[D M N]

ok i'm thinking about just taking ever bolt of my car take everthing that isnt welded down to my car and strip it to bare metal paint it and just build it from the ground up has anyone ever done this before and have any advise for my??

[fastblueheeler]

Did it on an MGA and a few cycles. Use freezer bags for small parts and label them .Take lots of pictures of what goes where. Keep everything together. Don't get frustrated with trying to remove something that won't come apart, then cutting it off or somehow destroying it thinking you'll get a new one. You'll find out a new one isn't available or will cost $$$$. Good luck (I've still got a couple of motorcycles in parts boxes. It's easier to take them apart than to put them together!)

[crazy larry]

what he said....
use baggies and a sharpie to label EVERYTHING..... as you get older, i know your a young an', you'll find yourself wondering where the hell this or that went.....

[fastblueheeler]

Hey forgot one thing: Make diagrams of all electrical stuff so you know what wire goes where.

What kind of car is it?

[D M N]

88 camaro thanks one of the reasons i want to do this is because i want my car to be mine if anyone understands what i'm saying and i'm not real experienced in fixing up cars mostly because i'm 16 and i want to do this to get alittle more experienced and learn by doing because you can only learn so much from forums and books

[fastblueheeler]

I understand about wanting the car to be yours. I can never resist a little customizing on anything I do. but if you're not real experienced you might want to bite off a smaller project at first. Maybe think about the things that need repair or upgrading and work on them first. If the car runs well already, you might concentrate on the body work and paint. Or if you want more performace, go after some engine mods. A complete tear down is a big, big job and it's easy to get discouraged when you're into something that could last years. The rebuild on my MGA took 5 years and it was basicly just a go-cart with a body compared to a modern car like a Camero.

[gt2betubbed]

The fact that you are willing to do it yourself is great, but I wouldn't recommend a frame off resto as a first project. I would do like fast said and tackle some little projects first. It's very easy to get discouraged, and haveing the car undrivable is the worst one.

[crazy larry]

i thought since i was gonna rebuild my engine and put in a new steering box, that i might as well replace the bushings,etc............ .
.................................................. .............. ...................................... .................................................. ............................. ..........that was damn near 4 years ago....... if i'm lucky, i'll have her back on the road this fall...... but it'll be a new 72 ford f-250, and it will be all mine, i can dig it, but be prepared to spend some serious time and money............
and if you don't already have one, get a digital camera BEFORE you start....... A pic sez a thousand words.........(wiring, vaccum, etc...)

[D M N]

Originally posted by crazy larry
i thought since i was gonna rebuild my engine and put in a new steering box, that i might as well replace the bushings,etc............ .
.................................................. .............. ...................................... .................................................. ............................. ..........that was damn near 4 years ago....... if i'm lucky, i'll have her back on the road this fall...... but it'll be a new 72 ford f-250, and it will be all mine, i can dig it, but be prepared to spend some serious time and money............
and if you don't already have one, get a digital camera BEFORE you start....... A pic sez a thousand words.........(wiring, vaccum, etc...)

exactly thats what i want once i finish i wont have a 88 camaro i will have a NEW 88 camaro

years?? i'm not worried about being discouraged i have gone hours working on my car with out stopping once i start something i cant stop until its finish

[asennad]

If the car runs and is still on the road then DON"T DO IT!!!

You are better off doing a running restoration. Work on it a little at a time. Start simple like stripping a door or fender. Don't start the next piece to you have finished the one you are working and it is on completely fixed, painted, and back on the car.

Takes up less room and more importantly less chance of ending up with a dissembled car worth nothing.

[D M N]

yea i guess but i wanted to do it now because i live at home and since i am at school i will have all the tools necessary to build this and in 2 years i will graduate and i wont have all the tools

[Halloweenking]

unless you have a dependable daily driver and spare time and money don't take it apart, just make it as nice as possible with interior and exterior goodies.

HK

[willys36@aol.com]

I usually dump all the fasteners in a big paint bucket! The ones that don't fall into the dirt & trash on the floor and get lost , that is.

[D M N]

from what i saw on Trucks TV it didnt look that complecated

[willys36@aol.com]

Those TV show leave out a BUNCH of work. A ground up restoration will take at minimum a year if you have a real day job like most of us do. Plus, unless it is a unique collecter car, you will have MUCH more money in it than you will ever recoup. There are legions of unfinished basket cases out there from people who bit off more than they dould chew.

Don't get me wrong, it will be a great educational experience but expect to lose money on the project and plan on it taking eons longer than you think it will now.

If you want a reliable ride, do like HK suggests and only fix the stuff that's broke.