Hi All. I am throwing this out there to see how many others feel like I do on the topic of restorations. I have a deep appreciation for the time, effort and expense that goes into a complete restoration but here is the problem I have with the whole deal. It seems like something gets lost along the way and what I end up seeing is a new car of an old body style. I know it may sound weird but what speaks to me about old cars is the mojo they evoke that only comes from original parts with original finishes that have stood the test of time. How many of you would prefer "take off" parts with some wear for your project versus repro or NOS items? Maybe what I am thinking about is restoring cars back to 10 to 15 years old rather than birth. Thoughts?
I don’t care either way If the cars owner desires perfection and can pay for then yee haa. Same if you have the means and skills to do it yourself. Like old paint with rebuilt mechanicals...I’m in All that matters is how much enjoyment it brings the builders/owners. I have done both resto and hot rod stuff and like both. ( except listening to owners brag that their Vette was the only one built that day with green paint and white interior) I will take usable OEM parts over new reproduction 99% of the time
"( except listening to owners brag that their Vette was the only one built that day with green paint and white interior)" Now that's funny!
I worked at a vette shop on/off for 16 yrs. They are a "interesting"breed to say the least.... 90% divorced, Mid to later aged, fashion statement etc, say'n... I myself dig as much vintage/ mild restored as needed to be a usable/reliable Creation..
I now prefer a car that shows use. The people I meet each day can see that mine is not some expensive show piece, so they feel very comfortable posing with the car, leaning on it, foot on the running boards, sitting in it, whatever. I like to see people enjoy it, and I never worry if someone might scratch it..that's a good feeling for me. .
I run in the rain, close enough for me. Wax? is that something to do with bikini waxing? hey, I was at the grocery store today, loading the car, and a couple local friends pulled up with an old rusty squarebody chevy truck...all of us looked like sorta rough guys but some woman still came up to get pics of the hotrod. I used her cell while she posed, and later my friends asked if that happens a lot? I said "all the time with lots of women"...then they wanted borrow my "unwashed" car.. LMAO. I don't care about possible scratches...pics from earlier this summer: .
IMO, a good restoration takes ALOT of attention to detail. Even with customs, the whole car may draw you in, but its the small stuff that really grabs you. For example: were rivets or screws used to hold the grill supports together? Plastic wire or laqured? Did the insulation go all the way across the roof, or stop 1" from the edge? Was the inside of the door bare metal, primer, or tared? Did the wires have insulated or bare terminals? Is it crazy, why yes it absolutly is! But the end result makes up for it. I'm a little OCD, but you gotta get your jollys somehow right?
I may be in the minority but I am flat sick and tired of going to car events and seeing mid 60/80's cars on display that look like they were being used by farm workers to go to the field last week. I doubt that I would ever "restore" a car or truck. Meaning simply I have little interest in returning most cars or trucks to showroom. The exception might be a rare special edition that is actually rare and special. As far as my truck goes The plan is that it won't be driven until it is completely finished this time around . That is shiny paint, shiny chrome an a finished interior I've already put the 300000+ miles on it unfinished in primer and it has earned it's creds for that form.
Sadly, it's also true. I have cousin who bought one, and he ordered a non-recommended color combination (blue with orange/black interior... butt ugly) for the 'rare' factor... sheesh... It seems to be a GM thing, as I've seen a few late Camaros with hideous paint/trim combinations also. Somehow I don't think that 'rarity' will be a value-added feature later. _________________________ I was told (tongue in cheek) that 'patina' was French for 'I can't afford paint'. I'm not a fan. Now, there's some patina that's acceptable. Old or original paint that still shows some gloss with a little effort, 'normal' wear and tear, maybe a battle scar or three is ok. Call it a '50 foot' car. Best example I can think of is Gray Baskerville's '32 roadster. But rust and/or factory primer showing to where it looks like a calico cat, nope. I call those 'zombie cars'; it looks like somebody reanimated a corpse. I'd paint one with a brush before accepting that as 'finished' (and have done so a few times). Fake patina makes even less sense; I see that as the equivalent of pimping your significant other out for a year, then picking her up off the street and going directly to the Governor's Ball and telling everyone she has 'patina'... The knuckleheads that buy those big-bucks IKON builds really floor me; that's beyond conspicuous consumption, that's conspicuous stupidity... I guess whatever it takes to stand out in the marketplace. Ok, I got a little wound up... sorry... LOL. Back to the OP's thought. What he's talking about isn't 'restoring', he's repairing, like it would have been back in day, and I get that. It can be a slippery slope though; finding parts with the same 'aging' to match the car could be tough if you're trying to match patina (there's that word again), if you miss the mark it will destroy any 'honesty' the car may have. I can't think of many repair shops (or even owners) who would have used parts that weren't at least as nice as the rest of the car, usually better, so finding those parts these days may not be as easy.
We're all restorers in a sense, building vehicles back to a time frame that is way beyond when we were born, or are older guys who build back to their younger days . Last time I looked, I didn't see any new 32 or 40 Fords sitting on the dealers lots, the factory quit building them long ago. Not talking about the reproduction bodies, even they are a part of restoring the past. We're recreating a time period, or at least trying to. Patina is what they have ended up looking like now after all these years, not what they looked like then. I like what Mr48chev said about looking like old work cars, when I was growing up in the mid to late 60's-early 70's, what is now called patina was then called too poor to buy anything better.
My take on it... My valiant was painted in 1995. I didn't need to fully restore it at the time. It had 60,000 miles, great interior, and so after paint(car lot special)... I modified the six and added a 4 speed OD with a 8.75" differential. The original paint was great in the door jambs and under the hood and etc. After spending 3 years in Colorado, I then took it with me to California. It was my only source of wheels for a few years before I started buying my older cars more HAMB friendly cars. Now, this car has 300,000 miles on it. The way the paint and interior deteriorated and faded makes it look really cool. It's not ratty, just aged looking. I keep up the driveline and have redone the suspension. I get so many compliments on my drives it's just so amazing... And people come up and touch it, lean on it, and ask so many questions about it. I have restored some really nice cars and trucks. Paint jobs that you can comb your hair in... These cars/trucks get yells, thumbs ups and etc. No one gets near them... It's like they are affraid of these vehicles!!! LOL I personally like them more when they look driven. But, there's a limit. Once the vehicle starts rusting and looking bad, it's time to restore and preserve the metal. But the transition from the first scratch until it needs painted again, I have to say, is the most fun time to own the car and show it off... My opinion is probably way different than others, but I drive my cars into the ground, then redo, then repeat.... Sent from my Moto Z (2) using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
53naegle got it right. It's the attention to detail that makes the difference. Also, takes the most time. But the pay off is HUGE.
A real man, or a real jackass. Too many good old cars are being "cut up" by the latter these days. Me, I build my cars to have a certain visual style and the appropriate detail to go with the style. You'll never see me agonizing over the proper finish for the inside of the door or where the paint/chalk marks go but I can't stand bare rusting parts either.
The meaning of a restored car has really changed over the years. Originally, it meant the car was returned to its "as left the factory" state. Later a restored car meant it was turned into something the factory may have intended it to be, but probably never accomplished, better then it was when it was new. These days a restored car means it is better then it ever was when it left the factory, but it also has all the factory paint dabs or markings it should have received as it was progressing down the assembly line. None of that does much for me. I much prefer a car that has had a power improvement, or steering improvements, or better brakes then what the factory gave it. Custom modifications are OK with me as long as they improve what the factory started with, some don't, and those ruin a car for me. I believe a car should be kept up, body wise, interior wise, and mechanically, but I'm not limited to keeping it like the factory did, however many years ago it was. Cars built as street drivers or hard core racers for a track appeal to me a lot. Fancy show cars and paint dab restorations just scream at me "Look at me, I've spend a lot of money" and that is about all most of them are good for. Gene
Common question from the unwashed segment on their first encounter with a hot rod: "How long did it take you to restore that old car"?
Expensive to restore , if that's floats your boat great..Your car , your choice...I like em all...well almost ....
I don't think I will ever do pure restoration, but I can look at them and appreciate the skill and craftsmanship it took to achieve the results. When I look at a 1-800 car I file that under ,"(S)he did the best (s)he could do with their talent/skill level and budget." Actually I try to look at most cars that way. Most rat rods aren't worth the gas money to take them to the crusher but every now and then I will see some engineering on one that sparks an idea. My favorite cars are the ones built to be driven. But why, oh why, do some people open the hood to show off a grungy engine compartment when the rest of the car looks nice. I spend the most time looking at the modified cars. I want to see how it was done and why. I've sold a couple of cars because I finished them too nice to use every day. My first '65 El Camino had 12 coats of rubbed out black lacquer on it. The next one was shot in Centari. I could use it as a truck, or park it at the mall, and not worry about it.
I love those that restore to "as new". Means that car will be available at 10 cents on the dollar a few years down the road to hot rod. I've seen hundreds of thousands of dollars thrown at perfect restorations just to win a $35 trophy. A few years later the owner's interests change and the car goes down the road for a small portion of those restoration costs. SPark
I agree....shooting clear over rust so its "shiney rust (patina)" is retarded...but to each their own...mines a driver, i keep it reasonable and decent...big money paint and interior...no...but usable. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
What is worse is shooting clear over fake patina..... If you hot rod a car, you essentially restore it to the 50's....... To restore a car is to bring it back to when it left the dealer.....crayon numbers on the firewall and all... On of my jobs is to evaluate cars for potential buyers....I have seen many cars that the seller claims were "just restored" only to discover rust on the frame and old parts used in the suspension, wrong engine and only a outer paint job and cheap interior work.....
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