Classic Car Restoration - Is it Your Time to Restore?

If you've never restored a car before, you might bethe car that looks the most like it did when it was
wondering if you should restore your classic carsfirst built, and no car comes for the factory with
now, classic car restoration in a long process and yourock chips, and door dings, if your car is a custom
want to have all of your ducks in a row, spend somethen the judges will judge it based on quality of work
time thinking about what you want your car to bean originality also, they won't miss anything, so if your
when it's done.thinking that you'll slide some minor imperfection by
Think about how much money you want to spendthem, don't waste your time, or theirs.
on the restoration process, and make sure that youMy best advice is to make 100% sure that you car is
have the funds ready to go, a shop will need toexactly what you want it to be, don't listen to people
know that you've thought it out, and planed an anwho'd tell you that it not worth doing unless you do
out come for your car, they will need to know if it'sa factory stock restoration on it, the car is worth a
a straight restoration to factory specs, or if youlot more to you if it's what you want it to be, not
want custom work done, you don't want to bewhat another person thinks that it should be.
changing your mind in the middle of the restorationI've seen a lot of cars get sold off after the
process.restoration process because the owner didn't get
Know what colour you want the car painted, knowwhat he, or she wanted, and they were not satisfied
how you'd like you interior to look and feel, knowin the end, and this can make the entire process
how you'd like you engine to perform, the more youseem a lot harder then it has to be, it's all about
think about it, the more you'll enjoy the restorationwhat you want, not what somebody else tells you
process, give it a lot of thought, I have seen a lot ofthat it should be.
people during my time in the business bring a car toIt's fine to get advice from other people, and then
the shop for a factory stock restoration, and then inweigh that advice against your idea of what you
the end not like it because it's is restored to thethink that your car should be, remember it's all about
period that it was manufactured.you, not the shop, not your friends, not mom and
The best advise if you want to make you dreamdad.
come true is this, think long and hard about whatIt's imperative that you car is the car of your dreams
that dream is, do you want a show car, do you wantwhen it's all done, not something that you'd rather sell
a factory stock restoration, do you want someas soon as it's done, you usually can't make the
custom work, remember that a show car is not themoney back that you spent to restore your car by
same as a daily driver, if you drive you car on a dailyselling it, unless it's a very special car, one that there
basis, it will get door dings, rock chips, and scratches,were only a few made, or for some other reason.
and their is nothing you can do about it, if it hasJust plan on getting what you want, and then
these things you won't placing in any car shows withkeeping the car forever, rather then selling it, this is
it.why I say plan the restoration work on your car, and
The judges have a job to do, and the job is to pickknow what you want before the work begins.