Field Notes
The knowledge you only earn by doing the work.
Field Notes are long-form guides written by restorers, mechanics, and collectors who have already made the expensive mistakes. Each one covers a complete topic — from sourcing rare parts to the rebuild decisions that determine whether the car starts on the first turn of the key.
What you will find
Four topics that cover every phase of a build.
Restoration
From disassembly to first start. Engine rebuilds, rust repair, paint and body, interior trim, and the order of operations that saves you from doing things twice.
Sourcing
Finding parts that are not on Amazon. Swap meets, salvage yards, specialist brokers, reproduction quality, and when to fabricate instead of hunt.
Technique
Welding, metal finishing, paint preparation, electrical troubleshooting, and the bench skills that separate a driver from a show car.
Build philosophy
Original or modified? Numbers-matching or restomod? The decisions you make on day one shape every choice that follows.
How it works
Written once, read forever.
Every Field Note is a complete document, not a snippet. It covers one topic start to finish, with photographs, part numbers, supplier names, and the mistakes that taught the author what not to do.
Notes are published in The Chronicle, our long-form magazine, and they are searchable by make, model, year, and topic. If you are rebuilding a small-block Chevrolet or hunting a specific BMW trim piece, the right note is one search away.
They are also community-written. If you have completed a restoration and learned something worth passing on, submit it and we will edit, photograph, and publish it.
Start reading
The Chronicle is where Field Notes live.
Browse the full archive of long-form guides, lost-car investigations, and build stories. Every article is free and every one is worth the time.