With even experts in the field putting at least a thousand hours into every project, amateurs can be expected to put forth around 45 minutes a day over a 2 year period. Refurbish vintage car to its former glory isn t quite the disassembly and reassembly job, starting from street rod chassis kits, that even experienced mechanics expect it to be. But forewarned is forearmed, so what are some of the considerations to be kept in mind?
Which is why so many restoration jobs never reach completion. They re either stopped midway, or even at the very outset, once those involved become aware of the true burden it places on one s time and resources. Even with an enormous mound of cash set aside specifically for the task, it s impossible to predict the cost of finding all the vintage parts needed for the vehicle to become even a shadow of what it once was.
And after the small fortune put into getting the job done, consider yourself lucky if you see returns on even a quarter of that amount once you put the car back on the market. Unless the vehicle had previously had a celebrity owner, or is considered otherwise highly desirable by collectors, the odds of actually turning a profit in the business of vintage car restoration are slim to none.
Having decided to proceed with the project in spite of it not promising any real financial rewards, you then decide which components to take home to your workshop, and which parts to leave in the garage. Bearing in mind it s going to be a long term project, having the option of working from home when weather conditions aren t conducive to working outdoors ensures the work doesn t become stalled by factors outside one s control.
A good place to begin is externally by removing the car s more obvious fixings and ornaments. The bumpers are usually only held in place by bolts and nuts, making them easy to remove. The smaller fixings and trimmings are typically fastened in place by clips or screws, sometimes both. Restoring damaged or missing trimmings is an unsought for expenditure of money, time and energy, best avoided if possible.
Special attention should be paid when bundling and tagging the various trims. Most of them are almost identical in appearance and can be easily mistaken for each other, so taking pictures also aids in this endeavor. Remove the window trims can be amongst the most challenging to do. Naturally, one should start by removing the overlapping sections first. Also check for trim occasionally found under the door s weatherstrip.
Next comes the glass removal. It goes without saying that glass is the most delicate of all a vehicle s components and should be treated with due respect. By this point, the windshield requires only the removal of its interior trim for the window s rubber molding to be eased out of its frame. After evenly prying all around the interior, the window should be gently pushed out from the inside, not pulled from outside.
By this point, you re only a couple days to a week into the process. And have yet to remove the rest of the glass, the side and vent windows. Which is why one should always maintain a proper sense of perspective regarding the scope of the work being done. Taking it all one day at a time while keeping one s eyes firmly on the prize will allow you to enjoy the journey from rust bucket back to hot rod, developing a much deeper appreciation for aesthetic and mechanical considerations that actually go into the production of vehicles as well.
Which is why so many restoration jobs never reach completion. They re either stopped midway, or even at the very outset, once those involved become aware of the true burden it places on one s time and resources. Even with an enormous mound of cash set aside specifically for the task, it s impossible to predict the cost of finding all the vintage parts needed for the vehicle to become even a shadow of what it once was.
And after the small fortune put into getting the job done, consider yourself lucky if you see returns on even a quarter of that amount once you put the car back on the market. Unless the vehicle had previously had a celebrity owner, or is considered otherwise highly desirable by collectors, the odds of actually turning a profit in the business of vintage car restoration are slim to none.
Having decided to proceed with the project in spite of it not promising any real financial rewards, you then decide which components to take home to your workshop, and which parts to leave in the garage. Bearing in mind it s going to be a long term project, having the option of working from home when weather conditions aren t conducive to working outdoors ensures the work doesn t become stalled by factors outside one s control.
A good place to begin is externally by removing the car s more obvious fixings and ornaments. The bumpers are usually only held in place by bolts and nuts, making them easy to remove. The smaller fixings and trimmings are typically fastened in place by clips or screws, sometimes both. Restoring damaged or missing trimmings is an unsought for expenditure of money, time and energy, best avoided if possible.
Special attention should be paid when bundling and tagging the various trims. Most of them are almost identical in appearance and can be easily mistaken for each other, so taking pictures also aids in this endeavor. Remove the window trims can be amongst the most challenging to do. Naturally, one should start by removing the overlapping sections first. Also check for trim occasionally found under the door s weatherstrip.
Next comes the glass removal. It goes without saying that glass is the most delicate of all a vehicle s components and should be treated with due respect. By this point, the windshield requires only the removal of its interior trim for the window s rubber molding to be eased out of its frame. After evenly prying all around the interior, the window should be gently pushed out from the inside, not pulled from outside.
By this point, you re only a couple days to a week into the process. And have yet to remove the rest of the glass, the side and vent windows. Which is why one should always maintain a proper sense of perspective regarding the scope of the work being done. Taking it all one day at a time while keeping one s eyes firmly on the prize will allow you to enjoy the journey from rust bucket back to hot rod, developing a much deeper appreciation for aesthetic and mechanical considerations that actually go into the production of vehicles as well.
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