[IronDrago56]

Hi Everyone

Recently, My Granddad (Who passed last year) Finally had his will read out. He had a 2002 Dew Silver Hyundai Accent GLS. Its seen better days and it was barely used before my Granddad's death. Now He's given the car to me in his will.

I'm looking to restore it, it actually runs well (Albeit the fan belt pulleys are making noise and the cluctch is sticky) with the AC not working and a few Electrical gremlins. There's no rust on the body, but there are rust holes in the engine bay and the under carriage. It was parked on the street and someone tried to nick the Power antenna, but the hub caps for the alloys were stolen (I was able to source 4 of them on Bodmo luckily)

I was wondering, If I were to start restoration of it, what should I do first?

Should I start work on the body or work on the engine first? I have started to source new parts and a workshop for each of the things to do, just need to be set in the right direction.

Any Tips or Advice would be great

[Aditya]

Advice on Restoring a 2002 Hyundai Accent - Post moved to a new thread.

[condor]

Looks like sentimental reasons to restore it. This will mean that you have decide on the restoration or letting it go. If restoring, then engine + gear box first, body next, and then the enhancements.

*

If this had not been your grand father's car that was bequeathed to you, My suggestion - would have been to give it a pass.ally, I found the seats of the Accent to be bad. And also I dont find anything special about this car.

If you had asked about the old Elantra, then I would have suggested to check it out before proceeding.

[Sanidhya mukund]

Before you begin:
1. Check if the car has papers in order. 2002 model means that the car should have had one FC renewal in 2017 and another one in 2022. If not done, check for the fine + tax you’d have to pay.

2. Take it to an experienced tinker and get the car assessed for the severity of rust. Since you said it has rust holes, there could have been structural failures that would render the car unrestorable.
In such a case, you may have to replace the body with one from the scrap yard.

3. Decide what extent of restoration you want to go for. Do you just wish to keep it running in decent condition or do you want to go for a thorough restoration to make it into a pristine car? Would you be willing to allocate financial resources to this car, given the fact that the resale value would still be rock bottom?

Your best bet would be to restore the car in phases.
First step should be to resolve any issues pertaining to the engine, clutch, gearbox, driveshafts, fuel supply system, cooling system and exhaust system.
This may entail an elaborate service, replacing perished belts, hoses, bearings and the clutch plate in addition to all the fluids.

Once satisfied, move on to suspension, steering, brakes, axles, wheel bearings and wheels and tyres. Replace damaged bushes and bellows, brake pads, shoes and cables. Replace the wheel bearings and tyres if needed.

This ensures that your mechanicals are in order. Now shift your attention to the body. Begin with finding a good tinker who solves all the rusting issues, fixes the dents and gets the body line straight. Go for paint next. Quality and method of paint depends on budget.

With body and mechanicals done, next go for electrical repairs. Bulbs, fuses and wires need to be checked by a good electrician. Get the AC serviced alongside. You can move to the interiors next.

If done at a good independent garage, this will cost you anywhere between 1-1.5 lakhs. Parts should not be that difficult to source given the fact that the Accent was in production until 2013-14 IIRC.

[GTO]

Don't restore such everyday cars that have nothing special about them. It is already past its RIP date. The car will keep giving you problems and you will get fed up of it soon.

The only cars worth restoring are those that have something "special" about them. Vintage cars, sports cars, iconic models (e.g. 1st-gen Octavia vRS), some offroaders (old Jeeps, Gypsys) etc. For nostalgia's sake, I would support restoring a Maruti SS80 or Premier Padmini too.

But restoring a 20-year old Korean budget sedan that had nothing special to it is just throwing good money after bad.

Sell it or use it as-is until it falls apart. If you sell it, the real price you will receive is the money + time saved.

[Nalin1]

Check if the car has papers in order. 2002 model means that the car should have had one FC renewal in 2017 and another one in 2022. If not done, check for the fine + tax you’d have to pay.

This is the most important point above. Confirm if this is sorted out first before going to the restoration phase.

Get a complete evaluation done at a competent independent workshop (ASC will be licking their lips if they see this car coming in for restoration), and if you can get it fully restored for say around 1.5 to 2 lakhs, should be worth it.

Ultimately it is your money and you have to decide if it is worth it. Who are we to decide that ?

[IronDrago56]

Thanks for all your Inputs, Looks like I'm starting with Engine work first, it does have a leaky Valve cover gasket and squeaky belts. The clutch definitely needs an overhaul, but it runs very well. Parts that need help is the A/C and Electricals and body.

1. Check if the car has papers in order. 2002 model means that the car should have had one FC renewal in 2017 and another one in 2022. If not done, check for the fine + tax you’d have to pay.

I'm Working on it, I will need to get Insurance and the FC for it, It'll cost me around 17k to get my name transferred, with insurance and FC.

But restoring a 20-year old Korean budget sedan that had nothing special to it is just throwing good money after bad.

True, the car may have been just a budget sedan, but Its still less than 1Lakh KM. It has been reliable so far and gives decent mileage. Again, The car is sentimental to me and I only plan to take it on drives ever so often, besides, in a few years, these cars will virtually disappear on the streets, even now I see not many on the roads. I aim to keep this one for a while.

3. Decide what extent of restoration you want to go for. Do you just wish to keep it running in decent condition or do you want to go for a thorough restoration to make it into a pristine car? Would you be willing to allocate financial resources to this car, given the fact that the resale value would still be rock bottom?

I expect to bring it back to its former glory, not a perfect restoration but enough that everything works. I'll aim for a perfect restoration but I'll do it piece by piece. Like I said above, these accents, especially the fist gen are quite rare. I'm willing to invest seeing that Hyundais around this era have been known to be reliable. I've seen people who owned 99" model Accents that have traveled a few lakh kilometeres on them. But lets see.

Once again, thanks for all your inputs!