Understanding Electrical Principles - Kirchoff's Law

Understanding Electrical Principles - Kirchoff's Law, continuation from Ohm's Law Blog

Kirchoff's Law

If you were to Google this, you'd  find the full explanation (and formulae)---quite a mouthful! Fortunately, this blog sticks to what applies here. To explain Kirchoff's Law, I'll separate it into the two different parts--- one applies to voltage and the other to current.

Kirchoff's Voltage Law

Kirchhoff's Voltage Law states that the sum of the voltages applied in a given circuit are equal to the sum of the voltage drops across the various components in a said circuit. The diagram below is an example of a simple lighting circuit with voltage drops specified.   

Here is a simple lighting circuit that illustrates Kirchoff's Voltage Law. Note that the sum of the voltages across each of the lights is the same as the total voltage applied to them.

Kirchhoff's Current Law

Kirchhoff's Current Law states that the current entering a junction in a circuit is equal to the current leaving said junction. The next figure is an example of a different kind of lighting circuit with current flow specified. (Note that this is a different kind of circuit than the last one above -- more on that briefly.)

Recall from your junior high school physical science class when you learned that energy can neither be created nor destroyed.This is called the conservation of energy. Kirchhoff's Law helps us to apply the conservation of energy to basic electronic circuits.

In the example I gave above for the 60watt bulb, it should be clear that the power the filament consumed was divided between light and heat--none was destroyed.

Understanding Ohm's Law and Kirchhoff's Law are paramount in grasping the basics of automotive electronics. Learn them and don't forget them!

Undersanding Electrical Principles And Simple Circuits

Before beginning, I should note that this blog makes the assumption that the vehicle you own has a 12 volt negative ground charging system. That is, the vehicle is equipped with a 12 volt battery and its negative terminal is connected to the vehicle chassis. If you own a vehicle with a 6-volt or even a positive ground charging system, the theory still applies but the specifics do not.

The objective here is to provide a foundation for the rest of the book. Everything you need to know is explained so that you have a firm understanding of basic automotive electronics. Every other blog post in this blog is written on the assumption that you've read and understood this one.

High Current/Low Voltage

The single most important thing to keep in mind when working on a vehicle's electrical system is safety. Unlike the electrical system of your home, automotive electrical systems are low voltage, so there is little if any danger from shock. In addition, an automotive electricakl system can deliver incredibly high currents--far in excess of the 15 ampsavailable at a typical outlet in your livingroom. Finally, this current is direct current or DC versus the alternating current or AC found in your home.

• Automotive Electrical--Low Voltage / High Current (DC)
• Residential  Electrical--High Voltage / Low Current (AC)

I assume that if you're reading this post, then you've experienced first hand the results of a short circuit in an automobile. They can cause extreme damage quite quickly!

I need to address two laws right away. A good friend once told me, "They're laws, not just really good ideas." Well put. The two laws that are paramount to understand for automotive wiring projects and nearly all electrical projects are Ohm's Law and Kirchhoff's Law.

Ohm's Law



Ohm's law is generally considered the foundation of electronics. Named after the person that first defined it, George Ohm, Ohm's law simply states the relationship between voltage (V), current (I), and resistance (R).

Ohm's law triangle 

In circuit analysis, three equivalent expressions of Ohm's law are used interchangeably:

Voltage

• Difference in potential
• Measured in volts
• Typically expressed as V or E in mathematical formula

Current

• Flow of electrons
• Measured in amperes (can be abbreviated as amps)
• Typically expressed as I in mathematical formula

Resistance

• Opposition to the flow of electrons
• Measured in ohms ( interchangeable with the  symbol )
• Typically expressed as R in mathematical formula

Voltage is that which causes current to flow. Resistance is anything that impedes the flow of current. The higher the resistance, the higher the voltage required to allow a given amount of current to flow. This relationship between voltage, current, and resistance is expressed as:  I=V/R

If you know any two of the above, you can solve for the third. Using a little algebra, you can re-arrange this formula to get the following formulas to aid in solving for the unknown :
V=IxR
R=V/I

Fortunately, the voltage available in a vehicle is somewhat fixed and typically is 12--12.6 VDC with the vehicle off and 13.0---14.4 VDC with the vehicle running.

Now that you know Ohm's Law, let's put it to work to determine how much resistance an electronic fuel pump has if it requires 10 amps of current at 12 Volts.

R=V/I
R=12 volts / 10 amps
R=1.2

The Power Formula

The power formula simply states the relationship between power, current and voltage. Power is an expression of work and is expressed in watts. Power is the product of current and voltage and the relationship is expressed as: P=IxV

Again, if you knowe any two, you can solve for the third. Once again, let's use a little algebra to re-arrange this formula to aid in solving for the unknown:

I=P/V
E=P/I


Now that you know the Power Formula, let's use it to determine how much power the electronic fuel pump I spoke of above consumes:

P=IxV
P=10amps x 12volts
P=120 Watts

An easy way to put the idea of power into perspective is to understand the simple incandescent light bulb. For example, a bulb rated 60 watts consumes 60 watts of power to light the filament within the bulb. Not all of the power across the filament can be converted to light --- some of the 60 watts the bulb consumes is converted to heat. This is why the bulb gets hot in use. The same applies to electronic circuits in all automobiles.

In a simple circuit, a certain amount of power is dissipated across the load. The remaining power is dissipated into heat in the wiring, switch(es), and connections. By minimizing the amount of power burned up into heat, we can get more power to the load.

Combinations
Many times, you need to solve problems that neither Ohm's Law or The Power Formula addresses directly. However, they can provide the solution whern you combine them via substitution. For examle : P=V^2/R

This formula would allow us to solve for power if we know voltage and resistance, but not current. How did we deytermine this? Simple, Ohm's Law tells us that I=V/R, so we can substitute V/R for I in the Power Formula:

P=IxV (Recall that I=V/R)
P=(V/R)xV
P=V^2/R

Likewise, we can solve for power if wee know curtrent and resistance but not voltage the same way:

P=IxV (Recall that V=IxR)
P=Ix(IxR)
P=I^2R

Which Restoration Approach To Take?

When restoring a car to factory new, also called a frame-off or frame-up restoration, the project becomes as important as the end result. On average, a complete restoration to factory new will take 2,000 hours--thay's 50 forty-hour weeksd (a year of full time labor), or four years of consistent 10-hour weeks, about the maximum a hobbyist can sustain and not jeopardize work, marriage, and other commitments. If the joy is in the process---offering a retreat into a world of your own ordering, the satisfaction of learning new skills, and the pride of watching an item of beauty emerge from your labor--then the restoration will be self-sustaining, and you'll reap rejuvenation from your efforts. But if the purpose is only a show car at the other end, you're likely to give up before reaching the goal.

A frame-up, or factory new, restoration has other demands besides time and perseverance. It's expensive. For a realistic cost projection you should multiply your original estimate--parts, automotive tools, supplies, work like chrome plating and finish painting you're likely to hire out--by three. Completely dismantling a car also takes space, at least three times the space of a car that's fully intact. Unquestionably, a frame-up, factory-new restoration brings rewards, but it's not to be stumbled into.

Because "nearly new" doesn't require that everything be rebuilt, it's possible to take some shortcuts. For example, the body can be left in place on the frame and the chassis cleaned and refinished as well as possible in its assembled position. Or the engine compartment may be restored by working around the big hunk of iron in its midst. It's possible to produce a very high quality restoration under these conditions--and save lots of time in the process. But there's also the possibility that shortcuts may lead to difficulty or dissappointment later on. For example, I left the cab attached to the frame while doing bodywork and mechanical restoration on a 1949 Studebaker pickup. The cargo box was removed along with the front fenders and all forward sheet metal. When disassembly reached this point, it seemed simpler not to remove the cab. This proved to be a mistake. For one thing, the front cab mounts turned out to be rusted and had to be rebuilt, but their condition wasn't noticed until everything had been reassembled and the truck repainted. Bad call. The cab mounts should have been repaired before repainting. Simply stated, disassembly usually makes damage more visible.

I made another bad call with that Studebaker. One of the reasons for shortcuts (like the cab) was my time schedule. I planned for less than a year (working at a recreational pace) to have the truck in "nearly new" condition so that I could drive and enjoy it. In point of fact, it took three years to make the truck roadworthy, much of that time spent correcting problems that would have been detected in an orderly disassembly/reassembly restoration process.

Aside from possible pitfalls (some of which are inevitable), the nearly new approach does have some benefits. The process is usually shorter, so there's not as great a likelihood of "running out of steam." It's also somewhat, but not significantly, less expensive. From the standpoint of driving the car, nearly new has the advantage that you're more likely to consider and make improvements or upgrades to ensure greater safety in today's often hazardous driving environment.

AUTHENTICITY VERSUS SAFETY

Most collector cars are mechanically obsolete. Although adequate for the highways they were designed to travel, their brakes, for example, may be downright dangerous. If the restoration goal isn't "factory new," then upgrading the brakes to a dual master cylinder, front disc braking system (possibly power boosted) offers a safety margin well worth considering.

While sure-acting, quick-stopping brakes are a first line of defense to avoid crashes, seat belts offer a crucial protection to the car's occupants in the event of a crash. Prior to the mid-1960s, few cars were equipped with seat belts. (Ford installed seat belts, a padded dash, deep-dish steering wheel, and improved door locks on its cars in 1956 as standard equipment--but the public basically ignored these features and the manufacturer concluded that safety didn't pay.) If your collector car was built before seat belts were adopted, and you intend to drive the car, then seat belts should definitely be added.

COLLECTOR CAR HYBRIDS

Considering modern upgrades leads to what I call the hybrid approach. While adopting new brake technology may be a big step  to some collector car purists, there's a bigger step in which all the technology---brakes, suspension, engine, drivetrain---is modern, but the body, trim, and interior (all that's visible about the car) are original. At least one company, Corvette Concepts of Sawyer, Michigan, has combined a modern chassis with anabsolutely authentic (not replica) 1957 Corvette body and interior. The result, which the company calls its Concept 1957 Corvette, is a classic collector design that has the mechanical attributes of a modern design. Building one of these new/old hybrids follows many of the same steps as a restoration of an original car (in fact, an original car may be the basis for the Concept 1957 Corvette hybrid), but the outcomne could be a daily driver.

In recent years other hybrid products havbe appeared, only to disappear when the builders (typically small entrepreneurial shops) lost interest or encountered financial difficulty. One of the more notable was an MG roadster offered by Great Lakes Motor Cars. Like the Concept 1957 Corvette, the Great Lakes TF used authentic MG components (although a substitute fiberglass body was offered) in combination with a modern-engineered chassis. Because a small market niche exists for such new engineering/classic design automobiles, other examples are likely to emerge in the future.

What does collector car restoration mean ?

You've bought a collector muscle car and you're goin to "restore" it. Let's discuss for a few minutes what we're talking about. Besides cars, people also restore houses and furniture. What, exactly, does"restoring" something mean? When we talk about restoring something, we usually think of bringing it back to its earlier presumably original condition. Yet there's some latitude in interpretation as to what this earlier condition is. For example, no one would literally restore a 300 year old house to its original condition without electric lights, plumbing, and central heating (and likely air conditioning). With cars, original condition is generally interpreted as "factory new" how the car looked as it sat on the dealer showroom, maybe even nicer, since mass-produced cars didn't get the attention as they moved down the assembly line that they receive at the caring hands of a restorer. But factory new isn't the only option. Some collectors would rather have a car that's been comfortably broken in. It's still new looking, but not so factory fresh that it can't be driven on the highway for fear of getting a stone chip in the paint or dust on the suspension pieces. The goal in this case is to combine "like new" with the can be lived in feeling of a restored house. Then there's the example of the furniture restorers who take great care to preserve the patina that's come to the object through age. Some collector cars fit this category. They've been so lovingly preserved that it doesn't seem right to sand off that dull original finish or replace an interior whose only flaw is some sun fading or age cracks in the leather. (The finish can be polished and the leather softened, even recolored if need be.) Restoration can have several destinations.

CAR RESTORING TO "FACTORY NEW"
Restoring a collector car to its original condition can be a time consuming and challenging process. It typically requires that the car be completely dissassembled down to the last nut and bolt. All mechanical assemblies are rebuilt, the chrome is replated, the body is stripped of its finish, all damage to the metal repaired, and every piece---chassis parts as well as body---brilliantly repainted. Also, the interior is stripped out and replaced with original matching material. Literally, everything about the car is made new using authentic parts and materials whenever possible. It's not a process for the faint-hearted. The search for an intake manifold, for example, with the correct casting stamping number to replace an incorrect part on the car can be maddening and expensive. Every detail requires minute inspection. In some arenas, such as Bloomington Gold,where competition for authenticity among Corvettes has been finely honed, car restorers are even expected to duplicate assemblers' marks, which must appear in the correct locations on chassis members. For many collector car owners, car restoration to this level goes a step, or more likely several steps, too far.

CAR RESTORING TO "NEARLY NEW"
Somewhat less challenging, but still satisfying especially if you desire to drive the vehicle---is restoring the car to a condition it may have been in when it was one or two years old. The factory smell is probably gone, and the finish may not be mirror perfect, but the car looks sharp and drives as new. With "nearly new" in mind, the dissassembly process can be selective. If components prove sound, they can be cleaned and used as is. There's no need to fix what's not broken. Likewise, the chrome may be selectively replated. The result will never be a prize winner on the national show circuit, but the restoration may be good enough to take prizes at local or regional shows. While the effort and cost of restoration to this level should be less than that of "factory new," the car's value can be expected to be somewhat lower as well. The strongest incentive for restoration to "nearly new," is a car that can be driven and enjoyed.

A "PERIOD-CORRECT" CAR RESTORATION
Some collectors and enthusiasts prefer to restore their car to a condition that it might  have been in the day after it was originally brought home from the dealership, once it's had a few performance or appearance upgrades installed.
   For 1950s cars,this might mean a set of "lake pipes" or dual exhaust, or possibly a chrome engine dress-up kit or even a "Continental kit." Muscle cars were likely to receive a set of headers and maybe a set of aftermarket wheels, among other changes.
   While some may think that such restorations are "the easy way out," in most respects, much of the car is factory correct. Only the handful of aftermarket parts would be different. A strict period correct resto would use date correct parts, which may be every bit as difficult to track down as factory parts--or more so.
   One reason that some collectors prefer a "period correct" restoration is that it gives them the flexibility to make improvements to the car that might make it more enjoyable to drive. In essence, a period correct resto is the precursor to today's "resto-mod" approach. And many owners of period-correct cars point out, "We didn't like them stock when they were new, why would we want them that way now?"

CAR RESTORING TO VERY ORIGINAL
They're far from common, but every now and then someone finds a car that's truly been treated like "one of the family." When I see a car that's been preserved with loving care, I usually do a double take, thinking I've taken a 30 or 40 year step back in time. A publisher of one of our collector car magazines owns just such a car. It's been in his family since new and that was nearly 50 years ago. Despite its having served as family transportation for a half dozen years and then as a college car for the family's two sons, and having sat stuffed away in a variety of garages for another 30 years or so, the car today looks likw it's come out of a time vault. It has an aged patina (that distinctly mellow look), but at the same time an aura of originality that no freshly restored car can match. Cars like this should be tampered with as little as possible. An engine rebuild may be in order and a fender may need repair and repainting (taking care to match the adjacent finish), but basically it's a jewel to be polished and reverently enjoyed. Loving care is a condition that can't be re-created though some have tried, only to discover that graceful aging is more difficult to duplicate than the look of factory new.

Attention to bright trim and automotive interiors

Bright Trim

Nothing detracts from a collector vehicle's appearance more than pitted, dull, and rusted chrome plating and brightwork. In many cases, the brightwork is stainless steel and can easily be restored to a brilliant luster just by buffing and polishing processes hobbyists can do themselves with a modest investment in tools and time. Renewing the gleam of chrome, on the other hand, takes a commercial plater's highly specialized equipment and expertise. But here, too, there are steps that hobbyists can do themselves, both to save money and to enjoy the satisfaction of renewing highly visible parts of the vehicle.

Beginning in the 1960s, manufacturers began to use plastic for many "chrome-plated" parts, especially interior trim pieces. Actually, the bright finish isn't chrome but an extremely thin coating of aluminum that, when new, shone with the brightness of chrome. Today these "plastic chrome" trim pieces, which often include instrument gauge panels, are likely to be dulled and may even have lost their bright coating. Since the trim piece's composition is plastic, not metal, the hobbyist may assume that the piece can't be restored and that a remanufactured or new replacement part has to be found. This isn't the case. Plastic chrome plating services can renew these trim items to like-new appearance if the plastic pieces themselves aren't badley damaged or deteriorated.  Later on we will describe the processes for the plating of both brightmetal parts and plastic pieces, with tips and guidelines for receiving top quality service at reasonable prices.

Interrior Attention

Except in rare instances where a vehicle has received extremely good care and been driven few miles, the interior seat coverings, floor carpeting or mats, door coverings, headliner, or convertible top are likely to show wear and need to be replaced. One of the greatest boons to the car restoration hobby has been the appearance of upholstery kits, now available for a wide range of year and model cars and trucks. With a kit, hobbyists can be their own trimmers (the term for auto upholsterers) by installing seat, door panel, headliner, and carpet kits to make a vehicle look like new. Another advantage of kits is that most duplicate original materials in both color and weave pattern or design, something trimmers typically can't do. All the steps from removing old upholstery to purchasing and installing a complete interior kit are covered much later as this blog progresses.

Storage and Preservation

When you've completed your goal and rthe restoration project is finished, you'll want your work to last. How can you protect a restored car from aging? Proper storage is essential. Fortunately, modern products make it possible to seal a car as hermetically as if it were a museum piece which for all practical purposes it is. Later on we will describe these products and explain their use. Important, too, is protecting your prized car from theft. Helpful tips are offered against this possibility.

Restoring an old car is, indeed, a learn-as-you-go adventure. It isn't necessary to know everything before you begin. Learning is more than a part of the process; it's one of the rewards the satisfaction of mastering a challenge and developing new skills in the process, and then seeing the result of that skill emerge before your eyes. Of course, it doesn't hurt to hear admiring comments like, "You mean that you painted that car?!"

While it's possible that you are reading my blog because the restoration candidate is sitting in your garage or backyard, it's also likely that the project car has yet to be found. In the coming posts that I will soon publish we'll discuss cars that are promising restoration candidates, from both the standpoint of their styling and mechanical features, as well as their collector status (desirability and potential value), possible uniqueness, or performance and enjoyment characteristics.
You've joined a great hobby. Let's begin the journey.

professional tools, equipment, and skills

If you're a newcomer ton restoring a collector car you'll need to locate a space for the project and equip the shop with the essential tools and supplies. Later I will describe the space requirements of a car restoration project and talk about the shop needs. You'll also get a quick but important lesson on shop safety. Each of a collector car restoration project's many phases calls for new skills and sometimes specialized tools. One of the ways to learn the new skills is from DVDs and videotapes. Other ways include talking evening courses in useful skills like welding or engine overhaul at a technical high school or community college. Often clubs hold technical seminars at members' shops; you not only see the restoration process demonstrated, but also get to do some hands-on practice. These various learning methods, plus the old-fashioned approach of reading a service manual, are discussed as they apply to the various restoration steps.

The Dirty Work

Cleaning, degreasing, derusting, and paint stripping are necessary preparation steps before rebuilding or refinishing most older car parts. Several methods can be used to get parts clean and free of rust. We'll look at the options, which even include paint that "seals in" rust, making it possible to bypass the derusting step on some parts. Since cleaning, stripping, and derusting can be time consuming and tedious, there's also the option of hiring this work out. However, for finances and other reasons, having someone else do the "dirty work" for you is not always the best approach. Later on I will thoroughly describe each of the commonly used cleaning, stripping, and derusting methods---with some timesaving shortcuts.

Body and Paint

Metal repair removing dents and rust stands along side major mechanical repair as most hobbyist restorers' number one fear. " How am i going to fix this hideous looking rust so that the repair is done right and doesn't show an amateur's touch?" Working with metal requires special tools and skills. For this reason, many hobbyists hire out metal repair to professionals, but it's possible to do highly competent, even craftsman-quality metal work yourself---- and the investment in tools will be more than repaid by not writing big checks to the body shop. While becoming competent in the techniques of metal repair takes a fair amount of practice, later we will cover
 the steps in enough detail to get you started. Mopsrt important, you'll learn what not to do. Mistakes with metal can be expensive to fix.

Like metal work, painting is a high-skill process that's often hired out. However, doing the preparation steps can save lots of money and it's possible, through practice, to master the techniques for applying a prfessional-quality finish. Changes in technology, both paint products and application equipment, work for and against the hobbyist. Older, easier-to-apply paints are disappearing, but application technology is improving, making the modern paints easier to spray. Please keep reading on as I will eventually get into describing traqditional and modern paint products and walk through the steps for their use.

Classic car restoration learning to rebuild and customize as you go adventure

This blog article is designed to take you on a journey, a collector car journey. When you're finished, you will have preserved more than just a historic remnant; you will have visible proof of craftsmanship---a quality our society has nearly lost---on display in your garage. Before getting sidetracked by the end result, however, let's talk about where we begin the muscle car restoration.

   Quite likely the starting point will be selecting and purchasing a collector car to restore. Although the term "old car" is frequently heard, "collector car" is a better descriptor. With cars, as with people, "old" is a relative term; it's said we're as old as we think ourselves to be: the age we'd be if we couldn't see ourselves in the mirror. Likewise with a collector car. There are bona fide collector vehicles less than 10 years old. While an owner of such a vehicle would feel foolish to say, "lets go for a ride in my 'old' car," we're talking about vehicles that have already achieved preservation status. From there the age of collector vehicles retreats to the dawn of the motoring age. What's important is to select the collector vehicle that fits your interest, resources, and purpose.

There's More than One Way to Restore a Collector Car

If you're like most classic car enthusiasts, as soon as you have your "new" old car at home in your garage, you'll be tempted to attack it, tools in hand. Repeatedly you'll be cautioned against taking this learn to rebuild aproach. A one or two day fit of disassembly can leave a car so scattered in pieces that 15 or even 20 years later there's a fender here, an engine there, a body rusting in outside storage, the title lost along with so many small parts and odds and ends that putting everything back together would daunt even a professional restorer.

   Instead of wholesale disassembly, we'll proceed on a saner tact, a method loudly preached and wisely practiced by one of the nation's leading collector car restorers, John Twist, proprietor o University Motors Ltd., in Grand Rapids, Michigan. John Twist's approach : Take off one assembly at a time and rebuild it before proceeding to the next. "That way," says John, "if your boss suddenly promotes you to Istanbul, you can quickly put the car back together--- maybe even load it in a container and take it with you." Otherwise, if you're looking at a shop full of pieces, who knows the car's ultimate fate?

Define Your Goal

Another reason not to start your restoration by taking the car completely apart: not all cars need to---or should---be reduced to their pieces.  There are different types of muscle car restoration. For some, the goal will be to make the car "factory new,"  actually probably better than it came from the factory, but looking every bit as bright and shiny as it did sitting on the showroom floor. For others the goal may be "nearly new," still bright bright and shiny but not so perfect that it can't be driven. Other cars that have received loving preservation may need minimal restoration--some chrome renewed or a worn seat cushion replaced to look nearly factory fresh. These lovingly preserved original cars possess a quality restoration can't duplicate---a slight patina that comes with age and gives the car an heirloom look. If you're fortunate to find such a collector car, hopefully you'll preserve rather than restore it.

Research

To guide your decision on the muscle car restoration approach, you'll want to familiarize yourself thoroughly with the car's original appearance (so you can determine what's been changed and what you want the car to look like), its mechanical specifications, its strong and weak points, as well as its history (how many were made, and its role on the automotive stage). Learning about the car calls for research, which is done in a variety of ways: attending shows, looking at similar cars, and talking to owners; subscribing to collector car hobby magazines; joining clubs; and aquiring service manuals, sales brochures, as well as more recently written books describing the car.

Why Restore a Collector Car

   Muscle cars are complicated pieces of machinery. Why would anybody want to take a time-ravaged car apart, using shop tools to replace all the worn and rusted pieces, rebuild the mechanicals, apply new paint and trim, and create a like-new vehicle? The investment in time and money isn't likely to yeild big dividends. And even in like-new condition, we're probably talking about a vehicle that may be mechanically obsolete. So what's the motivation?

   In simplist terms, restoring muscle cars or trucks--an old vehicle of any sort--is about fulfillment. Maybe it's fulfillment of a dream, finally possessing that sports car, luxury car, or performance car that was out of reachwhen it was new. Maybe it's the fulfillment of a creative urge, to take something derelict and discarded and transform it into the classic car it once was. Or maybe the fulfillment comes from recapturing a slice of the past, giving memories a tangible see-and-touch expression. Fulfillment also comes by slowing life's pace, which is bound to happen both in the restoration process and in driving and enjoying an older hot rod. Physically as well as metaphysically, an old car puts us in the slow lane, where we see sights we otherwise would have rushed past and meet people we never would have passed by without noticing. Restoring muscle cars offers the opportunity to experience life at a little deeper, more rewarding level --- which really is what fulfillment is all about.

   Restoring muscle cars is also about challenges, learning new skills, following not-so-pleasant jobs through to completion, and achieving the satisfactionb of a finished product. The restoration process is about people, those who lend advise and give instruction, those who encourage, those who become new friends. And inevitably, the process of restoring an old car offers the opportunity for serendipity, the unexpected surprises that are one of life's mysteries---finding that searched-for missing part, a friend offering help at just the right moment, the answer to an obstacle suddenly appearing out of nowhere. There are easier ways to spend your time, but most asren't nearly as much fun or rewarding.

   For many, restoring an old car ushers in an entire change of lifestyle, not just more time spent "smelling the roses" and traveling in the "slow lane" or even making new friends, but a whole set of new activities revolving around owning and enjoying an old car. Typically, these activities arise from joining a club and include tours---sort of mini-vacations spent with others of like-minded interest---and other car-related events that inevitably have a social focus. As one example, a restoration shop in my area sponsors annual "birthday parties" marking the business' anniversaries. Held in mid-January, not a very social month in the ice-frozen Upper Midwest where I live, several hundred customers, well wishers, and local old-car club memberscan be counted to show up, including families. The party is really a car show held out on the shop's service floor, giving everyone an opportunity to walk around and look over cars in various stages of their restoration makeovers---a reminder that our own cars will soon be emerging from their winter cocoons. An album of photos displayed by a local old-car club reminds us of the events and outings we've enjoyed, while slices of birthday cake munched on as we chat make for the relaxation in which new friendships are born.

   Just as the car itself expands our world, with the right shop tools and equipment an old car expands and enriches us. It's our transport to new experiences, fulfillment, and pleasures.