Many Americans love their vehicles. May it be their truck, car, or motorcycle, they all love it equally. This love reaches a point where it seems that these vehicles have their own lives, and losing one would hurt as much as losing a friend or a parent.
Some would do their best to salvage old vehicles back to their point of greatness. Restoration is a major American pastime and depending on the kind of restoration you need to do. It will cost you as little as $150 to $15,000. However, the cost doesn’t matter as long as you have your precious back running in the open road, right? Well, it’s time to start investing in tools and parts because you’re going to need them.
Essential Tools
There is a wide array of tools you’re going to need for restoration. However, depending on the kind of restoration you need to do, you might not need all of them. Here are some essential tools you need for your restoration.
Impact Wrench
Impact wrenches can be found in every hardware store. Buying one is a cheap but significant investment in your restoration and repair. Impact wrenches are used in almost every repair done in the automotive industry. You’ll also need it for extensive restorations to remove certain parts of your vehicle. Without it, you’ll struggle a lot. You might not even be able to do the restoration at all. So shop for a good and sturdy impact wrench because you’re going to need it.
Air Compressor
An air compressor is one of the most versatile tools you can have in your garage. It can power various pieces of machinery and can be used for painting. It can also be used in cleaning your vehicle! If you’re wondering why you’re having such a hard time in your restoration or pouring too much money into other services, it’s because you haven’t gotten yourself an air compressor. Just a reminder, though, air compressors tend to be quite bulky, so make sure you have space in your garage.
Floor Jack
Every newly bought vehicle comes with a floor jack. However, if you don’t have one, you must get one. Floor jacks are essential not only in restorations but in repairs as well. It’s helpful when you’re replacing your tire, changing oil, and many other things that require you to go under your vehicle.
Grinder
If you’re going to need to remove some wear and tear from your beloved vehicle, you’re going to need a grinder. A grinder is not as essential as the two listed above, but you’ll most likely encounter some rust when you’re handling an old vehicle, which you might want to remove.
These four tools are essential tools that you’re going to need for your restoration. Having these four tools, you can already do amateur restorations to your vehicle and make them look good as new!
High-quality Parts
High-quality parts are essential for your restoration, and this is where most of your money will go into. However, you won’t need it as much if you’re restoration is only skin-deep.
Looking for high-quality parts is going to be challenging, especially if your vehicle is from overseas. If you can’t find the necessary parts for your vehicle, then it’s time to look elsewhere. If you still can’t find it in any US state, start looking for elsewhere.
You should look into Asia for these parts. Try going into forums and using your social media to ask around. Once you’ve found the part, it’s all about negotiations, so make sure you do your research. For instance, if you found it in countries like America and Canada and need it badly, you can always transport the cargo by air. It’s much faster and cheaper than getting it shipped. Furthermore, it is much safer. Some parts tend to be small and are tailor-made only for some vehicles in the world. So if the part is pretty fragile and there are only a few, consider using air cargo.
Professional Help
By the end of the day, there are some fixes you can’t do yourself. Sometimes you’re going to need someone’s help.
Before you start restoring or making necessary fixes to your beloved vehicle, you’ll have to assess which part of the restoration you can handle and which are beyond your capabilities. This is to help you schedule with your local mechanic regarding parts of the restoration you’re going to need some help with. Don’t be scared to get professional help for your restoration because mistakes will cost you a lot more than what you’re going to pay your mechanic.
Restoring your vehicle can be challenging. However, if you have the necessary tools and parts for it, it’s as easy as building some Lego blocks. Preparation is half of the battle when it comes to restorations. So make sure you have everything you need before starting your restoration.
