How to Choose a Classic Car for Restoration

If you’ve ever wanted a garage to rival Jay Leno or you’ve always dreamed of owning a pristine ’69 Stingray Corvette, the pathway to restoring a car might be for you. Even old barn finds won’t be cheap, especially if a sought-after model but the process of restoration should still be cheaper than buying the finished article outright.

Here we’re going to provide you with the process of deciding on exactly which model to choose and how to go about getting it restored the right way.

Choosing the Make and Model

Restoring a classic vehicle is going to take a lot of effort so we wouldn’t suggest picking any car you weren’t head over heels about. Instead, draft a shortlist of 5 models and list each of their pros and cons. Some points for consideration include:

• Availability of spare parts
• Cost of spare parts
• Ease of finding a project vehicle
• The market value of a project vehicle once restored
• The overall difficulty of restoration

A basic brainstorming exercise should see a few models you had in mind removed from your shortlist. There is nothing wrong with ambition but choosing the wrong car can make the whole process an expensive nightmare.

Do Your Research

Your options are either a true to history replication or a project that could see you make a few subtle changes and improvements to your chosen car.

It’s well known that older classic vehicles aren’t up to modern standards in terms of refinement and performance. It’s also known that corners were cut on many occasions to keep overall costs down.

You will find that most classic cars have a series of upgrades available that owners consider invaluable to making them daily ownership propositions. Whilst no longer true to life, no car enthusiast would turn down a classic that had been restored with a series of sympathetic enhancements.

What Are Your Plans for the Car?

A garage queen that is loaded onto a trailer once a year for motor shows is far different to one that you’ll drive on a daily basis. Their restoration and ownership needs will be different which could see you taking an entirely different path with the restoration.

Immediately trying to sell the finished article for a profit is also another possibility.

Decide on Your Budget

No matter which car you decide on, the process is going to be an expensive one. Consult other completed projects for likely build costs.

You will also find that you will be able to keep costs down if you’re able to salvage parts from donor vehicles and carry out the work yourself. It will be a grand undertaking but one some people relish. If you would rather leave your classic in someone else’s capable hands then consider a restoration specialist. Classic car restoration in Dubai and across the UAE is very common and as such there are several garages that could assist.Speaking with one of them might even provide you with some great insights into the process.

As long as you go in with your eyes wide open, your restoration will be one you can be proud of, maybe one day ending up in a museum or as part of a treasured collection.