To Un-Hot Rod A Car Or Not?

[#41]

In the not-so far future I am going to be giving one of my cars to the kid of a prior owner. It has a 440/727 with Eddy Performer cam and intake, mildly worked 906's, Holley 750 vacuum secondary, hooker headers, and a 150 plate nitrous system. It's not a race car as it is heavy with 3.23. gears, but everything is fully functional and the car runs great. Although the recipient is into cars, he is only 21 and with admittedly no mechanical experience. With the headers, changing out the starter is an ordeal and I'm positive he does not have the tools and experience to deal with it. Lastly, he lives far enough away that it's not likely I will be able to mentor him and help him with it.

The question:

I don't want to see the car crashed, blown up or sitting in a field because it too hard to work on. I'm contemplating putting stock magnum exhaust (have a set hanging on the wall) onto it and removing the nitrous system to make the car a little tamer and easier to work on. The tiny, responsible part of my brain tells me to tame it down, and the rest of me says let him enjoy it as-is.

 

[chargervert]

Let him learn how to wrench on it like we did! Let him drive it as is ,he will see what it is all about! Guide him from a distance! The modern cars are so fast,if you want to hook him,leave the nitrous!

 

[chargervert]

PS on cars with headers I use the modern starters and if you remove the steering column you can spin them right out!

 

[1967coronet]

I would leave the headers on and keep the 150 nitrous set up for one of your other cars.
Changing the starter someday on a mopar B or Rb with full length headers is a right of passage.
It has to be done in a gravel drive on a hot day with no one to fetch tools.

 

[Fran Blacker]

Your right about the nitrous, take it off. Headers might take for DMV easier to register. Show him how to put them back on after a few months if he still has a license or hasn't blown the engine.

 

[davek]

I have a friend that gave his kid a 70 Bee 10 years ago. Guess what it sits in the garage with a bad tranny for the last 7 years. Kid is clueless. He grew up with his uncle and me wrenching and it still sits.

 

[Photon440]

Although the recipient is into cars, he is only 21 and with admittedly no mechanical experience.

If he truly is into cars, he'll learn. I was still a teen when I was pulling parts, including rebuilding automatics.

 

[#41]

PS on cars with headers I use the modern starters and if you remove the steering column you can spin them right out!

Damn. I never thought of this. I've already have a mini starter in it. Gonna have to look under the car and and look this over for my own cars too! Thanks for the tip.

 

[#41]

Your right about the nitrous, take it off. Headers might take for DMV easier to register. Show him how to put them back on after a few months if he still has a license or hasn't blown the engine.

Good point. The car will be registered elsewhere where they have inspections, etc. That might be a hurdle of another kind. It's in great shape and should pass any mechanical inspection, but not sure about all the modifications. I guess we will cross that bridge when we get there.

 

[eldubb440]

seems applicable

 

[ckessel]

Sneak one of these in.
MSD Ignition 8732 MSD Digital 2-Step Rev Controllers | Summit Racing

 

[Budnicks]

You can't predict whether he's worthy or not until it happens'
Hell he might shock the **** out of you...
He may grow up to be a great mechanic/shad-tree wrench or more
he may credit you for it some day too...
I knew a bunch of people/my piers that were all clueless
about mechanics/cars nuts & bolts stuff & they picked it up somewhat
with a lil' help
& a year & make specific Factory Service Manual
will be worth it's weight in gold
&/or some friendly guidance, maybe over the phone every so often...

or get him on FBBO

Pay it forward, that's how most of US learned...
I was fortunate I had a stepdad that was a total car guy,
had some cool cars & trucks, was a S/S drag racer, fabricator, body & paint
by hobby, not profession...
but;
Bob he often told me to figure it out & I usually did...
Many a night I sat down with a Chilton's Manual, reading & learning...
If I got stuck he'd give me some clues/guidence or help if it came down to it...
I know way, way more NOW, than he ever did...
Without him getting me into it, guiding me, sort of daring me at times too...
I started with mini bikes & go-carts
progressed to motorcycles, motocross, than muscle cars, then street racing dominance
(he didn't condone it, probably cause mom, but he didn't stop me)
& then full on fabricated tube chassis racecars/drag racing, all over...

But he's was a better welder in his day,
his vocation was a 35+ years as a Pipefitter/welder
he was a better paint & body guy too, at them aspect/s than I'd ever be,
that's saying something...