As the car’s mechanical condition improved, I kept trying to give my wife a ride. No such luck. Even with bribes of trips to the ice cream stand. I understood. The seats were old, clean but still dusty. The dash and the floor were bare metal and without the door cards and other interior coverings, there were very sharp edges. And it was kind of loud and lots of rattles. Great fun for the average car nut but not for others who may not understand the nuances of the resto-mod processes.
It was about that time that I realized that my goals needed to change. Now for most projects like this, the general steps are 1) replace the drivetrain and mechanicals, then 2) bodywork and paint, then finally 3) the interior. Of course, that makes complete sense. But unless you have a huge budget, that takes time. Even restoration shops with a huge budget can take years to finish a total project. And during that time, you don’t have use of the car. So I changed my plan. The interior would be my first project.
I know it’s backwards but here’s my case. The car was/is mechanically good and easy to keep that way. The exterior was on it’s third paint job but it has patina and no rust. That in and of itself attracts attention. So why not ride comfortably, with passengers. The other stuff will come along and you’ve still been able to drive the car. So that’s why I’ll focus on the inside first.
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