Some weeks ago, while chatting with one of the country’s leading car restorers, I innocently asked the best point from which to begin a restoration. And the response came as a shock.
“The best car to find is one that doesn’t need restoration at all,” he said. “If you can bring a car back to usable condition, even if it isn’t perfect, without needing to replace any significant body parts or use reproduction trim, you are way ahead of someone whose car looks perfect, but contains very few parts that were there originally.”
That arises the age-old conflict of authenticity versus originality, where one owner replaces a worn item with a near indistinguishable replica, while another will spend hours, perhaps days, reconditioning the original part.
“Engines and transmission need to be the ones supplied with the car, or at worst age-related replacements,” our contact insisted. “Suspension, brakes, the exhaust and electricals are all wearing parts that are replaced during the lifetime of a car, but use 'new old stock' items if you can get them, rather than replicas.”
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Esta historia es de la edición Issue 484 de Unique Cars.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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V8 MATES
THIS HOLDEN SL/R 5000 BUILD WAS THE CATALYST FOR A GREAT FRIENDSHIP
ICE ICE BABY
TAKE ONE VOLKSY FASTY AND ADD A SUBY FLAT FOUR ... SIMPLE
LOST & FOUND!
THEY THINK THEY MIGHT HAVE FOUND AMELIA EARHART'S PLANE...WE ALREADY HAVE HER CAR!
CAB CHARGE
WHEN IS AN EX-TAXI NOT AN EX-TAXI? WHEN IT'S A FORMER WEDDING-CAR. THIS RARE EBONY BLACK VG VALIANT WAS FOUND BY SHEER LUCK
CBX1000
HONDA'S BIG-SIX TOURER IS A COMPELLING RIDE
1967 FORD MUSTANG FLASHBACK
THIS 1967 MUSTANG MIGHT LOOK LIKE ANOTHER BULLITT TRIBUTE, BUT WHAT LIES UNDERNEATH IS NO ORDINARY MUSTANG
HONDA S2000 SPORTS
THERE ARE numerous contenders for the title of 'World's Best Four Cylinder Engine' and Honda's F20C, twin overhead cam powerhouse must be right near the top of the list.
FORD ESCORT 1970-80
FORD VERY nearly turned the Japanese small-car tide with its conservative but groundbreaking Escort.
ROLLING BACK THE FEARS
HYBRIDS AND EVS ARE BECOMMING MORE POPULAR, BUT A RECENT RETHINK SEES ICE ENGINES, THEREFORE CLASSIC CARS, SET TO ROLL ON FOR MANY YEARS TO COME
SUPERCAT ON THE PROWL
TWR HAS revealed its limited edition Supercat, with a price tag of $428,000 plus taxes, with deliveries to commence late 2024.