Nostalgic restoration or modern niceties

[NorthBound]

I’m more of a nostalgic owner than a modify to suit owner and many of my car buddies have been telling me you gotta do this you gotta do that!
My 71 GTX has numbers matching potential and that is where I want to get over the next several years.
there are a few things I have considered changing like sound proofing the floor and brakes ( bolt on disc) and of course n96 . What are the originality guys opinions , on value retraction and overall feel ?

 

[barbee6043]

I think it all boils down to if a guy is a numbers person, or a day two person, or a resto mod nut or whatever. To me a 71 GTX is a great candidate to restore to original or even add some day two things that are easily changed back. No doubt, the trend has been going toward the resto mod deal, partially as the average age of enthusiast keeps getting younger. Prices of such keeps going up. How many young guys can not spell carb? but understand the how to of setting up FI!? Maybe the older guys now just want total comfort and EASY!?
Who will know what in under your carpet and headliner unless you tell someone. Maybe notice riding down the bumpy road on a hot day? Discs are good somewhat over rated IMO. Adding a non original air grabber hood can add to value and be easily changed if so desired.
Personally I have been a numbers guy.... I got over that years ago.

 

[dadsbee]

What ever your heart desires, that's all the matters. But be advised once you're done doing a full numbers "how it was made" deal you'll be ready for a "please don't let me find a build sheet in this car" revolt shortly afterwards!

 

[Michael_]

For me it mainly depends on what i want to do with the car.
That said i originally planned to do some mods to my charger but realised its to nice for that so i'm keeping it stock.

 

[Ron H]

The engineering over the decades to improve the handling, steering, tires, braking, etc. have been too good for me to pass by when re-doing my ’63 Plymouth. How my car handles and steers is miles better than it ever was stock. A blast to ride around in. I added and refabricated a console from a Lincoln having a display/idiot light bar I rewired to tell me other things, a couple gauges, and cup holders (I got too accustomed to my coffee holders in the modern rides). ALL this could be removed…it’s really when you start cutting up the body or making major mod’s to the undercarriage (which I had no desire to do anyway) that can be real tough to ‘reverse’.

 

[JimKueneman]

You gotta do what makes you enjoy it.

 

[Runcharger]

Car is yours to enjoy. I like the feel of these old Mopars but for me better tires are a must have. 71 GTXs don't grow on trees though and me personally would do it somewhat stock but with what you are contemplating. I see no need for Camaro suspension and a Pickup engine in our old cars.

 

[Triplegreen500]

I love my survivor Charger 500. It's "only" a 318 car, and it's green, so a lot of folks don't like it...but that's WHY I like it. Mom bought a green '70 500 brand new. Green. 318, a/c car - just like mine. Cousin totaled hers in '75 so this is as close as I'm gonna get.

I like the patina.

I love being able to say "it's original".

I might upgrade to factory-style power disc brakes (manual drums all around at the moment), just for safety and peace of mind. I may do other out-of-sight stuff, too - soundproofing for one. I've already swapped LED's into the dash lighting. Little stuff, easily reversed if needed.

I may swap an Edelbrock 4bbl onto the numbers-matching 318 - depends if the BBD keeps giving me fits, or if it stops acting up once I do a rebuild on it. If I have to buy a carb anyway...I'll probably go "day 2" and get a little more zip out of it. It's a 2.73 rear so it's a cruiser, not a bracket racer...which is fine with me. If I need to go fast, I have a 390 lb motorcycle with 156 hp at the rear tire.

If something happens to the paint...I'll repaint it the correct F4 green (it was painted at some point, I'm guessing late 70s/early 80s, in a non-matching single-stage light green). I've got the paint wet-sanded and buffed out nicely now, so I'm not ashamed to show it in public (it had all the shine of a pool table when I bought it!).

They're only original once.

This one...is special to me, because it is as close as I'll ever get to mom's car.

My wagon (72 Satellite)? Is fun. Quirky. And, I have no problem modifying that one because honestly, it was rough when I got it. Original motor and trans gone. Bench seat gone. So...it's a blank slate for me. If it was original...I'd work with that. But now...I'll have some fun with it and make it what I want.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

When I first built my Challenger back in 95-96 it was 99% by the numbers, it was good enough for a class win at a major Concours D'elegance... I did that once just to satisfy a few people who had helped me while building the car... Since then I've put over 100K miles on the car & I've slowly modified things to make it a better driving car, better brakes, bigger sway bar in the front & added a rear bar, better shocks, a Borgeson steering box... EFI, I'm working toward adding O/D... Stock is cool but looking stock & having a better driving experience is better IMO...

 

[F4R/T]

If it’s a complete car with the vast majority of correct parts there , engine, trans , body numbers I’d go back to day one or two and enjoy it for what it is not for what it isn’t... I feel if I want to drive a car I’ll drive my old ones , if I want the car to drive me I have a SC SRT waiting to go... IMO

 

[NorthBound]

Car is yours to enjoy. I like the feel of these old Mopars but for me better tires are a must have. 71 GTXs don't grow on trees though and me personally would do it somewhat stock but with what you are contemplating. I see no need for Camaro suspension and a Pickup engine in our old cars.

I’m contemplating sound proofing the floor , and upgrading the brakes on the front to disc but only a bolt on application so I can go back. The floor would be difficult to go back on.

 

[NorthBound]

I love my survivor Charger 500. It's "only" a 318 car, and it's green, so a lot of folks don't like it...but that's WHY I like it. Mom bought a green '70 500 brand new. Green. 318, a/c car - just like mine. Cousin totaled hers in '75 so this is as close as I'm gonna get.

I like the patina.

I love being able to say "it's original".

I might upgrade to factory-style power disc brakes (manual drums all around at the moment), just for safety and peace of mind. I may do other out-of-sight stuff, too - soundproofing for one. I've already swapped LED's into the dash lighting. Little stuff, easily reversed if needed.

I may swap an Edelbrock 4bbl onto the numbers-matching 318 - depends if the BBD keeps giving me fits, or if it stops acting up once I do a rebuild on it. If I have to buy a carb anyway...I'll probably go "day 2" and get a little more zip out of it. It's a 2.73 rear so it's a cruiser, not a bracket racer...which is fine with me. If I need to go fast, I have a 390 lb motorcycle with 156 hp at the rear tire.

If something happens to the paint...I'll repaint it the correct F4 green (it was painted at some point, I'm guessing late 70s/early 80s, in a non-matching single-stage light green). I've got the paint wet-sanded and buffed out nicely now, so I'm not ashamed to show it in public (it had all the shine of a pool table when I bought it!).

They're only original once.

This one...is special to me, because it is as close as I'll ever get to mom's car.

My wagon (72 Satellite)? Is fun. Quirky. And, I have no problem modifying that one because honestly, it was rough when I got it. Original motor and trans gone. Bench seat gone. So...it's a blank slate for me. If it was original...I'd work with that. But now...I'll have some fun with it and make it what I want.

That is what I reply to most of the people that say i “Need “ To change this and that if I bought a satellite with no engine and trans the sky is the limit but this I would say is 90% original driver. Except the engine right now.

The original engine is waiting to be rebuilt and replaced in the car. I have a 69 440 in it now I can do whatever o want to... for now,And go back original later.
Honestly I think I love it for what it was I’m not sure about changing anything except for reversing time....

 

[Cranky]

I'm not exactly a numbers matching guy either unless the car is optioned really well or is rare. Wouldn't even think about modifying a Hemi car or say a Challenger 440 RT rag top that's fully loaded. Had the RT and never intended to mod that thing however, I would consider lowering it a bit and going with aftermarket wheels and tires or at least widened stock wheels. Like said above, doing mods to the car to suit me and that's not hard to reverse. One of the things I like to do is lowering at least 1" all the way around, setting the alignment specs to suit me and if it didn't come with factory sway bars, I'd add them. Removing 'fat' from them is also high on the list.

 

[Budnicks]

you asked more or less
here are my 2 cents

I say, Day 2 all the way

it's already not a #'s matching

sounds like your going away 'from original' already too

I say make it yours

make it drive & handle like a more modern car
99% of it can be bolt-on stuff
it can still look boring & stock, if that's the desired outcome

it won't hurt the value or nostalgia 1 iota

you can always save the org. stuff too

patina is one thing
safety is a whole different deal

 

[Ron H]

Adding to my earlier post, my car looks stock aside from the magnum wheels and chrome tips. I went with 15" wheels over the stock 14". In retrospect, I think I would go with 16" wheels that would be my limit for my preference. Not knocking even larger wheels, but I do like the looks of a tad larger wheel. I have 15" x 7" Coker magnum 500's on p235/60 radials with about 2500 miles on them I might put up for sale to invest in 16" aluminum mags and redline tires. (If you scan the photo you might see why I'm thinking redlines, lol.) Figure I'd ask $300 or 400 under what I bought them for as a fair price since finding theses used had zero luck finding anything but crappy condition. Again, another mod that obviously can be reversed (I still have the original hubcaps in the attic).

 

[NorthBound]

you asked more or less
here are my 2 cents

I say, Day 2 all the way

it's already not a #'s matching

sounds like your going away 'from original' already too

I say make it yours

make it drive & handle like a more modern car
99% of it can be bolt-on stuff
it can still look boring & stock, if that's the desired outcome

it won't hurt the value or nostalgia 1 iota

you can always save the org. stuff too

patina is one thing
safety is a whole different deal

It is fully capable of being numbers matching I have the original drive train and panels have never been changed , needs an engine rebuild on the original and a transplant back in.that is my issue it is so close! If I were at the 50 yard line decision would be made I’m closer to the 10.

 

[NorthBound]

Adding to my earlier post, my car looks stock aside from the magnum wheels and chrome tips. I went with 15" wheels over the stock 14". In retrospect, I think I would go with 16" wheels that would be my limit for my preference. Not knocking even larger wheels, but I do like the looks of a tad larger wheel. I have 15" x 7" Coker magnum 500's on p235/60 radials with about 2500 miles on them I might put up for sale to invest in 16" aluminum mags and redline tires. (If you scan the photo you might see why I'm thinking redlines, lol.) Figure I'd ask $300 or 400 under what I bought them for as a fair price since finding theses used had zero luck finding anything but crappy condition. Again, another mod that obviously can be reversed (I still have the original hubcaps in the attic).

View attachment 1104858

Adding to my earlier post, my car looks stock aside from the magnum wheels and chrome tips. I went with 15" wheels over the stock 14". In retrospect, I think I would go with 16" wheels that would be my limit for my preference. Not knocking even larger wheels, but I do like the looks of a tad larger wheel. I have 15" x 7" Coker magnum 500's on p235/60 radials with about 2500 miles on them I might put up for sale to invest in 16" aluminum mags and redline tires. (If you scan the photo you might see why I'm thinking redlines, lol.) Figure I'd ask $300 or 400 under what I bought them for as a fair price since finding theses used had zero luck finding anything but crappy condition. Again, another mod that obviously can be reversed (I still have the original hubcaps in the attic).

View attachment 1104858

Wow that’s a beauty . With the advice I think I’ll keep everything to bolt on options and drive it until I notice something I don’t like. Cross that bridge.

 

[barbee6043]

Let me mention this. Since the mid 80's I have owned maybe 50 or more, Mopars. Never kept count. Maybe 75 dunno. Everything from slants to hemis. I had very few # matching HP cars. Yes many original # slants, 318s, polys. But few HP cars as they were usually trashed.
I had a 383 RR once that had never left the county, had maybe a dozen different owners and 6-8 different engines. The last time it got another 383, it just happened to be its original one!
Original is cool. Anyone can build a hot rod, you can't remake original. OK so the hot rod guys will say just the opposite!!!!!