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Classic car restoration is a big ordeal, 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 big 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 task at hand. You will require a camera, a place for the parts, and a labeling system. It is best to take pictures of the parts as you take them off so you know where they were at and where the new parts should be placed. When taking the parts of the vehicle you will need to place them in a neat manner so you can locate them again if and when need them. Plastic cartons come in very usefully at this stage. Sorting the parts is a great method of keeping track of where they go, what they do, and what they are labeled in case you need to buy a newer part. Never throw away the parts until the car is finished as you might need them again at some point.

Tear Down

The second 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 some time as you will need to take pictures on a continuous basis. The pictures will consist of what the vehicle looked like before the part was taken off 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 job. This is much easier than it looks. Arrange 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 have an idea of what you might need and what you don't need to buy. This part of the classic car restoration procedure might seem tedious but it should 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 known 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 a lot of foreign substances, such as paint and rust.

Evaluation

During the appraisal period, you will calculate what needs to be completed. Many 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 holes and dents. Now take a sharpie marker and mark all the spots that need to be repaired or replaced. This process will identify whether your classic car is a keeper or whether it is a pile of metal when finished. Take your time to ensure 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 less arduous jobs. Once your vintage car is finished to 36 or 40 grit paper, it is time to spray the final body coat until it is just above level. Before completely dry you will take 80 grit paper to along those spots. Once this is complete you can glaze the car. When the glazing has dried the first coat of primer paint can be applied. The prime coat will resolve how even your classic car looks after all else so it is vital to do it right the first time .

Prep & Sand

Now you will need to prep the car for paint and sealer once the dust has been removed from the car. Although it is an extra step, it is best to seal the car at this point. Begin with 220 grit wet sandpaper to smooth the surface of the primer. Apply 320 grit wet paper will help you achieve that dull shine that you want to see before moving on. Applying 600 grit wet paper will help you achieve that hazy mirror effect. Your prep work is now complete and now you can apply the sealer.

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

Classic Car Restoration

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