If you want to restore a classic car, you have to decide what you really want, as there are different ways of how to restore a car.
You can of course restore a car in a way that makes it look and be, better than new. That sometimes means to change and improve the engine and brake system. Especially when upgrading the engine, you should also improve the brake system. Better than new can mean completely new bodywork, paint and interior, too. In the end no signs of use will be visible. And it might even look little different than the original car.
But you can of course restore a car in a way that it will be as good as it was on the day of sale. This means using original parts, materials, and manufacturing techniques. The car will in the end be like new, without any sort of improvement.
A third way would be to restore a car in a way that is more a conservation of the present state than a renewal. But even though you might not change a lot, no completely new upholstery, new paint, and buckles still visible, you should take good care of the technical and security aspects of the car. Improvements out of security reasons might still be necessary. In the end you will have a car that is technically OK and save but still looks like an old car. You don’t really need an anti-ageing treatment for a car, do you?
Why don’t you leave a comment telling others about your car restoration?
Archive for November, 2009
Classic Car Restoration
Monday, November 9th, 2009
The Petersen Automotive Museum
Saturday, November 7th, 2009
The Exhibition What Were They Thinking? The Misfits Of Motordom in the Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, California is extended through July 5, 2010.
In this exhibition examples are shown, in which car designers and engineers tried to improve the cars of their times. Some of the inventions made are more than strange, others are pretty useful and worth thinking about. All of them certainly are good examples of out-of-the-box thinking.
You can see the 1957 Liberty Mutual Survival Car which was the attempt to improve safety for the driver, the passengers and even the pedestrians. Or the 1934 Chrysler Airflow, a scientifically aerodynamic car that didn’t match the styling trends of its time.
Another misfit was the 1959 Chevrolet Corvair. It was designed to compete with European compact cars like the Beetle and had an air cooled flat rear engine and rear drive. The American drivers though didn’t get on too well with the car and caused several accidents, therefore the car was thought of as being unsafe.
These are of course only a few examples of what you can see at the Petersen Automotive Museum.
On Saturday, December 5, 2009 the 4th Annual CARnival Family Fun Day will take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. All children are FREE on that very day.
The Volkswagen Type 3
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
After the Type 1 (the Beetle) and the Type 2 (the Transporter) Volkswagen produced the Type 3.
The basics and the wheel base of the Volkswagen 1500/1600 were identical to the Beetle. The engine was an improved Beetle flat engine with also improved air cooling system. The models were the Variant, known as Squareback in the USA. It was the estate version. The saloon versions were the Notchback (Stufenheck) and the Fastback (Fliessheck). A convertible was announced but never built.
From 1961 to 1973 more than 2.5 million cars were produced. The Type 3 was much more a family car than the Type 1. There was more space for the passengers and for the luggage, as the engine was located under a panel in the rear boot.
The originally single- or dual-carburetted 1.5 L engine was upgraded to a 1.6 L engine in 1966. In 1968 the 1600 was the first car with electronic fuel injection pioneered by Bosch. This was the 1600E version. E stands for Einspritzung, the German word for injection.
Specifications
- German production 1961-1973 – Notchback/Fastback: 1,339,124, Variant: 1,202,935
- Class – compact car
- Body styles – 2-door estate car, 2-door coupe, 3-door hatchback
- Engines – 1.5 or 1.6 L H4
- Transmissions – 4-speed manual, 3-speed automatic
- Wheelbase – 2,400 mm (94.5 in)
- Length – 4,225 mm (166.3 in)
- Width – 1,605 mm (63.2 in)
- Height – 1,475 mm (58.1 in)
- Kerb weight – from 880 kg (1,940 lb)
- Fuel capacity – 40 L
The Volkswagen Beetle
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
After having passed the driving test in 1982, I really hated to drive my mum’s old Beetle.
For some reason I always managed to kill the engine and sometimes wasn’t even able to start the car again. Today I’d be more than happy to have a Bug.
Even though I was of the opinion that my mum’s Beetle hated me, the cars generally were pretty reliable and of course high build quality. And the sound of the engine was somehow unique.
They haven’t been the most sold German cars until 2002, for no reason, have they? More than 21.5 million units were sold from 1938 to 2003, 330,000 of them were convertibles. 15.8 million cars were produced in Germany.
Before WW2 the idea was to produce a car that is affordable for most people. The idea of manufacturing a Volkswagen (the people’s car) is much older though. More or less responsible for the design of the Beetle was Ferdinand Porsche. This is why the Beetle often was called Kugelporsche in Germany. Kugel is a German word for ball or sphere.
The production of civilian Volkswagen cars did not start until after WW2. The official name at that time was KdF-Wagen and refers to Kraft durch Freude (Strength Through Joy), the leisure organization during the Third Reich. Later it was Type 1 before it was named Beetle after WW2. During the war, the Beetle was produced for military use only. Mechanically it was to be as simple as possible.
After WW2 the Volkswagen factory at Wolfsburg was under British control and was to be dismantled and shipped to Britain. Luckily no British car manufacturer was interested in the factory. Thanks to the British Army officer Major Ivan Hirst, who was able to convince the British Army to order 20,000 cars, the factory survived.
After Heinz Nordhoff was appointed director of the Volkswagen Factory the production increased. The one-millionth car came off the assembly line in 1955.
The first Beetle was sold in the UK in June 1953.
Specifications:
- Production 1938-2003 – 21,529,464 units
- Body styles – 2-door sedan, 2-door convertible
- Length – 4070-4140 mm
- Width – 1540-1585 mm
- Height – 1500 mm
- Wheel track – 2400-2420 mm
- Kerb weight – 730-930 kg
- Layout – rear engine, rear-wheel drive
- Engines – 1.1 L, 1.2 L, 1.3 L, 1.5 L, 1.6 L H4
- Transmissions – 4-speed manual transaxle, 3-speed clutchless manual (Autostick)
Car Parts English-German Part 2
Sunday, November 1st, 2009
This is the second part of my car parts dictionary. It still isn’t complete but it might be a little help for those who restore German cars and don’t have an English manual. Next month I’ll add more.
| English | German |
| camber | Sturz |
| camshaft | Nockenwelle |
| car jack | Wagenheber |
| caravan | Wohnwagen |
| carburettor | carburettor |
| cardan shaft | Kardanwelle |
| classic car | Oldtimer |
| caster | Nachlauf |
| clutch | Kupplung, Kupplungspedal |
| clutch release bearing | Ausrücklager für Kupplung |
| coach spring | Blattfeder |
| coil spring | Schraubenfeder |
| control arm, trailing link | Längslenker |
| controller | Regler |
| convertible, drop head coupé | Kabriolett |
| cooler | Kühler |
| crankshaft | Kurbelwelle |
| cup spring | Tellerfeder |
| cylinder | Zylinder |
| cylinder-head | Zylinderkopf |
| cylinder-head gasket | Zylinderkopfdichtung |
| dashboard | Armaturenbrett |
| differential gear | Differenzial |
| dipped beam | Abblendlicht |
| dip switch | Abblendschalter |
| dipstick | Ölmessstab |
| displacement | Hubraum |
| door check strap | Türfangband |
| door handle | Türgriff |
| drive | Antrieb |
| driver’s seat | Fahrersitz |
| driving shaft, driving axle | Antriebsachse |
| drop arm | Lenkspurhebel |
