Initial restoration forecast and dismantling
Initial forecast of the cost of car restoration.
After carefully evaluating the information sent by the owner - photographs of the car and the task of the work, the workshop stipulates an initial forecast of the cost of restoring the car and the timing of its completion.
The exact budget for the restoration of the car can be estimated only after receiving the car at the workshop and its detailed inspection. For workshop specialists, when predicting the cost of planned work, based on many years of experience in car restoration, the error never exceeded 20%.
Dismantling task
Before the car dismantling workshop agrees with the owner of the work assignment. We offer several choices:
1. Car complete dismantling. Dismantling down to the last the bolt and full defect detection all car components are completely stripped down. That include the compnents like watch, spidometer, starter and even cigaret lighter.
2. Car complete dismantling without the full stripping down of the attached components (e.g. speedometers, windscreen wiper motors etc.). That mean that the car will be dismantled tili working unit. This means that the car itself is dismantled, but the operational equipment is not disassembled ingredients. During recovery, the equipment will be checked, and the appearance will be restored. Such agreements significantly reduce the amount of work and costs, but in the future there is no disability guarantee.
3. Partly dismantling only where obviously necessary (repair only obvious superficial defects).This means that the car will be disassembled only to perform the necessary repair.
At the same time, the task is coordinated with the car owner in order to draw up a list of spare parts. The workshop offers two options:
1. Complete replacement of all defective parts, as well as parts with signs of wear. If the general task is to restore a car in accordance with Category 1 standards, which means that the restored car is as new or even better, then all parts that show wear are replaced if they cannot be restored to the state of a new part. When this option is selected, the number of replaceable parts can exceed 1000 pieces. All bolts, nuts, clamps and other small parts are also replaced.
2. Only replacement of the parts which are not functioning. This option replaces only those parts that are not working or whose replacement is more expensive than purchasing a new part. Parts with signs of wear will not be restored, but are coated to protect them. After the car has been restored, it shows details with signs of wear and age (patina).
During the restoration, the car owner can find and buy the necessary spare parts or entrust their purchase to a workshop. If a workshop is looking for a spare part, it conducts a purchase price survey and finds out the transport (import duty) costs, then it consumes quite a lot of working time. In this case, the workshop also organizes the transport and reception of parts. If the spare parts do not meet the requirements, they are returned and the money paid is returned. Therefore, the content of the spare parts list is agreed, which also has several options:
1. List include the parts required, the original manufacture part numbers and lowest market price.
2. List include the the parts required and the manufacture part numbers.
3. List include only the parts required.
Dismantling
The exact restoration budget is determined after disassembling the car and all its components, cleaning, determining the damage and compiling a list of necessary parts.
Dismantling the salon
Dismantling the car and detecting damage begins with dismantling the interior parts of the interior, instrument panel equipment and control equipment. The next step is to remove the seats, upholstery, wood and plastic parts, leather or other trim materials, and remove the rugs and subfloor.
The process of dismantling interior parts, taking into account the various fasteners and materials of interior parts, especially for old cars, is a laborious process and requires careful attention to every detail. All original screws and parts are recorded to restore their original appearance. In order to make exact copies of the interior decoration elements during restoration, it is important to disassemble them, preserving their original shape as much as possible.
After dismantling the cab internals, engine and transmission control instruments, dismantling levers and switches, dashboard hardware and wiring is dismantled. The next step is to dismantle the retractable roof awning, the structure of the awning frame and fixings.
Before dismantling the roof and interior elements, a thorough examination and documentation is carried out: individual parts, their functional elements, fasteners and connections are photographed, measured and described. Often, individual elements of the roof and interior are already seriously damaged, and dismantling requires particularly careful and patient work. The disassembled parts are additionally disassembled, marked and grouped for further restoration work.
Dismantling and cleaning the car body
After disassembling the car interior, the body elements will be dismantled:
- dismantling of doors, engine covers and luggage compartment;
- dismantling of windshields and windshield frames;
- dismantling of bumpers, moldings, exterior lighting, rear-view mirrors, radiator grilles, wipers;
- dismantling of the inner floor, transmission cover and cardan tunnel cover;
During the dismantling of the car body, the analysis of complex body and body elements is carried out, during which decisions are made about repair or restoration work and the methods of their restoration.
The car body is mounted on the body geometry stand. At the stand, the geometry of the car body is checked, the car body is reinforced to prevent further deformation. Then the car body is placed in a specially prepared frame - a convector. The convector allows for further body repair, allowing the master to gain access to all parts of the car body, while maintaining its geometry.
Then the corrosion damage places are cut out and the body is cleaned of rust and old paint. Various methods are used in the cleaning process - mechanical sandblasting, thermal incineration or chemical method. After cleaning, the car body is covered with a special anti-corrosion primer.
To clean small pieces we use a small jet chamber where we can use sand, glass or metal beads and other cleaning agents, depending on the material of the part to be cleaned. Chemical cleaning of parts is performed in specialist equipment.
Removal, disassembly and detection of engine damage
Before disassembling the engine and transmission, the ignition and electrical installations are turned off, the drives of the fuel distribution system and air supply are disassembled. Disassembly of engine and transmission controls, as well as disconnection and dismantling of the muffler, cardan and engine control systems.
The engine with transmission is removed from the body and disassembled. Before disassembling the engine itself, the systems are removed: ignition, lubrication, fuel, air supply, cooling, as well as intake and exhaust manifolds. Disassembly of removed systems and determination of their damage. A separate stage is disassembly and defect of the engine unit and transmission.
The cylinder heads, intake and exhaust shafts, crankcase cover, pistons with connecting rods, flywheel and crankshaft are removed. All works are carefully captured with photographs. As a result of the work, a plan for the repair of repaired units and a list of replacement parts are drawn up.
Removing and disassembling the suspension
Removing the suspension begins with removing the wheels, steering axle and steering gear. The next step is to remove, disassemble and detect damage to the front and rear axles and shock absorbers, springs or torsion bars. Finally, the front and rear brakes and the parking brake are removed and checked. The gearbox and differential are disassembled and evaluated separately.
Specifics of car dismantling and disassembly of individual units
The disassembly of the transmission and the determination of further repairs of each individual unit of the car, such as the carburettor, front and rear axle, are performed only after they have been removed from the car.
Before dismantling the body parts, the car interior, engine and luggage compartments are cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. All surfaces of demountable parts are cleaned of dirt with putty and wiped with bristles. The next stage of disassembly is the unscrewing of the rusted fastening screws.
Due to the year of manufacture of the car and the last time the body was serviced, the bolts of the body components are often severely or even completely rusted and unscrewing and removing them is a laborious process that requires careful and careful handling. All fastening screws and nuts are first treated with a special kerosene-based rust remover WD-40. Each screw is carefully unscrewed so that the body part to be dismantled is not damaged during disassembly. If the bolts and nuts are severely damaged by rust, they are tempered at high temperatures using a gas burner or, in rare cases, sawn.
All disassembled parts during the disassembly of the car are grouped in separate packages and marked. The car's electrical installation and outlets are marked and numbered. Old electrical installations, which often have severely damaged insulation and contact connections, are usually replaced with new ones in accordance with modern technological and electrical safety requirements.
Dismantling process is documented photographically and descriptively; condition of all parts and components is fixed as well as their relative positions and connections. Modifications not conforming to original versions, which should be removed during the restoration, are identified.
In the course of dismantling, parts of each restoration project are grouped by functions and placed in storage for future restoration work. Parts of each car to be restored are registered and stored separately from other projects, guaranteeing safety of these old and unique parts.
In the course of dismantling, we examine : paint condition, coating of wooden parts used in the interior, leather and fabric, cabriolet roof materials to determine the materials historically used in the particular car, their shades and manufacturing technologies.
Compilation of a list of missing and replaceable parts
During the disassembly and disassembly of car components, damage to parts is determined and a list of missing and replaceable parts is compiled. On average, the number of part names that can be changed for each restoration project exceeds 500 names. Using the factory spare parts catalogs, the spare part numbers are found and their modification is determined. After using, factory manuals and programs are found for a factory-offered replacement details. Once the parts required for purchase have been identified and their indicative value has been determined, the total amount required to purchase the parts is agreed with the car owner. A price inquiry is then organized, receiving several offers from different traders. Delivery costs, quality of parts offered, delivery time and import duties are taken into account. After gathering all the information, a purchase plan for replaceable parts is prepared and delivery is organized. All purchased parts are carefully evaluated for their compliance with the original part and the required quality. Non-compliant parts are sent back to the dealer and re-purchase of parts is organized. Experience has shown that working with spare parts in one restoration project takes on average more than 300 working hours.
Restoration plan and costs
As a result of all the works described above, the costs of the restoration project are specified and agreed upon. An adjusted restoration plan is drawn up and the cost of the necessary spare parts is agreed.