The Curious Project of Car Restoration |
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Steven Magill
13 January 2013
A number of car enthusiasts across the globe have taken their passion for cars into who could be called a subculture of an already popular hobby: car restoration. Wikipedia terms it as "automotive restoration" and defines it as "the process of repairing the degraded aspect of a car to return it to an overall 'authentic' condition." The key word there is authentic. Car enthusiasts pursuing such project will spend as much as they can to achieve as close to complete authenticity as they can get.
The hobby of restoring cars requires one obvious thing: the existence of something to be restored. For a thing to be restored, it has to be already old and worn out. The hobbyist must then first ask himself what he wants to restore. As a car enthusiast, that would not be too hard to answer. But then that question immediately be followed by "what can I afford?" For many, that could immediately remove of items on the list. What ultimately will stay will not only be the most practical choice but also something that the hobbyist can really have fun engaging with enough to actually see the project through.
Once you have decided on what type of car to do the project on, the next thing to do is to find it. If you have it in your old garage then good for you. Otherwise you may have to look it somewhere else. One place to look for it is online on eBay or other new alternatives to it. While doing so, you may as well research more about your project car and the details of its authentic make up. Use this data as a basis on deciding on the car you have to acquire for your project. Take into serious consideration how much you will spend by reflecting on the condition of the car you are about to acquire. Remember that a simple alloy wheel repair may require replacing the whole rim altogether. Expenses can accumulate in a snap. You must keep your acquisition of materials in check including the purchase of necessary equipment.
Once the project car is already acquired, you will then stripped it off and carefully catalog and label each part down to its smallest component. To do this you have to ready an ample space to store them. Remember that a car when disassembled may take up to 4 times the space it requires when it is whole. In the process, you will figure out and decide which is salvageable and which is up for "restoration". Check and make a complete accounting of the parts that must be restored.
It is now time to focus on the body of your project car. It must be bared of any trace of paint or other applications until all that is left raw metal. It can be done be sanding or by using a chemical, depending on what will best preserve its authentic form.
When the body is already for restoration painting, the next item in the schedule should be mechanical restoration. If you want your restored car to be a truly running vehicle, you must have complete attention to details when restoring your project car's mechanical system.
After acquiring all the necessary spare parts to replace the unsalvageable components of your project car especially the mechanical components, the time has come to do the body work. This stage of the project may not be what will make the car functional but it is the phase that demands the most perfection simply because what you do here will be the first thing that anyone will see on your project. You will not only need to have a good paint job, you must need to make sure all the parts especially the visible ones are properly aligned and balanced.
Reassembling then comes next. This is the stage that requires the most time if you want to get every piece right. Not only will you have a handful of components assemble on, you must also be careful not damage them in the process.
The reassembled project car will then have to undergo a finishing upholstery procedure to polish up its exterior presentation. You don't have to be doing everything yourself. There are a lot of professionals that do such work to perfection.
Now it's time to marvel at the fruit of your labor. People can appreciate a well-done alloy wheel refurbishment. How much more with a full Oldsmobile restoration? Don't hesitate to drive it around. A car is meant to be driven. You have earned the right to take it around the show it off!