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Classic car restoration is a big project, but if it's done right it can also be a lot of fun, especially if you do it with your family and make a family fun time out of it. Classic cars are meant to be one thing, and that is fun, if it's not fun for you, then you might want do yourself a favor and sell it.

Shop Preparation

The first step during a classic car restoration is to get your shop ready for the project. You will need a camera, a place for the parts, and a labeling system. It is best to take pictures of the parts as you pull them off so you know where they were came from and where the new parts should be placed. When taking the parts of the car you will need to put them in an orderly mode so you can find them again if you need them. Plastic cartons come in real handy at this point. Cateloging the parts is a great method of keeping track of where they go, what they do, and what they are labeled just in case buy a new part. Never throw away the parts until the car is finished as you might need them again at some point.

Tear Down

The 2nd phase to classic car restoration is to tear down the car in sections. Start at one end and work your way down the car until you reach the end. This process will take a lot of time as you will need to take pictures on a continual basis. The pictures will remind you of what the car looked like before the part was taken out and then after the part was removed.

Inventory

In the next step you will determine what parts can be reused and what parts will need to be replaced. This is the perfect time to look at your budget for your classic car restoration task. This is much easier than it sounds. Sort your parts into two categories: Replace & Repair. Go through the replace box and mark down every part in it on your notepad under the replace column. Now do the same thing for the repair parts and place them on your your notepad under the repair column. By now you should have an idea of what you need and what you don't need. This part of the classic car restoration process might seem monotonous but it most likely return a profit in the end.

Cleaning Process

Once all the parts are removed you can begin to strip your car down to bare metal. There are several methods to get your car in this state, including sand blasting, glass beading, garnet blasting, and sodium bicarbonate blasting. The best method is identified as acid dipping but you will need to determine if it's available in your area. This type of stripping doesn't leave sand in every crevice of your car like sand blasting. Acid dipping removes many of foreign substances, such as paint and rust.

Evaluation

While during the assessment period, you will estimate what needs to be done. Most classic cars will need the floorboards and the trunk floors, including trunk extensions that attach to the trunk floors changed out, and in many cases there will also be rust holes and dents. Now take a sharpie marker and mark all the spots that should to be repaired or replaced. This process will identify whether your vintage car is a keeper or whether it is a pile of metal when completed. Take your time to make sure you have found all the problem spots. Of course, once the car is painted you can not undo the project.

Body Work & Final Prime Coat

Start with the hardest tasks of getting the dents out and removing or repairing the rust spots. Once this is finished you can move on to the lighter tasks. Once your vintage car is finished to 36 or 40 grit paper, it is time to paint the last and final body coat until it is just above level. Before completely dry you will take 80 grit paper to along these spots. Once this is finished you can glaze the car. When the glazing has dried the initial layer of primer can be applied. The priming process will determine how smooth your classic car looks as finished product so it is important to do it right the first time around.

Prep & Sand

You will need to prepare the car for paint and sealer after the dust has been removed from the car. Even though it is an extra process, it is best to seal the car at this point. Begin with 220 grit wet sandpaper to even the surface of the primer. Apply 320 grit wet paper will assist to get that dull shine that you want to see before moving on. Applying 600 grit wet paper will help you get that hazy mirror effect. Your prep work is now complete and you can apply the sealer.

Now that your vintage car restoration is finished you can cruise around to display all your hard work and have a wonderful sense of accomplishment.

Classic Car Restoration

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