What’s the next car on your restoration project list?

You’re ready for your next resto project. What car would you like to be working on?

Ask yourself the following 5 questions, and then see more details at About.com…

(1) What are the top five cars you’d like to own?
Go ahead and write down your top 5 dream cars, but understand that there are other considerations that might temper that dream as you consider initial cost, availability of parts, and the difficulty level of the particular car. You don’t want your dream car turning into a nightmare restoration.

(2) What do you plan to do with your restored car?
Restoring it for investment purposes? You’ll retain more of the car’s value if you use the car’s original parts, not parts from similar makes and models. But if you’re looking for a daily driver, choose a solid car that has little rust, a straight and accident-free body, and decent bright work to save yourself time and money.

(3) How much of the restoration can you do yourself?
If you’re reading this blog, I have a feeling you’re pretty confident in your restoration prowess! However, even the weekend enthusiast can sometimes be intimidated with the mechanics found in vehicles from the ’60s and ’70s. First timers may want to look at the more straightforward ’40s and ’50s engines and electronics.

(4) How much money is in your budget?
Only 30% of restoration projects get back out on the road, mostly due to the lack of funds for completion. It’s a rare occasion when you can find a restoration project that costs less than expected, even when you generously pad the budget for unexpected repairs or part replacements.

(5) Where will you work on the car?
Once you start taking the project car apart, you’ll find that it takes up much more room than your main ride did. If space is limited, consider a smaller car like an MG, BMW Isetta or VW Bug.

(6) Why do you want to restore a car?
Restoring an older automobile to get it back to its former glory and on the road again, is truly a labor of love and can be great fun. You need to remind yourself of this every time you come up against a nut that won’t budge or find that apart needs to be fabricated.