Muscle cars are one of the best cars to do some restoration work. They could practically last forever, and their looks will always stay classic. However, chances are you have an old one sitting in your garage. It might have gained some wear and tear throughout the years of not using it. But fear not, you can work on its restoration for the next few days.
Damage
Just a friendly reminder that this is intended for old muscle cars that are still intact. If you have a car that looks like it could no longer move or has rust developing everywhere, it might be better to consult a professional restorer. Also, if you think that it’s a lost cause, you can still sell it to an automotive franchise of your choice. They’re always willing to buy some parts of old cars to recycle or restore. It might be sad to let go of the old thing, but at least you know that it’ll be used for better cars in the future. Now, let’s get into some restoration.
Body Work
If you can see some wear and tear on your car’s paint, then it’s time to do some bodywork on it. There’s a good chance that the paint has only faded or oxidized throughout the years. To restore it to its former muscle car glory, you’re going to clean the oxidization away.
You can do this by applying some polishing compound and working it into the paint. After, you’ll need to hand buff it using some rubbing compound. This process will make sure that any contaminants are removed from the paint. Usually, this is all the work you need to remove the oxidization from your car. But if you think that the clearcoat (the second layer of paint) is coming off, then you’re going to have to repaint the whole thing.
Engine
Next up is the engine. Typically, a car’s engine can last for 200,000 miles of driving. However, that depends on how you take care of it. Depending on your muscle car’s made and how you took care of it throughout the years, the engine should still be intact after many years of not using it.
Muscle car engines are built for high-performance settings. This means that you have the golden standard for all car engines. To know if your engine is still good, it’s time to listen to it. Muscle cars have a distinct rumbling sound, and their exhaust is loud, letting everyone know that you’re in business.
However, if you hear some clinking or knocking sounds, it’s time to do some first-aid on the engine. Depending on the symptoms of the engine, you need to replace a few rods or motor mounts. A muscle car engine is a delicate piece of equipment. If you have little to no experience handling car engines, then it’s time to get a mechanic. The mechanic will aid you every step of the way in fixing the engine of your muscle car. It might cost you a bit of money, but remember that these engines are rare and worth whatever the price.
Upholstery
The upholstery is usually the first component that is damaged in old cars. This is the same for muscle cars. If the damage is primarily in the looks, you can easily fix that with baking soda and warm water. This concoction will help you remove stains that might have developed throughout the years on your muscle car. However, if you see some scratches or gaping holes in the upholstery of your car, then it’s time to replace them. Don’t you dare sewing them back together, because there is a huge chance that something is living inside there.
Start by buying a seat upholstery from a dealer. It helps if you’re part of a car club as they can help you find the original upholstery of your old muscle car. Having the original upholstery can make replacing it a whole lot faster. Once you have this, it’s time to remove the seat entirely. You can use a screwdriver and a wrench for this since old muscle cars don’t have electronics embedded on their seats.
Next is to remove the old upholstery. Old muscle cars have seams on the edge and do not use zippers like modern upholstery do, so you’re going to have to slowly nick the seams until it falls normally. Then you can place your new upholstery on top of the seat. For the original upholstery, you’re going to need to sew the edges together. It’s a simple process, but it’s quite time-consuming. After which, it’s just the process of returning the seats.
The identity of muscle cars can never be surpassed. They are great cars to have, and restoring one into its former glory is almost always worth it for every car enthusiast. So get to work and restore your old muscle car now!
