Restoration

i just bought a 1951 nash statesman super. its got the org. flathead 6, im thinking of putting it as an v8 and on the floor. i have no idea what will change out easily! i really dont know where to begin on any of it, i could use alot of info.

Preperation

Make sure you have prepared the surface of your car first. Most suppliers provide you with a piece of specially coated poster board paper called a spray out card or test panel. Paint this card first to determine color match. There is nothing you can do once the automotive paint is on your car. You are ready to spray when all high quality solvents have been added to the paint to assure high performance. Avoid dry times, sanding times, flash times, or any other directions that may cause poor performance.

One part Acrylic Lacquer Primer

It is the easiest automotive paint to use. When you are ready to spray, shake it up and stir it with a paint stick. Strain it with a strainer right in to the gun cup, a recommended tip size is 1.4. Now create a slow build one coat at a time. Afterwards, wet sand with 600 water sand-paper.

Chopping, Channeling, & Sectioning are terms associated with car customizations for hot-rods.

CHOPPING

To chop a roof the pillars and windows are cut down, lowering the overall roofline. "Chopping the top" goes back to the early days of hot rodding in an attempt to reduce the frontal profile of a car and increase its speed potential. Some racers on the dry lakes chopped the tops of their cars so severely that the windows were only a few inches tall. These were sometimes referred to as "mail slot" windows. This sort of bodywork is also popular on custom cars, kustoms, and leadsleds. Roof chopping also quickly became very popular with drag racers for much the same reasons as it did for lakes racers. The first roof chopper is considered to be Sam Barris (see article about his brother) who chopped and customised his brand new 1949 Mercury.

Things you should keep in mind before you begin any car restoration project:

The Car

Surely, everyone would like to own a Duesenberg or Bugatti but even if one came your way it might not be the right candidate for you. More likely, it would become a "money pit". The simple fact is that the car you wish to restore must be one that holds some fascination for you. It could be like the one you owned many years ago, something your parents owned or one you've always wanted. There has to be some emotional tie to your car restoration project. Don't settle for a car in which you only have a token interest. Auto restoration is a labor of love, not a scheme to get rich. Don't ever attempt a restoration with the short-term goal of turning a profit. It won't happen. Besides, you can make more per hour by turning burgers at McDonald's. In fact, you can almost always buy an already-restored car for less than doing one yourself.

Automobile restoration is the process of returning a car to essentially the same condition that it was in when it left the factory at time of manufacture. It should include not only the parts that can be seen – the body, the trim, the chrome, the wheels, the dash board and accessories and the passenger’s compartment – but the parts that are not necessarily visible or otherwise evident, including the engine and the engine compartment, the trunk, the frame, the driveline, and all ancillary parts like the brakes, accessories, engine cooling system, etc.

A complete auto restoration should include total removal of the body, engine, driveline components and related parts from the car, total disassembly, cleaning and rebuilding of each of the major parts and its components, replacing broken, damaged or worn parts and complete re-assembly and testing. Each and every part should be thoroughly examined, cleaned and replaced. All of the parts that were originally painted should be completely stripped of old paint, any rust or rust related damage repaired, dents and ripples removed and then the metal refinished, primed and painted with colors to match the original factory colors. Wooden parts should go through the same meticulous inspection with regluing, replacement of rotted or termite-damaged wood, sealing and refinishing to match the factory specifications. Chrome and trim may require stripping and repair/refinishing. The frame must be thoroughly cleaned and repaired if necessary. Often sand-blasting of the frame is the most expeditious method of cleaning. The frame should be painted or powder-coated to match the original.