Restoring Automobiles
Article title: Restoring an old car or truck
Article keywords: restoring an old car or truck
Article body:
Restoring automobiles is the process of repairing worn out parts of an old vehicle to make it look like it is new and well functioning. At times, you may want to drive your own cat but the budget and the economy does not allow. The best option for you to take is to buy an old car or truck and restore it to a good condition. The process is equally expensive but there are some other benefits that you get from such cars and trucks. The primary objective of restoring old trucks and cars is to keep the historical value of that vehicle plus its components and assembly. Alternatively, one would want his/her old car to be restored because he/she wants to feel the joy of driving it. However, restoration may at times be challenging as some parts may be unavailable in the market.
Process
Repainting, reupholstering the interior or rebuilding the mechanical systems of the car, be it the transmission system, engine or the suspension does not mean that it has been restored. For you to restore an old car, you need to park it in an appropriate place and find the appropriate tools for the exercise then disassemble the entire vehicle till the last nut and bolt.
The body: You need to remove all the windows and other exterior parts. The manufacturer’s paint has to be stripped off to make the entire body bare. Metals with rust should be repaired and body filler used minimally in then invisible lows in laws of the metal sheet.
The paint: The original outer color should be maintained since altering the color-darkening or lightening, may make the restoration inaccurate despite the paint quality. The manufacturer’s paint color should be maintained during restoration.
The interior: The dashboard has to be disassembled and all the components cleaned and rebuilt. The same should apply to the upholstery kit and door panels. Moreover, the chrome knobs, handles and the chrome trim should be replaced if need be with all the weather-stripping being newly installed.
Mechanicals: in this stage, you need to replace the steering components, the breaking system, and every suspension that wears off with new standard parts. Parts like the steering box which do not have to be replaced may be rebuilt back to normal tolerances.
Engine: The original specifications of the car need to be maintained and external upgrades like the lightweight pistons, three-angle valve cut, forged connecting rods and the high lift camshafts are acceptable since they are invisible after assembly. However, parts such as the carburetor, alternator, exhaust header and air cleaners need not to be modified.
Electrics: The existing ribbed plastic coverings and wiring harness should not be retapped. The wiring should have the original standard exterior material regardless of the vinyl covering. No conversions should be done on the alternator especially if the vehicle was initially fitted with a generator.
Reassembly: The final step is re-installing the engine to the frame, wheels, fitting the body to the frame as well as rechecking and testing.
As mentioned earlier, restoration takes a lot of time and money. You need to ensure that you have enough money to pay the professionals and buy spare parts as well as other accessories. If you do not have time to restoration, you may opt to buy an already restored one. For instance, restoring an old Chevy Silverado will need spare parts that are expensive top buy and take a lot of time to repair. To reduce the cost, you can do it yourself and engage experts where need be.
