To Resto or not, How do you decide?

[Ron H]

Having restoed 3 vehicles in my time, and pretty sure I’m done now, have some views from those experiences. Same or similar to others here having done it. My rides were not rare; but I’d say somewhat unique part of classic or muscle care history in their own ways. I like the stock look, but I added options to them available from the factory, that were just not on mine. Semi-cloned a well-optioned Cutlass vert to look like a 442 and my Fury has some Sport Fury appointments.

Full-stock wasn’t a concern, especially as posted, adding some modern features to make the ride safer, disk brakes, FFII, upgraded suspension, later model rear. While more I could do, have no doubt my Plymouth drives better than it did from the factory. Couldn’t believe how much better it handles and brakes.

My thing, after going through the grinder restoring my 1st car, was the condition of the body; rusted badly. Got through it thanks to smarter help from my dad and a friend at a body shop doing some work on the side in my garage, with nice outcome, but after that, I said this was a one and done thing. Next car was from CA, a dream restoring compared to the first. I spent much more cash and time making it how I wanted it, but $10-15 grand LESS than I invested is what I’d likely get for it. Lol, hope that would be about it. But aside from the wheels, and perfectionists looking at it, looks stock.

Your call, but IMO, you have a rather unique car, original BB, Superbee, post. If the body is decent (again MO) it is worth restoring dropping in the 440 you have all day. How you do it? Well, I got my ideas what I’d be thinking of, but they may not be yours.

Ultra-rare rides #’s matching is one thing, envy those who have them, had two back in day I don’t have anymore and that’s my regret not keeping them.

 

[Coelacanth]

I'm impressed by what some people do to put modern powertrains in these vintage muscle-cars, but it just seems wrong somehow. I want my car to have an original back-in-the-day motor with carburetor with some upgrades, but not a modern Hemi. I have a nothing-special Charger 500 with 383 Magnum but at least everything is numbers-matching, but there's not much value-added in restoring it to stock; it's not an R/T, 440, 6-Pack or Hemi (or Slant 6). I also hated the original F8 green color. So, nothing was binding me to restoring it back to original. I had a vision for how I wanted it to look and I'm going my own direction. It's gonna look unique and it'll be mine. I won't sell it so resale value and profit doesn't matter to me.

 

[blue69runner]

Had to through the pic of console in. Just to mention. Take plenty of pics before taking parts and metal off. The come in handy latter. If doing metal work like quarters and things do one at a time so you have the other side to measure off of. Test fitting is a big part of the job. Had a big issue with my back window with the roof skin replaced. Area too tight and the car was done. So had to have one made and oh brother what that cost.

 

[70chall440]

Again it is about definitions, as you can see here some are talking about restoring a car but changing out the things about it that didn't like (buckets, console, 440, etc.). This is not "restoring" IMO, this is what it has always been hotrodding, however some people would prefer to call it "upgrading".

This is what those of older folks did back when these cars were less than 10 years old, "upgrade" the crap out of it to make it a better car or a car that you actually want.

Restoring is returning the car back to as it came from the factory. Its fine if someone likes that but just reading through these responses it is clear that the majority are hotrodders.

Perhaps we need to start a new term, let's call it "modern restomod" which entails the installation of a modern drivetrain (G3 hemi, etc.) and "classic restomod" for hopping up a LA, B or RB drivetrain...

Regardless of what the car is or was, make it the car you really want not the car you think others want you to have.

 

[torredcuda]

Personally I would walk past 50 restored cars to look at 1 restomod at a show. I know what they looked like when new or near new and it is boring. Those are into restored cars typically spend most of their time at a show criticizing everyone else's cars whereas the hotrodder/restomod people are talking about performance, the car actually starts and runs, etc.

Again, totally your car and your call but if you restore it there will be yet one more restored Superbee on the planet, however if you restomod it you will enjoy it far more and have something that is a rolling conversation piece.

Also, restomod'ing it does not mean destroying it, if the fad wears off it can always restored back to an as built condition plus you would have a kick *** drive train to put into something else... LOL

I like stock restored, slightly modified, Day Two and modern restomods. I think even seeing a bunch of modern Hemi restomods gets old after a while just like seeing all 100% stock does, variety is good.

 

[70chall440]

I like stock restored, slightly modified, Day Two and modern restomods. I think even seeing a bunch of modern Hemi restomods gets old after a while just like seeing all 100% stock does, variety is good.

I will agree that the G3 conversions are definitely becoming pretty prevalent however since I am doing one now and have another one to do I am interested to see how people tackle this job.

Also of the various opinions here are obviously a result of people's backgrounds and experiences. I got into cars in the mid 1970's when these cars were plentiful and I had a lot of them. /6, 316 and 383 cars were prime candidates for race cars as they did not offer the value of a BB or 340 car. However I remember many of the previous generation to me were all about either full race cars or bone stock, not much in the middle.

From a practical stand point I just think that a modern engine offers more advantages in many ways. I still have my 426 Hemi, 440 6 pack and 340 6 pack so I am pretty covered with "old school" stuff (although I would never ever again use a carb)...

Again, each to his own.

 

[Kern Dog]

Again it is about definitions, as you can see here some are talking about restoring a car. Restoring is returning the car back to as it came from the factory.

Perhaps we need to start a new term, let's call it "modern restomod".

It is not just your opinion, it is fact.
“Restoring” by definition means to return to the original state.
People play loose with interpretations of the word, probably because there is no universally accepted term that rolls off the tongue comfortably.
Restomod is popular but I still do not like it.
When I hear some dude say he has a 70 GTX fully restored with a turbo slant six and a power glide I want to slap them upside the head.

 

[Ron H]

I’m in the group not preferring a modern motor or other radical mods. Don’t want to cut up a car, all I’ve done has been totally reversible stuff, liking the ride as it ‘looked’ from the factory for the most part. The ‘upgrades’ have been improving handling, steering, braking, yeah, I did some performance build on the original motors adding 70-80HP, old-school things. While some prefer, I’m not one who likes radically lowered old rides with huge wheels. IMO, a larger wheel size has limits from being what I think is better than original to goofy looking awkward.

Was so close to getting a crate motor during my last resto, then thought about just keeping the original, beefing it up…on this, I admit I’m not sure if I made the right call, though the motor runs sweet.

 

[OMTWF-72SE]

No build sheet, no fender tags, salvage title, challenger seat covers because chargers squares are ugly IMO. bored/decked/aluminum head/header EFI RV 440, outside looks stock 72 hardtop with full vinyl and appliance white. Rallye dash with tach. 2000w 8 channel stereo. Makes me smile just staring at her. I didn't consider what anyone else would think and I know my wife will sell her for too little if I die.

 

[ckessel]

I too am in the camp of your car, your way. I'm not worried of offending purists with the route I'm taking on my 65. I intend to not cry when it gets rock chips from driving and not trailering[ unless broke down], I intend to have fun driving it especially when I get it to the track events and autocross events as intended with my focus. Paint runs, crayon daubs, date codes, production amounts, numbers matching are a big yawn to me. There are those who get a woody by that stuff which is fine. Just not my cup of tea.

 

[71RRHI]

If number matching, and all date coded parts makes you happy go that route. Does restomod with modern drive train but stock looking body makes you happy go that route. Does day two type car, stock body but with rims, tires, and aftermarket HP parts make you happy. Go that route. Does 70 street freek with wild paint jobs, shackled up rear, wide tires, and side pipes is your thing then do it. I could go on and on about different styles, but you get the idea.
It's a hobby. Do what makes you happy.

 

[Darter6]

It's a hobby. Do what makes you happy.

Yep.

 

[68BabyBlue]

If number matching, and all date coded parts makes you happy go that route. Does restomod with modern drive train but stock looking body makes you happy go that route. Does day two type car, stock body but with rims, tires, and aftermarket HP parts make you happy. Go that route. Does 70 street freek with wild paint jobs, shackled up rear, wide tires, and side pipes is your thing then do it. I could go on and on about different styles, but you get the idea.
It's a hobby. Do what makes you happy.

We all fall into different camps, shaped by our early experiences with the cars. Older guys like myself, who gawked at the cars in the show room when they were new, and said, "someday..." make up a large segment of the stock numbers matching crowd. I didn't go that way out of snobbery, it's just the experience I was trying to re-create. I ran stock driver quality cars back in the day that didn't need work, because I was trying to make my dollar stretch further. That was when you could by a nice original B body for under $5000.

Those who came of age when the cars were cheap and beat up, and new cars were dogs, logically fall into the hot rod mode. You need to do what works best for your particular programming.

 

[6PKRTSE]

It is your car. Do whatever you want with it. I have never been a numbers matching, date code correct guy. If it looks good, runs good, sounds good, then it is still a cool car to me.
Most of these cars were all raced, abused, daily driven, wrecked etc early in life. The whole numbers matching thing is so overly forged these days anyway.

 

[Bud69]

Wow! I'm so glad I decided to make this post, I've debated about doing that for over a year and I sincerely value and appreciate of your responses. You each bring very good points to consider and some of those I had not thought about which is why I wanted to make the post so please feel free to continue to share your experiences. A little more about how I came into this car and it's current condition for consideration.
My Dad bought the first 69 Bee to come to Dayton Ohio from the show room floor. Red/Red interior, 383, N96 hood with a white stripe. I've learned it was a very unique car that I've only ever seen a couple with that combo. As a kid it was my dream car, I looked for them all time growing up but in the late 80's and early 90's they just werent as plentyful as today with the advent of the internet (Thanks Al Gore...HeHeHe). In 95 I found mine, it was made into a A12 Clone because the daughter whom her Dad got it for didn't like Blue. I always had my heart on making mine identical as my Dads so I began to look for OEM stuff to make it as close to that as I could. I spent years acquiring parts, carb's, hoods (n96) original 14" wheels center caps and beauty rings etc. (NOS) everything needed. Then I bought a 110 acre farm and the car project stopped. I had a family you get the story so now my son is 17 and we are getting the itch and making it to look my Dads has lost some of it's appeal and the Blue is really growing on me, especially after going to Mopar Nationals (first time since 1996 and first with my son) seeing the original colors was an eye opener for it's original beauty. As far as the car goes, it has very little rust and the body is in extremely good condition when compared to most of them today that I see around that was altered in the 80's or early 90's. All the original steel is rust free except one behind the wheel quarter where it has some bondo that may have been from a tire blowout and pulled. I probably have enough original parts to build another Bee if I had a decent body from my collecting. Spare transmission's, rear ends, lift off hoods, etc. you know the story. All of that said the Disc brakes good drivability, handling and a modern drivetrain that will take you to another State on a weekend cruise all speak to me now that I'm 50 and the kid in me has grown up a little. It'll likely be the only time I have this chance to make it my own in my lifetime so all of your experiences and wisdom is greatly appreciated.

 

[diesel_lv]

I love B bodies more than pretty much any other cars. But when people start saying "A12" "N96" etc... all I think about is BINGO. That's all Greek to me. Always been a "driver" never a collector. And if the car I bought from the dealership didn't have what I wanted, I modified it. Even my '89 Toyota MR2 got modified 6 months after I bought it.

 

[gdrill]

Build it to drive it, no matter which way you decide to go.

 

[69ChargerR/TSE]

My 69 RTSE isn’t numbers matching, but if has a 69 440 and 727.
It has the fender tag.

The car isn’t the correct colour and the interior was redone with the none original colour, done by a prior owner.

I added non power front discs, EFI and QA1 suspension.
My original K frame had the lower control arm mount broke and the rear leaf spring mount has a little rust.
Figured it was safer to swap.
I am keeping all the original parts, and will restore them and store them.
I added the EFI, because the intake and carb weren’t original.

If you look under the hood, it still looks close to stock.

The car is fun to drive and reliable on a daily basis.
Anything changed is reversible.

It’s your car, enjoy it.
Others have owned it and did whatever they wanted.
I don’t plan on selling my Charger.

Remember, anything can be put back to factory spec, with money.

Enjoy your car, and do what you want.

If my car was numbers matching, I’d be obligated to restore it.

You have a blank canvas, non- original engine and no fender tag.

 

[moparwacko]

I am basically in the same situation. I bought my 69 RR over 30 years ago as a fun hot rod. Only during my "restoration" it was found to have the #s matching engine and trans still intact. Everything was then restored to as built with the options I knew it came with. I knew it did not have the fender tag nor build sheet at that time. It is verified with all body stamp #s and engine and trans #s intact. So what I have is a true RR, with all provenance without the 2 elusive pedigrees. I didn't care, and still don't. Several years ago I stored the original engine and have since built several 383's for it and now am enjoying it to what my intentions were to begin with - a really fun turn key driving hot rod. I've had dozens of cars/projects come and go in that 30 years, but this one has always remained. It's my return to youth and everything else slips away when I turn the key.
That is worth more to me than "proving" it's pedigree by not having a fender tag.
It's your car,build it the way you want and "enjoy the ride".

 

[68BabyBlue]

I am basically in the same situation. I bought my 69 RR over 30 years ago as a fun hot rod. Only during my "restoration" it was found to have the #s matching engine and trans still intact. Everything was then restored to as built with the options I knew it came with. I knew it did not have the fender tag nor build sheet at that time. It is verified with all body stamp #s and engine and trans #s intact. So what I have is a true RR, with all provenance without the 2 elusive pedigrees. I didn't care, and still don't. Several years ago I stored the original engine and have since built several 383's for it and now am enjoying it to what my intentions were to begin with - a really fun turn key driving hot rod. I've had dozens of cars/projects come and go in that 30 years, but this one has always remained. It's my return to youth and everything else slips away when I turn the key.
That is worth more to me than "proving" it's pedigree by not having a fender tag.
It's your car,build it the way you want and "enjoy the ride".

I think this situation is the best of both worlds. You are able to enjoy the nostalgic ride without the burden imposed by pedigree paperwork. I now have the one I coveted back in the day. I would have been thrilled to have it come back to me looking like it did back then without the other stuff. Car survived as numbers matching, accompanied by possibly the best paper documentation of any existing GTX. I get behind the wheel on a regular basis, including driving to Carlisle, but it leaves me paranoid. /