This is part 4 of our 4-part series on restoring your vehicle. In this issue we will talk about the common mistakes that people make when rebuilding their vehicles. Remember, all of the ideas we are promoting in these articles are our opinions and are by no means set in stone. You should always trust your own judgment.
The first mistake that most people make is on wiring.You should never, and I mean never, reuse wiring.Even if they don't make wiring for the car or truck you're rebuilding, use some form of universal street rod harness. Another option is finding a wiring company that offers a service of rebuilding your harness if you can provide them with your original wiring. Also when you're removing your wiring, take the time to label what wires go were. This will help you when reinstalling your new wiring. Some reproduction wiring comes with diagram sheets that will help you,but the best help is your original wiring that you can match up with your new harness.
The second mistake is exceeding your budget. If you refer to the January issue, you will get some idea of what you can afford. The biggest mistake is greatly exceeding your budget. You will exceed it some--all of us do--but keep in mind what you're spending and keep track of your receipts. From time to time, add up what you've spent. Remember to be practical when building your car. If money is no object, then fine, but for the most part the average man can't do that.
Our third mistake is color choice. If you're building an original car, then your choices are limited to what GM, Ford, or Chrysler did on your model of car. This mistake is usually made by people that are building a custom car. The two best ways to avoid this is to do a sketch of your vehicle or have it done by someone(see March issue). This step will help you see what the vehicle could look like after you paint it your chosen color. If you can't do this or can't afford it, then the cheap way is to go to cars shows and see what others have done with cars or trucks like yours. You might get lucky and find someone who used the same color or a similar color on their ride.
The fourth mistake that people make, and the biggest in my opinion, is buying parts that you don't need. This mistake will help you blow your budget faster than anything. It doesn't make sense to buy chrome items and glass and so on when you're still doing bodywork. For example if you're putting in floor pans and rebuilding the frame you don't need to buy a grille or taillight lens. This is an unnecessary purchase. The only time you want to buy this type of item is if there is a sale that would save you several dollars down the road, or if the item is not available new and you find one and do not know if it will be available later on.Then you buy it and hold on to it.
Another common mistake people make is when they are installing an aftermarket AC system. You need to make sure that your car is well insulated. This means the floor pans, the doors, the headliner, the firewall,and the underside of the dash must be insulated. You would be surprised by the amount of heat load that can be put into a car through the windshield and dash area. You also need to make sure that the door and window seals are in good shape. Weather-cracked or worn seals will allow for infiltration of dirty, hot air from the outside. You also need to check the firewall and make sure that you don't have any holes or openings in your firewall. If you have fresh air vents in the firewall or kick panel area, make sure that the seals there are tight and the vents are closed off or the cables will hold them shut tight.
Many people will also make the mistake of getting into a big hurry at the end of a project. You need to take the time to double check your work and make sure that all of the bolts and nuts are tight and so on. What has always helped me when doing a project is making a list of what still needs to be done and, toward the end,double and triple checking yourself.The final step is attention to detail. By this we mean that you need to check the gaps on your doors,fenders, hood, and trunk lid (if a car) to see if they lineup. Most of this should've been taken care of if you followed our steps in the March issue about dry fitting the body panels. Also, check to see how the trim fits. There is nothing uglier on a vehicle than when the trim doesn't fit. You should always remember that even though you have bought a new piece of trim or panel, it won't just jump out of the box and fit perfectly. When manufactures reproduce a panel or piece of trim, they are going to take their information from GM, Ford, or Chrysler specs and build it to that. Even though they use these specs and test fit to a car or truck, it doesn't mean that it will fit perfectly on your vehicle. Back in the day, the tolerances for assembly were not what they are today. Remember, these cars and trucks were put together by human hands and not robots that are using laser measuring devices to get it in such tight tolerances. You will have to modify the part or your vehicle to make it fit. That's why pre-assembly is so important if you're trying to build a first-class car or truck.
Again, remember that every thing we have laid out in this and the previous issues are just our opinions and have been accumulated over the past twenty years of being involved in the classic and antique auto market.
Next month, we will be talking about AC systems, their differences, and how to install them in your car or truck. Thanks for reading and if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, please contact us.
This is an interior picture of April's Ride of the Month.We are having a contest to see if you can figure outwhat the console is out of or made of. The first personto guess before next month's issue comes out willreceive two free t-shirts from H&H. So please send inyour answers to tray@hhclassic.com.