How to Rebuild Old Cars

Restoring old cars gives you the opportunity to express your creativity in multiple ways.

People are fascinated by old cars. Regardless of the reason, there is a certain draw for many people in rebuilding an auto from the past. Whether your passion is old Ford trucks, Chevrolet muscle cars, or early model Jeeps, there a several steps that you can follow to restore the car of your dreams.

Things You'll Need

• Compression tester
• Aftermarket exhaust system
• Body filler
• Fiberglass
• Sandpaper
• New wheels
• New tires
• New radio
• New speakers

Instructions

1. Decide the degree to which you want to restore the car. Do you simply want to make the car road worthy, are you more interested in a full, body-off restoration, or somewhere in between? Each of these options carries certain advantages and disadvantages. A full restoration can be extremely expensive, but will produce a car that is worth a good deal of money and will continue to increase in value. A more cost effective approach is to only repair or replace the components that you will need to dive the car.

2. Address the engine. Without a dependable engine, a car is useless. Determine if you can merely freshen up the engine with a new carburetor and intake, or if you need to remove the engine and rebuild it. Use a compression tester to determine the relative quality of your engine. Each cylinder should have 140-160 pounds of compression and no more than ten percent variation between the cylinders.

3. 

   If you have a high horsepower motor, you might need to purchase a heavy duty transmission.

   Analyze the transmission. Does the car shift through all of the gears properly? If so, clean the transmission and change the fluid. If the transmission does not shift through each gear without problems, you will need to remove it and have a transmission shop rebuild it.

4. 

   The larger the diameter of the pipe, the louder the exhaust will be.

   Install aftermarket exhaust. One of the most pronounced notes of creativity in a car restoration project is the choice of exhaust. The tone of your exhaust system, whether aggressive or mellow, will dictate performance and how people perceive your car.

5. 

   Larger tires tend to make a car look strong while smaller tires are thought of as sportier.

   Replace the wheels and tires. Choose a design for your wheels that match the overall looks of your car. Likewise, pair the height and proportional width of the tires with the wheels and stance of your car.

6. Replace any cracked or damaged glass.

7. Repair or replace damaged body parts. If cost is not an issue, buy new sheet metal body parts to replace old, corroded ones. If, however, cost is an issue, use body filler, fiberglass, and sandpaper to repair damaged panels.

8. Remove all emblems and decals from the car. Sand it with fine sandpaper to prep for painting.

9. Paint the car. This is, perhaps, one of the most defining choices in the entire restoration process. Choose a color that matches your vision for the car.

10. Repair or replace any worn out or damaged interior parts such as seats, kick panels, or consoles.

11. Install a new radio and speakers.

Tips & Warnings

• The two biggest suppliers of aftermarket car parts in north America are Summit Racing and Jegs Performance Automotive Parts. Both have fair prices, but one is usually slightly lower than other depending on the part.

References

• "The Complete Idiot's guide to Restoring Collector's Cars"; Tom Benford; 2004
• "How to Restore Your Muscle Car"; Greg Donahue and Paul Zazarine; 2005
• "How to Restore Your Collector Car"; Tom Brownell; 1999
• "How to Repair and Restore Body Work"; David H. Jacobs; 1991

Resources

• Summit Racing Equipment
• Jegs Performance Automotive Parts