Why are restoration people so anal?

[agr071]

Just wondering why SOME people who are doing a resto are so anal?

Whilst having a conversation with a friendly bloke yesterday, we had been talking about this, when i mentioned that my restored GTS rims are 4/74.
Now he said to me that i should put them EBAY as they would suit someone doing a resto of the same era.

WHY would this matter because you cannot see the date when a tyre is on,so who cares what codes are on it?

Paint colour and interior i can understand,but rim dates that can't be seen?

Another example is (And PLEASE Jason, don't take this to heart, it's just an example), but the headlight harness as mentioned on an ad, is incorrect because it doesn't have a fuse in it. I have by-passed many of these in the past because people put bigger headlight globes in and they melt the fuse holder.
So would this be frowned upon as well, or do some restorers hunt all over the place for an untouched harness?

I am NOT and emphasize NOT having a go at anyone about there vehicle or how they want to do their vehicle, it is just something that has me very curious.

[jennie285]

R and I are doing an original resto as closely as possible. I know we have HQ GTS rims, and the dash is out of a WB and painted the correct colour, anything we could get reconditioned we did in the correct period, (bought most from OzWreck) if possible, and chose to spend more on seats, and door trims because our local guy couldn't vinyl weld...the carby, distributer and diff. are not correct for the build date, but as you say who would know. I guess if people want to do it totally correct for the time frame that is their choice, but it will take them three times as long to source parts, and will probably pay more for these, but I guess different strokes for different folks....

[HK1837]

My take on it Jason (my personal opinion on it).

If you buy a totally original survivor car I think going to pains to make it correct is the go as all the stuff is there, just needs cleaning/fixing etc.

If the car is a bitza, why bother. Just do what Rod and Jennie did.

When I eventually get around to putting my Warwick Yellow GTS327 together it will be bits from all over the place, not worth the effort to do otherwise. However the Premier is that close to correct it is worth it to find the right stuff. Rims as you say is stupid, unless the difference can be seen from outside eg you'd want Canadian 6JK rims for a real early car as you can see the difference externally.

[GTS]

My van is a bitsa....I bought it as an empty shell and used another 2 vans to make it what it is. The body is an original Sandman but it came less motor, gearbox, rims and interior. The only hoodlining it had were the little bits still stuck in the teeth thingo at the back. The engine is a HX 308 and the 4 speed is Commodore ( i believe) but it looks like the original stuff. All I wanted was a van that "looked" like it could have just come off the showroom floor...but without going to extremes like part number stickers on everything etc. I am by no means a "rivet counter" but have nothing against those that are.....you do what "you" are happy with. Besides, if I had of done a full, correct resto I'd probably be too afraid to drive it.....and that's definately not what I want.

[Absinth]

Agro,

for some the fun in doing a restoration is in the hunt for that elusive correct part, these guys are totally anal and want every part correct right down to date coding whether it is seen or not.

some want date correct for whatever can be seen. Moderately anal.

some are happy with period correct, as long as it looks original.

some are happy with just a nice looking car put together with whatever bit they can get.

I totally agree with Byrons take on a restoration.... but if you've got a pretty original survivor like his Premier the battle for all date correct parts is mostly won already.

For my van, as long as I can restore it with period correct parts and it all looks correct I'll be happy.

However..... I have a 1944 Ford GPW jeep that I have been collecting date correct parts for it over the last ten years... wwii jeeps went through army rebuild programs and all their parts got mixed up and changed around.... most of the parts are dated and Ford parts are F marked.

My jeep is an exceptionally good one with a virtually rust free chassis and body and is a rare matching numbers... Ford GPW's had the same number on the data plates, engine and chassis.

I am being totally anal over the restoration of my jeep but that is what is most enjoyable about it for me.... the thrill I got when I came across a Nos date correct fuel pump at the Toowoomba swap a couple of years ago for $150 is just the greatest feeling. I have every part for it now except a correctly dated front diff housing.

[wbute]

Agro,

for some the fun in doing a restoration is in the hunt for that elusive correct part, these guys are totally anal and want every part correct right down to date coding whether it is seen or not.

some want date correct for whatever can be seen. Moderately anal.

some are happy with period correct, as long as it looks original.

some are happy with just a nice looking car put together with whatever bit they can get.

I totally agree with Byrons take on a restoration.... but if you've got a pretty original survivor like his Premier the battle for all date correct parts is mostly won already.

For my van, as long as I can restore it with period correct parts and it all looks correct I'll be happy.

However..... I have a 1944 Ford GPW jeep that I have been collecting date correct parts for it over the last ten years... wwii jeeps went through army rebuild programs and all their parts got mixed up and changed around.... most of the parts are dated and Ford parts are F marked.

My jeep is an exceptionally good one with a virtually rust free chassis and body and is a rare matching numbers... Ford GPW's had the same number on the data plates, engine and chassis.

I am being totally anal over the restoration of my jeep but that is what is most enjoyable about it for me.... the thrill I got when I came across a Nos date correct fuel pump at the Toowoomba swap a couple of years ago for $150 is just the greatest feeling. I have every part for it now except a correctly dated front diff housing.

Ahhhh Jeep owners are the worst of the lot! They get extra excited over that F symbol even though they are just a Willys really! Actually saw a cool one in Denman today Absinth. Pretty sure it was a CJ2A (the one afetr the army one but sstill with the side valve motor and low bonnet). Had the body chromed and a V8 in it and the canvas cannopy on it. Pulling a trailer and heading down the highway. Sounded fat!
The other thing about Jeep owners is they spend a motza of time and moola on the bloody things and then go and try to make them climb vertical hill climbs to prove how good a 4WD they are(they are unreal too). I suppose you should use em for what they were meant for!

[agr071]

Would some people BE that fussy to look at even, say, "the bolts on the bonnet catch aren't from 1975, they're from 1983"???

[Absinth]

Would some people BE that fussy to look at even, say, "the bolts on the bonnet catch aren't from 1975, they're from 1983"???

When being judged at a show..... yes absolutely.

[ozbox]

Just wondering why SOME people who are doing a resto are so anal?

Whilst having a conversation with a friendly bloke yesterday