How to make the grade in car restoration

Alright. So you have a hankering to restore your dad or mom's 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle (pictured) or 1996 Ford Taurus but know little, if anything, about car restoration since you built models as a young child.

SecondChanceGarage lists some basic guidelines on tackling a car restoration project. As the article points out, many would-be restorers underestimate the amount of  time, space required, and costs (both financially and to one's sanity), that restoring a vehicle can take.

The steps include:

  • Selecting what car you want to restore. Make sure it has some personal fascination. Car restoration is hardly a 'Get Rich Quick' scheme.
  • How to find the car. This includes contacting auto clubs.
  • How much space you'll need. It'll take a lot more than your two-car garage.
  • Required tools. Consider renting many of them, especially if you're a novice.
  • Estimating how long a project will take. Just like remodeling a house, it'll always take longer than expected.
  • Costs. There's a big difference in the finances required to restore a car just to drivability or for the show circuit.
  • Have your family's commitment in the project.
  • How close to the "original" model do you want to restore too.

A full discussion on each step can be found at the link. What advice would you offer would-be restorers?


[Source: SecondChanceGarage.com via Business Week]


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