How To Restore A Car

Car restoration is one activity that will leave you with a high sense of accomplishment. It is a hobby that requires persistence, dedication and money!to say nothing about time. Fords and Chevy's are the two models that are the easiest to start with as there are always parts available as the need arises.

Prior to any car restoration you will need to prepare your shop for the project. Gather 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 sooner rather than later. When it is time to take the car apart you need to determine what needs to be replaced and what needs to be repaired. With this type of organization you will ensure you are not wasting parts at any time during the car restoration process.

Take inventory of the parts as you remove them by separating them into two individual boxes labeled replace and repair. Take pictures of them as you do this so you know what the car looks like with them on and off. This process will also aid you in determining how much money you will need and how long it will take you to finish the car restoration.

After you have the parts removed you can start the cleaning process. The cleaning process of the car restoration entails 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 and fastest way by far is to have the car dipped in acid. This removes dust, rust, and other foreign materials.

You will be able to view the damage the car has been through once it is stripped. You may find rust holes, damaged floorboards, and dents. Do not despair! Even if the car didn't look bad when you purchased it you must realize 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.

Now it's time to repair all those dents, holes, and other areas to get ready for sanding. You will use several grades of sandpaper during the sanding procedure starting with 36 to 80. Once you have finished this step you are ready to apply the glazing. Begin with 220 wet grit sandpaper and go on 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 display your beautiful car to the neighborhood with well earned pride.

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

- Dan Farrell