Beginner

The 4A, 4AB, 4AC, 4AD cars, including the SM 1500 Roadster and SMX
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adrian_domin
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Joined: Fri Feb 09, 2018 7:29 pm
First Name: Adrian

Beginner

Post by adrian_domin »

I ran in to a 51 4AB here in the states. Never have a restore a car, the owner claims he has all the body parts and what’s necessary to bring the car back to life. So I’m wondering if I’m might be getting myself into a situation that I can overwhelmed myself and give up. And how much of a budget should I have so the build. I have been doing my research but I’m still clueless on what the project could actually in tell of. Any suggestion? Should I buy it or start my experience with something else?
ColinB
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Re: Beginner

Post by ColinB »

Anything with a chassis will be relatively straightforward provided you have a shed or garage to work in which is big enough to allow you to take the body off. If it is already in bits it's worth a careful check to make sure you have all the body panels and other parts such as lights, instruments and other hardware. Each component can be treated as an individual project so you get satisfaction from each success no matter how small. If you take lots of pictures as you take things apart it is very helpful when you try and puzzle out how it goes back together. You will also find help with Singer Clubs and sites like this.

I am a complete amateur using mostly hand tools and a power drill and angle grinder, but I also have a compressor, and learned spray painting from a YouTube video. I try to do as much as possible myself as this reduces the cost but you will need a budget. My Land Rover cost about £4,000 in restoration cost as I had to buy a new galvanised chassis; my Junior Tourer was very much cheaper to restore as I didn't need such significant components (probably around £800); I have no idea where costs will go on my Light Six as there is quite a bit to spend on chrome plating and new glass. My advice is to have a go, but just make sure you really like the car you are working on as it can be a long job. :D
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mikeyr
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Re: Beginner

Post by mikeyr »

Luckily the 4A is well known on this forum, good pictures and we should be able to walk you through almost anything on the car. First question I would have is where are you located ? there may be a forum member nearby that would be willing to help. The biggest thing for you at this point is to identify all the parts that are with the car and what you are missing. Some parts are easy to get, others very hard and that could make or break the restoration.

As for the work, its nothing difficult just time consuming, most of us here have done it before and some of us (ME) knew nothing about restoration when we started.
Mike Rambour. Site Administrator
1953 Singer 4ADT (sold), 1934 Singer 9 Le Mans, 1934 Singer 1 1/2 4-Seater Sports (sold), 2009 BMW K1300GT
ColinB
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Re: Beginner

Post by ColinB »

Please let us know what you decide to do!
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fly4ad
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Re: Beginner

Post by fly4ad »

Here are a few things to keep in mind, depending on condition and how deep you want to take restoration:
1. The body is aluminum, which may require some welding.
2. The body frame is mostly wood, so some woodworking my be required.
3. Some parts are hard to get and must be procured from various parts of the world. This sounds expensive, but isn't nearly as bad as it sounds! The biggest issue is usually simply finding the right parts, and this site (as well as other Singer Club sites) is the place to begin the search.
4. If you are a stickler for the exact OEM right part, some minor parts are nonexistent and may have to be fabricated. Most of these parts have a suitable substitute which may not be an exact replacement. Some parts simply require patience to find.
5. If you need to restore chrome plating, this can be more expensive than expected!
As mentioned in a previous post, each part should be viewed as a mini project of it's own. Sometimes these projects migrate from a small project to a semi big deal. You just never know what you'll run into. Mini project after mini project, before you know it, the car will be going back together! The good news is that nothing is super complicated and can be accomplished with a certain amount of dedication and determination! My solution to this was simply committing to accomplish something on the car every day! Even if it's searching the internet for a part, or spending 10 minutes in the shop, it is one step closer to the finish line of a completely restored car! I'm not trying to scare you out of the project, but too many times, a well intended restoration project looses momentum resulting in a garage queen for the next generation to deal with. My 4AD restoration took me about 5 years to complete! Now that it's basically finished, the joy of showing and driving the car knowing the labor of love that was invested is priceless. Sort of like the Olympic athletes, the earned metal made all the crazy hard work worth it!!! To get an idea of the restoration process, you can check out the restorations photos on my 4AD restoration website at:
http://www.1952singer.weebly.com
Might you have some general photos of the car you can share with us?
Good luck and God bless!
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