Why are restoration people so anal?

**adam perth** · 21-03-2011, 03:17 AM

for sure, when doing a resto, grab the stuff as close as possible to your rebuild, and if a part better suited to your build comes along, grab that too and sell the other one if you have to.

one thing is 4 sure, i would rather spend my saturday night with a heap of blokes doing burnouts and running amuck and a heap of tossers in a shed with a car that never moves talking about numbers / rivits / screws in a with a 6 beer limit.

**1BadVan** · 22-03-2011, 12:47 AM

Originally Posted by adam perth

for sure, when doing a resto, grab the stuff as close as possible to your rebuild, and if a part better suited to your build comes along, grab that too and sell the other one if you have to.

one thing is 4 sure, i would rather spend my saturday night with a heap of blokes doing burnouts and running amuck and a heap of tossers in a shed with a car that never moves talking about numbers / rivits / screws in a with a 6 beer limit.

Bit harsh Adam. Part of a full on resto for me is the challenge of being able to do it to a high standard (pride in workmanship). I think sometimes it is inherent in some peoples nature to strive for perfection. I know when I did my resto I knew very well that I would be driving the car and things in it would be less than perfect after a few years or so. But I still wanted the satisfaction of turning the key on my car for the first time and knowing if I went back to 1971 and bought a brand new one this is how it would have been. I can tell you it was worth the effort I don't think anything can replace the feeling (well maybe one thing). It's not just about driving it but also people being gob smacked about the effort/attention to detail that has gone into it not so much the money for me the usual 4 kids and a mortgage. So I guess it's not about being anal with a resto. I enjoy the aspect of researching, talking to people about what they know, sharing what I know and have uncovered.

I don't like the word anal to describe people who are perfectionists. Can we change the name to something a little more befiiting like enthusiasts.

Cheers Dave

Ps Adam if you are ever up my way you will have to come up for beer one day preferably more than six. You can check out the HZ Sandy that you helped me identify. We spoke on the phone about it some years ago.

**stickthis** · 22-03-2011, 06:45 AM

Dave I think that is very well said. I agree. Its not always about letting the car sit and rot for people who do full original builds. Im the same as you. With my HZ GTS I want the feeling of driving it out of a dealership in 1977, the exact way my old man saw them when he was doing the test drives etc at the local dealership.

I think the look on his face when I turn up on his door and say dad take this for a spin will be priceless.

Jason.

PS I do expect him to peel some rubber off the period correct tyres and date numbered rims and splash rubber up onto my new duco and stripes as he leaves the driveway..... Any less and I would be dissapointed hahaha. How else would have they been test drove back in the day!

**ozbox** · 22-03-2011, 10:26 AM

Originally Posted by 1BadVan

I don't like the word anal to describe people who are perfectionists. Can we change the name to something a little more befiiting like enthusiasts.

perfectionist is an excellent word to use for a restorer that is not anal....

i sell old holden parts for a living and i can tell you from first hand experience that there is a difference between an anal restorer and a perfectionist..

**stickthis** · 22-03-2011, 08:20 PM

hmmm I prob know the answer to this one Greg. But what do you consider my HZ GTS build I am doing. Well collecting to do. (should be starting to bolt together late this year when our house sale goes through and I own my shed as I am not starting it until then.)

Dont worry Greg you wont hurt my feelings. Sticks and stones!!! lol

**HJ XX7** · 22-03-2011, 08:37 PM

my van is just a bitsa, parts from all models on it, done by previous owner, gunna cost too much to convert it back to original so i am not going to bother doing it.. i just want something that looks good and is nice to drive.. being a genuine XX7 sandman is a bonus

but when i was into rotary mazda's years ago i spent years searching for the correct parts from japan and australia for a very early RX3 coupe i was restoring, like what has already been said, finding that elusive part gives you a good feeling..

...ray...

**adam perth** · 22-03-2011, 08:44 PM

i guess there is a time and a place to do your research. Power talking at a BBQ for 4 hours straight on holdens doesn't go down well with those not interested for sure.

i think sometimes people forget why they like cars in the first place.

So, yeah do your research, but if you can't find the correct part, its not the end of the world.

**ozbox** · 23-03-2011, 11:07 AM

Originally Posted by stickthis

hmmm I prob know the answer to this one Greg. But what do you consider my HZ GTS build I am doing. Well collecting to do. (should be starting to bolt together late this year when our house sale goes through and I own my shed as I am not starting it until then.)

Dont worry Greg you wont hurt my feelings. Sticks and stones!!! lol

anal is when people will not use reproduction parts at all and want to date code every peice of the car...
an enthusiast will use quality reproduction and doesnt care wether its fuel sender,glass and rims etc are date coded..

what i put together for my hq sandman was not anal yet i had collected a heap of nos as there was not any good repro around when i started peicing it together in 2001.

i had a nos hq gts dash fascia which was one of 2 used for the reproduction of them and i had the chance to buy it back...i took the repro over the nos as the nos had faults in it and the repro was perfect...anal is using the nos with faults as against a repro thats perfect..

so jason what are you...????

**Absinth** · 23-03-2011, 07:38 PM

Guess I'm not anal after all... just a perfectionist..

**stickthis** · 24-03-2011, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by ozbox

so jason what are you...????

Hmm. Ok I will have date coded everything where I can. Heads, timing cover, brake master etc, Glass. All the obvious things that are seen. BUT this is IF I can find them. I have found most things I want date coded.

Repro v's NOS. Its like the ball joints I said about elsewhere. I have some triple 5 ball joints I will use. I have some NOS but have been told there was some old NOS ones recalled back in the day because they failed. Its like you said with the HQ facia I guess.

Trim. I am using NOS vinyl for the seats etc. Yes I do have it. There is repro out there and lets face it 99% of people will not tell the difference.

I will use repro trim for my sandman though. Even though I know its not 100%

So does this mean I bat for both teams? anal and enthusiast?

Ah I don't care my car not yours hahahaha.