How do you save/organize resto information?

[bull]

I decided a little while back that it was getting too difficult and time-consuming to try to read through all the useful threads on this site; sort out what was relevant to me at the moment, jot down bits and pieces of info, try to figure out the correct word combinations for the search box, save pictures to different folders, etc., so I found a simple way to sort through it all by just posting categorized links onto a word document. I'd rather do this than try saving it to favorites because it seems a little more secure that way in case my kids get in and "modify" my internet settings.

But then I got to wondering if you guys have a better way of doing it? Or do you do this at all?

Mine is by no means exhaustive yet but I'm working on it. It simply looks like this right now:

Helpful links from dodgecharger.com

Heater box restoration:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,13150.0.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,29310.0.html (heater core info)

Interior installation:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,28517.0.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,26217.0.html (spray on insulation)
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,14720.0.html (4spd console)
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,38068.0.html (console)

New reproduction tail panels and fenders
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,30067.0.html

Grill restoration
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,22276.0.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,25683.0.html
http://www.69hemi.com/outsidetrim.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,30425.0.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,21663.0.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,11889.0.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,11921.0.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,17875.0.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,49.0.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,36875.0.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,37434.0.html

Electrical
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,33574.0.html


And here's another tip I think is useful that I came up with last Halloween when my kids got their pictures taken at a party. The photographer wrote our names and address on a card, held it below their cute little faces and shot a picture just before shooting the posed shot. That way they matched up the faces with the address they were to send the pictures to. So, why not do the same with car parts? I did it with a bunch of parts I just sent off to have powder coated so I could be sure to get them all back and so I could refer to the pictures later if I ever hold up a part and ask, "WTH is this?" I placed the parts on sheets of 8.5"x14" paper, used a Sharpy to identify the parts and took a picture that I saved to a file on my computer.

[Rack]

Good job, Bull.


I'll tell ya what... you just made it where I can save one link that will lead me to many other useful links.

Thanks 

[Shakey]

Good thinking Curtis with the links in the .doc file.   

In the Interior Assembly thread you referenced, I included a few links to other relevant threads in there, for others as well as myself.

With regards to the photographer taking the reference shot at the beginning of the shoot, I try and do similar photos when taking shots of parts, nuts, bolts etc.  Start off with a full shot of the part, a zoom in shot of the nut/part installed and then a close up shot of the goods.  This is probably why I have over 2000 photos of my project.   

[Troy]

Have you tried del.icio.us for online links? I'm thinking of combining mine (the car stuff) into one for the site so others can contribute. It's a great way to not only organize but to search through the massive pile of information for keywords. I store all the images in folders on my computer right now but I'm looking for an image organizer that work similar to del.icio.us. It's easier to find this sort of software for the site so maybe I'll put them here.

Troy

[bull]

I've never heard of del.icio.us but it sounds like a good networking tool among other things. One of my theories with the links in a word doc is to print it off once in a while as a backup hard copy just in case. It's good to have them all centralized somewhere because there's so many different facets to restoration you just can't keep track of it all and often certain steps get interrupted. Even when I see something relavant in a thread there's no guarantee I'll ever find it again unless I have the link somewhere.

[Shakey]

I'm able to sync my cell phone with my Outlook so I have a v-card called Charger.  In it are links, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, vendor details etc.  I save it all in the notes section and everytime I sync my phone to update all my business contacts, it gets updated and backed up as well.

[bull]

Dude, there's no way I could keep up with your level of anal retention.

[69_500]

I keep waiting for HEMIGeno to chime in on this thread, but I don't think he reads too much stuff here in the off topic. I saw his list of information on the restoration of his Daytona and its very detailed. List part #'s, where he sourced them through, and the stampings if any that are on the part IE date codes and such.

[Shakey]

Dude, there's no way I could keep up with your level of anal retention.

You're not the first, and I'm sure you won't be the last, to use that term when referring to my ways.   

My Mother and Sister have used it for years, my girlfriend, now my Wife, knew immediately when she noticed all the shirts hanging the same way in my closet exactly 1" apart      and even one of my customer's wives figured it out after dinner and a night on the town.

As far as other ways of keeping track of the restoration, my Excel sheet is also great for keeping track of items around the garage/farm.  I have it set up with a list of parts, where they are located in the shop/shed, where they came from (with the car or purchased elsewhere and if so, where I bought them and how much I paid as well as the VIN number of the car I got them off of), I also have links to photos of the parts and if I have taken the time to look up the Mopar p/n, it's listed also.

Dodge Don has an awesome system as well and I have picked up a few pointers from him.

[BB1]

25 year of messing with Chargers has filled my head plum full with everything MoPar.
Ain't nothing to it. 

[2Gunz]

Ive actually Been messing with the idea of starting a Mopar WIKI for us.

For thous that are unfamiliar with such things......

Its basically a user created website that the people who visit the website can contribute to.

Im willing to host it and start it.... if a few people round here are willing to add to it.

[dodgecharger-fan]

I placed the parts on sheets of 8.5"x14" paper, used a Sharpy to identify the parts and took a picture that I saved to a file on my computer.

A nice whiteboard with erasable markers would be ideal for this.

Then you don't have a bunch of pieces of paper with arrows drawn on them and "WTF is this?"   


Excellent idea.


For a bunch of threads that I've gathered over the years, I've cut and pasted the entire thread in to a word doc and then saved it. (I still have threads from the old D-C site...)
Recently, I've turned to printing to PDF or XPS. Quicker and easier...

[bull]

I placed the parts on sheets of 8.5"x14" paper, used a Sharpy to identify the parts and took a picture that I saved to a file on my computer.

A nice whiteboard with erasable markers would be ideal for this.

Then you don't have a bunch of pieces of paper with arrows drawn on them and "WTF is this?"   


Excellent idea.


For a bunch of threads that I've gathered over the years, I've cut and pasted the entire thread in to a word doc and then saved it. (I still have threads from the old D-C site...)
Recently, I've turned to printing to PDF or XPS. Quicker and easier...

I thought of that too, but then I have a bunch of big pieces of paper laying around not being used.

[dodgecharger-fan]

I thought of that too, but then I have a bunch of big pieces of paper laying around not being used.

Soak 'em in water and mold them back into a tree. 

[Dodge Don]

I installed alot of storage before I started....every one was assigned a unique identifier...A through Z and then I used numbers for the rest 1, 2, 3....

Each part (no matter how small or easy) I removed was assigned a Task #.

I have a project file on my laptop that tracks each Task, What is is, all the comments about it, what parts I've ordered, received, what needs to be done, what has been done, where the part is stored, who I ordered from etc etc. This is my lifeline. You ask me where the coil condenser is I have no idea...I open my file and voila it is in cabinet F. Everything is tracked. I have multiple back ups....on my home computer, on CDs, on paper. The laptop is great since I have all the info with me wherever I go.

I take tons of digital pictures...before, during removal, breakdown, re-assembly etc. I file all the pictures in files under each corresponding Task #.......so if I'm looking at my project file at task 236 I simply open up my pictures look in file Task 236 and every picture related to that task is there. Plus as I see other pictures on the internet from other cars that are relevant refeence shots specific to that task I add them in there as well. I have thousands of pictures.

As Shakey knows, I'm very anal about tracking everything. The system works. I know the status of everything and I know exactly where everything is.

[PocketThunder]

I thought of that too, but then I have a bunch of big pieces of paper laying around not being used.

Soak 'em in water and mold them back into a tree. 

         

I have a memory like a steel trap, all my parts are up on the shelves in no particular order.  Plus reading this website for 4 years now of other peoples restorations has helped figure out where stuff goes.