Preparing Your Classic Car For Its Restoration
Classic Car Restoration: how to prepare your classic for its restoration
There are several first steps to success when it comes to restoring your classic car.
The first and most crucial step is to prepare.
As the old idiom goes, if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail!
Creating a plan on how you will restore your car will help you to understand the entire process, including:
How much will it cost you?
How long will it take to complete?
What steps will be involved?
So, keep reading for our foolproof guide to how you should prepare for your classic car restoration.
Consider your budget
Consider the price of certain car parts you may have to buy, as their quality will dictate your final product heavily.
So, sometimes cheaper is not better.
The quality of the parts will also affect prospective buyers' opinions (or yours if you're keeping it), as they will want to know intimate knowledge about the car and its restoration process.
If you have mainly used cheap substitutes, you may put off potential buyers.
Cheap parts can lower the classic's worth and frequent repairs.
Think about it, if they're cheaper, they're unreliable.
Before beginning any project, you should know how much money you can spend on it.
You don't want to go over budget and have your classic car left as an 'unfinished project' taking up room in your garage or left for months at the restoration company.
Instead, we suggest breaking down your budget into sections, which will help you decide how much money you will spend on each section of the car.
What should this breakdown include?
Remember:
The cost of parts
The cost of tools
Surplus for any unexpected complications
If you're having it restored by professionals, the cost of labour
What is your vision for your classic car?
Probably the most important aspect! I'm sure you would agree?
What you want is what matters most...
There are a few questions we recommend you consider before you take on the restoration process:
What are your plans for the restoration?
How do you envision your car?
Do you have time constraints that will affect the outcome?
If you're not restoring it yourself, who will?
Considering these questions can help you decide whether you will complete a full restoration or tackle some minor fixes and bodywork.
You can also ask professionals for advice!
They will be able to tell you whether your vision is realistic and potentially offer alternatives that you will love.
What do you want the final product to be?
Here is when you imagine and plan what your car will look like when it's completed.
Our advice on how to do this?
Gather inspiration online. Websites such as Pinterest are great for finding images that match your goal aesthetic
Join a car club and chat with your peers
Attend car shows
Car clubs and classic car show events are easy to find on social media like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You can also google if there are any events in your area!
There are many ways to gain inspiration and vision for restoring your classic.
Document everything!
Before beginning any restoration project, you must take pictures and videos of every part of your classic car before, during, and after the stripping down phase of your car restoration.
Why is this step so crucial?
It will help you to ensure that everything goes back where it ought to when the restoration is complete, and you're putting the parts back.
Have a checklist noting all the car parts you have that need replacing or repairing.
Keep these images and checklist in a safe place, or your restoration may take far longer than expected!
Timeframes are everything!
Consider how long this project will take and create a timeframe for its completion.
Be realistic when setting these goals and how much time each step will take. The process will be more straightforward when it's broken down into sections.
How can this be done?
It is best to have four sections:
Mechanical work
Electrical work
Bodywork (including paint)
Upholstery work
Give yourself more time than you need in each of these sections, so you don't find yourself rushing.
Consider the tools
After considering your plans and budget, you need to consider the tools required to complete the job.
Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Do you have the right tools for the job?
Do you need to invest in new tools?
If you need new ones, can you afford to buy them?
Some specialist tools used in car restoration can be very costly, so it is worth considering:
Renting tools
Borrowing from a friend
Enlisting professional restoration companies like Vintage and Classic Prestige to take on the jobs that require specialist parts and tools 😉
Contact the professionals
Of course, you can try to restore your classic yourself; many do so successfully. However, if it's a big job, you could cost yourself more money.
Outsource is the best resource.
Regardless of whether you want to attempt the whole process alone or hand the car and your vision over to an expert, it is always best to first have a professional restorer inspect the vehicle and advise on what work needs doing.
A second opinion from an experienced technician will make all the difference to the results.
As classic car restoration experts, we would be happy to help you fulfil your classic car dreams.
We are based in Oxfordshire, 10 minutes outside of Oxford, in Weston on the Green.
I hope this guide helps.
If you’re on LinkedIn, feel free to connect with me (Ray Smith), the owner and Head Technician.
