When we hear the word “restore”, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Many people associate the term with giving back, returning, and the act of restoring something or someone to its original condition or position.
Avid classic car collectors are quite familiar with this term. When they are in the mood for restoring older car models, they most likely mean that they would like it restored to its original condition. Meaning, the way it came from the factory and the way it was sold off the showroom floor.
Typically classic car restoration involves several things. The owner must consult original documentation about the vehicle – that means consulting documents from the manufacturer. They should not turn to popular car magazines to look for modifications; they should rather seek the original sources and use original parts (OEM parts).
It is important to understand that the original sources cannot be subject to modification. Equally as important it is to recognize there are just a few things that can be modified, and they include color, engine size, and the like. The rest must be original.
No Going Back
You should really think hard about any restoration work before you just go in and do it. In Canada, it is a common belief among car enthusiasts that cars can be beautiful without being perfectly clean or perfectly restored. Once you’ve made the decision to restore, there’s no going back.
Finding the Right Balance
Cars are mechanical. Unless you use it to sit in and just look at, there comes a point where originality needs to be ignored in favour of preserving and maintaining the vehicle. When speaking of whether to restore or preserve, it’s not a “one-way-or-the-other” mentality. This change in attitude means that a collector’s vehicle owner can be restored and preserved at the same time. The best way to do that is to carefully balance a vehicle’s functionality and design features with a keen eye for preserving original authenticity.
Restoring your Car to its Original Condition
If you’re having difficulties with your car, we recommend that you take it to a professional auto body shop to get it inspected, fixed, and/or restored properly. The auto body and restoration experts at Waterdown Collision will thoroughly inspect your car, top to bottom, inside and out. In doing a thorough inspection of all the parts and areas of the car, we’ll be more informed and in authority to judge whether a car is worth the time and money to restore or not.
After inspecting the vehicle, Waterdown Collision will help you determine whether you have a ‘solid’ car which can be restored without the need to replace the entire frame, floor, axles, etc. Most car owners are not aware that they can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars this way. By ‘solid car’ we mean that the car structure should be strong, as well as the floor; even a little rust can be repaired.