Do-it-yourself car repair retro

"Antique Cars" - a company specializing in services related to vintage cars: sales, investments and creation of collections, complete restoration and partial repairs, maintenance, conservation and consultations. Retro cars produced more than 30 years ago are called oldtimers in many countries. And indeed, looking at them, it seems as if he was in a different time. But the time about which the machines can tell a lot was inexorable to them, in places really merciless: they were aging and rusted, silently and slowly, year after year, structural chemical changes occurred in the materials from which the parts were made, and the structural elements accumulated microdamage caused by operation. Car restoration is a painstaking and lengthy process. It can take years to complete with original parts and restore a collectible car, but each case has its own nuances.

This section describes in detail the stages of restoration of vintage cars:

• Dismantling and dismantling of a retro car, cataloging parts, removing old paint, cleaning the body.
• Manufacture / repair of body parts made of steel, aluminum, glass fiber.
• Car chassis restoration.
• Painting works.
• Technical repair of all units of the retro car.
• Overhaul of the engine and gearbox.
• Electroplating works when restoring a retro car.
• Restoration of the interior of a retro car.
• Wood flooring works.
• Manufacture and repair of electrical wiring.
• Completing with missing parts. Manufacturing of lost items.
• Sewing and restoration of a soft roof. Repair of convertible mechanics.
• Testing and delivery.

After reading this section, you will learn how we will restore your oldtimer. Our company uses Western experience in the restoration of retro cars: parallel operations, skilled labor, strict compliance with the technical specifications and design drawings - this is the key to the success of the repair and restoration process. Below you will find several video examples of work already completed, as well as a detailed description of the car restoration process.

You can get acquainted with examples of the work performed in this (click on the link to go) section, and below we will analyze the process of car restoration step by step. After signing the contract and delivering the vehicle to one of our workshops (Dmitrov, Dubna, Sergiev Posad, Aberdeen), the restoration process itself begins, in which several stages can be distinguished:

Stage 1. Dismantling and dismantling of a retro car, cataloging parts, removing old paint, cleaning the body.

Any car restoration begins with disassembling the interior, body, chassis, components and assemblies. The machine is spun, as they say, up to a bolt, this is the only way to assess the degree of wear and to determine which parts are original and which ones have changed. Our main capital is books and technical documentation; in the process of work, the available equipment is checked against the literature on this model (drawings, spare parts catalogs, repair instructions, etc.).

Car restoration is a great opportunity to get an original copy, as well as a good idea for a business. Just think how prestigious it is to ride a chic retro car and how nice it is to know that you are the one who breathed life into this old, rusty car. The price of refurbished vehicles doubles every year, which means that restoring vehicles is a great investment.

Before proceeding with the restoration of an old car, it is necessary to study the features of the procedure, plan the stages of work, calculate the necessary financial and time costs.

Since the restoration of cars is a serious matter, there is no rush in this matter. So, what activities need to be carried out before starting directly to work:

1. We choose a car that we will restore, evaluate it and study its features and completeness.
2. We collect the necessary information, look for literature on the operation and repair of this model, and also study the reviews and advice of the owners.
3. We are writing an approximate list of parts, assemblies, necessary paints and varnishes and lubricants that will be needed for restoration.
4. We calculate the budget. You will not be able to accurately calculate the funds required for the restoration, so the amount received must be multiplied by two. What makes up the budget:
   • the cost of the car;
   • funds for the purchase of parts, paints, tools;
   • the cost of additional services that cannot be done independently, for example, milling, turning, argon welding, etc.
   • rental of premises for restoration;
   • the cost of a tow truck. This point should be taken seriously so that in the future, you do not face a situation of lack of funds.

If you have completed all the preparatory activities and are ready to get down to business, keep in mind that car restoration is a very long process. If we are talking about the true restoration, with a complete disassembly of the car and the repair of every little thing, you will spend at least a year on it. This is the best case scenario. But time, as well as funds, must be planned with a margin, because in the process of work you will certainly encounter unforeseen situations more than once.

Let's consider step by step the whole process of restoration of an old car.

The first stage is not difficult for an experienced car enthusiast. Indeed, disassembling a car is much easier and faster than assembling and starting a newly refurbished car. However, at this stage it is important to observe the following guidelines:

1. Take a photo of every detail, sign the elements and all the necessary tags. For this purpose, it is advisable to have a separate notebook - so information on the assembly will always be at hand.
2. Prepare in advance a sufficient number of boxes, racks for sorting a certain group of elements. Do the work slowly and meticulously so as not to lose small parts and remember the design of the machine.
3. After the car is completely disassembled, it is necessary to do the cleaning and preparation of the body parts. First of all, the remnants of paint and varnish coating, putty are removed from the metal. There are several ways to remove old paint from the body, the most convenient is mechanical. It is cleaning the body with a grinder or sandblasting equipment. You can also use a chemical or thermal method - each of which has its advantages.

The cleaned body must be primed as the moisture in the air has a negative effect on the "bare" metal.

The car frame is the most important structure, it is the place of attachment of the main units of the machine and its body. At this stage, inspection, troubleshooting and identification of chassis problems (violation of geometry, cracks) are carried out. Then malfunctions of the "skeleton" of the car are eliminated. High-quality frame repair is important, because the most important thing depends on its condition - safety.

Prepared primed body elements are subject to painting. Before applying the enamel, it is important to properly glue the machine and hide the parts that will not be stained.

We apply enamel to the body surface with a spray gun - this is the first, "base" layer. The enamel is applied in parallel, horizontal stripes that overlap each other by about half a centimeter.

Apply the second layer of paintwork with vertical lines. Then, in the "drying" mode, let the paint finally harden. Dry the car at a temperature of 50-80 degrees, about 50 minutes.

The time it takes to complete this stage depends on the technical condition of the vehicle and the serviceability of the parts. In most cases, knot restoration takes almost a third of the entire work time. The difficulty lies in the fact that many of the necessary spare parts are already unrealistic to find on sale, so the restorer has to turn to the services of turners in order for them to recreate the necessary element.

At this stage, a thorough diagnosis of the brake system, steering, chassis, cooling system, fuel system and their repair is carried out.

Restorers rarely manage to avoid this stage, since the age of the vehicle negatively affects the technical condition of the car's heart. The stage begins with a complete disassembly and troubleshooting of engine and gearbox assemblies. Then the question of how you want to restore the engine is decided.

There are two options: to restore the original motor or to improve it, giving it new, more powerful properties. In both the first and second cases, you will have to spend time looking for the necessary components or, if they are not available on sale, order from a turner.

Sometimes the best solution is not to overhaul the motor, but to replace it. Do not forget that the engine needs to be switched to modern gasoline and run in after major intervention.

Almost all retro cars have a variety of chrome-plated parts that have lost their appeal over time. The restoration of such elements must begin with the removal of the old layer and thorough polishing. Then the parts are subjected to the copper plating procedure, with the help of which they achieve a perfectly flat surface. At the end of the stage, the spare part is plated with nickel and chrome.

This work must be taken seriously and responsibly. This is where all the notes and photos taken at the first stage, as well as the instruction manual, will come in handy.

The amount of work involved in restoring the interior of a car depends on its original condition and the intended design. The following are considered mandatory restoration procedures:

• complete dry cleaning of the interior, removal of all stains, streaks;
• removing and cleaning upholstery and panels;
• restoration of small decorative details, as required.

It is also necessary to wash the seat covers or tighten the latter with a new fabric, leather. Updating the interior will help the restored car look chic and expensive, not only outside, but also inside.

This includes decorative items such as ashtrays, emblems, sun visors or wheel covers. Sometimes it takes a lot of work to find the missing part, especially on vintage cars.

The final stage of this complex work consists in test drives and the elimination of any deficiencies found, if any. Car break-in should be long in order to check its technical condition and safety indicators. Typically, a ride lasts 500 - 1000 km.

For a complete restoration of the car, it is necessary to carry out serious and lengthy work. But after seeing and evaluating its result, you will definitely not regret the effort and time spent. Currently, the number of restorers is growing, because car restoration is not only an interesting and useful business, but also profitable.

In recent years, a lot of work has been done with the restoration of old American iron, starting with discussions over a mug of tea on technical solutions, sharing experiences at thematic parties and ending with the creation of body elements from a sheet.I would like to accumulate some of my conclusions, failures and methods of their elimination, peeped from friends, as well as all the vast world experience in the material dedicated to the stupidest mistakes that you will definitely make, getting involved in the epic with the restoration of your beloved, but very old car.

For starters, it is worth cutting off in advance comments in the spirit of "Hello, Captain Obvious." Despite the fact that all of the following will seem understandable, logical and the only correct one, not a single hundred soles have been worn down on this rake, and the cuttings continue to crack with enviable constancy against the hard foreheads of especially stubborn enthusiasts. So…

Not in the head and not in the notes of the smartphone, but written in my own hand and hanging in the most conspicuous place in the workshop. Improvisation is good at a jazz concert and in a bar after the eighth glass, in our case you should have a clear and most detailed plan of action. Only in this way will you save yourself the prospect of going out onto the track with loose brake system fittings and finally stop wasting precious time thinking about what to do today. Well, as a free bonus, crossing out the points, you will get visual proof that the process is underway, and this, whatever one may say, is a killer motivation not to abandon your project.

A sea of ​​articles have been written on this subject, and the sad statistics simply do not imply any double interpretations. Everyone knows that you need to cut with a grinder wearing a mask, even if she sweats, and the baggage of experience instills armor-piercing confidence in your actions. Naturally, you have already “done this a hundred times”, but a screwdriver that stupidly jumped off, because it became too lazy to wipe your hands after replacing the oil filter, can deprive you of your working capacity for a week. Well, the risk of the car falling directly on you from a hastily placed jack is non-zero. There were cases, and I don’t want to remember them.

Anyone who has come across a self-repair of his "rattletrap" can recall a thousand cases when the search for a ten-bit drill, which you just drilled a couple of holes yesterday, turns into an absolutely non-methodical wandering around the garage and, as a result, does not lead to anything. There is always, of course, hope for a neighbor, who, in turn, with a high degree of probability will give you something in the spirit: “Somewhere out there, like half a year ago, I ran into him.” And unlike the guys in the garage cooperative, the neighbors on the porch very rarely keep drills at home. And even inch keys and even more so. So fifteen minutes at the end of the evening spent on cleaning will save a lot of time and nerves the next day.

You should not delude yourself with inferences in the spirit of "The bridge still looks like, like the previous owner changed all the giblets in the gearbox, and he has to digest four hundred mares, because it was created in the seventies." Be prepared for the fact that if something can go beyond the allotted budget, it will be there even before you start troubleshooting. The only way not to go crazy with the costs in the process is to stoically accept the inevitability of very large financial investments, put up with the most indigestible numbers and go through all the pain at the initial stage. So make up your business plan to the maximum, and then boldly multiply the amount in the "total" column by two.

When disassembling a complex mechanism or several simple ones at the same time, take the time to fold all the fasteners into bags, signing each of them in as much detail as possible, or even better, fix each stage of dismantling with a couple of photos. Proceeding later to the assembly, you will repeatedly say "thank you" for this. And, in principle, stop relying on your memory of holes, because yesterday you ate all your friends a bald spot on the topic “I think I forgot to turn off the oven”.

In any case, sooner or later you will have to face what you understand at an insufficient level. If you have time and desire - forums, real people and YouTube, as a rule, know more about everything than you.You should not reinvent the wheel by gaining your sometimes very dubious experience, bitter mistakes, endless rework and wasted time, which is permanently lacking in such matters. Sometimes entrusting certain work to trusted specialists, the search for which will be your homework, will end up being less costly in terms of money and much more efficient in terms of all the same time resources. In the presence of tight deadlines, they dissolve at an alarming rate, and hectoliters of drunk coffee and other invigorating poison in cans will not add hours in a day.

7. Size the template seven times, try it on eight times and don’t be lazy to spend a lot of time on fitting the finished part

Climbing under the car, trying on a piece of a body panel made from scratch that stubbornly does not stand up to butt, returning to the workbench, where there is a vice and a file with a sharpener, is always lazy. But in case of an error, the element will have to be redone completely and without fail. Therefore, think three times before grinding off the extra millimeters "to be sure." In favorable cases, you will have to spend a couple of hours creating a new part, in the worst case - to fork out hard and suspend work while a new, for example, threshold is sailing from the United States by sea.

Including yourself. If a drop from welding cools down in your sneaker, that's half the trouble, but if it happens on a freshly painted wing, then the torment, albeit moral, will be much greater. The sparks from the grinder are quite tolerant to the skin of the hands, but they will destroy the interior plastic, paintwork and seat upholstery much faster than you can cut down "just one sour bolt." Dust from paint also settles in the most unexpected places, and it is washed off for a long time, drearily and through force. Therefore, throw your laziness into a bucket of oiled rags and carefully cover with suitable materials anything that may be damaged during the work.

9. If your friend / son / father still fell for the fact that the garage is fun and cool, and agreed to help you, then again you should have a clear plan of action

The car is yours, which means that among all this iron you are the first after the gasoline devil, so you are responsible for the productivity of the process. And if your partner will wander around and attack with stupid questions, then this miscalculation is solely on your conscience. Divide responsibilities in accordance with the qualifications of the participants and the availability of the necessary tools, while trying to spread the workplaces as much as possible on a territorial basis, so as not to get confused under each other's feet, hands and heads. Otherwise, there will be no more sense from such an assistant than from a wife who silently sips a mojito, lounging on a back sofa removed from a car somewhere in the corner of the garage.

Vintage, antiques, retro - whatever you call antiques, they have garnered many fans at all times. But in my opinion, rare cars are especially valuable, because they should not only have an impressive appearance, but also retain their driving characteristics. Almost all retro cars were produced in limited quantities, some even had only a few hand-assembled copies. It is these old auto phaetons, restored by the miracle of craftsmen, that reach fabulous sums on the retro technology market. For example, car elder De Dion Bouton Et Trepardoux Dos - A - Dos Runabout Steam went up for auction for $ 4.6 million, and the centenary La Marquise for just $ 2.5 million.

Is it worth mentioning that such a success of retro cars is a feat of many craftsmen in search of old cars and bringing them back to life.

Restoration is a difficult process that requires patience, falling in love with a retro car, certain skills and considerable financial influence. The experts distinguish between two types of restoration - a true and a simplified restoration.

True restoration - in other words, real - the return of the car to its original state, that is, restoration of the appearance and full equipment with original parts and spare parts. This is a very painstaking work that takes months and sometimes years. Judge for yourself: how to find a "native" part when it was taken out of production 50 years ago, or even more ?! But true collectors collect the necessary parts from all over the world almost to the cog in order to quickly resurrect the "sleeping beauty". If most of the original parts of the reanimated car are forever lost, they try to get them from donor cars, that is, cars of the same brand, but not subject to repair

But if this option is also impossible due to the lack of donor parts, then true restoration involves making them to order according to old drawings or samples of worn-out spare parts. This work requires a lot of time, effort and money, so not everyone can afford such pleasure. True restoration of a retro car begins with determining the model, year of manufacture, and studying the technical documentation in order to identify the original configuration. After that, the foreman finds out the scope of work to restore the retro car and the sequence of their implementation. Usually they start with the basics. To do this, dismantle the body, clean the frame from the old paintwork and rust, seal cracks and the effects of corrosion with welding and putty, additionally treating problem areas (seams after welding, joints, etc.) with an anti-corrosion coating. Then - along the knurled path - priming, grinding - painting - polishing. When the body is in order, it is the turn of the engine.

In the case when the old motor is hopeless, you can replace most of the parts with donor or custom-made ones, in extreme cases, replace it with a suitable one from another model. The transmission and chassis are restored in the same way. When it comes to finishing, you should pay attention to the abundance of leather and expensive varieties of wood for the interior decoration and the many nickel and chrome plated details of the exterior decoration. This part of the restoration will cost the owner a lot, but, as they say, beauty requires sacrifices, in this case - financial. If the owner of the rare book went through this difficult path to the end and did not leave the race, his efforts will be rewarded. After all, retro cars that have undergone a true restoration are highly valued in the collector's community, and the less often and more ancient a car is, the higher its price.
But not every connoisseur of antiquity can afford such a hobby. It is for such people that there is a simplified restoration.

Simplified restoration Is a type of car restoration, in which some deviations from the original appearance are allowed, and parts of the engine, gearbox and other units can be partially replaced with suitable spare parts from other cars. Such restoration is cheaper, therefore, has a greater number of adherents. As good as the simplified restoration method is, there is one "but". Cars reanimated in this way cannot be "retro". They are called "caste" or "hot rod" and they are quoted in collector circles much lower. But some of the deals from retro business are not embarrassed by such trifles. They are ready to turn human weakness into a way to make money.
There is a very instructive story about this topic on the Internet. Rolls - Royce of the late 70s - early 80s was in great demand in England.

Imagine your dream car. Maybe this is the Mercedes-Benz convertible you've always wanted. You might want an SUV with heated leather seats and a state-of-the-art navigation system.Or you can dream of something fast and exotic like Ferrari, Lamborghini or Porsche.

But for some people, dream cars are not represented in the present, but in the past. In this case, dreams can be associated with various memories. For example, that in high school your brother (if you lived in the USA) had a 1965 Chevy Bel-Air, or that your father had a Pontiac GTO that you always wanted but could never imagine. allow. Maybe this is the classic Mustang you sold when you had kids and you have regretted it ever since.

For those of us who dream of cars from the past, we can't just go to a car dealership and get what we want. At the same time, the purchase of a used car, the age of which is more than 30 years old, or even reaches an impressive size of 70 years, may be associated with a number of objective problems.

First of all, it is worth thinking about how well the engine, gearbox, and electrical wiring are preserved. In addition to the aggregate component, the appearance is of key importance, and the absence of damage or rust - otherwise the joy of the purchase will not be complete. But if you have time, money and a lot of ambition, you might want to consider rebuilding your vehicle.

Cars are short-lived products, but refurbishment or refurbishment can breathe new life into an old model and make it look and work like new. This significantly increases the value of the car on sale, ensuring its collectible status.

It should be remembered that restoration is a complex and expensive process, and labor intensity will depend on which car you have chosen and how much work needs to be done. But if everything is done at the highest level, then the owner receives the car in such a condition, as if it had just left the gates of the car factory, on the year and day of its production.

Fortunately, the Internet has made car recovery more affordable than ever. Many companies offer online purchase of spare parts for old and discontinued models. At the same time, the novice restorer has access to all possible manuals, instructions and recommendations for restoration. Simply put, if you've ever thought about restoring old junk in your backyard, now is the time to do it.

In this article, we will go over the basics of car restoration. We'll talk about the few steps involved and what needs to be done to turn a rusty trough into your dream car, both inside and out.

Car restoration has grown from a mass hobby into a thriving business supported by car clubs, auctioneers and ordinary car enthusiasts looking to experience the thrill of driving a vintage car in pristine condition.

The first step is to select the vehicle you want to repair. Consider your personal dream car - if you had a time machine, which car would you move to the present? When we hear the term "restoration", we often think of the classic American car of the 1950s, 60s and 70s - the kind of cars that today's fans have found as children. However, any car can be restored, from classic BMWs to the iconic DeLorean sports cars of the early 1980s (while we're on the subject of time machines). Keep in mind that the more exotic and rare a model is, the more difficult and expensive it will be to find parts for it.

Before buying a car, there are a number of issues to be resolved, including:

Is a rusted structure safe by itself?
What works and what doesn't?
Is there any rust or fluid leakage?
What tire size is used?
How long did the previous owner own it?

Why is he selling it?

Of course, restoration means more than just bringing the look back to its original state. Full factory restoration involves replacing almost every part of the car with a newer, working one, from the instruments on the dashboard to the upholstery of the trunk walls. In many cases, restorers strive to be as historically accurate as possible, that is, to make the car look the same as the day it rolled off the assembly line.

Also, make sure you have the right tools for the job. You will need clamps, hammers, screwdrivers and torque wrenches and more. In addition, you may need to purchase fixtures for specific jobs such as sanding, welding, and polishing. You can find out what devices and tools you need in reference books and on various websites.

Next, we take a look inside the car and find out what it takes to have a first-class refurbished interior.

Before discussing the logistics of the restoration, let's take a car to use as an example. For this purpose, we will use a 1965 Ford Mustang to clarify some aspects of operation - this is the most popular model with many potentially problematic parts.

Even if the car looks great from the outside, the state of the interior can be simply depressing: the seat upholstery is frayed and torn, the plastic is cracked, and the old chrome is dull and peeling. In addition, very often the instrument sensors on the panel fail, which also requires considerable effort to return their performance.

The complete list of works depends solely on the initial state. For example, a Mustang that has been carefully cared for and has slept in a garage since the 1960s will obviously require far less work than one found in a junkyard. This means that the preliminary stage of restoration will be the compilation of a complete list of faults, necessary spare parts, as well as repair and restoration work.

Does the car need all the new seats, or can it just over-tighten the existing ones? Can the dashboard switches and gauges be repaired, or do they need to be replaced? As for the audio system, decide if you want a completely new radio with modern features like a CD player, or if you go the hard way and reanimate an old factory receiver.

Full interior restoration work typically involves dry cleaning the interior of the vehicle, removing floor and interior door panels, thoroughly cleaning the interior cavities with a solvent or other cleaning solution, removing damaged areas, and reinstalling new parts that you ordered item by item. You should also thoroughly clean and refurbish smaller parts such as the glove compartment and sun visors.

Fortunately, interior restoration won't make a dent in your budget if you get it right. Sometimes door panels can be preserved and repaired if the vinyl is intact. Chrome metal paint can mimic the chrome trim inside the cabin. Plus, every part doesn't have to be replaced with a brand new one - you can use perfectly preserved used components.

We examined the issues of interior restoration, now let's move on to the exterior of the body.

They say that first impressions last forever. On any car, the first thing you notice is how it looks from the outside. If you are going to restore a car with the intention of selling it at auction, it is better to have a first-class appearance, or it will not be appreciated.

Exterior restoration does not only mean a new coat of paint.Depending on the condition of the vehicle, a full refurbishment involves stripping the entire vehicle down to the bare metal underneath. It is common for restorers to remove each body panel from the car's frame and remove any traces of old paint, often using chemicals or sandblasting. The panels are then coated with a gray epoxy primer, after which they will be repainted piece by piece and reassembled back onto the vehicle.

Rust Is one of the most expensive problems you can face when restoring a car. You can easily see rust under a layer of paintwork, which is a consequence of the age of the car. Often - on massive and thick parts. This problem can be overcome by special treatment, however, severe corrosion of thin body panels can make you think about replacing the whole part. In areas where rust only affects part of the panel, an experienced craftsman can cut out the decayed area and, using suitable sheet metal, weld in a patch.

Once the car has been primed and all rust removed, it's time to paint the body. Here you or your restoration shop can do whatever you want. Want to add racing stripes or flame airbrushing? Take action! If authenticity is what you want, then many auto shops offer original factory paint. You can find a wide variety of original colors for popular models such as the Mustang 65.

Outside work isn't just limited to removing rust and new paint. Think about all the details that make up the look: door handles, mirrors, windshield, gas cap, headlights, taillights, bumpers, hood latches, etc. All these things and parts need to be checked and repaired or replaced as needed.

In the next section, we will look at one of the most challenging and interesting parts of car restoration - engine restoration.

Many people loved classic cars, especially muscle cars like our Mustang 65, mainly because they were fast and powerful. Sure, many of them looked great, but it's likely that fewer people will remember and dream about them if they are slow. Therefore, one of the most important restoration tasks is a major overhaul or replacement of a car engine.

First, start with its complete dismantling, disassembly and troubleshooting. Fuel pumps, carburetors, cylinder heads and compressors should all be removed. As with the exterior of your car, examine every detail and see what needs to be repaired and which parts need to be replaced.

The ease with which you can find parts for your car's engine is highly dependent on mintage, years of production, and specificity of the model. For example, you can find parts for your Mustang anywhere, but if you decide to rebuild something more unusual, such as an older European or Japanese car, finding the parts you need may take a little more money and effort.

You can restore the original engine if you want authenticity, but there is another way. If the project you are implementing is an individual order or the embodiment of your own ideas about what a car should be, and also if the sale at an auction is not supposed, there is nothing wrong with installing a completely new engine. Why keep that old 4.735-liter V-8 in your Mustang when you can upgrade to a 7-liter Cobra engine? With the so-called kit car kit, also available online, and spare parts from catalogs, you can easily create your dream car.

The so-called partial restoration is also worth mentioning. Its adherents are convinced that true authenticity is achieved only with minimal intervention, only if it is necessary to replace a worn part.Repainting or completely re-painting the interior are extreme measures that turn the model into a remake. In view of this, it is worth carefully examining the copy you got for its original preservation and the feasibility of a complete restoration.

Car restoration is a big deal. In fact, this article barely captures a fraction of how complex the process is. It will require significant financial investments, time, skill, knowledge and skills, even if you entrust the work to professionals. But if everything is done correctly, you will be able to resurrect the car from the dead and bring it to its original factory state, or build a car according to your own idea of ​​the ideal. Anyway, why miss the chance to drive your dream car?

Today we will share with you homemade products for cars. We will restore the vents of a retro car.

It is quite natural that a car almost 50 years old needs restoration or complete replacement. First of all, this applies to all rubber products, wires, seals ...
Having looked at the state of the pivoting vents of the front doors on my Volga, I saw the need to replace them. The information on their cost was also not pleased with the information received: it came out about 6,000 rubles for one window, and for a complete set of two - well, that's understandable. However, it was necessary to do something! And again - there was only one way out: to do it yourself. Moreover, the home-made product should be in no way inferior to the factory original in properties, and the appearance of the home-made seals that replaced the worn-out ones should have looked quite authentic to themselves, like a factory one. By the way, I advise you to view a useful article on the restoration of retro car door handles.

Choosing the right material, I decided to rely on the experience of a friend who has been working in a car glass installation company for more than one year. On his advice, I bought an adhesive sealant, which is used when installing glass on foreign cars:

After hardening (5 - 8 hours), it turns into a soft and very tenacious rubber, easy to fine-tune, and what is especially important - it provides absolute adhesion to the planes. Exactly what I needed!

1. Having removed the vents from the car doors, and carefully washed them, he proceeded to the restoration. First, the glass was taken out, freed and washed with white spirit from the remnants of old decomposed rubber. It is important to do everything carefully: the factory rubber, although old, despite its age, holds the glass in the holder very tightly. They did it conscientiously! Therefore, in order not to bend the clip (otherwise the window will simply not fall into place later), you first need to pass a thin, sharp clerical knife between the glass and the clip several times, cut the old rubber, forcing it to lag behind the glass. Then gently pry off the glass with a screwdriver, and move it out of place. Next, we quietly remove the glass from the holder.
2. The released glass and its seat groove in the holder must be thoroughly washed from the remnants of old rubber, wiped with a solvent to ensure the adhesion of the sealant. Now, fill the groove of the glass clip with the sealant. This should be done so that no voids remain between the sealant and the metal. The sealant gets dirty, so it is better to work with gloves, and you need to keep a rag and white spirit close at hand. If you don't wash your hands right away, then it is very difficult to wash! - which, by the way, speaks of its quality.
3. The sealant is installed, now we put the glass in place. You need to watch out for two things: the glass must sit in its place completely, to the entire depth of the seat, and exactly in the center of the groove. And the second - in no case bend the glass clip!
4. We put the restored window for drying so that the edges of the clip with the sealant do not come into contact with anything, and wait for the sealant to completely polymerize into the rubber. Excess sealant squeezed out by the glass when it is put in place should be carefully trimmed with a sharp blade, being careful not to scratch the glass.

Ideally, so that the rubber almost does not protrude beyond the clip.It should look like this:

Our vents received new hand-made seals that will reliably protect the car interior from moisture, drafts, and everything else.

It only remains to add that all this creativity helped me save a pretty decent amount, while it cost only ... 200 rubles!

As for me so our DIY retro car door window restoration was successful. I hope our article helped you a lot and you will apply the knowledge gained in practice. The vents are not only on the Volga, but also on almost all classics of the domestic car industry.