by Colette Rivest

Created on: April 09, 2007   Last Updated: April 15, 2007

Tips on Restoring Classic Car Bodywork

There's no better feeling than that of driving a newly-restored classic car down the streets of your home town. All eyebrows are raised and all heads turn in your direction.
Old men reminisce and young men look on green with envy. The attention that you, the Average Joe, are normally unaccustomed to seems to zero in on you

This was the experience that my fianc, Lance and I realized one summer upon completion of his 1971 Dodge Dart Swinger. It was a true labor of love. It took ten years of extensive research, sleepless nights, a lot of money (I'm not kidding you!), and of course, the patience of Job, which Lance will admit he does not have a lot of. He'll also tell you however, that it was worth every minute invested.

When the "Old Girl" was dragged home from a field, she looked like something that should have been a character in a Stephen King movie. The driver's side door was hanging, every panel on the car had been smashed, there was a fungus growing on the roof, it had become the refugee camp for rodents of all shapes in sizes, and man did it stink inside!

I had become accustomed to cars coming in and leaving his auto body shop but, this particular project was a special one. Over the next little while I learned a great deal about the trade, specifically about the care, love and hard work involved in the restoration of a true classic automobile.

Here are a few tips I've learned along the way

First off if you're going to restore an antique car, restore it yourself. You can get help from friends and advice from professionals, but in order to achieve
ultimate pride from a restoration, it means getting YOUR hands dirty.

*It is very important that you wear all protective clothing including masks, eyewear and gloves. The chemicals used are very toxic. *

In cases like our 1971 Swinger, the major thing you need to do is tear it down and see what you have to work with. Unfortunately, with the "Old Girl" there was not very much, but the main structure was sound. This was very important because she was a unibody car.

Next, make a detailed list of what you have to do. Lance's list contained names of parts needed, where to go to find them, and, of course, what the parts would cost.

If possible, acquire a detailed diagram of all the measurement points of the car.

When it comes to welding panels, do each panel one at a time, measuring twice, cutting once (this lowers the risk of a miscalculation). Carefully weld each panel into its proper

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