Get an inventory of the basic elements of classic car restoration work: engine work, bodywork, paintwork, and adding trim and moldings

Classic car restoration projects can quickly become obsessions. Purchasing a vehicle that requires restoration is an excellent way of laying your hands on a classic car and there are a large number of tasks that can be carried out without the need for professional help.

Engines

It is highly unlikely that your restoration project will arrive with a fully-working engine. As with any other form of vehicle restoration, the true enthusiast will want every aspect of the vehicle looking as original as possible. The market for classic cars offers a number of alternatives for this and there are a large number of parts dealers that specialize in providing original parts for this type of vehicle. These dealers can be easily located in specialist classic car magazines or on the Internet.

As an alternative, there are now companies that supply patterned engine parts for classic cars with the original company branding marks already added. This gives the impression of new parts being completely original and serves to create an authentic feel on your classic car.

Bodywork

One of the biggest tasks you are likely to encounter during any restoration project is the bodywork. As well as having to deal with the usual array of dents and scratches, it is also very likely that vulnerable areas of the classic car will be the victim of corrosion. Although it is entirely possible to use acidic rust treatments on small areas, larger areas of metal corrosion need to be removed so that new metal plates can be welded in. This is particularly common around wheel arches and along sill panels and requires a high level of skill.

Dents should be removed as much as possible using a flip, hammer and dolly. Any remaining depressions should be rectified with body filler. The great thing about body filler is that it can be easily rubbed out so that more can be added if you get the shape slightly wrong while sanding.

Paintwork

Only the most adventurous classic car restoration enthusiasts should try to paint the vehicle themselves. Any finishing touches to body repairs and the entire paint job should be passed into the hands of a professional paint sprayer.

Always aim to keep colors original when completing a restoration project. As well as preserving the spirit and appearance of your classic car, it will also help your project retain its value in the event of any subsequent sale.

Trim and Moldings

Always use original trim and moldings to give your classic car that perfect finishing touch. Headlamp surrounds, door handles, badges and fenders all add to the final appearance, but keeping trim as original as possible will not always be easy.

Although magazines and the Internet will undoubtedly find you a few spares, one of the best places to find trim and moldings for your classic car is at specialist shows held on a regular basis throughout the country. Classic car enthusiasts use these shows to pick up a few cosmetic bargains. Because everybody present has a vested interest in restoration work, the chances of getting ripped off are pretty remote.

A Guide to Antique Car Restoration

Take a realistic approach and a holistic view before you embark on the project of restoring the antique car. Shop around, do research and prepare a realistic budget over time to bring about a positive result.

The most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to car restoration DIY projects is that very few things will really be as simple as you think they will. When you are preparing for the restoration, a well thought out plan of attack is the best approach.

Take Stock

Do a thorough inspection, taking notes, going over the vehicle one section at a time. Take stock of the condition of the body parts, interior, electrical, engine, exhaust, suspension and frame.

Prepare a Monthly Schedule

Antique car restoration is a big task. To avoid getting bogged down with lots of work, create short term tasks and strive to complete them within the deadlines you set. Begin with what you know the best.

Get Estimates from a Professional

There will be situations when you need to hire professionals to get the work done. This will obviously save you time, but it will also save money. Multiple attempts to complete a task you are not up for will cost you more and more. Make a list of such elements and get estimates from more than one person so you can get the best deal.

Disassemble

Once you have a plan of attack, start any disassembling that needs to happen. For some, this will be a complete tear down of the vehicle, bolt by bolt, to the frame. Regardless of the level of tear down, take a detailed inventory of all parts that need some kind of work. As they are removed from the vehicle, write them down and note if they are to be repaired or replaced. Take photographs, keep detailed notes and index the items. Working in the same order in which you’ve already made notes on the different sections of the car will help keep you organized. You will need these lists later when you are ready to start ordering parts.

Scout for Help

If you personally do not know another car enthusiast, don’t be afraid. Today, access to all kinds of information has been revolutionized with the Internet. You will find loads of information ranging from varieties of cars, their parts, where to find them and how to fix them online. There are books and magazines as well that can be of great help to you on this subject.

Work Hard for Your Dream

As you begin the restoration work, three things hold the key to success: be organized, be patient and be knowledgeable. Take small steps to avoid frustration and remain motivated.

Classic Car Restoration on a Budget

If you wish to complete your car restoration project without spending a lot of money, follow the tips below.

Find the Right Car

To begin, look for a vehicle that can be easily repaired. Contact various salvage car dealers and junk yards to find a vehicle that suits your budget and preference. Buying the cheapest salvage vehicle isn’t the best idea. If the vehicle has a severely damaged frame, or if the vehicle is extremely rusted, you will incur additional expenses to get it restored. In order to avoid such hassles, have the car inspected by a trained mechanic so that you know if it’s really worth buying and restoring.

A vehicle that has been partly restored may be easier to work with. Look at all your options and join online car forums to find out if anyone has a project car for sale.

Seek out Discount Parts

After you’ve purchased the vehicle, look for automobile spares and parts online. There are several auto parts wholesalers online, who will sell you car parts at discounted rates. You could also contact junk yards to get replacement parts for cheap. Consider using aftermarket car parts particularly for car hoses and belts. This will significantly lower the cost of your restoration project.

Some good websites to research include CheapAutoParts.com and Car Parts Wholesale. You can also find step by step guides, to auto restoration and repair.

Do It Yourself

The key to completing a car restoration project on a budget is to carry out the repairs on your own. Although you may have to learn a lot about the entire process as you go, you can look for free online tutorials and do-it-yourself techniques to help you out. If you feel that any given task is too difficult to accomplish on your own, ask friends to assist you.

Buy Only the Tools You Need

Different steps in the process require different tools. Get the tools you need for each step as the need arises and buy nothing that isn’t essential. You can also look for online deals when shopping for specific tools such as grinders and welders. Compare the price offered by several hardware shops, in order to take advantage of the lowest price.

Reuse as Much as You Can

Use tried and tested techniques to clean parts and bolts. This will not only prevent you from purchasing unnecessary replacement parts but also increase the re-sale value of your vehicle.

The bottom line is not to rush the project. You have been dreaming of this car, probably for a good amount of time. If you approach the restoration thoughtfully and with some planning, you will achieve the shining dream that you have for the car.

Dr. Phil is a classic car lover and he recently had his beloved ’57 Chevy stolen while getting the trans repaired…thankfully his $100k+ baby was recovered,  read more below:

–Dr. Phil has been REUNITED with his stolen ’57 Chevy … TMZ has learned cops recovered the $100,000 ride after it was jacked from a repair shop earlier this year.

Some scumbag (or scumbags) smashed into an auto repair shop in Burbank back in August while Phil was having the transmission serviced … and made off with the car.

Cops launched an investigation … and this morning, law enforcement tracked down the car in Burbank at 7:25 AM … INTACT … with minimal damage.

We’re told cops have arrested several suspects — who they believe have been pulling the same stunt at vehicle repair shops all over town … jacking multiple classic rides in the process.

Sources say … at least 14 different classic cars have been recovered during the investigation.

We reached out to Phil who said, “I can’t say enough about the LA County Sheriff’s Department and of the LAPD Trap West – particularly, Detective George Molina. Their tireless efforts and hard work resulted in the in-tact recovery of my car and the arrest of some prolific car thieves.”

Phil added, “Many thought that my ’57 Chevy was just a memory, but I had faith in LA’s finest.  This is just one more in a really long line of reasons that I am and always have been a passionate and outspoken supporter of our men and women in law enforcement.  We don’t thank them enough. I’ll hug a cop every chance I get this month!” (info provided by tmz.com)

Check out similar 1957 Chevys on http://www.allcollectorcars.com/listing-list/?term=57+chevy&zipcode=&distance=3000

This 1 of 10, 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spyder sells for an astounding $27,000,000 YES twenty seven million dollars! List price when it was new was around $15k. After this sale it makes your average $350,000 Ferrari look like a bargain LOL. Some auctions sell upwards of $27 million over the course of a weekend but with the help beaut RM had a great showing! Auctioneers estimated that this car would sell between $14 – $17 million…I guess they were a little off but I don’t think the seller cared to much in this instance.

“The 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4*S NART Spyder’s price was the most paid at auction for the Italian carmaker anywhere in the world and the most for any car bought at a U.S. public sale.

“The NART Spyder is a very special car,” the U.K.-based dealer John Collins, who was the underbidder at the RM Auctions event, said in a telephone interview. “They’re so rare. They’re among the most beautiful of all Ferraris. Some of the biggest collectors in the world own one, and Steve McQueen tried to buy this one after he crashed his,” said Collins, of the Telacrest dealership.

Classic Ferrari racers from the 1950s and 1960s are the world’s most consistently valuable motor cars, dominating both the auction and private market. Prices for the marque’s investment-grade road cars have surged in 2013. The HAGI F index of collectible Ferraris has climbed 34.3 percent this year through July, according to the London-based analysts, the Historic Automobile Group International.

The RM event forms part of a bellwether series of classic car sales on the West Coast that also includes high-value selections from Gooding & Co. and Bonhams.

Estimated by RM at $14 million to $17 million, the Ferrari had been entered by family of the late North Carolina businessman Eddie Smith Sr., the car’s one and only owner.

The NART Spyder — named after the North American Racing Team — was the brainchild of Luigi Chinetti, Ferrari’s North American importer. Only 10 were built.

Canadian fashion entrepreneur Lawrence Stroll, a motor racing enthusiast, was bidding in the room via an intermediary, dealers said, who also identified Stroll as the buyer.

An after-hours call to Stroll’s New York office to confirm the purchase was not immediately returned. Stroll built Tommy Hilfiger into a global brand in the 1990s.

Proceeds of the sale of the Ferrari will be donated to charity, RM said.

The price, which included fees, was the second-highest for any car at a public sale after the 19.6 million pounds ($29.7 million) given for a 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 that Juan Manuel Fangiodrove to two Grand Prix victories, sold by Bonhams in Goodwood, U.K., on July 12.

The actress Faye Dunaway described another example of the NART Spyder as “one of those red Italian things” when it appeared in the 1968 movie, “The Thomas Crown Affair.”

Dunaway’s co-star, Steve McQueen, was also among the first owners of the exclusive convertible that would have cost about $15,000 at the time, dealers said.

Ferraris from the 1950s and ’60s sold this year include two 250 GT models that raised $8.25 million and $8.1 million at Gooding and RM respectively at sales in Arizona in January.

The market for classic cars continues to expand. This latest California series of auctions, which ends tonight, is estimated to exceed $325 million, a record for the series, according to Michigan-based analysts Hagerty. Last year RM, Gooding and Bonhams raised in excess of $220 million, a 33 percent increase on 2011.

The previous record for any car sold at auction in the U.S. was the $16.4 million paid for a 1957 Testa Rossa prototype at Gooding in California in August 2011.

The record price paid for any car remains the $35 million given in a private transaction in June 2012 for a 1962 Ferrari GTO 250 racer made for the U.K. driver Stirling Moss, traders confirmed to Bloomberg.

“California sets the temperature of the market,” Simon Kidston, founder of the Geneva-based classic car adviser Kidston SA, said before yesterday’s sale. “The rarest classic cars are selling extremely well and the prices are just going in one direction. Ferraris have become the equivalent of Google stock. (GOOG)”
Muse highlights include Manuela Hoelterhoff on arts, Catherine Hickley on German art, James Clash on adventure, James Russell on architecture and John Mariani on wine.

(info provided by autos.yahoo.com)

Search for a Ferrari on http://www.allcollectorcars.com/listing-list/?term=ferrari 

Pretty unique huh? What 3 cars inspired this work of art?

Melding design elements from different Chevy models, the 789 shows the world that you really can’t have enough of a good thing. Although the 789 looks instantly iconic, it is actually the best of three classics mounted atop a Le Mans-winning Corvette C6 chassis. Aptly named for the three years represented in the overall design, the 789 has the “hooded eyes”and chrome grille of a ’57, a mid-section that’s reminiscent of a ’58 Impala and the “bird in flight” rear tailfins of a ’59. These three Vehicles are all instantly recognizable classics celebrated by people around the world.

Owning and operating a classic car often proves difficult. Rarity of parts, expertise needed for installation, and potentially high upkeep or restoration costs are some of the problems with which collectors must deal. All of the money in the world spent to modify or modernize a vintage car will not change the reliability or performance problems associated with it. The 789 offers the best of both worlds: retro looks and styling, and it will fire up every time you turn the key. The body is constructed of lightweight composite panels. They have developed a process of using 80% carbon composite with 20% fiberglass. This process gives them a light weight rigid part as if it was 100% carbon composite with the minimal properties of fiberglass that allows for show quality paint and finish.

The customer can either provide them with a donor C5 series (1997 -2004) or C6 series (2005-current) Corvette, which currently retails for approximately $65,000 (though used models can be had for less), they can locate one for you or you can find one at http://www.allcollectorcars.com/listing-grid/?term=corvette. After stripping the ‘Vette of its stock body, they hand-graft the retro body panels over the stock frame, suspension, and massive 440-horsepower, 6.0-liter aluminum-block V8 engine. A full range of upgrades are available, including up to 800 hp powertrains, custom suspension, audio/video/navigation systems, interior customization, and more. They will build each 789 to meet the customer’s specifications. However, please note that no previously built combination of paint scheme and interior treatment will be duplicated. (info provided by n2amotors.com)

How it all started…

Grass Roots, Revered Pavement, World Stage

Did you know that the Woodward Dream Cruise actually started as a small fundraiser to raise money for a soccer field in Ferndale, Michigan?

In August 1995, Nelson House and a group of volunteers looked to relive and recreate the nostalgic heydays of the 50s and 60s, when youth, music and Motor City steel roamed Woodward Avenue, America’s first highway. That year, 250,000 people participated—nearly ten times the number expected. The rest, as they say, is history.

Today, the Woodward Dream Cruise is the world’s largest one-day automotive event, drawing 1.5 million people and 40,000 classic cars each year from around the globe—from as far away as New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the former Soviet Union. North American cruisers from California, Georgia, Canada and all points in between caravan to Metro Detroit to participate in what has become, for many, an annual rite of summer. (info provided by woodwarddreamcruise.com)

See some of the cars that will attend the cruise at www.AllCollectorCars.com

Will GM bring back the Chevelle? If they do they better follow the trends set (Mustang, Challenger, Camaro) or even go one step further…don’t bother bringing back a name without the car aka the Dodge Dart (HA HA HA) GM should open their designs to the real car guys, let the true enthusiasts have a say…tell Mr. Corporate America we got this!

Browse Chevelles at http://www.allcollectorcars.com/listing-grid/?term=chevelle

How real are these concepts?

OR

The REAL BUILDERS/CAR DESIGNERS

Event Schedule & Pricing Info-

Heading to Monterey check out what’s happening…and don’t forget to check back to see auction results at http://www.allcollectorcars.com/blog/.

Tuesday 8/13-

* Automobilia Monterey

Tuesday, August 13, 2013:  10:00 am to 6:00 pm

Location:  The Embassy Suites  –  1441 Canyon Del Rey

Admission:  $15 for one day or $20 for both days.  There is a silent auction.

* Concours on the Avenue

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Location:  Ocean Avenue, Carmel-By-The-Sea

Admission:  Free

Wednesday 8/14-