I spent last week at the Auburn "classic car" auctions. I love classic cars, from classic era through some of the muscle cars, my personal favorites include the P400SV Muira and the supercharged boat-tail speedsters.

However, when looking at a very nice 65-1/2 K-code fast-back mustang with 8000rpm rally-pack and complete rotisserie (sp?) restoration, I realized that I would be just as happy with a nice GT250 clone as an original, because I could drive it and park it at a restaurant, without worrying about the fact that it just depreciated $50k when the pipes turned blue and the fenderwells rock-chipped. The complete-restoration BOSS 428 car that sold for $228,000 was somewhat of a useless car to me.

I have a friend (now deceased) who had a nice but small collection which included cars such as a nice '55 speedster, Caddillac #1, and others. One car he really enjoyed DRIVING, was his '57 Nomad which was original down to the bubble seat-covers, but had a modern 350ci with turbo 250 trans, disk brakes and A/C. he towed his '57 Airstream with it. This was a car with a lot of appeal, lots of originality, but it could be used comfortably and regularly. I'm not a huge Chevy fan, but liked the car for the abovementioned qualities.

I also have friends/associates who have multi-million-dollar cars in large collections (such as the one-of-a-kind 1938 540K Sport-Tourer in my previous avatar). These are great cars to look at in a collection when you're a multi-billionaire and have a full-time staff maintaining them, but for most of us a curiosity. Still, one of these collectors has sold his multi-million-dollar Ferraris as he found himself not driving them, in favor of some muscle-car stuff that he enjoys driving and his staff can easily keep them goiing. He still has his big-dollar classic-era stuff including a Deusenberg, brass-era cars, 30+ cars, but has made a choice on his drivers.

So hot-rods? Resto-rods? I like them also. Will I buy one? Probably not, but I'll consider buying a nice '70 'Cuda clone, it's fun to drive hard. An original '70 AAR 'Cuda? For that much money, why would I want anything that drives that crappy. Same with a Model T, I'd rather DRIVE a T-Bucket.

Many tastes, many opinions, I respect them all. I've driven/owned/been in many cars from Beetle to Vantage, from X1/9 to Enzo, and most all of them made me grin in one way or another. To paraphrase a comment made by Chuck Yeager: "once you've done it in 3-D, it's hard to get excited about driving a car". I'd rather fly a T-38. Experience opens one's mind.

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Gone to the dark side

- Jeff

Well, if someone comes across that car today it should be preserved as a modified car of that era; however, I certainly wouldn't want to see someone cut up an original car of that vintage to build a "resto-rod" today.

I suspect that the vast majority of current modification projects result in complete junk; most people do not have the cash, talent, or time to do it correctly. There is no shortage of hacks willing to engage in these "ill-advised" projects; fortunately, most of them are just bolting together junkers that would be crushed anyway. They are only wasting their own time and money.

Actually, a person who wanted to could buy a nice 29 ford of decent cosmetics and in driving condition and pull out the original drive train and keep it or sell it, convert it to modern power and add whatever needed to make it a reliable driver and come as close or closer to getting his money back as fixing an old benz.

A modified early ford is worth more than a stock one in most cases. Perhaps a few very rare models this would not apply to.

Most street rods you see now like 32 fords are built on replica chassis and use replica bodies in either fiberglass or steel.

Early fords are so popular and so common that you are hard pressed to find an original part that cannot be bought new as a duplicate of the original. Oftentimes of a higher quality than the original.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I have no problem with people hacking up aftermarket parts; at that point it's nothing more than a kit car anyway.

Anyone who pulls the original drive train from a "nice 29 ford" should have their "drive train" removed.

To each their own.

A 29 ford is useless for anything except going to the ice cream store on a nice day with its original drive train and most models are not that rare, so to me repowering with a 617 turbo makes a lot of sense.

Now putting in a big block chevy in a car that originally might weigh about 2400 or 2500# does not make much sense.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Repairs, to me, is purely function-based involving fixing a certain component to function the way it should work.

Restoration, on the other hand, is making sure you clean the components, fasteners, remove any oxidation and make it look like new before reinstallation.

Resto-modification is another level. It involves restoration and modification to add a certain personal touch to the restoration process and is more considered towards the overall vehicle rather than specific components.

Both my cars are maybe 80% restoration and 20% resto-modifications, but when something that needs urgent attention breaks, the fix reverts back to repairs, of which I can go back to and clean up as part of the restoration when I have more time.

That's why I have added rear headrests, Euro lights, 15" Bundts, the Gloria fire extinguisher, warning triangle, and a handful of other "upgrades" to my W123. I plan to do the same with my 190E but with 16" 15-hole wheels instead.

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http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7271/7...144c3fc1dc.jpg

One of the things leading me to ask the question is seeing CL ads for a 1992 Honda Civic "in need of restoration".
Can you restore a 1992 Honda? Would you want to? To each his own, I guess. Can you "restore" a 1992 Mercedes 190E 2.3? Or is it really just repair?
Completely subjective, I imagine. But that's what happens when you are up all night thinking random thoughts.

Hondas (aside from the rarer ones like the 600) are not worth restoring. It's probably some rotted out hulk the people are trying to get more than scrap value for without parting it out.

Well, I'm not going to be the one to destroy something that managed to survive 80 years, and I don't even like domestic cars.

Yup, ricers need to be restored back into beer cans.