3 Things To Know Before Starting a Vehicle Restoration
Restoring classic cars and older RVs is a wonderful hobby with some great benefits. You get to learn new skills, engage with others, and actively get a vehicle working or looking like new again. But while there are benefits, vehicle restoration is no simple task. There are some key things every restoration hobbyist should know before beginning their first project:
3 Things To Know Before Starting a Vehicle Restoration
- Invest in a quality set of core tools. Most restoration jobs are going to require the following core set of tools: Angle grinder, MIG welder, bead roller, and set of body hammers and dollies. This is if you at least are needing to do bodywork on your restoration. Make sure you have these and are well-versed in how to use these tools before starting.
- Know that what’s visible is only the start. It’s easy to look at just a bit of rust and dents on a classic car and think that you’ve got an easy project in front of you. Don’t fall into this trap. What’s visible on the body is going to be just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what will be needed to restore it. For example, an RV that shows some discoloration on the wall is, nine times out of ten, going to have more serious water damage underneath.
- Choose something you want to drive (and that does run when you buy). Finally, while this tip isn’t a necessary one, most will find that the process of restoring a vehicle, whether it is a classic car or vintage RV, is going to be a lot more satisfying if it ends with something you want to drive. The best way to ensure this is by starting with a vehicle that currently turns on and can be driven. Such vehicle restoration projects will still need work that is satisfying to complete, but not so much as to be overwhelming.
Extra-Tip: Choose a Shop To Partner With on the Big Jobs
Our final piece of sage advice is not to expect to do everything on your lonesome. Especially if this is your first time tackling a vehicle restoration. There are going to be things that you won’t know how to do and that even the best YouTuber isn’t going to be able to properly show. For those things, having a local shop well-versed in restorations can come in real handy. Our shop of Premier Coach Works is that place. Give us a call whenever you hit a snag with your exciting restoration job!
