What do you like that is OEM, what do you prefer to be aftermarket ?

[hanks73340]

A lot of great comments above....great thread started by Kern Dog and I have to agree with Jerry Hall's comment.

 

[moparsaver]

I don’t care for aftermarket boobs...The wife came from the factory with 36D on the tag and they are spectacular!

 

[Darter6]

I also do not tax the system with big power alternators and extra equipment that draws heavy power loads.

Yep !

 

[themechanic]

Lots of good responses to the question.

Nick's Garage Kowalski Challenger is a good example of a restoration with a few minor changes to his liking.

I agree with those who commented about changes dictated on whether the car is all original or numbers matching at the beginning of the restoration and the one about what a guy can afford or has the time to commit.

Forgive me if I did not notice if someone commented on this already: what skills the owner has or is willing to learn can also be a factor of selecting a car to drive and/or restore. I could not do 1/2 of the things I read about here. For example, replace a quarter panel or roof. My car had new floor pans and was painted before I bought it. I do not have the skills, tools or desire to do paint and body work.

 

[451Mopar]

Almost everything I own has been modified, except my daughters Hyundi daily driver.
On the other hand, many of the cars I bought never had the original drivetrain in them when bought.

 

[themechanic]

Eric The Car Guy (he's a mechanic on YT) just posted a video this week about keeping your daily driver all original. I learned this the hard way with my 2014 RAM R/T pickup. It sat too tall for a sport truck and I didn't want to install running boards or nerf bars to make it easy to get in and out of. So, I bought the best (read most expensive) lowering kit on the market that was supposed to lower it and maintain factory ride. Yea, right. I hated driving it after that and traded it for a 2015 F150 with running boards.

 

[Budnicks]

What ever suits my taste...
I don't usually or really care what other people think...

until they start funding & paying for my ****
they have no say what I can or can't do, with my car/s

I like to keep the body pretty-much Org. looking
exceptions of hoods/scoops etc.
I sort of like some tasteful touches in the interior
gauges, shifter, belts, adding a console or buckets seats etc.
but not going nuts
I think leather in anything is a plus too (except racecars maybe)

IMO wheels & tires need to be tucked under/in the wheel wells
wheels are such a personal choice
I prefer a little bling, a vintage racecar look too
wider taller bigger, what ever the build style is
as long as it fits under the body

pretty-much everything else is fair game
depending on the car/truck

ignition, camshafts, fuel systems, induction systems & cylinder heads,
shocks, exhaust systems, headers on the right builds,
are all great options
as long as it's not some rare high dollar limited production car
& If it is, then make it look or appear to be stock (stealthy)
(think F.A.S.T.)

I've used & have had great luck with many aftermarket parts
been doing it for about 45 years now
Love the day 2 look too
I like my cars to handle, as well as haul ***
& not look like everyone else's car

a lot more to this hobby
than just one way to build something, 100's/1000's of ways
or some stupid *** opinionated & narrow minded BS
some stick in the mud asshole comments, what he does
or one way of thinking about OE/Org. vs Aftermarket BS
I like an open minded thinking, judge each one, on their own

I like most all aspects, 100% OE & even some customs
be it a fire breathing Street-beast, a resto-mod/pro-touring
or full blown racecar


even a Racecar with license plates, to bone stock,
I like them all

to each their own, it takes all types
I'm an equal opportunity gearhead

 

[ir3333]

wow...sounds like your pretty upset.

 

[vintage chromoly]

I like day 2 stuff, but I like it period correct. (Looks wise, anyhow)

I absolutely hate giant wheels on old cars.

I like them to look like they would have in the period around when they were new.

 

[coronet68mx]

I like my stuff to look stock, aftermarket rims are okay, as are OE style rims that are bigger than stock... Under the hood I prefer that the first impression is stock but if your paying attention there are subtle upgrades...

A/C compressor? Sanden cause it takes 1/3 the horsepower, it runs very smooth & it doesn't leak... The fact it's much lighter doesn't hurt either...

What do you see thats not stock?View attachment 854399

The battery?

 

[moparedtn]

Bumper jack for what car/style?

My '68 GTX.

 

[rumblefish360]

My '68 GTX.

Ahhhh, that jack has a contour to fit the bumper shaped correct?

 

[moparedtn]

I like day 2 stuff, but I like it period correct. (Looks wise, anyhow)
I absolutely hate giant wheels on old cars.
I like them to look like they would have in the period around when they were new.

 

[moparedtn]

Ahhhh, that jack has a contour to fit the bumper shaped correct?

 

[Stroker68]

I like rodded b body mopars. Stock interior for the most part. Upgrades that would be period correct like super stock suspension and a snubber. Battery in the trunk like factory super stock. Hurst shifters. Monster tach with shift light. Upgrades to cooling. Things that were done by guys that wanted something hot. I respect the stock thing. Very cool if that's your deal but IMO stock is boring. Even if it was quick id have to try for more. My car is # matching and there is no way I could leave it alone. Numbers still match and all. Far from stock. Lots of aftermarket parts and tricks. Cool thread. Mopars

 

[1 Wild R/T]

The battery?

Let me tell you about the battery... When I first restored the car back in 95 I bought a battery from New Castle... It lasted 5 months...

It was still under warranty but I was responsible for shipping both ways... Cost nearly as much as the battery...

Eight months later it died again... I drained it and hollowed it out.. Nasty dirty job.... But I was able to put a Oddesey Gel Cell in there & it lasted about eight years...

I replaced the Oddesey & the new one started giving me trouble after about four years but I nursed it along for a couple more years...

Not really feeling the Oddesey at this point but I bought another since it's what I designed my conversion around...

A year later I'm in Monterey & the battery acts up... My friend being the helpful type tries to lift the battery out of the car, but since he didn't know what I had going on with it he lifted the battery the wrong way & the whole side of the case blew out....

I still have it, someday I might dig back into it but honestly I appreciate a normal battery that works...

I don't believe it polyglas tires & I don't intend to keep throwing money at the battery...

 

[coronet68mx]

Let me tell you about the battery... When I first restored the car back in 95 I bought a battery from New Castle... It lasted 5 months...

It was still under warranty but I was responsible for shipping both ways... Cost nearly as much as the battery...

Eight months later it died again... I drained it and hollowed it out.. Nasty dirty job.... But I was able to put a Oddesey Gel Cell in there & it lasted about eight years...

I replaced the Oddesey & the new one started giving me trouble after about four years but I nursed it along for a couple more years...

Not really feeling the Oddesey at this point but I bought another since it's what I designed my conversion around...

A year later I'm in Monterey & the battery acts up... My friend being the helpful type tries to lift the battery out of the car, but since he didn't know what I had going on with it he lifted the battery the wrong way & the whole side of the case blew out....

I still have it, someday I might dig back into it but honestly I appreciate a normal battery that works...

I don't believe it polyglas tires & I don't intend to keep throwing money at the battery...

good for you to look at things the way you do, I've seen treads when they disassemble the old style batteries and they found nothing but junk inside, thanks for you detailed answers my friend.

 

[Kern Dog]

I agree that with some special model or something built in small numbers that it should be kept close to stock. Superbirds, Daytonas, A-12 6 pack cars, AAR and T/A E bodies....
I have never owned a "pedigree" car. The closest that I've ever had was a '73 Dart Sport 340 without the engine, a '74 Dart Sport 360 without the original engine and a '74 Duster 360...again, without the original engine. The '70 XH Charger I towed home this Summer is a 383 car but not a special model. IT is originally FK5 Burnt Orange, a ONE year color.
I do respect a factory stock restoration. It takes more skill to restore to factory standards than to do a mild "resto-mod".

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I agree that with some special model or something built in small numbers that it should be kept close to stock. Superbirds, Daytonas, A-12 6 pack cars, AAR and T/A E bodies....
I have never owned a "pedigree" car. The closest that I've ever had was a '73 Dart Sport 340 without the engine, a '74 Dart Sport 360 without the original engine and a '74 Duster 360...again, without the original engine. The '70 XH Charger I towed home this Summer is a 383 car but not a special model. IT is originally FK5 Burnt Orange, a ONE year color.
I do respect a factory stock restoration. It takes more skill to restore to factory standards than to do a mild "resto-mod".

Sorry, my Challenger is a numbers matching R/T convertible with a 383/727 that makes it one of 516 without breaking it down to silly options.... Of which it has plenty.... I've changed quite a bit & I plan to change more.... I save the original parts & I don't do anything that requires cutting...

The next change will be an overdrive trans..

 

[ir3333]

i'm not a numbers guy or a restorer for that matter.I lived through those golden years and love stock looking muscle cars... reminds me of of the days when they were everywhere.
But restorers seem to have so many detractors?