Or is Looking Classic Good Enough?

Are you looking for a cheap and easy weekend or rainy day project that’s guaranteed to give you that feeling of satisfaction of a job done perfectly? Then you better stick with building plastic, scale models. You can find a ’68 Mustang for $7.99 at your local hobby shop. Or, with hundreds of hours, thousands of dollars and shouts from your shop that would make a sailor blush, you can restore a real classic car. The crux can be finding the parts. With the right parts, you’re looking at a full-scale version of that plastic hobby model. Without the parts, you’re looking at a pile of old junk. These are the traveling circuses of classic car parts, where sellers pay for floor space and buyers browse hundreds of tents. If you’re new to the restoration game, consider going here first — as much for the information as for the parts. Unlike an online auction or single-owner parts store, a swap meet lets you chat with hundreds of sellers and maybe thousands of classic car enthusiasts about what you want, what you need and what you should avoid.

Restoring a classic car is a word-of-mouth game, and specialty swap meets are the A-1 source for this kind of information. And like swap meets, one big advantage of these brick-and-mortar stores is being able to talk with experts about what you need and how much repair iphone x back glass to get it from the shelf into your ride. The disadvantage, of course, is that the store may not have it. Call ahead with your make, model and year to ensure you’re in the ballpark. One last word on shops: The unspoken rule is that if you use the expert, buy the part. No fair extracting advice and then going home to search for the part online. In addition to swap meets and clubs, a good place to find these people is in online forums. The more specific the forum, the better (if you’re looking for parts for a 1929 Model A, there’s no point in joining the conversation about ’68 Mustangs).

Start your search with your make and model and the word “forum.” Within a forum, you might even search for threads specific to the type of restoration you’re doing, or you might find people talking about the specific part you need. Remember, no one likes a poser. Read first. Be helpful when you can. And be specific, direct and humble when asking where users found the parts you need. Take into account your sense of authenticity, the specific part and the quality of the knock-off. First, ask yourself what your goals are in restoring this car. If you cheat with a knock-off fender, will it make you value the car less when all is said and done? Or is looking classic good enough? If it’s the second, new, imitation parts may be the best, cheapest and easiest way to go. If it’s the first, keep looking! You can usually restore visual vintage to good condition if you find the right model/make/year it’s guaranteed to fit, and it’s not like a reclaimed fender is going to give you driving problems.

Finally, if you buy new pieces for classic cars, make sure you’re not buying junk. Sometimes classic is better. If you can’t tell the difference between quality classic parts and junky new parts, spend some time around friends’ projects, swap meets, starter projects and rebuild shops before diving into your dream project. These are a great place to go for ideas as well as parts. Need inspiration? Pick up a copy of “Hot Rod” magazine, and get your drool bucket ready. Like forums, swap meets, specialty shops and, well, any place you might find classic auto parts, the more specific the magazine is to your make/model/year, the better. The mags are also a great place to go for how-to advice straight from experts. Most have online searchable databases, but if you’re a classic car enthusiast, you probably know that there’s nothing like holding the real thing in your hands. Sometimes cars go straight from the side of the highway or your backyard to the junkyard.

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