Tricks Of The Trade On Muscle Car Restoration

Muscle car restoration takes a lot of passion and care. A project planned well can give you amazing results. Here are some tips that might be helpful for your restoration project.

To get started, choose the right muscle car. Look for one with minimal dust damage to the body. It’s not a complex thing to replace a couple of fenders, however, if you’re going to have to replace larger components of the body then it’s going to take a lot more effort. You’ll find that muscle cars with less rust are often stored indoors, where exposure to environmental hazards are kept at a minimum. Now you might also want to consider what you actually want to do with your muscle car. If you’re not really leaning towards an entirely authentic restoration, you may want to just upgrade your vehicle of choice and add some features the original never had.

A tip to running your muscle car restoration project smoothly is by making the best preparations. A well-organized plan will help you do your work with more convenience. Organize your tools and overall workspace. Good quality tools, parts and supplies will help you complete your muscle car restoration project the right way, the first time. The wrong tools and supplies might waste more of your time, money and effort. So prepare only suitable tools for your project.

Now rust can eat away at your muscle car very quickly. Prevent rust from damaging your muscle car by checking on rust spots. Check the areas around the wheel and bottom edge. Check your door locks as well. There are so many elements out there that can cause your muscle car to rust. You wouldn’t want to restore your car and then find out months later that rust is starting to appear.

Treating smaller rust spots aren’t difficult to do on your own. However, it is advisable to have a professional treat rust spots for you if they are larger in size. To treat a smaller rust spot, first dip a cloth in alcohol and then use it to wipe down the spot. The next step is to scrape lose paint and rub the spot with sandpaper. Get rid of the dust and place a primer with a paintbrush and leave to dry.

Once completely dry place cellulose stopper with a knife. Only use a little and not an excessive amount. Use medium-grade sandpaper on the area and then apply touch up paint with smooth motions. Apply according to instructions. Usually you’d have to wait a day before apply the second coat.

Now let’s talk about paints for your muscle car restoration project. Because muscle cars are quite old, they will need a great deal of paint restoration, aside from rust treatments. You might want to choose the original factory color of your muscle car, so check with a specialty automotive paint supplier. Be aware that repainting your whole muscle is tricky. So if this is your first time doing a car restoration project, contact professionals if you’re unsure of the next step.

A tip to giving back the original sheen of your muscle car is to prepare your car first. You’ll need to clean your car good before working on the paint. Wash off all dirt and dust from the vehicle and use only soap that’s suitable for cars. Don’t use dish detergent! This can remove oil from your vehicle’s paint. Use a clean sponge, since dirt stuck in a sponge can leave scratches on your finish.

A successful muscle car restoration always involves a shiny exterior. Once you’ve thoroughly cleaned your car, assess the finish. If your car originally has metallic paint without clearcoat, stay away from abrasive polishes. A tip is to use a product like Turtle Wax Metallic, which is a nonabrasive polish.

These are just some tips on improving your muscle car. Muscle car restoration has a lot to do with how your car appears both in the interior areas and on the outside.