Car Restoration

Whether you consider yourself to be a creative genius or more on the technically-minded side, you may find something to endear you to the art of car restoration.  Those who love engines can get their inner grease-monkey on while people who disdain dirty hands may be better suited to choosing the paint scheme and interior textiles and leaving the rest to the professionals.  Of course, one road will cost you a lot in labor fees while the other will simply leave you sifting through junkyards for parts.  But the point is that car restoration is a hobby that people with all levels of income, experience, skill and interest can undertake.  Here are just a few things you may want to consider before you buy that Shelby Mustang and go to town.

1.  Type of car.  This is more important than you might think.  You no doubt have favorite makes, models, and years that you would like to tackle.  But you need to consider the ease with which you’ll be able to find replacement parts (and the attendant cost).  Some models were not only popular, but were one of a lineup of automobiles that shared interchangeable parts.  This will make the restoration process easier and less expensive.  If you can’t find original parts, you’ll have to have them custom made, which will cost you a pretty penny.

2.  Extent of restoration.  If you choose a car that’s covered in rust or that suffers from frame damage you’ll probably get it dirt cheap, but at what cost down the road?  A little bit of damage can be dealt with (and is to be expected with cars of a certain age).  But major problems will bring corresponding headaches, so it pays to have a good idea of what you’re getting into ahead of time.

3.  Budget.  When it comes to any type of hobby, you need to have a budget in mind to keep you in line and out of the red.  This is especially important with car restoration because the prices can be astronomical (especially when you get into rare automobiles).  So before you buy a car and get to work, make an effort to find out how much it might actually cost to restore (parts, labor, etc.).  This could stop you from making a very bad investment.

4.  Car insurance.  You’re going to be pouring your time and/or money into any car restoration project like it’s a bottomless pit (or so it might seem).  In the end, you’ll have a gorgeous automobile to show for it, but you might as well throw all that effort away if you don’t insure your car.  Although you won’t be driving it for a while, you still need to make sure that it is covered in case of accident or disaster.

5.  Storage.  Once your car is fully restored, you’re going to need a place to house it, and outdoors is probably not an option.  If you have several cars in restoration, or you finish the first one and decide you need another project, a small garage just isn’t going to cut it.  And while you could certainly opt to house your collection at a storage facility, the expense could be significant over time.  Instead, either plan on building a unit on your property to shelter your cars, or consider selling them once they’re finished.   Obviously you’ll have models you want to keep, but if the majority of your fun comes from the journey rather than the outcome, you should at least recoup some cost and give your creation a second life.

Jamie Martin writes for Kanetix, where you can shop around and find a great deal on car insurance.