In this guide, we’ll offer advice on what to consider when starting a classic car restoration project, and provide practical mechanical advice to help you get started. The guide is designed for people who’ve never restored an old car, to point you in the right direction no matter what your previous experience or skills. Classic Car Restoration: Laying the Groundwork

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To give you the best chance of performing a successful classic car restoration, here are some questions to ask yourself before diving into a new project. Don’t polish headlights outside of using a restoration kit without applying a sealant on top. Polish is abrasive and will wear down the protective coating faster. Don’t polish headlights outside of using a restoration kit without applying a sealant on top. Polish is abrasive and will wear down the protective coating faster. So without adding a sealant on top, polishing alone is counterproductive.But, while it’s true absolute originality will fetch a higher price when it comes to selling the car on, we think it’s better to go with your gut and inject personal touches as you go. The car should be modified to please you, not the next buyer, so don’t be afraid to choose the colours and design choices you like over those pre-assigned by the car’s original appearance. Mechanical Considerations Once you have finished sanding, wipe clean and dry the headlights. Apply the polish, either by hand or with the drill pad provided in a circular motion to ensure even and full coverage. Apart from the 2-in-1 Turtle Wax product, the kits above follow the same procedures for restoring degraded headlights. Once you have everything you need, you will need to: Our Plastic Restorer lasts a long time! You will be amazed how it lasts through even the toughest car washes and the worst rain or snow! A little really goes a long way with this one and you will be amazed at how it can make your whole car look new in a matter of minutes! The idea that you can use cola to clean your car's headlights is the sort of suggestion that slurs from the bloke down at the local pub who always gives advice on everything.

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Do I have the skills and expertise to complete the work to a high standard? Welding and metalwork are just two of the skills you’ll need to restore a car. Invest in training courses or outsource jobs to achieve a great finish. Related: Best waterless car wash products | The best car cleaning kits for comprehensive car care How to use headlight restoration kits Tape around the edges of the headlights. This is very important because the tape will protect surrounding paintwork from sanding pads that accidentally stray from the headlight. It’s worth giving yourself a budget and finding a car which suits it (in terms of the upfront cost and how much you estimate you’ll have to spend on it) rather than falling in love with a car and budgeting around it. That said it should also be a car that you feel excited about, as you’re going to be investing a lot of energy into it. To save on costs we’d recommend hiring these tools when they’re needed. Some of the tools require specialist skill and knowledge, so be prepared to get help with certain jobs or else invest in a training course to carry out the work yourself.If you don’t have enough time on your hands, your project will be destined to fail from the off, or else stall long enough to sap the enjoyment out of the whole experience. Make sure you can concentrate fully on the project, without it interfering with your family or work life.

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Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited, Company number: 1394141; Registered office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing, Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL Even if an old car looks OK on the outside, you can almost guarantee there’ll be something than needs attention beneath the bonnet. When left to stand for a long period, moving parts seize due to corrosion and decay. Fluids such as transmission and brake fluid need to be changed at least every two years, or else the systems are liable to fail. If your old car has been left to rot in a shed for years, you might find you have to repair or replace most of its moving parts. Equally, some kits are intended for use with a power drill and some by hand. The difference between the two is that the former comes with a drill attachment for the sanding and buffing pads. This is a great option for semi-regular headlight upkeep and for minor headlight degradation. Being a 2-in-1 polish and sealant, all you need to do is apply it with a cotton or microfibre cloth to a clean and dry headlight. Rub it onto the headlight firmly until the plastic is clear. You then buff the headlight with a clean pad or microfibre.This kit is for use by hand rather than with a drill, for people who would prefer it. It is just as effective as the Holts kit, but due to sanding by hand, it will take a bit longer. If you spot signs of mould in your car’s interior, don’t write the car off just yet. Surface mould is actually easy to remove from the interior of a car using a regular cabin cleaning product like Simoniz Upholstery and Carpet Cleaner; simply apply the product to the mould and scrub away with a cloth. Be aware, though, that the presence of mould could indicate that the cabin isn’t watertight, and this will need to be plugged to stop mould spreading again in the future. Is Restoring an Old Car a Viable Option?