2/7/1942 Our government order the production of cars halted and production lines converted for producing wartime functionality. ( Hemmings had a great series of articles a couple years ago that covered what each car manufacture produced for the war-time effort. If you can find them they are a great read.)
2/7/1958 – The Dutch DAF 600 automatic transmission was intro’ed.
2/10/1942 – Pontiac physically halts car production for war-time effort
2/11/1932 – Ford introduced this new flathead V8. It had a good run through 1953
This ties in very well with the discussion of restoration or restromods…almost. I reading one of Hemmings Classic Cars mags (March 2010)…..erk…how the heck can it be a March 2010 and I got it two weeks ago ..that would be January…never mind. The theme running through the edition was cars that are unrestored originals, basically cars that are old and haven’t been….well … restored.
First the main kick-off article (that’s one that explains the “theme” of the issue) was written by one of my favorite Hemming’s editors, Rich Lentinello- hopefully he won’t mind me call him Rich. He touches on the idea of preservation and not restoration. A repeated phrase used in the other articles is “it’s only original once” and of course you can’t argue with that. (Oh..that is also the name of Rich’s book…I haven’t picked it up yet, but I intent do.)
As I read the articles covering 1932 Ford, 1937 Packard, 1971 Cuda, 1930 Oakland, 1948 Chrysler, ’60 Corvette (needs paint…really), ’67 Eldorado and a few more, I enjoyed the stories..all car guys love “the story”. But each car had something changed about it. There was the 1954 Hudson the car had dents repaired, gas tank dropped and boiled(common practice when a car has sat for years), window cylinders replaces and brakes all redone. The ’60 vette had the engine rebuild and all the upholstery replaced. The fact that the paint is pealing off makes it more original? I don’t know.
Now does that hold up against replacing the control arms on the Mustang or the upholstery being redone (using original materials..I might add.) Restromod? Restored? Original? How about drivable, race- able (yes the Mustang makes it to the drags at least twice a year) and fun…yup that’s the ticket.
I guess I’m still not comfortable with the “restromod” moniker that guy stuck on my car. (I bet you could tell, could ya?) More therapy coming up.
I’m always reading where a guy had replace every part on his car and saved all the old parts. As with all things there is line of demarcation. What made me think of this was the new front end of the Mustang and a previous conversation when I was needed to rebuild the transmission for the 2nd time in the Corvette.
I was pretty fed up with the T400R (I’ll share the story when I talk about the mods for the Vette in another post). I had trouble with it when I first got it —only 32K miles, and then a horrible rebuild and on the second rebuild I was considering just replacing with another level 2. A fee of the guys from the Corvette club (ACE) that I belong to encouraged me to keep the old trans because it would be important at some point to have the matching number trans.
I’ve read were some have even kept old sheet metal because of the part number and the new after market ones don’t have that. But there can’t be much value in having an old front valance for my Mustang laying around..ya think? (Ok..fine I do still have it and it does have the original part number on it..but I wouldn’t put it on again.)
So saw no reason to keep the old control arms no value in that.
BTW I had the Corvette transmission rebuilt. This really leads me to another topic I read about in a car magazine. The topic was survivor cars or the most original. That one later.
We all love closure and especially when it ends well.
Mustang is back from the shop. Buying the control arms ahead time saved a few dollars. HINT: If you know you need a part, but not right away, but you have the funds (too many buts???) look for a sale. I’m continually sent emails with discounts from Mustang parts places. I purchased these on an email and got free shipping. What I didn’t have was the spring perches. Luckily I found them at a local place that specializes in muscle cars and in particular Mustangs. They ran about $80 for the pair.
While they had a part I splurged for a set of shocks…no labor because they had it apart already. (Hint: More savings!!)
So I drove over to pick it up and drive it around the corner to the tire place and got two new tires tossed on. I can’t believe the difference the new front end makes. Took it out for a drive. This car is nearly done.
Side note: I’m enjoying this Blogging thing. Although we are light on the comments..Mr. Sears is always helping out there, it’s good fun.
Got to give a shout out to a loyal reader…HEY PDAWG!!! Get me that pic of your garage!!!!
There has never been a clear understanding between these two ways keeping a car alive. Perhaps is not so much an understanding issue as to a delineation of the fine line between the two.
I do agree that there is a difference. Clearly if one were to take a 1970 Camaro and put 1989 front end on it, or a Ford 8 bolt rear end and 351 Cleveland that’s a restro-mod. A couple of car shows ago I saw a 1967 Ford Mustang with a Corvette engine (LS1) shoved under the hood. Oh..hey..I have pics…here’s one and there on at the bottom of this post.
I spoke to the owner and asked him “why” to which he responded “Because I could.”
Sometimes it’s pretty easy to know when to call it a restoration or a restromod. But what about finer changes, cosmetic, or safety changes.
I mentioned, in a previous posting, that a judge called my Mustang a restromod. Which I was take back a bit by. I started thinking about after I posted that and I’m going to have to agree with him and here is why.
I believe the swapping of the 250 for a 302 wasn’t the problem (unless your definition includes a requirement for a matching year block …I’m sure mine isn’t from 1970 at least not the short block) or the dual exhaust. The Center Line wheels…. maybe. Now the rear spoiler and the Mach I mirrors might be where I crossed the line. You couldn’t have purchased a coupe with those items, as far as I can tell with the research I’ve done. But aren’t we now just talking about accessories, like dice hanging from the mirror or a locking gas cap?
Now what if there was just a brake change (drum to disk) for upgrade for safety, or seat belts added or something as simple as steel belted tires.
Where would you draw the line? Drop me a comment and let me know.
If you recall in a previous post I mentioned the psychological hurdles that some (at least I) have to over come when working on our own cars. The one of them was the “fear” of breaking it yourself. Remember? Well ..here ya go….
It’s the end of January and I still had my x-mas lights up….so yesterday (1/24) I decided they had to come down. I didn’t want to be the guy taking them down in June (like my neighbor).
So, I pull the Vette into the lower part of the drive and then proceeded to back the Mustang down. The Mustang takes a while to warm up so instead I just release the e-brake, pushed the clutch in and coasted down the driveway.
Had a neighborhood kid in the driveway so I was keeping an eye on him (he’s 5 yrs old) and I left the door of the Stang open.
Yeah…you guessed it….I heard a crunch and I looked over to the left and there was my Mustang door (good old American steel) stuck in my Vette’s fender!!!!!
All I can say is plastic bumpers saved the day….not so much for the fiber glass fender and belt molding on the vette.
Oh..adding insult to injury the 5 yrs old said..”That’s why you need to close the door..that’s what my Dad says!”
Hagerty recently announced it has teamed-up with LeMay–America’s Car Museum to help develop a new program focusing on education on vehicle restoration. This hands-on learning program has been dubbed the “Hagerty Education Program at America’s …
The German luxury and classic car restoration website GT-A is asking EUR 1,000,000 – around $1.35 million – for the world-famous car. Before you balk, consider that 50 percent of the proceeds from the sale will be going to Paul Walker’s charity Reach …
So I left off with perhaps one of the worse fears, breaking it yourself.
Having it broken by someone else is only slightly better, YOU didn’t do it, so you can be mad at someone and chances are the signification other will lighten up, especially when they find you sobbing uncontrollably, laying on the hood your classic.
I have had that experience with my Mustang. Since kids might run across this blog I won’t use the language I might normally, when relaying this next incident.
I had just gotten the engine conversion done and I was happy. Some work on my part and fair amount of money got me to where the car had the power it needed. I’ll talk more about the modification and conversion later on. I think I had the car back for a couple months and one day…a rainy day….errk………..I live in southern Arizona ….what manner of horrible luck can you have to deserve such crappy timing? I was only a mile from home and I stopped at a red light. 10 cars in front me and as I waiting with them, I glanced in my rear view mirror. There I see a small white pick-up in the distance coming my way. As I watched, I realized that he was coming pretty fast. A nano second later I was 100% sure he wasn’t going to stop. I shoved the clutch in, dropped her in to first, cranked the steering wheel to the right, hit the gas and popped the clutch. Well, the additional power I longed for, now realized…spun the rear wheels, in what normally would have been an enjoyable manner, but right that minute I was wishing for the straight 6 again…(well..maybe not exactly). I was just able to nose the Mustang’s front end way from the car in front of me when I looked up and saw…(this was all happening in extremely slow motion – right now just playing it in my head..it seems like ten minutes at least) this white pickup starting to stop and then I felt the slam from behind. The force pushed the Mustang past the car in front of me by 3/4 of a car length. If I had not gotten the few precious inches just before the tires began spinning, I would have destroyed my 3 month old bored out 302 and all the hard work that went into the engine bay, electrical, and new AC would have been for naught.
Ok I’m going to stop here for the now. More tomorrow.
One more day until Corvette Auto X day. Taking my son with me, he’ll be grabbing some vids and pics that I’ll share.
Thanks for reading and thanks for being able to read!!!!
So restoring or modifying a car will have hurdles, no way around it; face ’em and deal with ’em. I think one could list them for days and still not cover them all. But let me cover the psychological ones that I’ve encountered. (Besides the dual persona necessary to own and own up to owning a Ford and a Chevy….oh, don’t worry, you read the multiples talk to one other…right?…whatever you say….Yes, they won’t have to read that again…we promise.)
Again, I’m sure there are many, but one by one, I’ll list mine and discuss. It’ll be good for us…I mean..me!!!
Most of these stem from always longing for that special car and then finally getting one. Now, if you pick up a “project” car, then chances are you aren’t going to get where I am until at least you have it running, driven it around a while, and developed that special bond. You know the bond I’m talking about, where you’ll do anything to spend time with it. Like, take the long way to work even though you might be a couple of minutes late or the “Sure honey, I don’t mind running to the store for you for the 14th time today. ” I don’t mind missing a little of the game.” That bond.
I bought both of my cars in very good to excellent condition. The Mustang was my almost daily driver, even when it was just a 6 banger, and the Vette replaced my Celica as the daily driver..by design. So, I developed the bond pretty quickly.
This bond drives “fear”, yes, I said it…”FEAR”. Fear that something might happen to the car, a crazy fellow driver, a knucklehead in a parking lot, the old guy that leaves his shopping cart in the parking spot next to you on a windy day. All truly horrible, truly.
But there is one thing worse: breaking the beloved thing yourself. It’s like accidentally stepping on your pet’s paw or knocking your child down while playing basketball. It can actually make you feel ill…right? Are you all following me? CAN YOU DIG IT? (from the movie Warriors).
Remember, I’m the Average Guy. I have a basic skill set; you won’t find me (Yet) pulling the tearing down an entire working engine. At least not alone and even then with much trepidation. I can’t image being deprived of driving my dream due to circumstances within my control; that’s just NUTS!!!!!
If you are on a limited budget, this multiplies the fear 120 fold…AT LEAST. You break it….you have to wait to get it fixed. Then your significant other is going to AT LEAST mention how much it might cost (over and over and over). “The commentary in this blog relates to a fictitious individual; any similarities or assumed similarities that might point to an actual person are merely coincidental and not intended to be projected onto my very understanding spouse.” (Love you..Honey!!!) (pst..how was that…pretty good, huh?..Yeah, that should cover my butt…JUST fine. Of course we have a very nice couch!!!)
Two days into 2010 and everything seems to be going fine, so far. :^)
I promised some details on my 1984 Corvette, so here ya go.
1984 was the first year for the new, much-awaited body style. There were no 1983 Corvettes, depending on what you read, there were a few made but not in production and were sold. Each generation of the Corvette has been placed in to generation categories. These were designated as C1 (1953-1962), C2 (1963-1967), C3 (1968-1982), C4 (1984-1996), C5 (1997-2003), and C6 (2004 to ……).
The C4 took a long time to develop, starting in 1978 (we’ll do more details another time), and was very innovative. For example, it had the Z51 racing suspension (a fairly new development), all digital dash with graphs as indicators for mph and rpms, extremely low drag co-efficient, and all electronic shifting transmission. We’ll cover more later on.
My C4 is red and came equipped with 205 hp 350 Crossfire Engine (more on this engine later on), Z51 suspension, electric driver’s seat, traga top. Here is a picture:
The story of how I obtained the Vette is a good one. So go get a beverage and sit back and read. This is one of those stories that I’ve always read about and said “What luck that guy had…nothing like that would happen to me.”
THE STORY
Actually, it’s a pretty cool story on how I came to own the Vette.
Purchased my 1970 Mustang a while ago (picture attached) and I wanted a fox body Mustang to go with it.
I had a cherry 1995 Toyota Celica with Bella Niche rims and I put it up on Craigs List offering to trade it for a fox body.
I got a call from a lady living here in Tucson that wanted the Celica for her daughter. I told her I wasn’t interested in selling it and she said didn’t want to purchase it but to trade a 1984 Vette for it. (I thought “No one trades a Corvette for a Toyota.”)
In the course of 3 months, it was an on again off again deal. She wanted to give her daughter a car for Christmas, but her daughter wanted the Vette. But props to Mom, she wasn’t going to give a 16 year old that kind of car. In our conversations it was revealed that the daughter tossed a fit and said she didn’t want the Celica. Christmas came and went and in January the lady calls me again.
Finally, we set a time to meet, but still I was thinking either the Vette was trashed or something was up. I was also concerned that the perception might be that I took advantage of her, to me who in their right minds would trade an American icon car for an import? To my surprise we agreed to meet at her husband’s Auto A/C shop. So I started feeling a little bit better, at least her husband must know something about cars. So I showed up and things improved, the husband actually had a restored Ford Galaxy and another in the works. They got better when he stated that the Vette was his wife’s car and she wouldn’t drive it and it’s just taking up space. She bought it but never really drove it.
I was even more pleased when I found the Vette in excellent shape (recent repaint that wasn’t great but not too bad, I grew up in an auto body shop, so I know good paint). It was all original, only 32k miles with the Crossfire engine (I didn’t know much about the Crossfire..but I sure do now as I’ve recently rebuild the injector towers). Anyway, both cars went up on the lift and we looked them over and test drove each others. Vette had very good power, shifted a little hard, but not too bad. We agreed to sleep on it and within a week I was the 3rd owner of the C4. Title swap only.
Yeah, I know, this was one of those deals you only read about in a car magazine.
