I found that one problem I had identifying parts during my restoration is when, at one point, I lost my discipline and did not fill out the detailed measurements in my spreadsheet for about one and a half pages. Knowing what I removed was not enough. I needed the measurements also. Example: I could figure out from the EPC that a screw was supposed to be M6, but how long? Several times I found that I had used a screw that was supposed to be used somewhere else, with a length difference between the screws of only 3 or 4 millimeters. I had to remove a screw to use elsewhere because the only ones I had left were too short. Discipline is really important.
I also found that, although I had taken hundreds of photos of the car before disassembly, it wasn't enough. I should have taken more closeup photos DURING disassembly.
In addition, when I got my parts back from plating, I tried to sort them into the batches that I originally photographed each time a large sheet of paper was filled up with removed parts. Because I had not adequately identified in enough detail the individual parts, I was only about 80% successful. It's not bad, but 20% of 1600 parts is still 320 parts to figure out where they go and which one to use for what.
Don't forget the many, many parts that have to be thrown away and bought new, like the sealing washers and gaskets, and even parts that are damaged during removal. If I had it to do over, I would have kept them, photographed them, measured them, identified where they go and identified them as parts to be bought.
But, all in all, I am satisfied with the parts tracking system that I used and am still using. If I did it again, I think the next time it would be perfect.
Oh well, life goes on.
Tom Kizer
