Over-restored cars...

[dlshady]

I wish we had video avaialble for sale from the clubs showing "original cars" detailed shots so we could all look at these cars and learn how they were assembled and how nice they were. I know it is not always accurate but it is always interesting to study those "original cars"!

Quoted for truth....

I find it sad that so few Model A owners have an appreciation for how these cars were actually built.

As for over-restored cars, it looks like a lot of folks are having the trouble seeing the difference between "over restored" and "incorrectly rebuilt" (restored doesn't even apply to those cars).


Deron

 

[5window]

As some wise Ones have reminded us here - If we could hop into the Way-Back Machine and return to 1931 (in my roadster's case) and bring back a Model A, fresh off the assembly line, it would be far from a 500-pointer in most judging competitions today. The list of "deficiencies" would be a mile long.

'A' owners sometimes get caught up in the modern hot rod mentality that the more trinkets and gadgets a car has, and the shinier the finishes are, the better-restored it is. (I'm guilty in some areas but I'm doing the research and making improvements whereever I can.)

But here's where I make some exceptions based on "nostalgia": Along with being a "purist" - "just like it rolled off the show room floor in 1931." - I am enjoying my Dad's memory and the way he "accessorized" the '31 Duluxe Roadster he owned in 1940 while dating my future Mom. I'm not going as far as the skirts, coon tail and "extra" decorative lights and horns he had on it (after all he was 19 years old and "cool"), but I do have "his" "running board do-dad", trunk, running board luggage rack, manifold heater, and stone guard (far a while until even I got disenchanted with its looks and yanked it.). I have some 1940's photos in their old scrap books that show them in Dad's car - with "best friends" in the rumble seat - headed for Harvey's Lake near Wilkesbarre, PA. And the old $50 bargain he was driving was anything but shiny and show-ready!

So, I for sure, ain't no big trophie-winner, but I get the greater satisfaction of experiencing a piece of history that my parents experienced and savoring the majesty of the Model A and the life-changing era of the 1930's and all of the images, happy and sad that went with it.

Anyone else here depart from strict "originality and authenticity" in order to make their 'A' fit and honor a time, a place, a special person or a memory? I don't think there's a better "canvas" on which to paint and preserve those memories than the Model A. For two generations, Model A's have been part of the glue that has bonded our family together with very special memories, common interests and great times.

Earle

Earle,I enjoyed your post and I agree with all that you said, except what you stated was a "hot rod" mentality is actually a "street rod" mentality. Hot rods were/are built to go fast and were pretty much stripped down. Street rods, at their worst, feature off the shelf parts, billet, professional builds, etc. Most rods are a bit of both, but hot rodders will tone it down. You might journey over to the H.A.M.B. to see the difference.

 

[Roadster62]

Over-restored to me is ground smooth forged parts, screw heads alined, bolt heads , castelated nuts and cotter pins alined, dead smooth frame rails and crossmembers, inside of frame as good as the outside, powder coated ANYTHING, for starters. Seeing a car would add more to the list.

Please define an "over-restored" car, say a Model A Ford, besides certain parts for which are powder-coated for which they really were not in the first place such as wheels on some vehicles.

Just what really is an "over-restored" car?

Thanks.

Pluck

 

[Marco Tahtaras]

Over-restored to me is ground smooth forged parts, screw heads alined, bolt heads , castelated nuts and cotter pins alined, dead smooth frame rails and crossmembers, inside of frame as good as the outside, powder coated ANYTHING, for starters. Seeing a car would add more to the list.

I can guarantee that if you studied unmolested cars and archive photos, those items in bold would be removed from your list!

 

[Mike V. Florida]

Earle,I enjoyed your post and I agree with all that you said, except what you stated was a "hot rod" mentality is actually a "street rod" mentality. Hot rods were/are built to go fast and were pretty much stripped down. Street rods, at their worst, feature off the shelf parts, billet, professional builds, etc. Most rods are a bit of both, but hot rodders will tone it down. You might journey over to the H.A.M.B. to see the difference.

What's the differenct between a hot rod and a street rod? Look in the trunk, the Street Rod has trophys and the Hot rod has tools.

 

[allen]

Heres my two cents over restore away,if you drive it, your Restoration will keep going down hill until you need to restore it again, so at one point there its not over-restored,
Has for as accessories if henry offed them its fine by me

 

[Bruce]

Our Deluxe Roadster was restored a long time ago -- way before it owned us. Way back then it started accumulating the dodads and shiny bits that many detest. From the front, it has a stone guard, white walls, twin sidemounts with sidemount mirrors, twin sport lights, etched wind wings, a blue-swirl glass shift knob, twin tail lights, turn signals, a deluxe rack, and a touring trunk with leather straps. Oh, and the trunk is fitted with semaphore turn signals that are 12 volt. That requires carrying a motorcycle battery in the ... 'er ... trunk! Upon taking delivery of this beauty, I removed the sidemount mirrors, which vibrate so much they are useless anyway, and the driver's side sport light because its handle bumped the back of my hand when I turned the steering wheel. And I took off the rack and trunk to facillitate replacing a seal in the torque tube.
Jan had a fit! By her gauge, the reason the car is so very cute is BECAUSE of all the filigree and gleem.
So, as soon as I get the wheels back on, I will have to reinstall all the stuff -- 'cause that's the way Jan likes it.

 

[Freddie (Memphis)]

My definition of "over restored"...? Easy....any car that's in better shape than our "Jippy Car"... !

There are MANY over restored cars owned by members of this site...!

 

[Dick Carne]

I'm inclined to agree with Glenn's (in Camino) perspective on restorations. The cars that I have for the most part include far too many cadmium plated (or sometimes stainless) nuts and bolts on the undercarriage, and for the most part, I have strived to be as meticulous as possible in the re-assembly of all of the various components. Admittedly this approach no doubt suggests an "over-restored" car, but as the general sentiment goes, I have built these for my enjoyment and not for anyone else.

My current project has all powder coated wheels (black) and running gear, plated nuts and bolts, and is slated to be painted a non-original deep burgundy and black (with a non-original deep ivory pinstripe). I will also be using a bedford cord upholstery rather than mohair.

Perhaps a correctly restored car would be more dark - black tires, black wheels, no frills to speak of, and few if any detail on bright finishes on nuts and bolts, etc. For me, the raven finish is too hard to maintain on a car that I know will be driven, and black wheels and tires, especially on sport models, just don't seem to "pop" like those cars that have matching stripes and wheels. While I have great respect and admiration for authentically restored cars, I don't think that I would ever care to own a car that would almost certainly need to be kept in a garage all the time. Just MHO.

 

[5window]

What's the differenct between a hot rod and a street rod? Look in the trunk, the Street Rod has trophys and the Hot rod has tools.

Hah! You must be a street rodder. Of course, those trophys won't be much use when you are sitting by the roadside with those custom parts gone awry.

 

[Scott NY]

Picture of original clips, note the runs and built up paint from being dipped, this would never fly in fine point judging.

 

[vinepro]

This is a good thred to read, we all have our own choices to make about how we own and restore our A's. The cars will never look like they did when they came of the line when new but we can make them close. Each of us have our own idea on what we would like to do to our cars but it does not mean that we are guilty of over restoring them unless we are trying to show them and have some guid lines to fallow. I personally do not like it when someone paints the fenders other than black but to the person who did they must like what they did. Is that restoring them wrong or is it fixing your car up the way you whant. I think most people are doing a great job with what they have in front of them.