Huw
Club Member
Hi Matt
All the advice so far has been good, the bible is a must for you as pmac said. What he also said about timescales is spot on. I have done quite a few restorations on other makes of car, mainly really old stuff and they take an inordinate amount of time. The ZX is the most modern I've done. It depends on what you are trying to achieve, a show car or just a solid day driver. Comes down to how much time and or money you want to invest to get the finish you ultimately want.
As a rule I will always try to refurbish as many parts as possible before I look for new bits to keep the cost down. No rule of thumb for this as its down to the part in question. If its just a bit rusty, then a chemical dip or abrasive removal and re-coat with paint or re-plate in the case of a bolt for example. Getting chrome bits re-plated properly can cost you almost as much as replacing with new if the part is available, so watch out for that. Don't be tempted to get a cheap chrome plate job done. Quality costs with chrome plating.
I can let you have a list I kept of all the parts I had to replace on the ZX to give you a flavour if that helps. Most of the parts I will always replace are service items that wear out (bearings, tracked ends, brake linings etc) or perish with age (pipes, bushes and seals). Bolts, nuts, screws and small fittings can all be silver or yellow zinc plated and its pretty cheap to do. There are other plating options out there. Brackets and bigger bits such as suspension parts can be stripped and painted or plated then powder coated if you prefer to get it done professionally. I never throw stuff away off a car unless it is pretty much scrap. Old bits are good for patterns to make new if you need to.
Have fun matey, this is the best bit. Oh and don't scratch that lovely paint of yours.....
Cheers
Huw
All the advice so far has been good, the bible is a must for you as pmac said. What he also said about timescales is spot on. I have done quite a few restorations on other makes of car, mainly really old stuff and they take an inordinate amount of time. The ZX is the most modern I've done. It depends on what you are trying to achieve, a show car or just a solid day driver. Comes down to how much time and or money you want to invest to get the finish you ultimately want.
As a rule I will always try to refurbish as many parts as possible before I look for new bits to keep the cost down. No rule of thumb for this as its down to the part in question. If its just a bit rusty, then a chemical dip or abrasive removal and re-coat with paint or re-plate in the case of a bolt for example. Getting chrome bits re-plated properly can cost you almost as much as replacing with new if the part is available, so watch out for that. Don't be tempted to get a cheap chrome plate job done. Quality costs with chrome plating.
I can let you have a list I kept of all the parts I had to replace on the ZX to give you a flavour if that helps. Most of the parts I will always replace are service items that wear out (bearings, tracked ends, brake linings etc) or perish with age (pipes, bushes and seals). Bolts, nuts, screws and small fittings can all be silver or yellow zinc plated and its pretty cheap to do. There are other plating options out there. Brackets and bigger bits such as suspension parts can be stripped and painted or plated then powder coated if you prefer to get it done professionally. I never throw stuff away off a car unless it is pretty much scrap. Old bits are good for patterns to make new if you need to.
Have fun matey, this is the best bit. Oh and don't scratch that lovely paint of yours.....
Cheers
Huw