Classic automotive restoration is an art. It requires an eye for detail and a passion and dedication to restore a car to its “original” state. Restoring automobiles is about appreciating a vehicle for what it really is and how it was. It’s like holding and owning a piece of history.
Perhaps restoring an automobile is even harder than customizing one. Although customization would require almost the same skill sets needed in car restoration, it is more flexible as to how the finished product is achieved. And because customization is all about individual preferences, there’s always more than one way of getting the job done. Restoration on the other hand is all about rebuilding the vehicle to how it was exactly. It’s about following the master plan down to a tee. Classic automotive restoration is about precision.
Restoring a vehicle would be easier if all the original parts available. Usually, the parts will need cleaning and repairs but as long as they’re available, that’s one step closer to bringing back a classic. What’s more difficult is to replicate a part from scratch should there be no original available, a task that only specialty shops are capable of doing.
Make no mistake, automotive restoration involves not only the visible components or aesthetic values of a vehicle, but also the less evident parts such as the engine and all ancillary parts like the brakes, cooling and electrical systems. In order for a vehicle to be considered fully restored, all it’s “organs” should also be returned to the exact conditions they were in when the vehicle was first offered for sale.