Newsletter Highway 1

PRESERVATION, NOT RESTORATION

May 12, 2010

Being a hardcore hobbyist who greatly enjoys automobile restoration, we appreciate all the talent, craftsmanship and painstaking hard work that goes into restoring an old car, truck or motorcycle back to the way it first rolled off the assembly line. But still, nothing compares to a well preserved old car that’s completely original.

For an automobile to have survived 30, 40, 50, 60 or more years still wearing its factory applied paint, factory stitched upholstery and factory assembled mechanicals, and for it to still look, drive and perform as if it’s only a few years old, makes for a truly special collector car.

The primary reason that original cars, trucks and motorcycles have now become so desirable among enthusiasts and collectors is because everyone has finally realized just how irreplaceable they truly are. With each passing day, as more and more old cars get restored, fewer and fewer original examples remain. Anyone can build a car with reproduction parts, but those cars that retain their original body panels, bright work, trim pieces and mechanical components truly are the most authentic examples. You just can’t make a car any more real than the way the manufacturer and its line workers built it.

Original cars are superior to any factory shop manual because they are tangible evidence of the way that particular automobile was originally built. They’re the only true guidebook that today’s restorers can use to ensure that the cars that they are restoring are rebuilt in the most accurate, factory-correct manner.

Regardless of their make, body style or engine option, unrestored original cars like these need to be cherished. If the factory applied paint still looks good, forget about the scratches, chips and worn patina. Just leave it as is. Same goes for the upholstery and chrome trim. A few minor rips, stains or rust marks really are okay. After all, once the factory paint and interior fabric is removed, that car can no longer be called an original collector car. Refurbished yes, but certainly not an original.

It doesn’t matter if it is a Corvair or a Packard, a Gremlin or a Cadillac-as long as it is an original, well preserved example of its breed. They are all extraordinary machines worthy of ownership. Preserving our past is incredibly important to our future, for we need to show today’s youths and all future generations the way cars used to be made, and with what type of materials and construction techniques, so they will better appreciate the history behind our country’s manufacturing past.

But if an old car’s condition warrants its preservation, then its originality should be conserved at all costs. After all, chips, scratches and stain are parts of a car’s legacy. Ten years from now, when you see just how appreciative all the old car enthusiasts are of your unrestored collector car, you’ll be glad you kept it original. After all, it’s only original once.