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When you have a LOT of a certain car still around, like a Mustang, and when you have a LOT of people restoring them, the competition is fierce and so the focus becomes more and more intense, and revolves around those little details.
But all that can blow up in your face. I've seen judges take points off on a car I know for certain was never touched. The problem of course, is that the factory didn't always do things one particular way, so questions always remain.
Striving for perfection can be admirable, and it can become a parody of itself. It depends.
In my humble opinion, finding the correct air cleaner on a rare shaker hood or rare intake manifold is indeed striving for perfection and should be rewarded. Insisting on the correct markings on a fender bolt from a car slammed together on an assembly line in Detroit in numbers bordering 1/2 million,---this to me is a waste of good people's good time.
They are not easy to attain these days.
Personally, I value preserved unrestored cars more than overblown restorations.
The 428 was as big as they were able to take that engine block, so it was replaced around 1968. A new big-block came out, initially displacing 429 CID, but in the 70's it bumped up to 460.
I know a guy who has one of those "7-Litre" Galaxies, which was the 428. He blew it up somehow, but I forget exactly what happened. Either threw a rod, spun a bearing, or whatever, but it pretty much destroyed the engine.
I'm not trying to scare you away. As I said, I actually like these cars but unless you have a lot of knowledge or someone who will actually work on one, they can be a nightmare.
And, they handle horribly.
Yes, the over restored cars don't do much for me. In a lot (most) of cases, they weren't that nice when they left the factory.
I like the survivor cars myself that the owners can actually drive.
If you took a 1965 car out of a time capsule and it was pristine with 0 miles on it, and you entered it in a modern auto show for judging, it would probably lose (if the judges didn't know it was an original).
Downside? Totally impractical 60s coupe---huge car, no room for people.
I guess last year, my first time to visit this event, the guy thought I wanted to enter my car or something :confuse: ...I think I was driving the fintail at the time, which would look pretty odd in a Ford show.
I'm more content with the condition of my old car as time goes on. It would be laughed out of a concours style event, but it runs good, looks good, and I don't have to worry about hurting it when I drive it. It likes to be driven. It's a car.
A 1966 Toronado is everything our HOST says about it. Much better workmanship and far fewer electrical problems.
A MUCH better choice would be a Buick Riviera from that era. Just wonderful cars that have a strong following and support group.
I miss mine.
Do you ever go th the XXX Drive In in Issaquah? Every Saturday evening,a lot of old cars converge there and almost every Sunday morning it's the same thing.
I'm almost always there looking around. On Saturdays a lot of the guys head to the Gaslamp in Issaquah afterwards to eat. A bunch of good guys!
Do you notice any obscure cars there?
I've heard that they're not as powerful as you might think something like that would be. Looking online, I've seen 0-60 times from 8.2 to 8.8 seconds, and I found a quarter mile time of 16.5 seconds@ 83 mph.
It had 345 hp, which also doesn't sound like a lot to me, for something that's supposed to be a high performance engine. However, a lot of the "real" high-performance engines back then, like the 426 Hemi, and probably the 425 hp version of the Chevy 409 and 396, were a pain in the butt to live with on a daily basis unless you were living life a quarter mile at a time. Great for racing and showing off and getting tickets, but they'd go out of tune in a heartbeat, run hot, tended not to be happy with creature comforts like air conditioning, power steering, etc, and were geared so short they sounded like they were screaming even at idle.
I think the 7-litre was supposed to be a more "civilized" attempt at a full-sized performance car. A car that was still a pretty good performer, but something you could still be comfortable driving to work and running errands, day in and day out.
My friend's other old car is a 1959 Dodge Coronet 2-door hardtop, with the D500 package. 383 with dual quads and 345 hp. He blew the engine on that one, too. :sick:
I would like to ask you for your help. Does someone of you know anything about restoration of German Ford Taunus 17M? How much will it cost (approximately), and where i can find spare parts for this car in this area (Balkan Peninsula- Europe)? I have no experience in restoration, so any advice will be welcomed .
Thanks!
Restoration costs are difficult to determine, dependent upon the condition of the car and the demands of the car. On most normal cars a full restoration will far exceed the value of the car, so a simple "driver quality" refurbishment is the best idea, and even that won't exactly be cheap.
First, if you don't put on many miles -- say no more than 5,000 miles per year, for sake of argument -- then the annual depreciation on a new car could exceed the amortization cost of repairs.
Second, The expenses associated with replacing certain items that wear out regardless of whether the car is old or new, such as tires, batteries, brakes, etc., should be backed out of the cost of restoring old cars. The same applies to maintenance expenses.
All the other arguments for restoring old cars, or doing repairs exceeding the market value of the vehicle, are emotional.
This is certainly okay, especially if you enjoy tinkering, but there are certain cases when you really need to slap yourself and not do it.
One circumstance is what I call "the blind canyon". This comes from flying in Alaska, where a small plane enters an unknown mountain pass or canyon, unaware that the canyon will rise, and will narrow, faster than the plane can either climb or turn.
In other words, you are doomed the moment you enter.
If you buy say a 70s or 80s 4-door car for instance, that needs lots of work, you are doomed to failure. You will never get even a substantial portion of your money back.
Me, personally? I will take on a "break-even" or even small loss restoration project, but I will not tolerate loss of thousands and thousands of dollars.
His first choice was a non-running 70s Triumph with some missing parts and shabby paint and rusted chrome. I voted NO because of a) the asking price of $2500, b) the ultimate value of this bike and c) too many unknowns regarding prior history of the bike.
His second choice (or third) was a 70s Norton for $1500 that was non-running, covered outside for 3 years, dirty, some rust, very original looking, being sold by the original owner. I voted YES. Turns out that did work out, since the engine did run well. True, he had to clean out the gas tank, clean up the rust, buy a few parts, buy tires, rebuilt the carbs, buy a battery. But still, he's got a $4000 bike to sell now.
His third choice was a 60s BSA for $4000 that needed almost a full restoration but had a good history. I also agreed YES because this particular model is quite valuable, perhaps $20,000 when done. So there is room for success here. Turns out this engine was soon after purchase, partly disassembled and proved to be in good condition.
I can't imagine trying to restore a car for profit, I just don't have that kind of luck. I'd restore something to keep forever, where a loss wasn't part of the equation...and even then, I would have feel comfortable spending such money, which I don't. Until then, my old car will remain unrestored. It is in "good enough" condition to drive around and have fun with, and I don't have to worry about $5K paint jobs.
As for mechanics, most older cars are pretty simple as long as you don't get into things like convertible tops and heater cores, or pulling huge V-8 engines out. Many older engines can be worked on in place.
So you have to "pick your shots" carefully and not take on cars that have difficult problems.
Things like rust, blown engines**, busted glass all the way round, completely destroyed leather interiors, or very bad collision damage are all no-brainers---STAY AWAY
** exception to blown engine might be if the car carries a commonly available crate engine.
If a car is relatively straight and clean, old paint, even if it is faded or worn, has a lot more character than something new that the owner is afraid to touch. And it can actually be put on the road without worry.
Two, I'd remove the starter and lubricate the shaft the gear runs on, the bushing and the gear itself and try it again.
If neither of those produces any results, I'd say your used starter is no good. If the starter more spins too slowly (starter drag), it'll disengage prematurely. Given that you're running on 6 wheezy volts I believe with that car, it might be best for you to have the starter rebuilt.
http://s1086.photobucket.com/albums/j444/Kielbalsa/?action=view¤t=volvosta- rting.mp4
Thanks.
It is financed through my bank and I have ok credit. I dont want to take another loan out from my bank. Is there any place that does loans for restoring classic cars? There is alot more that needs to be done but it is in overall good shape and it is worth quite a bit especially after im done.
I am new to restoring classic cars by myself and helped my dad alot with his 72' Charger but other than that i am lost.
Easiest way, if you can do the homework, is to run up the engine bill on your credit card, and once billed, find another credit card offer where you get zero interest if you transfer the balance from one card to the other.
Or better yet, button 'er up for the winter and start saving your money.