Step By Steps to restore?

Posted by 19482255 On 2015/1/6 19:17:07

Experienced restorers: I would love you to chime in here:

What do you think is the right order of steps for restoration? I'd like specifics, maybe something akin to a bullet-pointed guide. What do you do first, second, third, etc? I do have that article by David Czirr called "Reviving a Long Dormant Car". Pretty good article for the mechanicals: I plan to follow that guide, but wondered about the bigger 'restoration' picture.

Since I never gave serious thought to it until the last MoPar I restored (when I had already done steps out of order, like doing the paint first then doing the engine rebuild), I'd like more educated thought on good process. This 48 Custom Club is important to me, so I'd really like to do it 'the right way', so I don't have to re-do work over again later.

Fortunately, I'd say this one is 99% complete with all of the club sedan-specific trim accounted for. I'd rate it's current condition as a #5: it's not running. Right now, I'm interested in restoring it to a #3 condition car. I plan on driving it to enjoy and show, but at least right now, I don't have a burning desire to win trophies for a #1 condition car (nor the budget to support that).

Thanks for your thoughts! Here's some before-and-after. Put in a bunch of elbow-grease over the holidays and man it shows. That old black lacquer paint really shines up something crazy.

BEFORE

<a href="http://s153.photobucket.com/user/coliseumltd/media/1948%20Packard%20Custom%20Eight%20Club%20Sedan/Toronto/Moving%20Day/RACars2014228_zps048da3af.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s219/coliseumltd/1948%20Packard%20Custom%20Eight%20Club%20Sedan/Toronto/Moving%20Day/RACars2014228_zps048da3af.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo RACars2014228_zps048da3af.jpg"/></a>

AFTER

<a href="http://s153.photobucket.com/user/coliseumltd/media/1948%20Packard%20Custom%20Eight%20Club%20Sedan/Los%20Angeles/Exterior%20Shots/IMG_0689_zps5c137b45.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s219/coliseumltd/1948%20Packard%20Custom%20Eight%20Club%20Sedan/Los%20Angeles/Exterior%20Shots/IMG_0689_zps5c137b45.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0689_zps5c137b45.jpg"/></a>

BEFORE

<a href="http://s153.photobucket.com/user/coliseumltd/media/1948%20Packard%20Custom%20Eight%20Club%20Sedan/Toronto/Moving%20Day/RACars2014226_zpsf4ca2bcf.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s219/coliseumltd/1948%20Packard%20Custom%20Eight%20Club%20Sedan/Toronto/Moving%20Day/RACars2014226_zpsf4ca2bcf.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo RACars2014226_zpsf4ca2bcf.jpg"/></a>

AFTER

<a href="http://s153.photobucket.com/user/coliseumltd/media/1948%20Packard%20Custom%20Eight%20Club%20Sedan/Los%20Angeles/Exterior%20Shots/IMG_0687_zps07089c54.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s219/coliseumltd/1948%20Packard%20Custom%20Eight%20Club%20Sedan/Los%20Angeles/Exterior%20Shots/IMG_0687_zps07089c54.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo IMG_0687_zps07089c54.jpg"/></a>