Do you build your car to please yourself or hold value?

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Joined
Sep 13, 2016
Messages
90
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Location
Michigan
My Car
71 Base 6 cylinder, and 72 Base 351C
Had a discussion with someone today about older cars, and thought it would be an interesting topic for today..

He thinks that for the most part cars should be keep stock, or at least changes should be to the way the cars were available unless doing a total pro-mod, ect..

I think cars should be built to please the owner. I told him some of my plans for my car, and he thought I am wrong for some of my ideas.

I am still going to do what I want. My question to everyone is, do you do what you want to please yourself, or do you keep future value in mind and not stray too far from original?

And just as a side note,  my car is a 72 coupe. Not doing anything crazy, just a 351w swap, putting a Mach I grill and hood on, with front and rear spoilers. Raise the rear some, with different wheels for an old school look.  Possibly going with a non factory available color to be determined, and some other small changes to make this car MINE! (Not like I am starting with a super rare car, lol )

So, just curious about others out there, how did you decide how to build your car, and did future value or original state influence your build? And if so, anything you now wish you did differently?

 
I build my car for me! 9 chances out that f 10 you will never get back the money you put in it , so you might as well have a car the way you want it. For some people that’s bone stock, others , pro street, others like resto mod, and everything in between.

 
Built my car for me. My taste and what I wanted. I love the lines on these cars so did not make any body mods but damn I like to drive a car the way I like it. That is as my goal. Lots of power. Manual trans. Locking rear. And still streetable. I have always said to build what you want as it is your car not someone else’s. I agree with Kevin 100%. People want different things. Some stock, some complete restomod, and others slightly modified.

 
I bought my '72 Sports roof in pretty good shape. I have every intention on putting this beauty the way I want her. I love the lines as well. These cars draw a lot of attention. No, we probably won't get every penny back out of them, that is usually collectors.

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I'm with you guys build how you want it and never take into consideration resale value

As long as i'm happy that what I have done is to the best of my ability and doesn't look too out of place  I'm good

Perhaps if I had a matching numbers rare vehicle I might like to keep it close to factory

Like all 7173 Mustangs regardless

 
That car is your's and you build it like it is. If that means you go crazy and resto mod then that's up to you. If you are trying to make the car as bone stock as possible, good on ya. It is your investment. And like someone else said, you won't be getting the time and money invested paid back in full almost ever.

 
Well, I will digress from the previous responses... Factory original where possible, end of story for me. I have had a number of these cars over the last 40 years. Most were close to stock but some were out there... I recently had a very nice ‘73 vert in the dark forest green that a previous owner added only top notch factory upgrades including: P/W, tilt, Rim Blow, power driver seat (from a cougar), went to a black top from a white top, complete ram air system etc. 

Well it always bothered me that the car was changed from original, even though it was well done and really added some “pop” to the car. I sold it and used that money as part of the price I paid for my current ‘71 J Code vert restoration, which I am restoring back to factory appearance/mechanical where possible.

I also just bought another ‘73 vert in the dark forest green, but it is factory original in many areas. And I will keep that way where possible.

It’s how we are wired internally, to each there own I say...

 
I'm building my 71 mach 1 project to suit myself, with many modifications. as far as value and future values go, on this car I think it will be about the same as if i restored it original.[mcode 4speed at one time] . look at the values of other cars restored vs restomod. it's really up to who owns any given car and what they want out of it. certain cars should be preserved of course. if you "restore" a car with repro parts that don't fit right' look right or work right, whats it really going to be worth down the road? only what someone will pay for it. I have a very original 69 scj 4speed 4:30 gear,manual steering, drum brake, no radio, plane jane sportsroof. since 1992. a blast to drive for a little while at a time. wouldn't change a thing about it. the modernized 71 should be a much more enjoyable car though. I say just enjoy the hobby. if restoring for future value start with the best car and model possible. usually cost the same to restore a base model as a delux model in the long run.and sometimes a free car isn't a good deal lol

 
Built it for myself.

We usually agree that if it is a rare car, like Pastel Blue's big block vert, you better keep it original but the other cars? Nope.

 
I'm the lucky dog that ended up with the green vert that Pastel Blue parted with, that he noted had many added options. I am thrilled to own it, and for me that lack of originality makes it much easier for me to customize it, as I would be very conflicted if it were bone stock, as built from the factory. For me that means mods that were available back in the decade it was built, with a nod to a few modern safety upgrades. As others have said, I am building my car to please myself and no one else, and I could care less what it does to market value.

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Built the car for yourself and not for any other!

I am an originality-guy because that cars are so fascinating the way they were built in the old times and how they were and are. So I want to keep that character! But for me it is allowed to do some little, contemporary additions or changes without desctruct the whole appearance of the car. For my car it means that I added:

  • a original long console with functional clock (original: short version)

  • an AM/FM 8 track radio (original: no radio, but the PO had installed a modern ugly radio and cutted speaker holes in the rear quarter inside panels)

  • a rim blow steering wheel (original: standard wheel, PO added an ugly Grant one, but I have the original one)

  • Ram Air (original: no Ram Air on my '73 351C 4V, but I thought, if I have a 4V and a NACA-hood, it should have Ram Air consequently with TuTone and hood locks)

  • window louvers (original: not available, but it looks damn cool with a rear spoiler)

  • '70 4V cylinder heads (original: 73, but I did not get them with the car, think also, the '70 ones are the better ones)
  • hooker competition headers
  • 2,5" exhaust pipes (original: 2 1/4)
  • straight exhaust ends (original: no idea)
  • Offenhauser 360° intake manifold (perhaps changing to a '70 original square bore cast intake) 
  • '70 4300A 600cfm Autolite carb
  • 274XE cam
  • retractable rear quarter windows (original: manual not available for fastbacks)
  • dog dish hub caps (original: sports wheel cover)
  • 5-spoke cooler fan (original: 4-spoke)
  • rear TracLoc (original: none)
  • front spoiler (original: none)

So that one is no car for PastelBlue but it is mine. And that is my understanding for original with slightly contemporary modifications. It is the car how I would have had ordered it back in the days. For me it is ok, I have not destroyed the cars original character. For others that would be a sacrilege or too less changed.

But I have an understanding for that rare cars don't have to be changed. My car is rare too - there were only 299 T5-Fastbacks which where specially built for Germany in 1973 - mine is one of them and with all its combinations of original features surely a one-of-one without Marti-style contortions. If it was barely touched and only needed some TLC i would have changed nothing but it needs a bit more and some things especially on the engine have been already changed. So I went that route but kept all its unique features and restored it back to original - except my changes to make it perfect for me. Because I have only the money for one Mustang and that will be the one and only!

My father has one of 84 built T5-convertibles in 1973 - it is perhaps the most original T5 convertible in the world. With a 351C 4V, 3.50 gears, automatic transmission and a little over 30.000 miles. It is ALL original - even the paint although no longer the most beautiful. Together with my father I will keep it as original as possible. That is a whole other story and I will never change anything to another appearance on that car. Perhaps even not a refreseh of the paint...

If I had something like that Boss

https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0118-312544/1971-ford-mustang-boss-351/

I would never change anything on that car, too. It is built that way and has to be driven that way. Same to PastelBlue's vert.

My few words to that topic... :D

 
Either option from the title of this discussion should be pleasing, no? Holding value is very pleasing if that's what you're after but turning it into a Space shuttle can be as well if that's what you like.

I'm going to get mine back to stock-ish because it's one of the very last model 73's ever produced (july 6 1973) which in my opinion makes it a somewhat special car. And I do that because i like it :)

 
I'm redoing my Mach-1 somewhat closer in external appearance to how it looked in '71, (now have the correct front bumper, and looking at going back non hockey stripe).

I'd like to replace the two back panels at the fold down rear seat, that the original owner cut speaker holes into. I still kick myself for not buying replacements back in '81 when they were easier to come by then.

There was a change from three speed manual, to a toploader, before I got the car in late '80, and I see no reason to change it back during my lifetime, same with the long gone iron 351C 2V intake and carb, which was changed to an aluminum 351C 2V to 4V conversion intake and carb.

I figure after I'm gone, and they pat me in the face with a shovel, the next guy can worry about changing the carb, intake, and transmission.

 
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I'm the lucky dog that ended up with the green vert that Pastel Blue parted with, that he noted had many added options.  I am thrilled to own it, and for me that lack of originality makes it much easier for me to customize it, as I would be very conflicted if it were bone stock, as built from the factory.  For me that means mods that were available back in the decade it was built, with a nod to a few modern safety upgrades. As others have said, I am building my car to please myself and no one else, and I could care less what it does to market value.

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I bought the car originally because of all the options (factory) on it. Someone did a real nice job upgrading your car in the past (pretty sure the work was completed when the car was in California), I just addressed the safety issues at the time when i got it and added factory appearance items such as the correct Marti rad hoses, fan belts etc. If you did not look at the Marti report or any other documentation, no one would know the car was not factory as it sits... I was conflicted trading it in when I got the Pastel Blue BB vert, but that acquisition was a once in a life time find for me. I now have a replacement green vert, so it worked out for everyone!

 
I am not anti mod... Going way back (1980 -1986), my '71 Mach that I did a lot of "upgrades", outside of factory original... It was my learning curve back in the day. Not the best pic, but the only one I have of this car. I tired to buy the car back 6 or 7 years after selling with the intent to restore it back to factory..., but the previous owner left it stored in a a damp wet shed all those years while he was oversea's. It was gut wrenching for me to find and locate the car only to see what it had become... I guess it made me more determined to save as many as i could in the future and i have worked towards that goal since...

My71MCodeStang1980to86.jpg

 
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I think at the end of the day we're all building our cars to please ourselves regardless of whether we choose to modify or restore to factory specs/appearance.  It's all about what suits you, the owner.   :cool:

Having said that, I agree with the sentiment that if someone has an actual rare car, it would be better served by being restored to be an example of the model's past glory - we need well-restored factory-spec examples not only for posterity sake, but to also have as inspiration for others who might want to restore their own cars back to factory specs/appearance.  PastelBlue's big-block 'vert is an excellent example of this - he's doing an incredibly thorough restoration of a very rare car, and doing a fine job of it as well.   ::thumb::

Owners of less rare cars, on the other hand, have more options at their disposal since the value is just not there for the less rare, more common models.  My Light Pewter '71 H-Code Mach 1 is a good example - there were dozens of thousands of them made, and thousands that looked just like mine did from the factory.  The chances of finding another one just like mine are actually not all that slim, which is why I decided to restomod mine.  Of course, it was a pile, and most people would've just stripped and junked it - but I like a challenge.  I also went with period correct, 'Day Two' mods, for that old school look you don't see a lot of anymore.  But beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and old school isn't everybody's cup of tea.

I like my cars the way I like my cars, and factory specs/appearance rarely suits my personal taste.  Even if it's just window tint and a new set of rims, I gotta have something just a little different than the one I might wind up parking next to.  As well, different cars 'need' different levels of customization, IMHO.  Not every car 'needs' to be slammed with dubs and garish paint... which is why I don't appreciate most of the upscale car customizers with their own TV shows.

I think we can all agree on one thing, though: we can ALL appreciate a job well done, whether faithfully restored, restomodded, or a complete custom.  When someone does a nice job whichever way they choose, ya gotta respect that.   ::thumb::

 
I build the car for me and my family. As Eric said, if you like to keep it original, you are also building it for yourself. That's your taste and I respect that. I like to modernize and add power to my car. That's for me. I particularly like a car that looks fairly stock from far, but in the inside is not rusted, is confortable, is safe and has a much higher performance than stock. I understand that for all these modifications I am doing I may get lucky if I get 50 cents on the dollar (including the sale of the old item replaced). But so be it. I am hoping to enjoy it until I get tired of it.

I respect concours style restoration. It takes a lot of work and skill, but with that type of restoration you also don't get your money back unless it is a very rare car. I learn a lot from the concours guys in this forum, because when I am modifying my car, and if the modification I want allows me to, I will shape it to be as original looking as practical.

This is a great forum and I love the respect there is for everyone's liking. Even for Mr. Foose's taste!

 
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