get input from your friends. I’ve never met a restoration buff who wasn’t happy to talk about his latest project, and I have never talked to one who didn’t leave me with more information than I had when we started talking.
Sources List
Armed with catalogs, Web sites, and friendly advice, you are ready to start building a file folder of your restoration lists and notes. Usually my file folder is filled with printouts from my computer. I open a word processing file on the computer and give it a project label; in this case I label the file Project Charger. In that file I make a sources list. This list includes every catalog I have along with the general contents (such as “Chrysler sheet metal source”) of each catalog. Next, I list the Web sites I like along with a brief content note on sites that contain information I may need. Last, I note the sources my friends offer plus the names of all the old car salvage yards in my area that still stock the types of vehicles I am working on.
The equivalent late model salvage yard is a different animal altogether. Late model salvage yards cater to the newer car market, which means they rarely stock any vehicle over 10 years old. They crush older vehicles to make room for the later models. Old car salvage yards keep cars until nothing is left but the rust. However, they, too, will eventually crush the remains of everything in the yard to make room for the newer old cars our grandchildren will want to restore.
The salvage yards I frequent identify the crusher candidates by painting a big X on the roof. Every time I make a trip to the salvage yard, I make sure the vehicles I am scavenging are not marked for crushing. If they are, I pick the carcasses clean of anything I might need before the crusher shows up.
Master Checklist
The next item in the file folder should be the master checklist. Compiling this list is a little more involved. I purchase a couple of loose-leaf notebooks, a package of ruled paper, and about one hundred pages of photo keepers. The photo keepers allow me to photographically record the entire restoration in chronological order, which helps when I’m ready to assemble the car again and serves to wow my friends once I’m done with the project. The packages of ruled paper let me write down every step of the restoration as I perform it, again to help during assembly of the car; and the notebooks give me a place to temporarily list broken, missing, or damaged parts before I forget about them. Of course, you may also choose to enter your master checklist information in a Word or Excel document. I find, however, that my low-tech method comes in handy when I am working in the shop because I don’t have to stop everything to clean up, go in the house, and turn on my computer. The choice is entirely up to you.
Photographs
After I identify and research my major rebuild issues, I document the original condition of the Charger with photographs. You will want photographs of everything about the car. For example, what decals or labels are on the car? Where are they located? How about those engine labels located under the hood; what do they say? Good close-up photography preserves this information. It is to your benefit to invest in a quality camera and film. Be sure the camera you are using takes clear close-ups, and have all of your photographs developed before you remove or alter the actual parts.
As I am photographing each and every part of the vehicle, I am also making entries in the master checklist. Later, when I look at my master checklist, I see that although the vehicle has rear bumper guards, it never had front bumper guards. Having this note reminds me I won’t need to add front bumper guards to my new parts list once I compile it.
Photographs also give me a visual reference to use when I’m rebuilding the car. For example, what was the original color of the brake booster on this car? A year from now when I start opening box after box looking for a brake booster and can’t find it, a quick look at photo 3 will tell me the car never had a brake booster in the first place.
Salvage Parts List
Armed with a plethora of photographs and page after page of notes and entries on my master checklist, it is time to put everything into some kind of order. First, I assemble a list of damaged or missing parts I may be able to locate at salvage yards. I make a copy of that list and take it with me every time I darken the gate to my favorite vintage car salvage yard. Having such a list means I don’t have to remember all those individual parts I need to locate for the car. Would you remember you need new defroster vents for the dash if you didn’t make a note of it? I wouldn’t.
New Parts List
Here, I list the new parts I need to purchase, a source for those parts, and the price of each part. One thing I learned a long time ago is when ordering new (aftermarket) parts from reputable companies, not all prices are created equal. That is why I keep so many source catalogs. Compiling a list of parts and sources allows me to build an order sheet for each source so I can make one large order instead of several small orders. The more money you spend in one place at one time, the more likely that source will offer you a discount. If not a discount, believe me, they will remember you the next time you place an order and treat you accordingly.
Overhaul List
I list everything in need of rebuilding in the overhaul list. You, or someone with the right equipment, can rebuild many old parts. The trick is to find the right parts to use when doing a rebuild. For example, door hinges are notorious for requiring overhaul. Alternators, starters, steering boxes, rear axles, and brake assemblies also come to mind. All of these parts can be overhauled but will require new parts and a little professional help in the doing.
Parts Needing Repair List
This is probably the easiest list to compile. If it is bent and you can repair it, add it to this list. If nothing else, it will give you a schedule to follow. Many of the parts will contain components that require overhaul, replacement, and/or refinishing. This list helps you keep track of the progress of the work on the other lists.
Refinishing List
Every part on your project vehicle is one color or another, whether that color is cast iron gray, Plum Crazy purple, or semigloss black enamel. I list each part that needs refinishing. Later, after it’s been painted, I will check it off. Does the part require priming? Is it best clear coated or will a single stage (enamel or lacquer) finish do? Is the part an interior piece or an exterior part? Having a refinishing list ensures every part gets painted before it is scheduled for installation back on the vehicle.
PHOTO 2: Begin compiling your restoration checklist from the ground up starting with the tires and suspension components. While these tires are badly worn, several new suspension components were found after looking under the vehicle.
PHOTO 3: This photograph was intended for referencing the color of the hood hinge, but it also helps me remember that the car doesn’t have a brake booster.
PHOTO 4: The interior of the vehicle is shot. Notice the missing driver’s door trim panel and the extremely worn driver’s seat cushion. Also notice the aftermarket steering wheel. This will go on the Salvage List because new, replacement steering wheels are almost impossible to find.
PHOTO 5: Having a photograph of the rear of the vehicle tells many stories about what the previous owner added to the car—in this case, rear bumper guards.
