Overhaulin'

where to start car restoring?

well i am quite young (high school) but becoming a car restorer has been a dream of mine for as long as i can remember, ive always wanted to experience the thrill of driving that classic beauty knowing that what everybody is staringat is the work of my hands. my question is, are there any cars that people would consider "starter cars"?, i know restoring is about what you want to do. but i mean are there certain projects that would be easyer due to part acessability andcar complexity. or. are there types of projects that would be goot for a first project, regardless of car make model or year? thanks. bye bye

Public Comments

1. check ebay
2. See if you can scare up a 1928 - 1931 Model A Ford; they're easy to restore, parts are plentiful (including NOS and reproduction items), and above all, they're perfect for a novice restorer. They're very easy to work on and, as I said, parts are plentiful. Good luck.
3. How about an old mustang 65-68? Can be had cheap with a 6. Plenty of parts around for restoring. Would look cool when you are done!!
4. When you think of a Camaro, Mustang, Trans Am or Corvette, the term muscle car immediately comes to mind. These often "souped up" vehicles have been popular for decades and still evoke a sense of male pride, so restoring one of these classic metal machines is a challenge many are willing to undertake. Things You'll Need Large enclosed work area Access to electricity Magazines on muscle cars and parts Replacement parts Full range of automotive tools Automotive knowledge Large tarp Large air compressor Auto lift (handy, not required) Engine hoist MIG welder Re-upholstery kit Step One Subscribe to magazines that offer information you'll need during the project like "Hemmings Muscle Car," which has information about cars for sale and places to find parts, tools and other supplies. The "All You Can Read" website also has a list of the top 20 car magazines on the market. Step Two Locate a clean place with electricity for power tools and lighting to restore your muscle car. Make sure it's large enough to house the vehicle and parts and still leaves enough room to work in. Place a large, plastic tarp on the floor to help keep from loosing small parts when you start disassembling the car, and set up shelves with bins that you can label and place parts in as they are taken off the car to further aid in keeping track of parts. Step Three Start disassembling the car by unbolting the outer components, including the wheels, doors, bumpers, hood, trunk lid, front and rear lights, grill, front and rear, and all other small parts. You can do most of this work primarily with standard hand tools and some oil to help loosen stubborn parts. Remove the larger components such as the engine, transmission, driveshaft, axles, springs, radiator and sub-frames with larger tools, which may include a hoist to lift the engine and transmission. Step Four Detach the various pieces of the interior, like the seats, console, carpets and any trim pieces after you've finished with the removable outer pieces. Once the interior has been removed, you can cut out any exterior body pieces that will have to be replaced, such as front or rear fenders and quarter panels. Step Five Rebuild your muscle car by starting with the outer body work, which may include using a MIG welder to repair holes or replace whole sections in areas such as the trunk and floorboards that are rusted out. Once the body is patched, you can re-hang the other restored outer pieces, including the doors, fenders and trunk lid. These pieces may be replaced if they aren't salvageable or welded back together using new pieces of metal similar to the areas on the body that were rust damaged. Step Six Install the new or rebuilt transmission, axles, engine, driveshaft, radiator, wheels and other engine components like the alternator, carburettor and starter. Again, you may need the assistance of an engine hoist to restore some of these larger pieces back onto your muscle car. Step Seven Repaint the outside of the car by sanding, priming and then painting it a racy color. You can do this yourself with the right equipment or take your muscle car to an auto body shop to have it done. Step Eight Finish up the exterior of the car by rewiring all of the headlights and taillights and reattaching the front and rear bumpers. You may also need to replace broken or cracked windows, including the windshield, which may also require re-chroming the outer trim on each of these. Step Nine Complete the restoration of your muscle car by finishing the interior, installing your re-upholstered seats and replacing any carpet, trim pieces, consoles and door panels. These interior pieces, especially the type of seats and trim, will vary depending on what make, model and year of the muscle car you are restoring. Tips & Warnings When looking for a muscle car to restore, lean towards those with the least amount of rust damage to the body. It's not too difficult to figure out how to replace a fender or two, but replacing large portions of the body is a lot more complicated. Newer models or those kept inside or otherwise protected from the elements may have less rust. If you aren't going for a completely authentic restoration, you will find there are ways to "upgrade" your muscle car and make it even better than the original. This is especially true with engine components. Be sure to try to salvage as much of the trim pieces as possible, as these are sometimes the most difficult pieces to replace on some classic muscle cars. Because of their continuing popularity, finding genuine parts for muscle cars is challenging, but not always impossible. However, some makes and models may be more difficult than others and you must be willing to compromise by using a part that's not so authentic.
5. believe it or not ,most people start out with old mustangs to re-store ,their a good car to learn on,and you can buy every piece of that car also,that's the good part of it,some cars you cant find replacement parts for,and that makes re-storing them really hard to do,id start with anything that you can find parts for,old Chevy's, are also easy to find parts for,and they sell good when their done,should you choose to sell it and do another one,good luck with it,its kind of fun to do,i have done about 20 complete restorations in the past several years,it takes a while to do one complete from the frame up,good luck.check this web site out to find a good project car at,they have plenty of them,http://classiccar.com/
6. Check the car magazine section at the bookstores there are good mags dealing with Classic Cars and some like Hemmings mag and catalogs-good luck
7. I would think a 1969 Camaro is a good car to start restoring, simply because there are so many 1969 Camaro parts available that you could pretty much build one from scratch out of all-new reproduction parts. No time spent searching junkyards or scanning through Ebay auctions or refurbishing old parts that you can't find replacements for. Just disassemble, buy some new parts, and put back together. Problem with that is, while it sure is simpler, it's also more expensive. For parts accessibility stick with the most popular cars. Camaros, Mustangs, Firebirds, Chargers, Chevelles, Malibus, etc. For car complexity, you can't go wrong with good old American muscle, either, with gaping engine bays and simple designs, they're pretty easy to work on. Now, if you need something cheaper, and you're willing to sacrifice some parts availability, go with an AMC. They're cheaper to buy, and you'll stand out more in an American, Classic, Javelin, AMX or Ambassador than you would in any of the more popular Bowties, Blue Ovals or Mopars.