Automotive restoration
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Automobile restoration is the process of returning a car to essentially the same condition that it was in when it left the factory at time of manufacture. It should include not only the parts that can be seen – the body, the trim, the chrome, the wheels, the dash board and accessories and the passenger’s compartment – but the parts that are not necessarily visible or otherwise evident, including the engine and the engine compartment, the trunk, the frame, the driveline, and all ancillary parts like the brakes, accessories, engine cooling system, etc.
A complete auto restoration should include total removal of the body, engine, driveline components and related parts from the car, total disassembly, cleaning and rebuilding of each of the major parts and its components, replacing broken, damaged or worn parts and complete re-assembly and testing. Each and every part should be thoroughly examined, cleaned and replaced. All of the parts that were originally painted should be completely stripped of old paint, any rust or rust related damage repaired, dents and ripples removed and then the metal refinished, primed and painted with colors to match the original factory colors. Wooden parts should go through the same meticulous inspection with regluing, replacement of rotted or termite-damaged wood, sealing and refinishing to match the factory specifications. Chrome and trim may require stripping and repair/refinishing. The frame must be thoroughly cleaned and repaired if necessary. Often sand-blasting of the frame is the most expeditious method of cleaning. The frame should be painted or powder-coated to match the original.
The interior of the car should be stripped of the old upholstery and carpeting and it should be replaced with new parts, again, to match those that were available from the factory. The seats should be repaired before being reupholstered and the coil springs repaired, replaced or retied. The instrument panel, or dash board contains a number of gauges, each of which have to be repaired and brought back to both operational and cosmetic standards.
The entire engine and all related systems should be rebuilt. The engine and all of the ancillary components – starter, generator/alternator, radiator, distributor, carburetor and all others – should be removed and rebuilt to factory specifications. The engine itself, plus the transmission, clutch, overdrive unit and even the driveshaft should be completely disassembled, cleaned and measured for wear. This will show up as deviation from original factory specifications. All of the fixed parts – block, crankcase, head, transmission housing, etc. – should be inspected for cracks or other damage. All moving parts – pistons, crankshaft, camshaft, oil pump, bearing and bushings, flywheel, water pump and all others – must be cleaned and measured against factory specifications and, if necessary, machined or re-manufactured to bring them within specifications. The same goes for the transmission, clutch, differential and all other moving parts of the power line and drive line. All of the electrical system has to be inspected and, if it shows wear or damage, replaced. Then the entire engine/driveline will have to be reassembled, replacing all worn bearing and bushings, seals, gaskets, belts and gears.
Finally, the engine/driveline has to be re-installed in the frame, the brakes, wheels and other parts re-installed, the body fitted to the frame and the entire car rechecked and tested.
Restoration of a car is a daunting task, not one to be undertaken lightly, or by the inexperienced. A full restoration can take many years and can cost thousands of dollars; often, and generally, well in excess of what the finished value of the car will be. Many jobs will have to be farmed out to specialty shops; those with the special knowledge and equipment to do the job. Often a restoration once started is left unfinished and the car and parts can be purchased for a fraction of their worth. But it is imperative to be sure that all of the parts are there. Finding parts for an orphan or rare car can be near impossible.
There are different levels of automotive restoration. The highest quality level, generally unobtainable for the amateur restorer, is the Concours d'Elegance level; these are cars that are restored to a degree often beyond the quality that they were when they left the factory. There are virtually no deficiencies in the quality of the restoration. Many Concours d’Elegance cars are not driven except for the short distances from their trailers to the show field.
The lowest level of restoration is that of just getting the vehicle to run, with little or no regard for appearance or quality.
Between these two extremes are the vast bulk of cars that are seen as drivers, neighborhood show cars, 20-footers (they look great from 20 feet away). Many value guides offer six levels of quality, from a ‘parts-only’ car to a Number 1- absolutely perfect in every way. For the amateur, or even experienced restorer, there are a great number of help sources, books and magazines to assist with restoration of an entire car or specific parts.
