You finally got your dream classic car and can’t wait to get on the road. The only problem is your classic beauty needs restoration to get running. Should you bring your classic car to a restoration shop or do it yourself?

Even if you’re a master mechanic, fixing up a classic car is tricky. If you want to show the car, often original parts are necessary to maintain “classic” car status. A professional restoration specialist will help you find original and appropriate parts to truly restore your classic ride. Having a professional restoration can mean the difference between showing your car or simply using it for pleasure.

Another issue when restoring classic cars is using the right automotive tools for the job. If you are able to find authentic car parts on your own, will you have the necessary tools to install them? Having a professional on call makes it easier to complete your car once the restoration parts arrive. Restoration specialists have access to all the tools required to complete the job correctly.

Whether you choose to take your classic vehicle to a restoration shop or do it yourself, you still need to keep tools on hand. Older vehicles require ongoing maintenance and regular adjustments. It is easier and less expensive to have tools on hand to make minor adjustments and repairs on your own. A specialty automotive company will sell the garage essentials required to keep your classic engine humming.

If you decide to restore your classic car on your own, have all the original manuals handy to refer to for the right parts and procedures. Exterior and interior detailing are part of restoring your classic vehicle. Your classic car should look beautiful and run flawlessly to challenge the competition.

Another element of classic car restoration is prevention. Special coatings and processes are used on classic cars to prevent rust and keep the vehicle in top shape. Preventative maintenance helps to save you from making major, costly repairs down the road.

Finally, your fluids and tires must also be in perfect order. Classic car tires make the package complete. Top quality tires should be securely mounted on authentic rims for maximum visual appeal. All fluids should be fresh and at the appropriate levels.

There are many elements to consider when restoring a classic truck, hot rod or antique car. Parts must be original or authentic. Certain tools are required to repair classic vehicles. Exterior and interior maintenance must be performed with suitable products that won’t harm delicate older materials. Automotive work must be done in a clean area away from direct sunlight. Many classic car owners combine professional restoration with home maintenance to keep their vehicles in optimum condition.

By: Alice Lane

About the Author:
Whether you’re looking for the perfect restoration shop or durable automotive tools to do the job yourself, ClassicCars.com has everything you need to create a timeless treasure. Right down to classic car tires all your needs are available online at ClassicCars.com.

I am sure we all enjoy viewing a classic motor car that has been restored, but what is a classic car? I guess it is a bit like defining an elephant, I struggle to define it, but I know one when I see one.

Yes it all becomes a bit fuzzy when we have to make a definition. One website I visited mentions that it must be a ‘lady of a certain age’! I guess the lady bit is referring to the vehicle (apologies to the ladies).

If you do your research you can find some characteristics that are common when people are seeking to define a classic car. We must remember of course that this is only one of the many starting points to classic motor car restoration.

If you are intending to show the vehicle then it of course plays much more importance, whereas if you are undertaking a restoration just for your own personal satisfaction then you can define your classic car just as you wish.

Some of the more common characteristics we find floating around the net, for defining a classic motor vehicle, are:

· It should be built before 1948

· Asking price is in the order of ten to one hundred times the original price of the car

· Distinctive styling, innovative and attractive

· Seeking to have historic preservation of the original

· Innovative or trend setting engineering

· Value or desirability

· Supporting documentation, such as maintenance records and sales contracts

Of course the above list is not exhaustive and you can find other characteristics, but the above list is a reasonable starting point. The Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) is an excellent association for us that are enthused with classic cars and their restoration.

And of course the USA has a wonderful history of classic cars to choose from, being one of the founders of the development of the modern mass produced motor vehicle. Henry Ford and the model T are legendary.

To define your classic motor car you need to first sit down and consider the purpose of your classic car restoration (or purchase). From this you can work out if you need to satisfy your criteria or someone else’s.

Also available on the net is many books to help you both understand the history of your classic restoration and how to go about it. You can never have too much information when you are dealing with the history of classic motor vehicle.

By: Paul Guy

About the Author:
For all the latest news and information on Classic Car Restoration.

I’ve been racking my brain once again on a subject to write about this time, and you guys know that my favorite two cars to talk about are the first generation camaro, and the second generation corvette, specifically the 1967 corvette, and it seems that my brain has taken a leave of absence, will it return, nobody knows.

You know that I spend a lot of time trying to help you guys, and girls not get ripped off on a classic car purchase, I hear about it all the time, and it disturbs me to the point that I would like to go and meet the person who ripped you off so I can do an article about them on all of our web sites, unfortunately enough people get scammed all the time on classic car purchases, and on the restoration of them.

I’m going to tell you a little story about a shop that here in Salt Lake, all though I won’t tell you their name, I don’t want to hear from any attorneys over this article, so I can’t say who it is, but it’s a disturbing story, and the only reason that I’m going to repeat ii is to possibly save one of our readers a bit of agony, I hope that it can help at least one person.

The story begins with a doctor here in our city taking his Plymouth valiant to be restored, and that things that happened to him during the ordeal, I would hope that this is not a common thing, but I don’t like to hear these things, so I will relay it it hops of saving one of our loyal readers from the same type of thing, it’s not pretty, so get ready.

This old boy decides to take his baby to the shop for a restoration, and he gets all of the details worked out, and delivers it to the shop, if he’s like most of us, the excitement of getting his car restored is surging through his body, he’s feeling all giddy after finding just the right shop to restore his car, he has checked them out, and has heard good things about them, he has worked out the time that it will take to get the job done, and knows what he wants.

The work begins on the car, and at the first things are going a long smooth, just as he expected them too, but somewhere during the process that owner of the car sees something that he doesn’t like happening with the restoration of the car, and he contacts the owner of the shop to see what can be done to fix the issue, after chatting with the owner of the shop they come to the conclusion that the car needs to issue needs to be fixed, this is where things go south on the owner of the car.

The owner of the shop, for whatever reason makes his restoration techs redo the entire car, and at this point charges the owner of the car again for the work on his car, and some how hides it in the paperwork to make it seem right, this happened not once, or even twice, but four times, and every time charging the owner of the car again, to the tune of $400,000 dollars, and the owner had no idea what was going on, one of my friends ran in to the owner of this car at a show, and was asking him about the restoration.

The owner told him this while they were chatting about the car, my buddy is the owner of another restoration shop here in Salt Lake, and has had a lot of his cars in shows, and has never done this to a customer, it is a disturbing thing to hear, and I don’t enjoy hearing it, it makes our entire industry look like scam artists and rip offs, I’m here to assure you this is not the case. most shops are fair and honest with their customers, but like any industry we have our bad apples, and if you find one, just pull you car from their shop, and get your money back.

It’s your right to make 100% sure that your getting the best quality restoration work that is possible on your car, it’s the shop’s job to disclose everything that is happening on the restoration of your car, it’s their job to make sure that you get what you came there for, and nothing less, their job is to produce a quality restoration that is at least to factory specs, and it’s the same for hot rod work, or customs, it just doesn’t matter what they tell you, you should always get what you want, if you ask them for a show car, then it should be show quality work, if you ask them to build a driver, then that is what they should do.

A classic car restoration is about what you want, and nothing less, it’s about you, and about your car, and getting it restored, or customized just the way that you want it, it’s about being proud to show off your new old car, it’s about a love for your car, and about a quality job, and nothing less.

Muscle Car Community Auto Shop Advertising Muscle Cars

By: David Atkin

About the Author:
I’ve been in the automotive business for about 20 or 25 years, I have worked in all facets of the industry, from parts to restoration, all different makes and models, I just want to keep people interested in the old cars because it’s where my heart is.

http://autorevival.com

Classic car restoration

]]> http://lesliejwest.com/classic-car-restoration-a-quick-guide-to-restoring-your-classic-british-sports-car/feed 0 http://lesliejwest.com/home-grown-hero-classic-car-restoration http://lesliejwest.com/home-grown-hero-classic-car-restoration#comments Sun, 29 Aug 2010 18:02:38 +0000 440 Hemi http://lesliejwest.com/home-grown-hero-classic-car-restoration

Like everything in life one considers embarking on there must be a purpose. Whether it be a passion, a goal or a desire there needs to be a driving force within otherwise at the first challenge (do not consider them problems or your project is dead before it starts) you will give up. Also be mindful that doing something just to make money is never a strong enough passion, the first loss and you will give up.

So restoring a classic car starts with the correct attitude, and that is no different for everything in life that we consider undertaking. The suggestion is that it is 80% mindset and 20% doing.

How do I decide what classic to restore? Well start with your passions, or own personal situation. This includes why you wish to restore a motor vehicle. For some the particular vehicle or model is of no great consequence as the desire may be a hobby.

For others they may have fond memories of an uncle or parents motor vehicle and have a desire to recreate the past experience. This may even be the original classic car is still in the family and available for restoration.

In the good old USA we have many home grown classics we can consider for restoration. Perusing classic car magazines is an excellent way to start your journey.

What I am suggesting is that right here in America’s own backyard are all the classics you can ever think of for your classic car restoration project, yes a home grown hero! Just remember you need to have the passion to finish what you have started as it is a long slow unrewarding journey and only the hardy will succeed.

Some of the homegrown heroes you can consider are something like the ’68 Camaro Z/28 RS, a 73 Challenger, an Oldsmobile ’66 4-4-2 L69, and the ’67 Firebird convertible, a ’69 Mustang or the ’67 Chevelle convertible. They are just a few inspirations whilst scanning through a classic car magazine. Not to forget such other classics as the Ford Fairlane or a 1968 Torino GT, the list is endless

And of course the other more modern option is surfing the net to find your homegrown hero to restore. The opportunities for restoring classics are only limited by your imagination and your budget. Both the vehicle and the parts can be sourced via the net, you can place the order directly or if you prefer you can then go and visit the company and check for your own satisfaction.

Remember it is a hobby and a passion so there is nothing wrong with wanting to visit and see your intended purchase and enjoy what you are doing.

But as mentioned first of all before you commence on your Chrysler, Ford or Chevrolet (or any other home grown hero) restoration get the mindset or attitude part sorted. Where your heart is your treasure will be also.

By: Paul Guy

About the Author:
For the latest news and information on Classic Car Restoration.

Chromium is a hard blue white metal, has a brilliant luster used as a plating on other metals. Chrome bumpers, car body trim, motorcycles, bicycles, Boats rigging’s, Bath and Tap ware as well as tons of kitchen appliances are all examples of chrome plating.

The chrome is a think layer protecting a much thicker layer of Nickel, which makes Chrome appear Silver. Indeed it’s not always easy to tell chrome plating from other finishes if the items are not side by side. When a decorative chrome electroplated finish sits right next to another bright finish, however, the other finish usually won’t compare very favorably.

Chrome can be restored to a beautiful lustre and shine. Here’s some what tos and what not tos to help you make your chrome shine like the professionals.

Clean your chrome first

Always wash in sudsy water. Rinse and wipe to restore the shine

Don’t scour your chrome

Never use abrasive cleaners, wire wall, sandpaper or scouring pads to restore your chrome as it will scratch and dull the surface revealing the Nickel below. If your chrome is scoured or worn back to Nickel or bare metal you will have to take it to a reputable chrome plating shop there see below.

Make surface rust spots disappear in seconds!

If your chrome has surface rust marks try using kitchen foil dampened with Coke, the rust will disappear before your eyes! If your part has too much rust or the rust has eaten into the chrome and even the metal below you will need to take it to a reputable chrome plating shop – see list below.

Remove grease and grime in seconds

Try using soft cloth dipped in un-diluted White Vinegar or Cider Vinegar to restore your chrome. For worse deposits of grease of gummy residue soak in a bucket or small tub, remove and rub with a cloth, or paper towel.

How to remove swirl marks

After you have cleaned your chrome, if it is hazy, has swirl marks or residue try using a soft cloth and baking soda or Lime to colour it and shine. Flower works well too.

Baby Oil can give your Chrome a Show Glow!

Baby oil can also be used to get your chrome shinning! Put some on a soft cloth and polish to a glow. Make sure you polish the residue off to limit it’s ability to attract dust and dirt.

Fabric softener sheets will also work wonders on chrome!

Use new or used fabric softener sheets to restore the chrome-plated fixtures in your bathroom and kitchen. The chrome will sparkle like new!

Use a professional Chrome Polish and Restorer

There are some very good polishes made especially for chrome. If you can’t find any locally try searching on Google for Chrome Polish.

Getting your chrome restored by a professional chrome plating shop

If you still can’t get the world class shine your looking for, go to a reputable chrome plating or chroming company. They will strip your old chrome, polish up your parts to a flawless mirror and then give it a triple coat of copper, nickel and chrome giving your part that show like finish your looking for. Getting your chrome work re-plated before it gets too eroded by the elements in key to getting a great re-plating finish. Although many Chroming shops will take your rusty, tired and eroded chrome work often more than not the final results can sometimes be displeasing. Chrome Plating is a science to its own. Any no matter how many coats of copper or chrome they apply chemical reactions caused by oxidization deep in the metal from letting the chrome work go to far can cause all sorts of nasty pits in your finished results. If you want great results get your chrome work re-done as soon as it starts to fade and before the rust takes hold.

By: Martin Webb

About the Author:
Martin Webb
http://www.ashfordchroming.com

Martin Webb is Owner of the Kentish based Chroming and Polishing shop that serves Motorcycle and Classic Car enthusiasts worldwide.

The most literal meaning of restoring a car is to send the car back to the factory, but a better idea is to transform your car into your dream car when you send it for restoration. The aspect of restoration and painting of cars has seen a dramatic change during the last few years, as totally new measures are used. In most places, while restoring classic cars, companies tend to upgrade the brakes, suspension systems, and steering of the car as well.

This will help your classic car to operate smoothly and safely. In fact, if you upgrade to a factory crate engine it will surely give you a factory warranty and it will last longer.

The best part about classic car restoration is that even a 1960′s model can transcend into a brand new car. In terms of classic car restoration, the internal parts and accessories get changed totally and you will have freshly replaced body work, paint work and even a new windshield if required.

Your most loved classic car will be totally refurbished after the car restoration process. While using auto body fillers on the car, primer should be used first and you should strictly avoid plastic fillers or paint. With a car that’s in a better condition you will need to work less. Old cars fitted with mechanical brakes have a less chance of facing brake failure.

Regarding classic car restoration, giving a proper finishing is very important to make it look presentable. To smooth the rough body of the car, 40 grit sand paper is a great option to use. You should get an extended sanding board; probably 3-12 inches in length. Load it with 80 grit sand paper, and you will have to get the 40 grit sand paper scratches removed from it. As you sand the body of the car, you should mask the car and spray it with feather fill.

As you allow the feather fill to dry up, you can start sanding it, and on a long board, use the 80-grit paper. Lastly, you can sand the car using 180 grit sand paper, after which you can finally apply a primer.

By: Bob Rutledge

About the Author:
Bob Rutledge is the owner of MicroManaged Media, Inc., a search engine marketing company specializing in achieving top organic listings in search engines for Houston air conditioning web sites. Yellow pages, cost per click and old media methods of advertising will no longer provide the ROI required. Organic search engine marketing can produce profitable results. Call 770-875-3589 or visit our web site to learn more.

Motor bikes are an economical way of traveling. They consume less gas and can travel more. It is estimated that a motorbike can travel a distance of around 40-60 miles in one gallon. Small scooters can even travel a distance of 90 miles per gallon. In today’s economic crisis that has affected almost every individual, motorbikes can be a good option for saving money.

This has increased the sales of motorbikes. People are repairing their bikes which they had dump in their garage or store.

Some useful steps in repairing your bike are as follows:

Check fuel: Some people dump their bikes without using the fuel stabilizer. If this is the case with you then you need to empty the tanks, clean it well and then pour the new fuel in the tank. After pouring the fuel now start the bike. Pour some fuel in the ignition as well.

Oil check: You also need to check the fuel. If you hadn’t changed the oil then you should change the oil.

Checking battery: Check the terminals of battery and clean it if you see any carbon with the terminals. Is should not be corroded. Make sure that the battery is fully charged and replace the battery if it’s dead or not working.

Examining chain: Chain should be in proper condition and replace them if they are corroded. This is because they make the back wheels to move. You should check the chain for following.

Tension in chain; the chain should not be too loose or too tight. Check it by moving left, right, up and down.

Condition of front and wheel sprocket teeth; teeth should be smooth and there should not be any waves on them. If there is, then you need to buy new sprockets.Chain’s should not be too loose or too tight. Check if there is any sign of wear. Pull the chain left and right one inch to make sure that the tension is right.

Before lubricating the chain, make sure that you have removed all the dirt from it. After removing the dirt lubricate it properly.

Lubricate the chain properly and clean extra lubricant from the chain.

Adjust the tension of the chain. Move the chain to and fro and then adjust the tension as required.

Level of fluid: Check properly the brake, the clutch and the coolant levels. Replace the missing container and try to use the same company that you used before. Do not change the company. After the fluid is poured in the bike, start it and keep it start for few minutes so that the oil is well distributed in the engine.

Tires and suspension: Make sure that you have checked everything before riding the bike. Also check the tires of the bike. They should not be flat and check the air level in the tires before going on a ride. You should be careful in checking each and every part of the bike to prevent any mishap!

By: Usman Ishfaq Qureshi

About the Author: