What Order To Start A Resto

[t_doody]

What is the best way to tackle my restoration.

Should I start with the engine and the drive train, then body work, then paint then inside and hardware?

This is my first resto, and as it stands it's going to be a challenge, because I am certainly not mechanically accomplished.

[Kansas 72 Ford]

For me I get it running and stopping and then work on the body until happy. Then redo motor and drivetrain. That way I can drive it while I do body work. All this assumes I have money of course.

[Power By Ford 70 F250 4x4]

Tear it apart label every nut ,bolt and washer.I used ziplock bags.Send the block to the machine shop.Strip everything off the frame.Sand blast the frame,paint it or powder coat it.Then as you rebuild parts ,start the assembly.Take pictures every step of the way.Have fun and good luck.

[OldRedFord]

X2 on getting it running and stopping first. Start with the brakes and then move to the engine.

[hazelnut]

I would start a price list first so you know how much it will cost you, then you would know how far your willing to go. i would make sure the brakes were in good condition then work on the engine. before i would take a truck apart i would fix all the little problems first because it makes it a lot easyer now than when its all nice and painted.

[BobbyFord]

Also, what ever you initially estimate it will cost to do, and what it ACTUALLY costs, turn out to be two very different things.

[mk]

What are you aiming for, is this something you want to run any time all year or is it going to be a garage queen? You said something about restoring it a certain way. your finances will determine the outcome. Be aware that it's a long haul plus lots of $ for a nut and bolt resto and it will be easy to lose focus. If you want to enjoy it while restoring it, start from the foundation; get the brakes and steering 100 percent first, then get the engine/trans looked after if they need it. It will sure help you to find someone you can trust in the area that understands old trucks and can help you set the priorities.

mike

[t_doody]

The truck is in running condition now, and honestly with a little work to the interior and a paint job i would be happy with that. The engine and trans could use some fine tuning as well as the brakes but she starts, and stops and hasn't failed me yet.

I don't want this truck to be a garage queen. I want the whole city to see her.

I get people asking me about the truck now as it is, I could just imagine what kinda questions and stares i would get once she's all pretty again.

[averagef250]

Do the body first. The mechanical stuff is easy. The bodywork and paint is where the time and money goes in most nice older vehicles.

[Power By Ford 70 F250 4x4]

Restore;To bring back to an original or a former,more desirable condition.

[1971ford]

Pull body off, pull drive train out, strip frame to bare rails, restore frame, re-assemble entire chassis all new and pretty with all new parts, flip the body over and strip/paint all that, paint inner fenders/support, put body back on chassis but not bolted down, do body work and paint. Full assemble with new parts. Drop rebuilt engine/tranny in.
That's how i did it pretty much.
But now i swapped the 2wd chassis for a highboy (4x4 f250) chassis so it will be different, since hte body is almost done i just need to take it back off and restore the entire chassis.

Unless you are talking about just fixing it up... restore in my opinion is where at a point in the build you can see two bare frame rails.

[mk]

Let's not scare her off
If the truck is dependable, that's great. It's amazing what a coat of fresh color will do to inspire getting the rest done. Good deals can be found on paint jobs, just takes a little leg work searching out someone who can lay it on and avoiding the fly-by-night weasels. Ask the guys at the local parts store, friends that have had body work done etc. Again, making friends with someone that understands the process will help a lot. As far as the interior, upgrades in the form of a better seat and other stuff are easily found.

mike

[1967AceStroker]

Do the body first. The mechanical stuff is easy. The bodywork and paint is where the time and money goes in most nice older vehicles.

NO.

Get it mechanically sound first. If you do bodywork first, you might have the purdiest show quality painted truck around, but whats it worth if you can't drive it cause its not operable? I guess it all just depends on the time/money/effort put forth into this project.

[fordman]

well it depends really. once you start doing something to any vehicle you are fixing up or restoring it can snow ball on you. alot of the restore process depends on several things. 1 can you get the job done from start to finish? 2 money. 3 more money 4 time 5 a place to do it. 6 even more money 7 knowledge and skill. also something to consider is how far you want to go. other things to consider is what condition the truck is in. how rusty is it? how much more rust will it get in the area you live in? how much will you drive it? i it just needs some small mechanical work and a piant job. go after the easy stuff first. then move onto the harder more time consuming projects like rust repair then sanding and painting.