Articles


Car Restoration

by Dan Farrell

Car restoration is one activity that will leave you with a high sense of accomplishment. It is a hobby that demands dedication, time and money. Fords and Chevy's are the two models that are the easiest to begin with as parts are more readily available.

Before any car restoration you will need to arrange your shop for the the task. Collect 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 take the car apart you need to know what needs to be replaced and what needs to be repaired. This organization method will ensure you are not wasting parts at any time during the car restoration process.

Take inventory of the parts as you pull them off by dividing them into two separate cartons labeled repair and replace. 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 help you in estimating how much money you will need and how long it will take you to finish the project.

After you have your parts removed you can begin 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 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 bad when you bought it you need to that this car has had a full life life. You only want to add to it right? So get busy and take that Sharpie to mark all the things that either need replacing or repairing.

It is time to mend all those dents, holes, and other areas to get set for sanding. You will use several grades of sandpaper during the sanding process beginning with 36 to 80. Once you have completed this step you are ready to apply the glazing. Begin with 220 wet grit sandpaper and advance 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 show off your beautiful car to the neighborhood with pride.

For All The Essential Information On Car Restoration go to: Car Restoration

Published March 30th, 2008

Filed in Auto, Hobby