We’ve restored scores of cars and found that organization is a key component to success. Countless stories and books have been written about restoration organization. Most advise keeping lists, making sketches, and using plastic bags to keep parts organized in boxes.
While we can agree with all of that, we’ve found three innovations that border on making the previous methods …
After a few costly mistakes, I developed a similar system myself. I had a lot of extra parts for my MGA because a friend and who also owned an MGA moved out of state and give me all of his extra parts. Over the years of work and travel while the MGA sat waiting prioper restoration I had ordered parts I knew I would need as they came on sale. Finally retired, I began spending serious time on the project and I discovered that I had purchased parts that were already in the donated stash and were in perfectly good condition. That was when I decided that I needed to go through it all and catalog everything. I use an excell spreadsheet for the box numbers and contents. Makes it easy to sort and find parts. With the extras I actually have three large shelves full plus some larger parts stashed in the loft, but that includes extra transmissions, wheels, hubs, trunk lids, fenders... With it all organized and cataloged, I have avoided buying a part that I have in the stash several times now. The shelves on wheels really help. With limited space, the three shelves can be put side by side - no space between - then moved apart for access as needed.
I don't think it's as much the American public that has the obsession with cheap Chinese garbage, it's more like the American retailer has made it pretty much impossible to purchase anything but. Take a stroll down any aisle in any big box home improvement center and try to identify any American made products versus Chinese crap. Probably 95% Chinese versus 5% anything else.
I'm one of the few that would much rather pay a few extra bucks and receive something I can use without fear of A: the product failing miserably, or B: injuring myself when the product self destructs.
I'm just very sick and tired of seeing "Made In China" on everything I pick up in a store.
Digital photography.
I cannot begin to rate the incredible ability it has given to any structured, ridiculously documented, step by step procedure of literally ANYTHING in life. The ability to immediately and cheaply document everything on the fly is powerful and irreplaceable.
In reply to 300zxfreak :
Cheap procurement costs, but not a proportional check stand reduction in pricing. It's obvious why.
One added point to digital photos: A club friend was restoring his '66 Austin-Healey 3000 and did the "take photos of everything" routine, but prior to him needing them while things were all going back together, his digital storage memory card crashed, which of course meant that all of his photos were lost. As a result, he came over to my place to pour over my '65 and '67 Healeys in order to at least partially make up for what was now lost, and retaking a lot of photos. My friend learned a valuable lesson!
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