5 Key Project Car Hacks

Buckle up, kids. This week I'm dishing some hacks out that I've learned the hard way through years of struggling with nugget project cars. Cars are an awesome hobby, but they can test you with mental acrobatics or physical pain, so here are a few of my top tips for whomever is undertaking a project, no matter if you're a newbie or a seasoned veteran. 

From bodgy Subaru RS Turbos, to nugget E30 BMWs, decrepit V8s, to my out-of-control pound puppy Pontiac, I've done the hard yards so you guys can learn from my mistakes.

Knowledge is key, organised knowledge

If you haven't worked on this model of car before, take a bunch of reference photos and videos before you start pulling it apart. Have a cloud-based service to them save them, and in a file structure. I use Dropbox but there are a bunch of ways you can do this: the important thing is to not just have 2764 images in your camera roll with no key to what they are. I'd suggest something like [base car folder]/2025 rebuild/mechanical work/engine removal - you can add other folders alongside "mechanical work" like "respray", "interior", "suspension rebuild", "brakes overhaul", and more.    

Workshop manuals exist for almost all bar the rarest nuggets, so get onto Google and find yourself as many manuals for your specific make and model as you can find, and remember that overseas market cars may have key differences to yours (LHD vs RHD could change the steering system, and more). I will often take notes on how a particular part of a car came apart so I have a record of what order parts need to be refitted, and how some complicated systems are assembled - the time it takes to write this stuff down will pale into insignificance compared to the time lost as you struggle to remember how it all fit together several months (or years later).

When browsing the Internet for parts or for information I tend to bookmark as many pages as possible within a folder system for the project. This has become increasingly important as I have two E30s BMWs, an E34 5-series, plus my Pontiac I'm working on so I need to keep all my information organised. 

Use the right products

Organic schmutz needs soap and water. Oil and grease requires solvent cleaners. When it comes to cleaning up dirty projects most people start with hosing the car down, but you're actually often better having a good look at what you're trying to clean, because all that water and soap won't do much against years of grease and oil.

With really old, grimey cars you're often better served by applying cheap Oven Cleaner to the heaviest grime, and then washing that off just to see what you're dealing with. Heavy degreasing truck washes won't shift grease like an aerosol option, but they're much friendlier on the budget and can be a great option when paired up with properly caustic options like Oven Cleaner. 

If you're dealing with a classic car that is covered in bulk grot, you'll most likely need heavy mechanical assistance to actually shift the worst of the grime. Cheap flathead screwdrivers and paint-scrapers and gasket-scrapers are brilliant for dislodging the most stubborn grot and even caked-on mud. Be careful with Oven Cleaner around aluminium parts as you'll need to de-activate it with soapy water otherwise it will corrode the alloy. 

Having a few bottles of supermarket All Purpose Cleaner and a tub of a paste-style household cleaner (Aussies can use Gumption) will also work wonders on your interior, or for mossy, mouldy surfaces.

Cleaning up OEM bolts, brackets and assorted metal pieces is best done with a cheap ultrasonics cleaner. Just remember to change the bath solution regularly so it cleans most effectively, and don't forget to use a good-quality heat-activated cleaning agent.   

Find space however you can 

When you pull a car apart you will find the parts will consume more than double the space. Giving yourself room to work is absolutely fundamental to being able to complete all the tasks you'll find you need to do to take a car from "meh" to "MAAAAAAAAD". When space is at a premium you'll have to be smart and strategic about how you tackle jobs, but I have seen people build amazing cars in single-car garages in apartment blocks - the key is to look around for how people work in confined space and use their ideas. 

When space is at a premium, or you're working in borrowed space, you need to have a plan to tackle your jobs so you don't get in the way of other people. Hiring large workshop equipment to get jobs done (like swapping engines) without soaking up heaps of your precious space buying a large, bulky tool you'll only use once or twice. Being efficient with your space also means it is easier to find parts when it comes time to start putting the car back together, and you'll probably find these parts won't be damaged or broken from having been left in a pile you've tripped over a dozen times for a year or more.

Similarly, having tools or storage on wheels so you can empty your space out to work on your car is another great idea i've seen, while I currently use height and vertical storage options in my single-car apartment garage. You'll never regret having more space.

Don't lose days buying supplies 

Spend the time and money investing in some sprays you can keep in your garage, and try to have three cans so you know you should have plenty on the shelf when you're in the middle of thrashing on your nugget. This is important as the amount of time lost having to run to a parts store to get a can of specialist spray will blow your mind.

When you start a project you should have good-quality degreaser plus an acetone option (AKA carby/throttle body cleaner) and a liquid form of brake cleaner will be friendlier on your budget than buying cases of aerosol cans. A basic penetrating oil is a must, but also a specialist hardcore option for those fasteners that simply will not play ball, while a butane torch and freeze-spray are also mandatory.

Similarly, you should have Contact Cleaner for electrics, All Purpose Cleaner for cosmetics (ie: so you don't get filthy), and a giant tub of hand cleaner so mum/wife/etc doesn't yell at you for getting the towels dirty. You should give serious thought to picking up a good-quality gardener's scrub for your hands so they don't get completely ruined by all the chemicals, rust, dirt, grease, oil and other harmful chemicals you're going to be using - you've only got one set of hands so take care of them. 

It's not a bad idea, as your project rolls on, to keep some high-temp bearing grease (for lubricating parts), anti-seize (for doing the same to fasteners), thread-locker (for doing the opposite), Superglue (to hold cosmetic parts together), petroleum jelly or rubber grease (to lubricate O-rings) in the cupboard. A tube of gasket goo can also save bulk time when you're faced with a hurdle to overcome.

Look after yourself

Working in the garage it is way too easy to lose track of time. However, you're a human so you need to eat and stay hydrated so the bare minimum is chomping down on some fruit and remembering to drink plenty of water (not just stuff with an alcohol content).

Remember to stretch. Project cars will see us lifting heavy objects, rubbing bodypanels down for days, or contorting ourselves into cramped spaces for hours at a time. Give your body its best chance to do what you need it to by taking regular breaks and stretching your muscles out. Doing this (and not drinking a million beers while working on the car) will also help you stay sharp, focused and ready to come back into the garage each day.

Being kind to yourself also requires you to walk away from a task when you're struggling. Overcoming these battles is great to show your tenacity, but our projects are meant to be fun and so you should take a break and go touch grass when you feel like you aren't winning. The only thing I've regretted from walking away from a task I was struggling with was not doing it sooner as, most times, it was solved minutes after I came back from my break with fresh eyes and a clear head.