glemon
Yoda
Offline
Over the past five years I have restored my Triumph TR250 and recently I bought a BMW 2002 with passable paint and interior and I have been making it run and fixing various bodge jobs done by the DPO. I have to say, getting away from the merits of each car, the I enjoy the "running restoration" more, although I wouldn't really call it a restoration, more of an effort to clean it up and make it work. It is just a lot more enjoyable to me than the tear it all down and put it back together thing. A big part of it is the instant gratification. For example, the shift linkage on the BMW needed new bushings and was very wobbly, so an hour getting greasy under the car (actually a lot longer than that, because I did other things as well, but trying to illustrate my point) and suddenly the car shifts much better, is more fun to drive, and I feel satisfied that I got something done, and next weekend (or more likely the next night) I do a new job, a nice balance of work and reward. The full restoration (and I know some of you guys seem to be able to, miraculously to me at least, tear down a car and put it back together in six months or so) involves hundreds if not thousands of hours in the garage for me before I get to drive the car again. I suppose some of the preference is going to be based upon whether you are happy having a driver level car, which runs good and may look decent but not great on the outside or under the hood.
My other issues with the full restoration, I am my own biggest critic, if I paint a car and there is a flaw, and there inevitably is, however small, it drives me nuts, if someone else painted it, well, I just shrug and tell myself I didn't paint it, or maybe even a self congratulatory, I could have done it better. The third thing is the restored car is of course a bigger worry, door dings and scratches and such being a major concern. Don't get me wrong, I love a nice restored car as much as the next guy, but for me the journey is a little more enjoyable on the running restoration, and please don't be offended, just expressing my opinion, and hoping others will express theirs as well. One of the other reasons I post this is because a few years ago in the hobby there seemed to be this trend or school of thought that was saying the only thing really worth doing with a car is a full body off restoration. I think thanks to Hemmings Sports and Exotic and more appreciation of original cars lately that trend may be going back the other direction a bit, just my opinion, and expressing to express it and also wondering what others think.
My other issues with the full restoration, I am my own biggest critic, if I paint a car and there is a flaw, and there inevitably is, however small, it drives me nuts, if someone else painted it, well, I just shrug and tell myself I didn't paint it, or maybe even a self congratulatory, I could have done it better. The third thing is the restored car is of course a bigger worry, door dings and scratches and such being a major concern. Don't get me wrong, I love a nice restored car as much as the next guy, but for me the journey is a little more enjoyable on the running restoration, and please don't be offended, just expressing my opinion, and hoping others will express theirs as well. One of the other reasons I post this is because a few years ago in the hobby there seemed to be this trend or school of thought that was saying the only thing really worth doing with a car is a full body off restoration. I think thanks to Hemmings Sports and Exotic and more appreciation of original cars lately that trend may be going back the other direction a bit, just my opinion, and expressing to express it and also wondering what others think.
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