Читать книгу How to Restore Your Chevy Truck: 1973-1987 - Kevin Whipps - Страница 9
ОглавлениеTake an organized and methodical approach to truck restoration; it saves you time, money, and frustration later on. Restoring any vehicle is a massive undertaking, and without proper preparation, it can quickly become an absolute nightmare. Starting off randomly and arbitrarily pushing forward is no way to accomplish anything, let alone a restoration project. Before you actually start the restoration, you need a solid plan as to how you’re going to tackle the entire restoration, estimate cost, accommodate a cost overrun of 20 percent, and set a budget. Within a restoration plan, you set specific tasks and accomplish them in a timely matter. Before you start, create a list of what you need; that way, you can make sure that your budget is on track. Remember, you also need the correct tools to perform high-quality work.
Before you dive into your restoration, you need a complete plan and budget so you can save time and money. Without one, it’s easy to lose your way and the truck restoration becomes a decades long project.
The key, as it is with any big project, is to plan out major sections beforehand. Divide each portion of the project into individual components, then work it down from there. For example, you could organize by area: cab, bed, engine, etc. Or you could organize by the type of work you’re doing: rust repair, bodywork, paint, mechanical. Whichever method of organizing your restoration you choose, it’s absolutely critical that you have a consistent and methodical system to keep it on track. If not, you can squander time, parts, and money. Often, it comes back to haunt you in the end.
One of the easiest ways to sort things out is to list, in detail, exactly what you plan to do to the truck, something like a mission statement. If you’re doing a full restoration, plan out the project. Some things can be done simultaneously, particularly if you’re farming out the work; the interior (at least some of it) can be done while the truck is being painted, for example, but others must follow a very specific sequence, otherwise they aren’t done correctly, if at all.
You’re still in the early planning stages here, but the system sequence generally goes like this:
1. Disassembly
2. Rust repair
3. Bodywork
4. Paint
5. Engine/transmission
6. Suspension, brakes, steering
7. Interior
8. Electrical
9. Final Assembly
Of course, some things can be done whenever you want. If you’re experienced at engine rebuilding, you could do that at any step of the process, and just wait to install it once the truck is painted. The interior, again, is a matter of timing. In theory, you can do it right away but keep it stored safely somewhere until final assembly. You don’t want to have that nice, new finish ruined with body filler dust and overspray.
The key (and let me just hammer this one home) is taking the time to dial in exactly what you want to do and how you want to handle it. To do that, you must be organized; I can’t stress that enough.
Spreadsheets and To-Do Lists
You need to comprehensively organize all the procedures and parts required to complete the restoration. This is a mammoth undertaking, so it’s not going to be cheap. But if you’re not organized as you go about the restoration process, you spend more money in the long run. With Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers, Google Docs, or another program, you can build a spreadsheet that tracks your process.
For example, each component can have its own line on the document, with a checkmark as it goes through each phase of restoration. Or each phase of the restoration can have its own line, and the components receive a checkmark. It’s up to you how it’s organized; just make sure that it is.
In case you don’t have any idea where to begin, here’s a starting point: Set up a basic spreadsheet that has columns for priority, task, budgeted cost, budgeted hours, actual cost, and actual hours. Before you begin the work, fill in the first four columns; that add up the budgeted cost at the bottom of its column, and add up the budgeted hours at the bottom of its column.
This gives you an idea of what you expect the whole project to cost and how long it will take. Then, as you go through the build, you can track your actual costs and actual hours. When you’re finished with one phase, you can compare the two columns, which should give you an idea of where you are at in relation to the next phase.
Using a spreadsheet has a number of advantages for organizing your restoration, but one of the main ones is tracking cost. Over the course of your project, whether it takes years or months, you’re going to pick up parts here and there to fix things. Those parts cost money, and it’s easy to forget all of the little things that you buy along the way. Nuts and bolts, for example, are often just a few dollars here and there, but they do add up. Having each purchase and part, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, on a spreadsheet allows you to see the running total of the actual costs involved in the process. If you put together this spreadsheet before the build begins and include estimates of what you need, you can compare notes later to see how much (more or less) you spent. That information will help you with future projects and budgeting them properly.
Another popular option is to use David Allen’s book Getting Things Done as a guideline. The phrase, “getting things done,” or GTD, is a way to determine what you need to do and when. Depending on the level of granularity that you want to use, your project list can have multiple nested projects and tasks, with estimated times also included. By the time you have things mapped out, you should have a solid idea of how long your project will take to do. If a day arrives when you want to do something but only have a set amount of time, you will know what you can and can’t accomplish.
The key to the GTD system is that granularity, so don’t be afraid to really dig into things. Although the resulting to-do list is quite large, it allows you to budget your time efficiently and ensure that you don’t forget anything along the way.
Several computer applications are also available for both mobile and desktop devices that you can use for GTD, so search around to see what suits your needs best.
Choosing the Level of Restoration
Determining what kind of restoration you want to perform depends on the type of vehicle you purchase. On the low end is a daily driver restoration. For these types of rebuilds, you’re not worrying if the tires are from the same manufacturer as they were in 1973 or if the seats are of the exact factory material that the dealer ordered. You just want to restore the truck to stock or near-stock condition, and maybe you include bolt-on upgrades, such as brakes and ignition. These types of builds tend to be focused on drivetrain and comfort features because how the truck looks may not be as critical as how it functions. You may simply like older trucks, and having one that’s able to haul an A/C unit across town for you comes in handy.
Choosing a Build Type
The following is a quick rundown of the various types of build you may want to consider for your truck.
A daily driver is just that: a truck you drive every day, say, to the office. It’s relatively reliable, all the parts are in good working condition, and you could park it anywhere without concerns about it starting when you return. The paint job, although nice, won’t be worth tens of thousands of dollars because you’re going to be driving it, and that can bring chips and scratches into the mix. This type of build also means that the interior is in good shape, but you may not have used the highest quality materials. And if something breaks, you don’t feel weird about heading down to O’Reilly’s to grab the parts.
A show-quality truck is slightly different. The goal here is to build something that doesn’t look out of place at a car show, which means that all of the finishes meet higher standards than for a daily driver. The paint job is flawless, or close to it, with little to no orange peel and everything from the engine bay to the doorjambs is covered. The bodywork is straight as an arrow, the interior is spotless, and the number of overall flaws is minimal, at best.
Now what kind of show you’re planning to attend changes things from there. If it’s a custom car and truck show, your truck might have a few custom touches. If it’s the local cruise night at the mall, you could probably spend less money. The point is, you have a wide range of choices.
A concours restoration is a whole other ball of wax. The term comes from the Concours d’Elegance, a show that has gone on for centuries (back to the horse and carriage days), and at which only the highest of standards are considered worthy. Typically, the goal is to imagine that your truck was bone stock, just rolled off the line, and was being judged on that basis, but better. So if the bumpers were chrome to begin with, they’re chrome now, but the quality of the overall finish is higher. Long story short, a concours restoration can involve tens of thousands of dollars in costs, which, if I’m super honest here, is not something you should do to one of these trucks. That is why I focus on the daily driver and show-quality aspects in this book; not one that requires you to take out a second mortgage on your home.
At the top end are concours-style builds. These trucks are 100-percent authentic and are virtually identical to the way they rolled off the assembly line. When entered in a show, they score the proverbial 100 points because they are just perfect. These trucks take years to build, and, although the results are immaculate, it’s just like any other car or truck restoration, which means that they’re worth a lot of money and shouldn’t be driven excessively.
It’s likely that your build will sit somewhere between those two extremes. You may want a super-clean truck with a varnished wood floor, immaculate paint, and a killer interior, but you may upgrade to disc brakes for drivability and put an LS engine under the hood to keep things modern and more reliable. Maybe you purchased a base-model 1982, but you prefer a V-8 and the front end of the 1973 model, so you bolt one on.
Let me make one thing clear: This book does provide the tips and tricks you need to restore a 1973–1987 Chevrolet or GMC truck to a reliable and correct weekend driver, but it does not cover a concours restoration. I discuss all of the pertinent procedures for disassembly, component repair, parts installations, and assembly so you have a faithful stock restoration.
Set your goals according to personal preference, budget, and level of restoration. Some people restore vehicles for the resale value, and they expect to invest a lot money on the front end to get the results right later on. Others don’t care about the money; they just want a truck that works. You decide what you want.
Whatever type of restoration you plan to perform, it’s a major investment. If you’re going to do a low-budget restoration, you can get away with buying a lot of parts secondhand, online, and at junkyards. You’re going to sink a decent amount of cash into the project no matter how shallow the build. Unless you’re a painter, paint and bodywork can be one of the more expensive costs in the process, and if your project needs paint, be prepared to pull out your wallet.
The level of restoration determines the budget of the restoration. Depending on your situation, you may feel that spending $25,000 on rebuilding a project is ridiculous, and $5,000 seems more in your price range. But if you’re going for that 100-point winner, $25,000 is on the low end for sure.
Ultimately, the budget of your restoration is going to include the cost of your parts, materials, and time. Most hobbyists don’t factor in their time as a cost, but you probably should; the hours you spend on your truck are ones you’re not spending with your family, friends, work, etc. After you do a thorough inspection of the truck and create an inventory of what you need, you can start pricing out a budget.
Project Component Pricing
There are some basic numbers that you can discern by doing some groundwork before you pick up a single tool. Start by breaking down the process into the individual components, bodywork, paint, interior, etc. Then determine what you can do yourself and what you need to farm out. When it comes to the work you have to rely on others to do, visit local shops for some general estimates. Don’t worry about the specifics; get some broad ranges of prices so you know what you will be dealing with.
Your carpet should run a few hundred bucks with installation. The headliner and door panels are inexpensive in the aftermarket, so expect to spend a few hundred dollars there. If you want stock seats, you can either buy a refurbishment kit for $200 or so, or take it to an upholsterer who charges anywhere from $500 to $1,500, depending on the material used. (Even though vinyl is stock on many of these trucks, many restorers go with leather for the quality.)
Basically, stock seats, carpet, headliner door panels, and related parts could cost anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000, and that amount varies based on the amount of stuff you have to purchase new and what materials you use. On average, however, you’re probably looking at around $2,000 in materials and parts. Alternatively, find a shop that gives you a firm estimate, and go with it.
Paint and bodywork make up the lion’s share of restoration expense because both can widely vary. Often, you find a project truck that appears to be perfect, but by the time it’s down to bare metal and the layers of paint and bodywork are stripped clean, you discover a world of rust repair that you may or may not have budgeted for.
To do a faithful restoration, you need to cut out all the rusted sheet metal. Some restorers prefer to retain as much original sheet metal as possible and install patch panels. Other restorers replace entire body panels. I don’t recommend a cheap fix-it job with a quick coat of body filler and some primer. Those types of results often don’t last, and the problem is that sometimes what you think you’re paying for isn’t what you actually get. There are many show trucks out there that don’t pass the 10-foot test (where you can’t see a flaw from 10 feet away), or ones that look great today, but don’t last because of the poor build quality.
Body Shop Estimates
When it comes to finding the right body shop for your project, research its history and past work thoroughly. Find out what jobs they’ve done in the past, and ask what was included in those prices.
For example, during the research phase of this book I spoke with one person who was having his truck repainted the stock color. The interior was fine as-is, so he didn’t want to spend the cash on spraying the doorjambs and dashboard, just the exterior. Even so, hours of bodywork ended up going into the doors and body, but he ended up spending $6,000 to get the truck sprayed. I also know someone who paid $10,000 to have his truck painted in time for the SEMA show, and not only was it done within 14 days, but it still looks flawless a year or so later.
