[dataway]

So ... for years (I've owned the car for 40 years) I've been working on this absolutely correct 68 GTO restoration ..

Just want to say ... never again. I thought I had the stomach for it ... now I'm too deep in to change my plan.

Anyway ... next project is going to be for fun only.

Those of you who have done both .... remind me how much fun it can be so I can get through this. I am just sick to death of date codes, part numbers, restoring old parts etc.

I absolutely love correctly restored cars .... but the closer I get to finishing this car the more "afraid" of it I get .... afraid I won't be able to get (afford) the parts I need, afraid I have done something wrong, afraid there will be a failure that will cost a bundle, afraid the paint won't be right, afraid I don't have a proper place to store it when done, afraid it won't be worth squat when I am done.

Next I'm thinking something like a 68 Tempest/Lemans with a late model, all modern, 600hp crate motor, 6-speed manual, modern suspension, etc .. all buried in a plain Jane, dog dish, Verdora Green hardtop.

Make me feel better .... sometimes the current project gets daunting.

[marxjunk]

It's all fun...restos Cause a lot of stress..but the first time ya bang the gears, all that should slip away.

Beaters are always more fun that nice cars it seems..because you can torture it, enjoy it..and not worry about it...I'm in the middlem of a frame off..and I feel for ya..I know what ya mean.. But I doing it for me...for my personal gratification and sense of accomplishment.and I don't give 2 farts what anyone thinks...I want it right..but sometimes I just want it done..I'm lucky I have a few turds sitting around and when it gets to me..I torture one and feel better

[Squidward]

I like the fun. I don't have the patience or money for resto. I get more satisfaction through owning cars that aren't rare or meticulously restored. If I want to deviate from factory specs for sound system, motor choice, color, suspension, etc. then I don't have to worry about being "that guy" who butchered up a 1 of xx musclecar rarity.

[i82much]

why keep going strictly stock? first thing guys did back in the day was put headers on now, not check out the date codes on the spark plug wires. unless you need to sell the car, do what you want!

[dataway]

I get a kick out of restoring a part .... a single part and making it like new again .... but jeez, doing it to hundreds of parts gets mind boggling. And then the more correctly restored parts you add .... the deeper in the game you get.

One problem .... the car I remember, when it was 8 years old and I was 17 .... it was fun, I didn't care if it was correct, I didn't hesitate to beat on it.

Now it's worth 30 times more than it was .... but it's hard to love it like I did back then. I guess kinda like a wife 40 years later

And ...yes I can't afford NOT to restore it correctly. I don't have the money to have a car like that to play with, unfortunately when I finish the car I've owned for 40 years I'm going to have to sell it. Hopefully I'll use some of the proceeds to buy something that will let me recapture that original feeling of owning a fast car at 17.

[RocktimusPryme]

Unless the car is rare or has ultra cool options I have no interest in dead stock restoration. I don't like hub caps or skinny tires. I appreciate that's where the resale value is but it's just not for me. Pick your battles in my opinion.

67 Z28? Blasphemy to use anything but the 302 and is probably a dead resto candidate. Run of the mill 67 camaro on the other hand probably gets the big block treatment

Legit tri power car I probably keep it. Things like that. Crazy low miles I probably leave it like it came too.

[Craig Hendrickson]

I've done it both ways. For fun is -- obviously -- more fun. Even on the following original resto, I made some compromises like the power windows and better seats out of a wrecked 1979 403 T/A. So shame on me. LOL That T/A was FUN to drive for sure.

http://originalho.com/1979TA/1979TAProject.html

[dataway]

Craig .... every time I see a car like that .... it screams restoration to me ... cause it was so cool to begin with.

Mine is nothing special option wise, basic 68 YS GTO hideaways, AC, PS, PB, drums, auto, Verdora Green, Ivy Gold interior, parchment top, open diff., tinted glass etc. But ... still has all the original major parts, even sheet metal except for the core support.

But the price difference between a non-stock and a correct restoration on a car like this is probably close to double. Unfortunately it's an "investment" for me as I can't afford to own it when it's finished. And I can't afford to not do it correct at this point or the investment I made in making it right so far would be wasted. I'll probably have $15 - $20K invested when it done (of course not counting the many, many hours of my time). I bought the car 40 years ago for $1100 .... so at least I didn't have a lot of up front costs.

I just can't wait to own a car that when it needs a distributor I can just go buy a mallory uni-light and drop it in, rather than worrying about numbers, dates and restoring a part.

Sometimes I'm fascinated by the research .... other times I just want to finish something.

In the past I've restored several motorcycles ... way less daunting, way less to deal with, way less money.

Can't wait to have a car that you don't worry much about thrashing the engine, or a scratch in the paint, or changing wheels, or heaven forbid .... put on a piece of chrome

[carbking]

Either is as much fun as you want it to be; and yes, I have done both.

The key is NEVER to set a deadline! And remember the journey is more important than the end product. If you don't believe this, just take the car to a shop and have it done. Then you have the end product without the fun.

For a restoration, factory original parts, date codes, paint dabs, etc. CAN be stressful if you let them; or each can be its own success when conquered.

For a modified (you called it "fun"), just remember that each modification begats five more!!! It is a never ending process. The "fun" is being one's own engineer And learning more about the vehicle, and the process. Also remember that even well-meaning "expert" advice CAN be wrong!

As to costs......for me costs have been a toss-up, to being heavy on the modified cars. Unless you pick something really weird to restore, so much repro now available makes restoration so MUCH easier than it was 40 years ago!

There is room in the hobby for both.

And when you get to the point where reruns of Hogan's Heroes are more enjoyable than crawling under your car, it is time to start collecting stamps, coins, or baseball cards!

Jon.

[David Jones]

FUN!!!!!!!!

[Half-Inch Stud]

My 68 GTO "Restos" have been all hobo efforts simply due to keeping it fun.

Basically, if it involves a expensive "Stamping" like a carb number & hangs on the unseen areas of the car; I sell it and there's fun involved in that.

Fundamentally, If it hangs on the outside of the car; it usually doesn't have a "stamped number" to indicate "value".

In comparison; the "rare" or valuable restos I've done have been a Monk-Like OCD roulette that lacks fun but has some level of satisfaction along the way, & when done. So much more satisfaction when SOLD. I just don't like driving-hard a pack of expensive parts in close formation.

In conclusion; I think some folks get upside down on these simple issues.

[Tempest]

Sounds like you need a break from working on your car, a little time to step back and reevaluate your plan. (I have been there)

"Numbers Matching" cars are great, I love to look at them and I understand their value, but I admit I do not have the time, patience, skill, or money to create one, and I am comfortable with that.

I am not sure what missing parts you have, but my suggestion is to put the car back together with the parts you have (even if they are not "correct") and start driving it. (enjoying it)

You may find that you are having too much fun driving it that you are no longer concerned about the parts on the car that are not "numbers matching".

Hang in there with the project, and as said earlier, enjoy the process, 1 piece at a time.

[pontibeast]

I really enjoy looking at the restored to stock cars at shows but for me I like to have a car I can park without having a breakdown that a cart might ruin my 10k paint job. I live on a gravel road up a mountain so paint chips are normal. I just want to make it go fast and be fun as hell to drive daily.

[Interceptor]

The trick of course is to own one of each ...

[takid455]

Do both on same car. I appreciate 100% resto but they dont do much for me personally as a blended car. Kinda boring in ways. A blended car may appear stock but have updated stuff. Its the best of both worlds. Shelve the 3k #'s SD carb in favor of EFI, Shelve the skinny tires and small brake in favor of updated bigger ones. All these things can be swapped out later for the next owner. 3.90 or 4.11 gears are great for tractor pulls or giant tire lifted trucks, terrible for a street car that you want to drive. With advances in products over the years, you can snap your neck out of the hole and cruise at 100+. Why would you not want this?

Unless its a super rare car, a 100% resto doesn't make sense. Heck even my SD will be modified to my taste. Why? Its my car. I want to drive my car and want it to cater to my style. It will appear stock in many areas but have subtle blended tweaks.

Its your car, have fun with it. Build it the way you want. Not what GM built. I'd also bet that your car isnt what GM wanted to build it in the first place. That was the result of beancounters and other F'ing up the original design.

[GOAT WHORE]

Originally Posted by carbking

The key is NEVER to set a deadline!

Originally Posted by Interceptor

The trick of course is to own one of each ...

These are the two most important pieces to happiness in the car hobby world, but no deadline is by far the most important one to me.
Some times I spend a hour just locating the correct fastener followed by 45 min restoring said fastener. I am fairly organized but I am constantly looking for the correct part amongst all my stuff. A deadline sucks all the fun out of it.
"God's time not my time".

[rohrt]

Originally Posted by Interceptor

The trick of course is to own one of each ...

Yup.

I enjoy my beater pontiac way more then my nice one. With the nice one I'm always concerned about where I park, what I drive on, the weather etc....

With my beater pontiac I can park at Wal-Mart and not be worried. I still do modest restoration stuff on it but I drive it way more.

One thing about doing a full on restoration it gives you some appreciation on cost, time and skill involved.

[bird72]

I am thankful people go through the agony of restorations so we have pristine examples of what was. I tend to not appreciate over-resto'd cars. Too many that look way unlike anything the factory ever did. I really like when people resto a car and then enjoy it. I feel sad when resto'd cars are only taken to shows and Dairy Dip photo shoots. I love when people share the fine points of correct. I cringe a little when incorrect is a point of being "less". A prior poster pointed out the old way with cars is kinda opposite of the new mentality. One was always trying to make them better then.

I'm lucky. I have a non special equity non rare car. It, as said, frees you. I have a "stock parts", "correct era vintage parts" kinda rule. Beyond that, I am unchained and doing a "factory-like" HO install on a 2V original car. I had a couple people tell me to not do it, as car is a survivor now. Like people are lined up to collect 2V cars.

To each his own, but what I see more than once is resto agony, then quite often when done, sell (or fear driving).

[Overkillphil]

While I love original and restored cars, I have no interest in owning one or restoring one. I like the stock look with tasteful and functional upgrades, preferable discrete, hidden or at least not obvious.


I'm old enough to remember some of these cars when new and frankly some of them weren't as great as our memories would lead us to believe. Bias ply tires for one sucked big time, substandard brakes, am radios, no AC in many cases, etc...no thanks.

Then there's the practicality of owning a perfect original or restored car. I like to drive my cars and its a whole different situation with restored/original.

[dxeven]

Originally Posted by dataway

Unfortunately it's an "investment" for me as I can't afford to own it when it's finished.

I don't quite understand this statement. Unless you are financing the resto through loans/credit card debt, the costs of owning a driver vs a restored car are the same. I know insurance will be slightly more because of agreed value, but not much on a collector car policy, or a policy with a mileage limit.

Say your car finished is worth $30k-$40k. Would you be afraid to drive a new(ish) car that was worth the same as a daily driver? I believe for most the answer is no.

To me, the answer is having adequate insurance. We tend to be more cautious with our older cars, even if they aren't pristine. We don't drive them in the snow/hail/rain if avoidable. But having good insurance covers us in those unfortunate instances when something bad happens, just like our daily drivers.