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5 Steps Before Deciding to Restore a Classic Car

966 Mustang GT350 Sports Car

If you’ve inherited a classic car, or have an interest in restoring one, your biggest question will likely be “is it going to be worth the time and effort to restore?”

This can be a difficult question to answer and there are many factors to consider, including what the project is worth to you.

To help you make the decision, here are some essential steps to take before repairing any classic car:

 

1. Be clear what you ultimately want from the car.  This will help you to determine the complexity of the restoration process, what you may need to spend and what outside help you might need.

Are you looking to drive around, take the car to local shows or restore it to mint condition as a concours car?

 

2. Inspect the car very carefully to determine what repairs need doing.  This will help you to determine all repairs that the vehicle needs and ultimately if the restoration will be worth it.

 

3. Check the structure of the car.  This could make or break the whole project, so its important to check this early on.    You don’t want to be spending loads of money replacing the whole frame or floor.  Check carefully for how much rust there is.  If there’s a lot then the frame is on borrowed time and probably not worth the restoration.

 

4. Decide what help you’re going to seek.  If you are thinking about getting the help of a friend, make sure they truly have all the professional experience you need.  A friend who is “good with cars” may help you restore the car good for a couple of years, but you may get more years out of the car by seeing a professional.  Depending on the level of experience of your friend, you may consider the professional to be a safer bet.

 

5. Crunch the numbers and get a second opinion, ideally from a classic car professional.

 

6. What’s the resale value?  If you are planning on restoring the vehicle to sell it on, make sure you have a good gauge on the market price and whether you’ll realistically be able to make your money back.

 

If the vehicle structure is good and you have the funds for the repairs, ultimately you need to decide if the time and financial investment is worth it to you.

Be sure to factor in unexpected costs.

If you’re starting the process of restoring a classic car and need specialist repairs, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We are conveniently located in a central location in the town of Wallingford.