I've been a fan of classic cars since I was a little girl. The family I grew up with were mechanically inclined and I was a part of the helper team. I scraped gaskets as soon as I could hold a chisel and a wire brush. I handed tools over and helped hold things in place until bolts and nuts could be secured. I wiggled under engines into tight spaces to fit radiator hoses and tighten down steering boxes. My life in the garage helped my engineering skills later in life and I cannot tell you how precious the memories under the hood are to me.
Classic cars are not easy to restore. They require hours and months of searching for chassis parts and correct engine pieces, hinges, hoods, cowlings. They are a humongous puzzle with a master mechanic holding the final image. They are dredged back out of the automobile graveyard piece by piece and lovingly put back together. Often, the car parts are hand tooled because they are impossible to locate. A car that is 100% original is a rare find.
It is a popular practice to install an engine that is modified and perhaps from a different automaker. This is not an unusual discovery. Our family hot rod is a Ford, but it holds a small, souped up Chevy engine. I love the way it sounds as it drifts down the street! The tune a great engine wafts out is a symphony of rods and gears. The rattle and hum of a finely tuned motor is simply good music. Tie a great engine to a sweet exhaust system and a favorite concert band pales in comparison to this sound.
One of the most difficult services to find is a competent painter. The body needs to be prepped correctly and finely sanded down before the lovely color of choice may be applied and the clear coat carefully layered. Paint is tricky. Too cool a temperature for application and the coatings bubble or pit. Too hot and the paint dries and cracks on the surface. A balance in paint thickness and bonding to the surface is an art in itself. One must carefully contain over sprayed material and fumes and be mindful of the environment.
Rebuilding a classic rod is not an easy process. If only it was as simple as dumping a box of parts out like one would when assembling the pieces to a model car kit.
Over the next few months, an interview will take place with a master mechanic about his experiences in the completion of a classic roadster. The issues mentioned above will be addressed and the best methods noted. The process of starting with a blank frame and gathering pieces, parts, and interiors will be discussed. The best practices of a restorer will be highlighted and an adventure in hot rods captured.
Recommended Reading
(Amazon Links)
 |
No comments:
Post a Comment