Disassembling a car properly takes a long time and a lot of work. A good way to minimize the hours and dollars you spend putting it back together is by doing things slowly, methodically and carefully. The pace will be slow because you need to document every step. It needs to be methodical to keep your enthusiasm from getting ahead of yourself. You must be patient and do things carefully to avoid breaking anything. Park the car so that it will be easy to work on because it may stay there for a while, take a deep breath and get started.Difficulty: AverageTime Required: 5 - 7 days
Here's How:

1. Take a lot of pictures before you begin the disassembly process. Make sure you get all the body parts, chrome and hinges from all angles. Take detailed shots of the seam lines around the hood and doors, corners of the windshield and window moldings, and the engine compartment. When taking pictures of the interior, don’t forget to take shots of the underside of the dash and capture shots of the doors opened as well as closed. It may be a long time before you start putting it back together again and it’s easy to forget what went where. Keep the camera handy and take more pictures at each major disassembly step.
2. Get a box of zip lock plastic bags in each size available to store every nut, bolt, hinge, clip, shim, etc. Have permanent ink markers in a variety of colors to write a description on each bag as to what’s inside and what it goes to. You can differentiate car parts by using different color markers; maybe you use one color for the left side and another for the right. Anything that will help you find the right parts bag when reassembling is a time saver.
3. Make sure you have a pen and spiral bound notebook by your side at all times to document any helpful reminders, parts in need of replacement and to take inventory. Don’t think you can remember everything even an hour later. Keeping a log such as this can help you stay organized. When searching eBay and other Internet sites for replacement parts where you may need the part number for reference, rummaging through numerous boxes is a waste of time. It's much easier to refer back to your inventory list for bag 10, box 3.
4. Start by removing all trim, decorative items, mirrors, bumpers and bumper guards. This is where being careful is very important - it's a lot easier to find rod bearings than it is to hunt down replacement trim. Pry gently to pop loose expansion fasteners used on emblems and trim to avoid breakage and use penetrating oil on rusty nuts and bolt. Some chrome trim strips and emblems require special tools for removal and attempting to use something else may be a costly error; trim removal tools are usually under $20.
5. Remove the fenders, hood and trunk lid with the assistance of at least one able body to avoid damage and personal injury. Make notes in your notebook as to where any shims or washers were used for alignment and take pictures for reference. If you don’t put them back precisely where they were, your hood or truck lid won’t fit or close properly. If the doors do not need repair, you may want to consider leaving them on. In my opinion, getting them to hang properly in the re-assembly process is one of the hardest parts of the project.
6. Remove the front windshield and the rear window by first removing the chrome molding from the outside of the car, being careful not to scratch the glass with tools. Before you start to remove the gaskets from the inside of the glass, put on heavy gloves and goggles; old glass has been known to shatter unexpectedly. Cut around the lip of the seal with a utility knife, keeping away from the glass. Have your able bodied friend gently push from the outside while you support the glass from the inside and catch it as it pops out.
7. This would be a good point to gut the interior. Remove the seats, doors and interior panels, carpeting and headliner. If your classic’s dash needs painting, you will need to remove the dash panel cover and gauges. With the battery disconnected, wrap and label exposed wires with masking tape. Small parts like door handles and window cranks can be stored in plastic bags. Larger items, like seats and panels, can be wrapped in the plastic bags dry cleaners use to cover your clothes.
8. Clear the firewall and take all the accessories off the engine. In a typical restoration, the firewall is painted and all mechanical parts are removed and rebuilt. If you decide to send the engine out to be rebuilt, you can be rebuilding the carburetor, generator and other accessories while you are waiting for the machine work to be done. If the engine doesn’t need rebuilding, make sure to wrap it up securely with plastic to keep moisture away. If possible, don’t remove wiring. Use it as a guide when installing new wiring and wiring harness, then remove the old as you complete each step in the new installation.
9. Go through your notebook and highlight all the parts that need to be replaced and make a separate "to do" list for ordering them. Use your local car club for referrals to find shops that do good chrome replating and parts repair; that can be a job in itself. Be aware that using high quality restoration vendors will cost a bit more and take a little longer to complete the job, but it will be worth it.

Tips:

1. Don't throw anything away, you will be amazed how valuable a worn out part can be when it can't be replaced
2. If you need to use a propane or acetylene torch to loosen stubborn fasteners, have a fire extinguisher on hand.

What You Need:

• Camera
• Storage shelves and boxes
• Safety glasses
• Plastic bags
• Permanent markers
• Spiral notebook or journal
• Protective gloves
• Good set of tools
• Penetrating oil
• Old towels and blankets