Restore or "Restify?"

[Joe Handley]

NO WAY JOE!!!!!!!!!! such a nice car

Yea, Mom was driving it down a steep hill when it stalled on her in early '76, she ended up putting it in a ditch and shoving the entire right side right up along the engine. They bought it back form the insurance company and Dad stripped the car and sold all the surviving goodies to a friend who built a Dart drag car with them. I don't know if that would have been restorable today, ut I do know it would have been worth quite a bit even before the Barrett Jackson lunacy!

[Bruno]

should i restore my '49 Plymouth coupe to factory specs and rid it of it's Mustang front suspension with 11" disc brakes and ladder bar suspended 8.8 rear axle, Chevy small-block and turbo350 transmission? it would be worth so much more "stock" and so much more enjoyable to drive wouldn't it.

Dave

Restore to factory specs, I say no.

Get rid of the Chevy junk, I say yes

[Bruno]

I say if you got a rare musclecar, like a real Hemicar or six pack or something like that, go with factory stock resto.

However if you got a 318 or slant six factory car, do whatever you want with it.

[whale392]

Wow, I can see this thread being a repeat of the 69 Charger thread also in here. Nice to see you Mopar guys defending the Pentastar. Remember though, Mopar costs a hell of a lot more to get into and to restore than a Chevy or a Ford does (yes, there are examples of both mentioned liveries that are VERY expensive, but taken as a whole the picture is as I state) and for that reason alone one would consider a restomod versus a full resto-job. I won't mention the money dad has into his Numbers-Matching Original-Owner 1966 Plymouth BelvedereII Hemicar, but I can tell you that you could build a sweet resto-modded example for what he has into the car....and he had most of the parts in his stash from when he was modding the car to begin with!!

Should you restore or restomod...........owners discretion mixed with some good judgement and some common sense. I am restomodding my 1991 Mustang GT.....why? Ford built 160,000 of them that year, mine is a no-options base GT, and it has 270,000 miles on the original drivetrain, paint is typical Florida paint (but the body is spotless rust-wise). I see no reason to go back to numbers with this car; restomod it and drive the ever-loving wheels off it! Muscle cars were meant to flex that muscle, and if you can be safe and look good doing it.......go for it!

Edited March 14, 2010 by whale392

[James W]

If a car is going to be shown or put in a museum then restore it.

If it is going to be used, driven, relied upon, then upgrade all you like.

If you really want to relive the past, buy a fresh restoration, drive it a while then restify it so you can keep driving it.

Auto parts stores don't sell ANY restoration parts.

A car is only original once. Even my one owner 55 Chevy was modified by it's first owner to make it suit him.

[Clay]

this is getting interesting, being the owner of a 63 Avanti, I dont plan on making it stock, however stock would be quite powerful. We plan on putting a bigger engine and upgrading the brakes. The engine would still be a Studebaker but it all depends on money as does everything else. I dont have a problem with restoring it to stock. If I have to because of lack of bigger engine or money then I will. No real plans have been made for it as we have to young kids and money is tight.

[James Flowers]

This is one of those threads that will not solve anything. Just another drama thread.

[dwc43]

I say if you got a rare musclecar, like a real Hemicar or six pack or something like that, go with factory stock resto.

However if you got a 318 or slant six factory car, do whatever you want with it.

No way. I have a Road Runner that never had that option and it's worth more restored with it's original small block than modified with a Hemi or big block. An original is always worth more than the sum of the parts of clone.

[dwc43]

Last I saw, there was & is no drama in this thread, merely civil discussion & intelligent offering of differing thoughts & opinions. There's certainly nothing wrong with discussing a subject civily & having different viewpoints. That's called a conversation, which this is in it's own way.

I have yet to see any of us getting upset or creating drama in this discussion, we're merely offering our own comments, views & opinions.

I agree. Well said.

[Nick Winter]

That's not what he is getting at. Look at how the show brought people together with a common interest and got the cars that are left and restored them. I don't agree with the ones that built replica after replica either. Seen one, seen them all, but even those have an increased value within that group of people, just not what a restored car would bring, but it's easy to change them back. All it would require is a repaint and the correct colors and drive line. If it were not for the show, the replicas might have vary well been left to rot somewhere in the woods instead of on the street as a replica.

Dave this is exaclty what I was getting at.

[Harry P.]

This is one of those threads that will not solve anything. Just another drama thread.

We're not here to "solve" anything, we're just talking. That's what you do on an online forum. Did you miss orientation day???

[Nick Winter]

i don't have any issue with the Dukes replicas. the cool part with one of those replicas is that you are bound to have the right paint, interior and wheels but otherwise you are free to do what you want with the rest. want a Hemi Dukes Charger, you can have one. want a 318 Dukes Charger that looks and sounds good, you can have it that way too. want a Dukes Charger on full air ride suspension and a modern fuel injected crate 360? you can have it any way you like.

one of the coolest Dukes inspired Chargers was the one built for Kenny Wayne Shepard? i know it was built for a country music star. very cool car and not exactly a replica, but no doubt inspired by the original.

the thing too is that a Dukes replica Charger is worth more to those who are into the show and movie and want that kind of Charger. to them a stock Charger just isn't going to fit what they want. to the factory stock restoration people, a Dukes replica is the worst thing ever you could do to a '69 Charger.

put two '69 Chargers on a show field, one Dukes replica and one restored to factory stock. i guarantee the Dukes car will get more attention than the stock one over the course of the day. i can appreciate and admire both even though neither would be the way i'd have one.

Dave

I agree Dave despite being a super fan of the Dukes, I won't ever own any of the vehicles that were displayed on the show except maybe something similar to Jesse's ford, or maybe one of the Roadrunners/Satelitte Sebrings. Now as for a '74-'78 Firebird Esprit, That's another story all together.

[Harry P.]

He owns a 1956 Chevy 210 2 door hardtop with a Stovebolt 6 & Powerglide. His parents bought it brand new in the fall of 1955, when the new cars came out, & kept it for 5 years before trading it in on a 1962 Impala.

Hey, that's a neat trick! How'd he do that?

[Nick Winter]

here is an example of where a factory stock or to "factory specs" restoration would be less valuable or would ruin it's value.

if you were to take this car and restore it to stock specs you would kill it's value and destroy it's unique history. this is the first ZL-1 '69 Camaro produced, it's been a racecar since essentially "day two". this cars value is in it's history and modified form.

take any one of the Sox and Martin racecars and restore them to stock specs and you will do the same in destroying it's value and unique history. there are alot of cars and trucks that are worth more in modified condition than they are as stock spec restorations.

Dave

That's very true Dave, then there's other cares that have sentimental value in a certain condition, but in another condition it's just another whatever.

[Bruno]

No way. I have a Road Runner that never had that option and it's worth more restored with it's original small block than modified with a Hemi or big block. An original is always worth more than the sum of the parts of clone.

Yes and no, your car is a Road Runner. But what if it was a Satellite?

Many years ago I bought a '68 Satellite with a 273 2bbl auto and el cheapo everything. I restored it and cloned it into a '68 Road Runner with a nice modded 383 4bbl and 727 transmission(turbo action valve body,3500 stall converter), 8¾ rear end with 3.91 gears, fiberglass '69 six pack hood, wide steelies with M/T tires and many other goodies. And it was worth way more than a factory stock restored el cheapo '68 Satellite.

[Nick Winter]

if i remember right, dwc43's Roadrunner is one of the Aspen/Volare based cars, not an earlier Satellite based one. the question is a good one though. would a Plymouth Volare with a slant6 or even base 318 be worth more restored to factory specs or modified into a Roadrunner clone? personally, my opinion is the Roadrunner clone i say that becuase the Roadrunner is more popular and appealing than a run of the mill Volare is. as valuable as a legitimate Roadrunner is? no, but more valuable than it was as a regular Volare.

the only problem i have with clone cars is when they are misrepresented as something they arent. it's not the real thing, it's a clone or a fake. you want to put Roadrunner emblems on your Satellite fine, but don't tell people that you have a real Roadrunner. same goes for SS, Z/28 and GT-R emblems.

this takes me back to how many say that EVERY Chevy 350 is from a Corvette Chevy 350's were put into nearly everything and it's a very common engine, add Corvette to the beginning and it's more appealing, at least to some. you hear it alot applied to 327's as well.

my '02 Subaru WRX was more valuable to the dealer "stock" as a trade in. they wanted no part of a modified car which it was. my '97 Suzuki GSX-R750 was worth more modified however than it was stock.

Dave

Dave I feel the same way nad on a side not, I had a '87 chevy shorty truck with a vette motor, it was a carbureted version, nad I know it was from a vette, because I helped my Uncle pull it out of the his wrecked vette and put it in his truck at the time.

It was a '75 Vette, that a guy rearended him in, was a write off, guy was driving a chevy astro cargo van and was movin' pretty good.

Edited March 14, 2010 by Dukefan69'

[dwc43]

i know where there is one of the Aspen based Roadrunners that's a factory 4-speed car. currently it's rotting into the ground, but is still a saveable car. the owner has no real interest in selling or doing anything with the car other than to just let it sit there. he knows i'm interested and we've even talked about what my plans are for the car if he decides to let it go, he likes what i have in mind. do i plan on restoring that car to factory stock? no chance, i think it will make a cool and very fun street machine he agrees with me in that the car in stock form was a bit of a dog, but slightly more enjoyable because of it's 4-speed transmission. with a nicely built 318 or 360 it could be tons of fun. i think it will make a good basis for a street/bracket car for some fun on the weekends. those cars too arent part of mainstream popularity, but have a small niche following. it's worth alot only to those who are "into" those cars.

a member on these forums built over a long period of time a seriously quick drag car out of a very common lower line Camaro. stock that car was nothing to get excited about, just basic transportation in a sporty body style. now it's something truly unique and an example of where a car can be worth alot more in modified form than it is in stock form.

there are those enthusiasts as well who search out and desire only factory stock examples of vehicles and have no interest in one that's been modified. then there are those who have no interest whatsoever in a "stock" vehicle and want only a modified one. you even have those who look at a stock vehicle as merely a good starting point for something that could be improved upon.

just like here in the scale model world, there are groups who like to build models certain ways. some like the "shock and awe" style of building that throws realism out the door for flash, others like to weather and rust things and others like to simply build right out of the box with no paint or added detail. models are what brings us all together and it's also what divides us at the same time.

Dave

Road Runners are Plymouth's, not a Dodge such as the Aspen. If you take that car and mod it, you just wasted another antique car that should be restored. And you don't use 4spd cars to bracket race. No consistency what so ever. IF you want a bracket car why not get a stock Volare' and build one instead of ruining an another antique muscle car that should be restored. There's no reason not to make a modified car, but there's no since in using an antique that should be restored. I've built many a drag and circle track car and not once used an antique car of value to do it with.

[dwc43]

i don't have any issue with the Dukes replicas. the cool part with one of those replicas is that you are bound to have the right paint, interior and wheels but otherwise you are free to do what you want with the rest. want a Hemi Dukes Charger, you can have one. want a 318 Dukes Charger that looks and sounds good, you can have it that way too. want a Dukes Charger on full air ride suspension and a modern fuel injected crate 360? you can have it any way you like.

one of the coolest Dukes inspired Chargers was the one built for Kenny Wayne Shepard? i know it was built for a country music star. very cool car and not exactly a replica, but no doubt inspired by the original.

the thing too is that a Dukes replica Charger is worth more to those who are into the show and movie and want that kind of Charger. to them a stock Charger just isn't going to fit what they want. to the factory stock restoration people, a Dukes replica is the worst thing ever you could do to a '69 Charger.

put two '69 Chargers on a show field, one Dukes replica and one restored to factory stock. i guarantee the Dukes car will get more attention than the stock one over the course of the day. i can appreciate and admire both even though neither would be the way i'd have one.

Dave

You can't do any of that either if you are making a replica of that car. They all used stock suspension and a 440 with an auto. IT was based on the premise of being a stock car. There's one scene where you see the engine, the only scene of all of the seasons, with the engine in the barn on a stand before they got the car. It was a very far away shot, but anyone could tell it's a 440. The only time it ever had a Hemi was in that horrible remake movie. The only reason I even watched it was to see Millan's stunt driving in it. Replica means replicate, you know, make a copy, so air bags and 318's and such would be out.

[Corvette.Jeff]

will i get what i have into my '49 Plymouth and '71 Dart back? not a chance, but i'm not in it for that. i like having fun with cars and driving them, usually very hard. i get back alot of my monetary investment in the experience and i'm okay with that. when i was 17 i had a '69 Camaro that i modified and drove right into the ground. i don't regret for a moment what i did to that car and i could care less what i was worth. the experience and experiences i got out of that ride was worth more than money can buy.

Dave

I agree with you 100% dave, you can go out and buy a 'vette just like mine for around $6k, by the time im done with it ill have put well over $10k in it(im talking about years from now) will i ever get that much back from it? no, mainly because i dont plan on selling it. Ive wanted one since i was 8 so i bought one and now im keeping it till i either total it, or kill it. Sure the value of a "stock" c4 will only go up, but i hate stock, and its my car, so im gonna do what i want with it!

You mentiond you had a 69' camaro, i absolutley love those first gen camaros, if i ever get one it will either be pro street or drag, those cars(imo) arent that pretty stock, especially the z28's.

[Ryan Quantz]

Here's my situation.

I own a 1968 Mustang. Originally Lime Gold metallic exterior with parchment interior. It's one of only 613 that came so equipped, not counting the factory a/c, etc. Do I care? Yeah, it's neat but you know, it's my car. I want to enjoy it how I want it to be. So when I am done with it it will look nothing like how it came factory. No resto-mod, or pro-touring from me, however, just a nice clean modified little Mustang that will look like it's straight from the 1968. I don't ever plan on selling the car. I'm not doing it for the money, I'm doing it because I enjoy the darn car. That's what it should be about. Everything doesn't have to be about money... Why is it always about money?!

Now, my father has owned his Chevelle since 1969. It's a 1968 Malibu convertible, Butternut yellow, black interior with bench seat, power top... 327 with 2-speed auto., power steering, power brakes, factory a/c (on a convertible!!), dealer installed dual exhaust... It even has the original "dealer plate" on the trunk from where he bought it in Wichita, all reciepts and the build sheet and window stickers, etc. Is it rare? Not really. Is it valuable and desirable? Yes. But my father LOVES that car. It has 90,000 original miles and EVERYTHING on that car is bone stock. It needs a complete restoration from sitting in a Vegas garage for 20 years, but when my dad and I restore it it will return to how it looked the day it was new. Not "concours" or "showroom perfect", no. Just "new", like it was when he drove it everywhere. And we're not going to do it because of how much it will be worth because after my dad goes i'll never sell it. I just want him to enjoy "his" car, the way it was and when it's mine I want to do the same, in "his" car.

Point is, the condition and history need to dictate what "should" be done with a car, not someone's idea of value. Cause I guarantee all those High-Dollar cars sitting in their garages and riding in their trailers are JEALOUS-up-the-wall of all those "plain-jane", "lame", "boring" regular cars driving on the streets and getting to burn their tires.

[fordsixty]

it has already been said, it is original only once. a restored car is make believe.

my opinion is, if you want a coffee table or parade float, restore it. if you want anything else, restify it. to each their own.

[Nick Winter]

You can't do any of that either if you are making a replica of that car. They all used stock suspension and a 440 with an auto. IT was based on the premise of being a stock car. There's one scene where you see the engine, the only scene of all of the seasons, with the engine in the barn on a stand before they got the car. It was a very far away shot, but anyone could tell it's a 440. The only time it ever had a Hemi was in that horrible remake movie. The only reason I even watched it was to see Millan's stunt driving in it. Replica means replicate, you know, make a copy, so air bags and 318's and such would be out.

Dave you are more than wrong here, WB's mechanics used everything including '68's, from 318-440's, column shifts to slap sticks, and dave's talkig about the tv series, the cars were everything from base models to SE's, and dave there were many shots of the engines.

I can tell you straight out that WB's stunt men have reported that anytime there was a large jump a 440 car was used but the "Ski" cars(the ones that would go on two wheels) had 318's due to there lighter weight and besides power wasn't needed, GL's even wore diffrent colors and suspension parts at times. Diffrent cages, push bars etc.

here the picture on the left shows a column shift

here's some slap sticks

and now engines

[VW Dave]

My theory is, people will do what they want, regardless of what other people say.

But please no more 1:1 scale movie and tv car replica's.

Sounds like you're contradicting yourself.

[Bridgebuster]

So... is it better to restore? Or to restify? Let the great debate begin!

IF it is a #s matching and is really collectible, then restore. If just about anything else, restify. I rebuilt a 71 Chevelle with my son as his first car. We updated to disc brakes, modern technology where possible and completely revamped the suspension so it handled like a go-kart and not like a bread truck (as most unaltered A-bodies did).

[VW Dave]

And you don't use 4spd cars to bracket race. No consistency what so ever.

Good thing nobody told this fella that.