I'd like to congratulate those of you planning to properly ‘restomod’ your classic. And equally, well done anybody who desires not a screwhead less than complete originality.
Unlike me, you know what you’re trying to achieve, and so this column isn’t aimed at you. This column is for the people trying to navigate through the murky area between reinventing their classic cars wholesale and going entirely by the book. And whether because of cash, personal philosophy, availability of parts or a combination of all three, I suspect that’s most of us.
So, now you're stuck at home and with time aplenty for fettling and scouring eBay for parts, what I want to know is how far you lean towards either extreme, and whether or not unlimited funds would prompt you to lean even further.
If, say, you could afford to transform your slightly crusty but largely authentic Porsche 964 into a gleaming 4.0-litre Singer, would you? Knowing the driving experience of your GT Junior could be made more enjoyable with some targeted modifications, could you honestly stick to your guns and keep it completely original? Answers in the comments, please.
I’ll go first because I think mine is a familiar story. My natural tendency is indeed to keep things original. That was, and vaguely still is, the plan with my eight-valve Integrale. I like the idea of driving it and experiencing the exact same sights, sounds, sensations and smells as the person who shelled out £17,625 (though I can't quite believe it, this equates to £47,600 today) in 1990.
Likewise, imagine you’re driving a time-warp Lotus Elan down dusty country roads lit only by its crummy halogen lamps. What you've essentially done is teleport yourself back to 1962 at the wheel of one of the world’s most covetable and advanced sports cars, and who wouldn’t want to experience that?
Point being, a perfectly original car – and by that I also mean one's awareness that the car is so – can take you to a special place. The problem, as ever, is that the idea of keeping your car in the same specification in which it left the factory gates is usually sweeter than the reality.
Which is where the cheating begins, and it always starts small. My Lancia has polyurethane bushes that are much better than the original, porridge-spec rubber ones. And while the original brake calipers remain, the car uses modern Brembo discs and Ferodo pads. Neither is much of a departure from original spec, though, and both are justifiable in terms of safety. No big deal.
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Fascinating blog, thank you.
Fascinating blog, thank you.
I agree that rarity is a very important factor - there is a real value in keeping classic cars in original condition, not just for the current owner or custodian but for car fans everywhere. The compromises forced upon the development of any particular car are part of the story.
However, most car owners are not museum owners or interested in concours events, but want to enjoy their cars. In which case: it's up to them!
Build what you like, but be sensitive
Its your car, do what you like. I go Ford shows and i love to see what people have done to both a mint concourse mk1 1300E and the guy who shoehorned a Honda S2000 engine into a Mk2 Fiesta. For me persoanlly its playing nice together. My Mk1 Capri was a shell and destined for the scrap heap, so I stuck a fibreglass colonge kit on it, a Jag XKR axle at the back and a Cosworth V6 upfront along with pretty much everything else on the car. The spares that came with it, the seats, steering wheel, etc, were all in good nick, so I stuck them all on ebay at 99p bidding and let the people who were restoring have them. I get the car I want, they get the car they want. We can all be happy.
Depends a bit on the car
If the car was plentiful and relatively inexpensive I'm all for modifying (albeit tastefully), but I can understand people's reticence about changing something rare.
It's easy for me as my car is an Eunos, of which there remain thousands. If I ever wanted to return it to stock it would be relatively cheap and easy. Not that there would be a lot of point. Mine is now much faster, handles and rides better, is more comfortable and essentially looks stock and retains the essence of MX5. That's the right balance for me, but I know it would upset some and bore others.