
• Take pictures! Pictures are invaluable to you when putting your car restoration project back together, and also if you decide to sell your restored car, you have documentation to show your prospective buyer that the work was actually done. You get the idea, so this is the last time we are going to mention this…
• Remove the hood and boot lid, then the doors. Before removing any of these, scribe around the edges of the hinges to help remount them later. Store everything carefully.
• Remove engine and transmission, after draining fluids. Separate them and position them for rebuilding or send them out to machine shops.
• Remove the body, if the car has a full frame. If not, remove the rear axle and position the body on the jack stands.
• Remove front and rear suspensions, marking orientation.

Depending upon how adept with tools you are, all the above will take roughly 40 hours to accomplish. Nothing has been restored or repaired yet, just disassembled. Now, on to the actual car restoration…

There is no hard-and-fast procedure for doing all the individual tasks involved, but you can separate the overall project into four parts: mechanical, electrical, body and upholstery. It is best to work on electrical and upholstery projects in your basement/home workshop and mechanical and body projects in your garage. If you only have one workspace, try to set up two separate areas. That way, you can work on two different things at the same time. When weather or parts availability stops progress on one, switch to the other. Eventually, everything will be finished, and you can reassemble the car in reverse of above.

The Car Restoration

• Send parts off to be re-chromed
• Send the engine/transmission to a machine shop if you’re not rebuilding them yourself
• Using your clipboard notes, order all replacement parts in one complete package to optimize discounts from suppliers.
• Strip, clean, repair and paint the frame
• Replace or rebuild the front and rear suspension on the frame.
• Start to strip paint off body, top and bottom
• Weld in new metal, and prepare the body for painting. Depending on the bodywork done, you may want to test-fit the part while it’s still in primer. If a professional shop is doing all this work, send the body off to them.
• When the engine/transmission is rebuilt, install them in the frame (or put on a homemade test stand) and run them several times to work out the bugs.
• Rebuild the rear axle and install it on the frame
• Reupholster the seats
• Rebuild/repaint/replace the instruments, radio, heater box, etc.

Reassembly

With the body freshly painted and everything ready to reinstall, start with the mechanical parts. If the car has a frame, everything is pretty much installed already. Otherwise, put in the engine, transmission, driveshaft, accessories, cooling system, etc. Test everything out before putting it on the hood. A good order in which to proceed is as follows:

• Install wiring harness
• Replace the dash and all instruments and attach wiring. Test as much as possible with a voltage source (battery, charger, etc.)
• Fit-out interior trim, carpet, headliner, accent pieces, etc.
• Install front and rear glass
• Re-hang doors
• Install door glass, then trim panels and handles
• Install seats
• Fit-out boot area
• Install bumpers and exterior trim

This should give you a general outline of the car restoration process. There are variations, of course, and you will come upon problems and opportunities that will cause you to alter this checklist. The important thing is to carefully think through your approach to each step of this process.

The last thing to do is take some pictures and show us how your awesome restoration is coming along!

Should you need any assistance with your mechanical and engine work, our doors are always open and our professional mechanics are standing by ready to help!

At Randburg Auto Repairs, we’re your go-to for prompt, affordable, and reliable car services, repairs, maintenance, and travel check-ups. 🚗🛠️💪

We cater to all makes and models of cars, SUVs, and bakkies, regardless of the manufacture year. We are RMI certified and boast a 5-Star MIWA rating so you know we’re the experts you can trust! 🌟🏆

For more information:

📞 (011) 781-9629 ✉️ info@randburgautorepairs.co.za 📍 No. 2 King Street Kensington B, Randburg (Get Directions)

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Source: http://www.secondchancegarage.com/public/285.cfm