How to document your project
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Your project may take longer than you expect. Get a grip on that initial enthusiasm and document every step of transforming that pile of rust, dents and missing parts into your dream rod. Your hotrod will be unique, so it needs a unique service manual. Who better to create that than you? You may desperately need that manual when something interrupts your project for an extended time. Also, if and when the time comes to sell your car, proper documentation will be very appealing to any prospective buyers. | Your project may take longer than you expect. Get a grip on that initial enthusiasm and document every step of transforming that pile of rust, dents and missing parts into your dream rod. Your hotrod will be unique, so it needs a unique service manual. Who better to create that than you? You may desperately need that manual when something interrupts your project for an extended time. Also, if and when the time comes to sell your car, proper documentation will be very appealing to any prospective buyers. | ||
| − | For details on planning and disassembly, see this article by Centerline, posted on the Hotrodders Bulletin Board: [http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/new-project-before-turning-wrench-get-organized-37655.html New | + | For details on planning and disassembly, see this article by Centerline, posted on the Hotrodders Bulletin Board: [http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/new-project-before-turning-wrench-get-organized-37655.html New project? Before turning a wrench, get organized!]. |
Get a good digital camera. Make sure it can do macro closeups. It's also handy to have one that focuses in low light, since you will be crawling into all the little crannies of your project. Get enough storage for the camera so you don't have to worry about counting photos. Likewise for batteries. Forget claims of "digital zoom"; you can do the same type of "zooming" with image editing software. What is important is optical zoom, the quality of the lens, color correctness and image size (misnamed "resolution" in many advertisements). | Get a good digital camera. Make sure it can do macro closeups. It's also handy to have one that focuses in low light, since you will be crawling into all the little crannies of your project. Get enough storage for the camera so you don't have to worry about counting photos. Likewise for batteries. Forget claims of "digital zoom"; you can do the same type of "zooming" with image editing software. What is important is optical zoom, the quality of the lens, color correctness and image size (misnamed "resolution" in many advertisements). | ||
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Take lots of photos. Many may turn out to be useless, but you can't tell what information you may need, years from now. Digital photos are easy and inexpensive to store. Begin with a walk-around, taking photos from every angle. Crawl around, in, and under the car, taking photos of the way it is before you begin work. | Take lots of photos. Many may turn out to be useless, but you can't tell what information you may need, years from now. Digital photos are easy and inexpensive to store. Begin with a walk-around, taking photos from every angle. Crawl around, in, and under the car, taking photos of the way it is before you begin work. | ||
| − | For technical details on properly photographing your car, see this article by MARTINSR, posted on the Hotrodders Bulletin Board: [http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/basics-basics-photographing-your-car-63626.html Basics of | + | For technical details on properly photographing your car, see this article by MARTINSR, posted on the Hotrodders Bulletin Board: [http://www.hotrodders.com/forum/basics-basics-photographing-your-car-63626.html Basics of basics: photographing your car]. |
Save those photos as they come from the camera! Any editing of the images should only be done on copies, not the originals. Keep backups, whether they are on CDs or DVDs that you give to friends, or posted online. | Save those photos as they come from the camera! Any editing of the images should only be done on copies, not the originals. Keep backups, whether they are on CDs or DVDs that you give to friends, or posted online. | ||
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