by Rachelle de Bretagne

Created on: April 06, 2007   Last Updated: April 12, 2007

TIPS ON RESTORING CLASSIC CAR BODYWORK

When looking into the renovation of a classic car, knowing what adds value to your investment counts. People want authenticity, and knowing that you can afford to authentically restore a classic car really is essential, given materials available, costs and capability balances, and the largest issue of all, being budget.

BUDGETING

When you buy a classic car, be careful to inspect it thoroughly as you may miss important aspects that will impede the quality of finish. For example if panels do need work and repainting, try and establish whether you have sufficient money to cover those repairs. Your expertise plays a huge part since work that you can fulfill yourself will cut down costs, though the price and availability of materials needed in order to make the car authentic should be looked into. Are the classic colors still available from the manufacturer or elsewhere. Body shops can mix extremely good mixes, though the restoration process depends upon availability of those materials, and upon being able to afford workshop time in areas where you lack expertise.

ASSESSING DAMAGE

Many of the classic cars have removable panels on the inside of doors, and while these can be masked, you are safer if there is a way of removing the cloth or leather panels before spraying. Check the doors for quality of fit, and always be sure to find out if new catches are available to make those doors fit better. It really is too late if you haven't found out the availability of items that are essential before you start work. When checking body work, do check for areas where rust is well known, such as hinges, floor areas, wheel arches, and all those hidden areas in the trunk and engine compartment and the difficult out of sight places, because the discoveries you make really can make a difference. Flaking paint and bubbles have origins, and checking to see why these areas are damaged will help you assess what repairs are needed.

Check also by looking from a slight distance at the side of a vehicle for irregularities in the paint job that are giveaways that doors have been replaced.

READYING THE CAR FOR WORK

Be careful when you dismantle parts of a car, to keep all of the pieces, and to check the availability of those damaged pieces. Label things, be meticulous, and do take out panels that may become damaged during paintwork.

PREPARATION

Preparation of parts needing respray should be done with advice from a body shop. Many will be reasonable in price if

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