Restoring a car that has seen better days is a project that pretty much defines the word “ambitious”. There are so many elements to a working car that anyone who chooses to take a dilapidated vehicle and bring it back up to scratch (or beyond) is really backing themselves. What we’re saying is, it’s not going to be easy – but it can be a lot of fun and extremely worthwhile if you go about it in the right way.
What is the right way? Well, to some extent it depends on a range of factors, most importantly your purpose and intention in restoring the car. Below, we will look into some of the reasons people choose to overhaul their ride, and the most important things to remember about each of these approaches.
If you’re looking to have a driveable car
Getting a car back on the road is about two specific goals. One, you are looking to make the car driveable: ie., once you get behind the wheel and flick the ignition, the car will start and you will be able to move it away by driving it. Two, and more important, it needs to be road legal. In the first instance, you can be wrist-deep in tools and Ford wiring diagrams, make sure everything goes where it is supposed to, and if you’ve achieved that then you’ve achieved your mission. However, if you want to have a driveable car, you need to make sure that it meets road requirements – and that can take a lot longer.
If you want to learn vehicle maintenance
Being a skilled mechanic can be a lucrative career, and teaching yourself how to repair cars can allow you to become fairly recession-proof. People will always need to fix something that’s gone wrong with a car. There is no better way to learn vehicle maintenance than by doing vehicle maintenance. However, you’ll need to bear in mind that knowing how to fix a vintage Jaguar and a modern Seat are two very different processes; you’ll need to commit to learning about a lot of different makes and models unless you intend to specialise in one specific area. If your goal is to earn money from this, it may take a long time to become skilled enough.
If you want to “flip” the vehicle
One of the most common reasons for restoring a vehicle that has seen better days is to buy it at a knock-down price, put the work in to make it as good as new (or better), and then sell it on for a profit. This won’t be the easiest process, and you’ll need to decide whether you’re doing a basic job in order to guarantee a margin, or a more extensive and expensive approach which aims to achieve a higher sell-on price. The kicker is, there is no certain right or wrong answer here; your best bet is going to be carrying out the job you are confident you can carry out, and waiting for the results when you take it to market. The only certainty is that this is something you should only do if you can afford for it not to sell at all.
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