| If you run a classic car for long enough, sooner or | | | | the rot myself and prepping the area for the new |
| later you will need to call upon the services of a | | | | metalwork. I hate working upside down with a |
| vintage or classic car restoration service. For any | | | | welder (its bad enough being the right way up!) so |
| given part found on a motorcar of advancing | | | | arranged that the local garage would do the final |
| years, there will be a specialist somewhere that | | | | welding, if I did the prep work. |
| can fix, bend, repair or straighten it. Do you have | | | | More money was saved by agreeing that they'd |
| an old wireless that no longer works? then there | | | | fit in the work around other jobs, as I wasn't in |
| are specialists around who can restore your old | | | | any great hurry, before putting it throught its |
| set to as new condition, or better still, incorporate | | | | MOT. At the bottom of the scale are the outfits, |
| modern features into an old looking unit. Does | | | | often one-man bands working from the back of a |
| your speedometer weave all over the place, or | | | | Mk3 Escort van, that will patch up your classic for |
| under read following a change of tyres/wheel | | | | the price of a cup of tea, and some beer money. |
| diameter? if so, there are companies out there | | | | The final finish will be left to the owner, but with |
| that can take gauges that look like they've spent | | | | repairs that are fairly workmanlike with little |
| the last millenium submerged in a peat bog, strip | | | | finesse or care, the end result will always be a |
| them down to their component parts, clean and | | | | compromise and should only really be called upon |
| re-work anything as required, and return it to you | | | | when money is tight, or a car is a cheap old shed |
| in tip-top condition. As with these examples of car | | | | thats being tarted up to keep it running for a few |
| component, there are restorers out there who | | | | more months, before ending its days propping up |
| can handle the most derelict of interior trim, | | | | a crusty Hyundai in the breakers yard. |
| woodwork, engine, brake component or | | | | Budgeting for a Restoration Project |
| bodywork and breathe new life into it. It all | | | | As already mentioned, your budget is key to how |
| depends how far you want to go in restoring | | | | far to go employing professionals to fettle up |
| your chosen vehicle - these services don't come | | | | your car. Whereas compromises cannot really be |
| cheap, usually being a very specialised art in | | | | taken with safety issues, such as the brakes and |
| themselves, so the cost of farming out work to | | | | suspension, the renovation of the bodyshell and |
| specialists must always be borne in mind, | | | | interior really comes down to how mad you want |
| especially when new parts are available for | | | | to go, and what you plan to do with the car once |
| perhaps less money than refurbishing a grotty old | | | | finished. If the car is a family heirloom, or being |
| part. For the rest of this article I'll focus on the | | | | restored for keeps with no view to re-sale in the |
| delicate art of bodywork restoration, although | | | | near future, then throwing a good pile of LL at it |
| most of what I ramble on about will apply to | | | | is probably a good way to ensure its future health |
| most areas of old car renovation and repair. | | | | (so long as it is maintained properly afterwards!). |
| How far do you want to go with it? | | | | However most people do not have a bottomless |
| In many cases, the renovation of a crumbling old | | | | pit of dosh to throw at their hobby car, so as |
| bodyshell will be the deciding factor in assessing | | | | always a balance has to be found. The more you |
| how viable it really is to farm out the work to a | | | | can do yourself the better, as not only will you |
| professional restoration company. Despite being a | | | | save money (hopefully), but you'll learn a lot more |
| fairly cheap car, the Mini for example actually has | | | | about the vehicle than had you just dumped it at |
| quite a complicated structure, so unless it is | | | | the door of a restoration shop, without seeing it |
| historically significant, or being subject to a | | | | again til it rumbles into your garage, glistening and |
| cost-no-object restoration, tread very carefully | | | | restored. |
| before committing to a professional restoration. A | | | | Once you've decided to have work done on your |
| compromise can often be reached whereby the | | | | car, how do you find a trustworthy company to |
| owner do as much prep work as possible to keep | | | | restore your classic? With tales around of old cars |
| the final costs down to reasonable levels, so its | | | | being left with restoration shops, only for the |
| worth having a chat with the bodyshop first. | | | | company to go bump and bailiffs re-possess |
| Spending L3000 having a Mk2 Jaguar shell | | | | everything, including your dismembered car, it is |
| renovated may make some sense, as the | | | | well worth taking time to identify a suitable |
| finished article in good order could be anywhere | | | | business or individual to deal with. |
| between L10-20k when finished, but spending that | | | | Recommendations can be found in classic car |
| much on a Mini (or any other cheaper car, say a | | | | magazines and by word of mouth, which is |
| Hillman Imp or an old Escort) may be less of a | | | | probably one of the best ways to go. Get talking |
| good choice. | | | | to people at local car shows, and see what local |
| Much will depend on quite how far you want to | | | | companies get recommended by owners who |
| go, and this will determine how grand a | | | | have used them before. Try to find a company |
| restoration outfit you engage to fettle up your | | | | that is well established, and looks like it has |
| cars bodywork. Drivers of fine pedigree | | | | invested in good premises and has a reputation to |
| motorcars will be targeting specialist restoration | | | | protect - they are far less likely to mess you |
| outfits, who often have facilities on-site to roll | | | | about than someone who can only be contacted |
| their own new body panels as required, employing | | | | on a mobile, and who works out of a unit rented |
| skilled craftsmen such as panel beaters and lead | | | | weekly. Thats not to say that all coachwork |
| loading aces. Such emporiums are a pleasure to | | | | restorers who have a mobile number only are |
| walk around as true engineering is often on | | | | sharks, but its one of several things to bear in |
| display, but the cost of employing these fine | | | | mind should the worst happen, and you find |
| craftsmen rules out taking more modest | | | | yourself trying to contact the owner quickly. |
| machines to them, unless as already stated | | | | With the car in the restoration shop, keep close |
| condition is all and your budget is large. Most | | | | contact with progress and ask to be contacted |
| restoration shops pitch at owners of more widely | | | | should anything unforeseen come along, that will |
| available cars, such as MGs, Triumphs, Austin | | | | require extra funding to fix. After all you may |
| Healeys and so on, where the finished article may | | | | want to reconsider the rebuild of your Ford Pop if |
| well be worth L10-15k and upwards, and | | | | it turns out the chassis is terminally corroded and |
| therefore worth spending a few bob on. The | | | | will cost 3 grand to renovate (find a better |
| advantage with the more popular marques of | | | | chassis instead!). Before work commences it |
| classic car is that body panels can often be | | | | might also be worth drawing up a schedule of the |
| acquired from specialist suppliers, saving money in | | | | work you want doing, and getting the garage |
| the long run as there is no need to call upon | | | | owner to agree to it and sign the papers too - |
| bespoke builders of bodywork panels, with the | | | | this will also help if you need to reclaim anything |
| time and cost involved that having one-off panels | | | | that's rightfully yours should the company go belly |
| made will bring. However if you just want a car | | | | up. |
| restoring to solid usable condition, you'll find many | | | | Employing a professional to restore your car, or |
| regular garages either have a guy in there handy | | | | parts of it, may even save you money in the |
| with a Mig welder, or know someone who is. This | | | | long run. Not all of us are dexterous enough to |
| was exactly how I approached the resurrection | | | | successfully recondition a rare dashboard clock for |
| of my old Farina shaped Wolseley in 2004 - I | | | | example, and our cackhanded attempts at |
| wanted it to be brought back to a nice solid | | | | renovation may ruin a perfectly restorable |
| condition, with all the grot chopped out and neat | | | | timepiece in the hands of a trained person. If the |
| repair panels fitted as appropriate, however it | | | | car is very unusual, and very old, a high brow |
| wasn't worth spending thousands on it as the car | | | | restoration will maximise its value at the end of |
| was never going to be worth too much, and was | | | | the day, but always remember that with any |
| bought to be an interesting runaround, as opposed | | | | rebuild, the chances are high that the cost will |
| to a Pebble Beach entrant. I managed to find | | | | easily outweigh the final value, so do it for the fun |
| some sill sections on ebay, and I bought some | | | | of it, not to make a quick buck at the end of it, |
| new front chassis outriggers from a specialist | | | | and you'll probably not go far wrong. |
| over the phone. I saved money by cutting out all | | | | |