Steps To Restore

[Wick25]

I have a 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1, it’s been sitting for years but now I want to start restoring it. Goal isn’t to restore to stock, but overall it needs TLC everything from the bodywork to the engine. 

 

My my question is, what are the more or less steps to restoring a car? Start with the bodywork and then? Just looking for guidance/prioritized check box for restoring cars.

 

thanks 

[61polara]

I'd start with the mechanics to get it drivable first.  That way you will have little rewards along the way to your end goal and it will keep you interested in completing the project.  The last thing to do is to tear it all apart first as you will likely be overwhelmed by the pile of parts.

[Spinneyhill]

There are two schools of thought in car restoration:

1. take it apart and start at the ground and work upwards. Big mistake on this one for many is to spend a huge amount of money on the engine, start it, then let it sit for five years while you work on the rest of it. Do the engine much later.

2. get it drivable, then take something off, fix it, put it back. Repeat.

 

The complete disassembly route is for strong minded, focused, knowledgeable people. It is too much for me. I am in the second school, trying to keep it drivable while fixing this and that.

 

If you want a concourse winner, though, you really need the first route.

 

You might even consider some general startup books, such as this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Restoration-Manual-Illustrated-Step-Step/dp/1850108900

Edited August 26, 2018 by Spinneyhill (see edit history)

[GARY F]

Me I have always done the mechanics first, that includes complete brake system. You  just get one chance to stop.

[joe_padavano]

If this is going to be a "rolling restoration" where you drive it while fixing it, then yes, get it safe to drive first.  This is neither the most efficient nor the shortest route, but it probably keeps your interest longer.  The "right" way is to disassemble the car and fix things in parallel as time and money are available. This usually prevents you from having to do things twice (or more) but as noted it is also a good way to loose interest in a project. On the other hand, There are many projects that require parts to be sent out or ordered. Doing things in parallel allows you to continue to make progress in one area while another is on hold.

[39BuickEight]

It all depends on what your intentions are.  My complete restoration is documented in my signature link.  I will have drastically less in my car than anyone will tell you it takes to do this, but I am also incredibly frugal, patient, resourceful, and my labor is free.

 

A few things to start with:

 

1.  A car can easily take up 4x the space once it is disassembled.  You need space.

 

2.  Take a ton of photos...and then take more.

 

2.  If you don't know people who can help you already, then prepare for a struggle when it comes to dealing with vendors.  I knew my engine and body guys beforehand.  Everything else was done by me, my father, and my brother.  It sucks, but that will be the most frustrating part of the whole thing, and can make it exponentially more expensive.

 

 

Edited August 27, 2018 by 39BuickEight (see edit history)

[MCHinson]

I suggest you take a look at the Our Cars and Restorations forum. You will find examples of several different approaches to restoration. There are different styles. You will probably find one that works for you. My current project is an example of how a regular guy with basic mechanical ability can do a restoration in a home garage on a modest budget. I am slightly over a year into my project.

 

[28 Chrysler]

A body man will do the body work while the engine and trany are done at another shop.

A mechanic will be doing the drive train while the body work is being done at a body shop.

The interior should be done last.

[Bhigdog]

6 hours ago, Wick25 said:

I have a 1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1, it’s been sitting for years but now I want to start restoring it. Goal isn’t to restore to stock, but overall it needs TLC everything from the bodywork to the engine. 

 

My my question is, what are the more or less steps to restoring a car? Start with the bodywork and then? Just looking for guidance/prioritized check box for restoring cars.

 

thanks 

For an actual judged, award winning, "restoration" the most efficient and best way is a body off type of deal. That way you can have parallel projects working on the body, frame, engine/trans as need arises. It's also the most efficient way to get overwhelmed, lose interest and end up advertising "For Sale: Basket case, most parts there, best offer".

For most folks a drive it as you fix it approach works best for keeping your interest alive and enjoyment level up. And if you do decide to sell, a drivable car will fetch many times what a half finished project will.

You are the best judge of what you both want and are capable of.

Good luck and have fun..............Bob

[Wick25]

Wow thank you all for providing your input! 

[60FlatTop]

There are basically 300 $100 jobs. Start by listing them and how much you will spend per week.

[joe_padavano]

3 hours ago, Bhigdog said:

For an actual judged, award winning, "restoration" the most efficient and best way is a body off type of deal.

 

Of course, the OP's Mustang is unibody, so there is no frame (not even a subframe) from which to take the body off... ?

[kgreen]

Are you doing the work yourself or farming some or all of it out?

[chistech]

There is a lot of ways to look at a restoration. I do full frame off restorations of pre-war GM cars working by myself doing everything except paint, engine machining, and chroming. I average about 14-16 months per car. If you have to have the car to use during the resto then a rolling restoration is the way to go as mentioned. If you have another vehicle and don't need to use the car, then it's easier to plan the way you go about restoring your car. First thing is to think about how you want your car when your done and write all the things down. If your car runs and drives, take it for a ride and evaluate it's condition. Then do some research into the actual average costs noting what you believe you can afford to do and what you can't. If you have what you feel is enough money to do at least the major things here's some ideas on proceeding:

1. body shops take an average of 1-2yrs to get a car done once you start negotiating with them. Body shops take the longest of most the outside contractors.

2. engine/trans shops average about 7months on a rebuild, figure $1000 per cylinder these days. If you help source parts for the shop (if they'll let you) you'll save a lot of money.

3. Chrome takes from a few months to almost a year depending on who you use. Chrome is very expensive these days and always consider repopped parts over originals especially when you're not showing or doing a resto mod. DO NOT GUESS ON CHROMING COSTS, you'll guess too low.

4. Interior: While it was mentioned to do it last, I personally do not wait to order the parts or interior kit. These days interior companies are having a hard time getting materials so i would suggest ordering what you need about 1yr before you hope to have your car done.

5. Wiring: if the wiring is even close to not being good, replace it. Bad wiring will make a restoration an unhappy experience and can even cause a fire losing your car. A wiring harness can take 2-8 months to get made depending on the vendor. 

6. Glass: depending on the car, sometimes certain glass is hard to get so if you need it, start looking.

7. Any missing parts: Start looking right away as some parts can take years to find.

8. Join a club that specializes in your vehicle to help with any advice or parts you may need.

 

In the example of my own 32' Olds Roadster, my goal was a full frame off completely back to OEM, to show at major shows. Here's the steps I proceeded with. While some won't apply to your restoration, it's till a list of average steps I take.

1. research the vehicle to find it's value and rarity.

2. I evaluated the car by looking at it's overall condition, what parts were with the vehicle, and then tried to get it running and driving. I did and was able to further evaluate it. 

3. Purchased the car and brought it home, joined NAOC and sent out emails to all other 32' Olds owners asking about parts I was missing.

SCAN EBAY FOR PARTS RELATING TO MY CAR

4. Contacted engine shop on when he could take the motor, found a chrome plater who could chrome the parts, and spoke with my painter about time frame for bringing the car in.

5. Bought some large plastic bins, magic markers, HD zip lock bags in different sizes, and masking tape.

6. Took lots of pictures concentrating on detailed areas of the car all together

7. Started disassembly marking and bagging all parts using the bins to keep the parts in major categories. Take a lot of pictures of the disassembly.

SCAN EBAY FOR PARTS RELATING TO MY CAR

8. Pulled the doors and fenders, major large parts off the removed the body from the chassis.

9. Disassembled the engine from frame and took it to the machine shop

10. Pulled the chrome and sent the chrome to the plater in two batches starting with the parts that would be needed first in reassembly

11. Sent radiator and fuel tank out for cleaning and repair

12. Rebuilt the trans

SCAN EBAY FOR PARTS RELATING TO MY CAR

13. Mounted the frame on my rotisserie and pulled the axles. Sent the frame and axles for sandblasting then painting.

14. Reassembled painted chassis and parts.

15. Ordered white ash to prepare for wood repairs to body

16. Pulled sheet metal from the wood and sent to sandblaster. Etch primed the body when I picked it back up

17. Did all wood work to rebuild body

18. Dropped off original glass to get it duplicated in safety glass

19. Ordered interior and roof kit

20. Research and accessed all parts needed for the machine shop for reassembly of motor

21. Picked up rebuilt motor and painted all components

22. Put motor back into restored chassis

23. Test drive restored chassis

ALWAYS LOOKING FOR ANY 32' OLDS PARTS ON EBAY

24. Remove wheels from chassis, replace with roller wheels and start restoration on wheels.

25. Cover seat springs with new interior pieces and set seats in spare room for when needed.

26. Restoration is still ongoing.

 

As you can see, there's lots of steps and hope this gives you an idea of what many do when doing there car. While many have mentioned that interest is often lost, I've never had that problem. In fact, I often find things aren't moving as fast as I like and I stay on top of it with the outside contractors. There are many things you can do in between the other things that can keep your interest up. A good thing to do is occasionally think about how your car will look and drive when done or what you want to do with it when your done. I know this always keeps me motivated. I also reassemble some things even before they're done just to picture what they'll look like when they are. 

 

Edited August 27, 2018 by chistech (see edit history)

[Bhigdog]

1 hour ago, joe_padavano said:

 

Of course, the OP's Mustang is unibody, so there is no frame (not even a subframe) from which to take the body off... ?

I actually thought of that after i posted but since the point of my post wasn,t changed by that fact i didn,t feel the need to correct myself. Thanks........bob

[R Walling]

 Start with your budget.

Just getting a car roadworthy after it has been sitting for a while will cost $1000 to $10,000.

Restoring it will mean disassembling everything that you have done so far, so if you are paying for labor, add that cost to the restoration.

 Leave the chroming, tires and interior to last

 If you are doing it yourself, start with the frame and suspension,

they are relatively inexpensive.

 Do the body work next, your labor won't break the bank.

Next if the engine is frozen, buy a rebuilt, don't send it to a machine shop. Same for the trans.

Paint is next, then interior. (you can drive it without the most expensive chrome) Instal the chrome as the wallet allows.

 

 If you end up selling it before you are finished, the best time is before you start the body work as most buyers will question the quality of the work and will plan on doing it over from scratch.

 You will get the best return on the money spent at this time, especially if it is before you put on the Bondo!

[60FlatTop]

1 hour ago, Roger Walling said:

 If you are doing it yourself, start with the frame and suspension,

they are relatively inexpensive.

 

There are lots of nicely finished frames and suspensions that come up for sale. Just sitting here thinking about how many I have seen for sale over the past 50 years.

About what it looked like when I sold it.

It reminds me of riding the school bus on country roads during the '50's and '60's. Seems like we stopped for a few kids who lived in finished basements.

 

Don't ever worry about the budget. Once you get started you will find there is always enough money to buy another project car...... maybe two.

Bernie

 

 

[Graham Man]

OK this is the answer you don't want......

 

I have a 1972 Mach 1 and have been driving them for over 30 years, had one in high school. 

 

Mustangs and all the early unibody cars have the same 3 problems...rust rust and more rust.

 

If your car is not rust free you can spend an unlimited amount of time and money.....  That said, a restored/nice 1971-3 Mach 1 can be purchased for 15 to 30K.  There will always be something to fix, dash lights, new tires, fuel gauge....that's old cars, 40 years now for your Mustang.

 

Hate to say it but the smart money is to sell your Mustang and buy a rust free/restored car.  Don't get me wrong I never do the smart thing.  I spend hundreds of hours restoring my cars, but that is what I do for fun.  My current 1972 Mach I have, I cut out the entire floor pan and put a new one in, had to fabricate new rear seat pans, all new brakes and lines, still need to put in the new gas tank I bought 2 years ago but it is running and driving. 

 

Find a Mustang nut who can look at your car and sort out any rust issues, there are hundreds of Mustang books.  1964 1/2 till 1973 are almost identical under the skin, all rust in the same places.  1971-3 parts are finally available so your timing is good, except rear seat pans (two different bumps than a 64 1/2).  If you take my route all the previous information is excellent!

 

Good Luck