Sup?
So, I'm the girlfriend of a Camaro lover who, though he owns a '67, had sadly not been able to restore much of it at all. It's in super rough shape, although it would run if he got around to putter transmission oil into it. I know nothing about cars other than the fact the restoration process is very cost and time consuming. However, I'd like to help him get back to working on his most prized possession. A few of my questions are:
-What part of the car needs to be worked on first?
-What things must wait till absolutely last?
-(If there is rust on things) is there a way I can get the rust off and still salvage parts it already has?
-What are good things to purchase as a birthday present/christmas present?
Any other CLEARLY EXPLAINED, SIMPLE YET HELPFUL tips??? Or am I just entirely over my head?

Thanks for you help... now I think I'll go buy a book on restoration....
-ACG

 

start by working on the basics. Get the car rolling. IE make sure it has wheels and tires on it. Make sure the brakes work, make sure the steering works

 

You are probably the most amazing woman I have ever met... Lucky Boyfriend...

order of working depends on the condition. If its in really bad condition you may need to start with taking the motor out and rebuilding it. If its beter, get a Dual-Action sander (DA) and with fine sandpaper start hitting the rust. (DO NOT HOLD THE SANDER STILL ON THE RUST SPOTS) Keep it moving in big circles. i would do this to the entire car... get the paint roughed up and then prime it... Come back when the whole car is primed...

Wheels, Glass, rubber, and anything that could get messed up buy paint (chrome) cant go back on until the paint is dry. they are last.


I hate to say it, but your probably in over your head... I'm not great at this stuff (not bad either) and I've been at it for a couple of years. (3 complete Restoration) If you want cool b day presents save up some $ and have someone professionally do pieces of the work... that will get your guy moving on it, If I were you Id get nosy about what he wanted it to be/look like/have under the hood. If he wanted a custom job with a new motor, have one installed and tuned for him. Then he will get moving on the car so he can drive it. If he wanted it back to stock ask him if you can work on it with him... purists do not take kindly to tampering with it...

Again this is all dependent on the current condition of the car... don't go sanding down a car that has 2 rust spots, and is a daily driver. You have to look at it as a whole.

Your best course of action is to ask what he thinks needs done to it in a non-obvious way... and since your a girl your probably good at that.

 

it has tires, they work. brakes, work. steering, works. what next?

 

OKAY:
-lucky me, i do know how to sand crap. i do wood work myself. however, i'd leave it to him, i'd just work on getting him the tools necessary to do the job.
-wheels, glass, rubber, ect--- i'm guessing that all has to come off the car before painting, not just get covered up? if so... how do you get the car to stay up with out wheels? (i'm sure there's a device which i don't know about.)
-i think the engine may need work? it's not the original engine though. what type of parts would more than likely need to be bought? (i like presents of at least a note that says "merry christmas, now go buy yourself __(put name of part here)__.
-i am in way over my head. good thing i've got my whole life ahead of me, haha. i plan to ask him, he knows i want to learn. he's just bad at explaining cause he thinks as a mechanical engineer and i think like a criminal justice student... very different!
-do they sell kits for different things? (don't laugh at me, i like the idea of kits with directions!)

I can't recall what else I said originally so... your turn.
-ACG

 

I think it's really great that you're trying to help your guy out and many would like to advise you but it's very difficult to advise you without seeing what kind of shape the car is in a d knowing more about what kind of vision and budget he has in mind. If you could get some pics up and perhaps get him on here as well or at least a little insight of what he has in mind we could be a lot more helpful. :-)

 

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...482_4251_n.jpg -old plates, not current, don't freak out.
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...481_4036_n.jpg
http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u...483_4458_n.jpg

these are all i have right now. the car is stored an hour away from us, so it will be a week or so before i get other, more detailed ones.

 

you put cheap steel wheels on it with crappy tires... you want something you dont mind getting paint on... and yes you can tape off all the glass/chrome/rubber but whatever is under it wont get painted, which can cause the paint to chip.

You need to have a mechanic take a look at it. Or at least a friend that knows some stuff about cars. No one can diagnose it without knowing some key information. Try to start it, take notes on what sounds it makes how it moves, or any of the things you can sense about it. from what you have said so far, it could be a fuel pump/starter/seized block/water pump/ carburator/ locked trans/ or anything else...

not to mention the fact that you and he are opposite gender, which means one of you could be speaking Chinese at any point in time...

they do... but again what parts are needed?
on a second note, be aware these directions are sometimes not the best/correct way to do something... and by that I mean almost every time there is either a better/ easier way. OR they don't seem to mention that to get to the part your replacing you have to take the car completely apart, wear a green t-shirt and hold your tongue in the left side of your mouth while humming I'm a little teapot...

sounds like your headed in the right direction we just need to light the path for you.

 

it still has super old breaks, the ones that are a drum? or are those the new ones..... i'm thinking ill just buy him a break conversion kit thing, since i know the break need to be done.
does that sound fair enough? it says, "sorry i'm not able to fix the trani, but i still want you to be able to work on your car, even a bit at at time???"

 

it seems i have underestimated you...
Disc Brake & Brake Conversion Kits, Stainless Brake Lines, Fuel Lines | Right Stuff Detailing
Drum to Disc Conversion
this is a good place to start.