Restoration of retro cars implies a very complex and lengthy process, which is carried out according to special requirements and with the use of expensive tools. As a result of these works, the car looks as if it had just left the assembly line. Due to its complexity, car restoration can only be done professionally.
With your own hands, it is hardly possible to ensure such quality of work performed.
Types of jobs
To date, there are two types of work that are often used for retro cars:
- True restoration.
- Simplified.
What each of these types of work implies will be considered in the following sections.
True restoration
It is also called "real", and implies a return to the car's true appearance with the removal of all later overlays. However, true restoration is applied due to its high cost not very often. Judge for yourself, because sometimes it is not even possible to find original spare parts for a car that was discontinued more than 50 years ago, even for huge amounts of money. Therefore, such services are ordered from special masters.
But even with the required amount of money, it is not always possible to ensure the speed of execution of these works. In order to make an original spare part, you must first find out the exact year of manufacture of the vehicle and its initial configuration. Thus, the true restoration of cars includes a number of works, which consists not only in body painting, but also in the search and replacement of original spare parts.
Simplified restoration
But the machine can acquire the initial appearance with minor changes. Partially, units such as the engine and gearbox can be assembled from parts of other cars. Simplified restoration is very popular among middle-class collectors. And since they make up the majority, this type of work is much more popular than the one described above. But there are also disadvantages. The main disadvantage of a simplified restoration is that after carrying out all the necessary restoration work, the car will not be called a retro car. Often experienced collectors use the terms “hot rod” or “custom” for such instances. And all because the simplified restoration of cars is less demanding on original spare parts and details. Accordingly, it is more popular among collectors.
Restoration of old cars - the main stages
Most often, at the initial stage, the basis of the machine is finalized - the frame. If the latter does not have serious damage, then you can immediately proceed to the restoration of the body. At the same time, all attachments are completely removed from the machine. The body is carefully inspected for deformation and corrosion. If they are discovered, all cracks and damage are repaired by professional welding and filler. In some cases, the condition of the body metal is so poor that you have to look for donors - cars of the same brand. Then follows the painting procedure. The machine is fully prepared, then primed and paint is applied on its surface in several layers.
It is worth noting that in Russia it is very difficult to find even similar spare parts for retro cars. If in the countries of Western Europe entire divisions have long been created for this, then we often have to produce “original” parts from a familiar turner, milling machine operator or locksmith.
How is car restoration going on? After the painting procedure, the places of welds and joints undergo an additional anti-corrosion treatment. This will keep the original appearance of the machine for several years.
But this is not the end of car restoration . With such details as engines, transmission and chassis, they act as we described earlier - either for these elements are similar to the “donors”, or they are made to order. Restoration of the car interior is also not an easy process. Here, every little thing is also moved and made to order. Do-it-yourself restoration of cars in this case is possible, perhaps, only for the most patient collector.
What do we get in the end?
As a result of these works, we get a real retro-exhibit, which can proudly be shown at world exhibitions. But until recently, this vehicle could be compared with a rusty trough. Thus, during the restoration, the car is subjected not only to tuning, but also to overhaul.
Very often collectors do not pass such tests, because in addition to huge cash contributions, it will take a lot of patience (after all, work sometimes drags on for 6-10 months). In this regard, many simply lose their distance, and those who have stood the test of time eventually get unique cars, the number of which, perhaps, is less than 10 copies.
How much is it?
As we noted earlier, this procedure is sometimes inaccessible even to wealthy car owners. Very often, in order to restore the car in all respects, you have to spread from 50 to 100 thousand dollars. Moreover, the less often the car brand, the more expensive it will cost. If this is a Mercedes, the number of which is no more than 50 copies in the world, of course, the price of the work can be estimated in millions of dollars. Well, if this is some old VAZ, spare parts for which can be found to this day in any city, they will charge you no more than 1-1.5 thousand dollars. At the same time, the car looks really like from a conveyor.