TheRadioGuyUK
Dirt Disciple
This is less a question or a thread about insights of x vs y vs z, what is right and proper etc. It’s more about rationalising your options and why you chose a route.
It’s ultimately, motivated and determined by you and only you - screw opinions about what’s the best purist view of which way to jump.
It’s your cash, time, blood sweat and tears and potentially nightmares along the way (if it’s predominantly steel, 40 or so years and spent a lot of that time decaying in a shed, nightmares about endless rust fixing and seized parts will keep you awake nights).
But keeping that front and centre as the core of your thinking, the path you go or feasible choices can be as limited or unlimited as your skillset, ingenuity and resources (covering everything from fabrication through what tools you have and skills necessary).
There will be times with some examples where you’re having to chose between ‘pulled’ allegedly good replacements or sight unseen allegedly refurbished stuff, exorbitant prices sometimes for NOS stuff that maybe essentially new but time in not ideal storage and simple inherent decay can sometimes end up with NOS parts that virtually need rebuilding due to aged perished seals or worse, or maybe it’s just easier to fabricate where you can effectively or find someone (often retired folks) who can do the fabrication for you to potentially better than original standard and grade. Knowing quite a few of that ilk, many being friends or FofF, means I wouldn’t ass around with unknowns if I could make or get something expertly fabricated by such folks if a decent example is beyond my skill set or means tool wise.
Depending on your target route, you may find the old timers to be as valuable for reference as your toolkit is comprehensively suited for the job. I’ll happily admit to treating the obligatory life story and anecdote's endured as par for the course and often you pick up as many gems of knowledge in the preamble as you do when addressing what you went to ask about. It’s also been a case where sometimes in the process you get epiphany about what you are attempting and realise your grand idea was about as rational and realistic as modifying base elements into precious metals alchemy style.
So unless you’re thinking concours level or very pure authenticity restoration (which can be an endless can of worms situation on a good day), sympathetic or simply a tidy restoration is about as far as is realistic for most.
Resto-Modding, however, opens up so many avenues of ways to go, it’s like trying to navigate the Gravelly Hill Interchange blindfold and dropped somewhere within at random if you get blinded by the sheer number of options and sub routes etc.
If going the R-M direction, please for sake of all things sane and to keep your reality in check, set out your intended end result specs from the outset and then reality check refine it.
If you know where you’re going, what’s likely to be involved efforts, parts and processes wise, it really can make the difference in sourcing a donor with your head rather than that of demented schizophrenic clown.
Whatever you do, especially if you take ingenious and unconventional thinking to solve, you’ll be crapped upon when seeking opinions or thoughts on your ingenuity.
But never forget - your concept, your goals, and making the best you can out of the project is ultimately what counts with an R-M or extreme custom projects.
Unsolicited and requested advice is fine, worth assessing but never forget that’s the extent the giver has any right to define or steer your project.
Be ‘the captain of your ship’ and stand your ground as doggedly as a highly territorial Staff when people arrogantly and maliciously feel the need to impose their views and ruin your progress by trying to be the shot caller.
Take from that what you will, or not as the case maybe, it’s your life, your project etc.
It’s ultimately, motivated and determined by you and only you - screw opinions about what’s the best purist view of which way to jump.
It’s your cash, time, blood sweat and tears and potentially nightmares along the way (if it’s predominantly steel, 40 or so years and spent a lot of that time decaying in a shed, nightmares about endless rust fixing and seized parts will keep you awake nights).
But keeping that front and centre as the core of your thinking, the path you go or feasible choices can be as limited or unlimited as your skillset, ingenuity and resources (covering everything from fabrication through what tools you have and skills necessary).
There will be times with some examples where you’re having to chose between ‘pulled’ allegedly good replacements or sight unseen allegedly refurbished stuff, exorbitant prices sometimes for NOS stuff that maybe essentially new but time in not ideal storage and simple inherent decay can sometimes end up with NOS parts that virtually need rebuilding due to aged perished seals or worse, or maybe it’s just easier to fabricate where you can effectively or find someone (often retired folks) who can do the fabrication for you to potentially better than original standard and grade. Knowing quite a few of that ilk, many being friends or FofF, means I wouldn’t ass around with unknowns if I could make or get something expertly fabricated by such folks if a decent example is beyond my skill set or means tool wise.
Depending on your target route, you may find the old timers to be as valuable for reference as your toolkit is comprehensively suited for the job. I’ll happily admit to treating the obligatory life story and anecdote's endured as par for the course and often you pick up as many gems of knowledge in the preamble as you do when addressing what you went to ask about. It’s also been a case where sometimes in the process you get epiphany about what you are attempting and realise your grand idea was about as rational and realistic as modifying base elements into precious metals alchemy style.
So unless you’re thinking concours level or very pure authenticity restoration (which can be an endless can of worms situation on a good day), sympathetic or simply a tidy restoration is about as far as is realistic for most.
Resto-Modding, however, opens up so many avenues of ways to go, it’s like trying to navigate the Gravelly Hill Interchange blindfold and dropped somewhere within at random if you get blinded by the sheer number of options and sub routes etc.
If going the R-M direction, please for sake of all things sane and to keep your reality in check, set out your intended end result specs from the outset and then reality check refine it.
If you know where you’re going, what’s likely to be involved efforts, parts and processes wise, it really can make the difference in sourcing a donor with your head rather than that of demented schizophrenic clown.
Whatever you do, especially if you take ingenious and unconventional thinking to solve, you’ll be crapped upon when seeking opinions or thoughts on your ingenuity.
But never forget - your concept, your goals, and making the best you can out of the project is ultimately what counts with an R-M or extreme custom projects.
Unsolicited and requested advice is fine, worth assessing but never forget that’s the extent the giver has any right to define or steer your project.
Be ‘the captain of your ship’ and stand your ground as doggedly as a highly territorial Staff when people arrogantly and maliciously feel the need to impose their views and ruin your progress by trying to be the shot caller.
Take from that what you will, or not as the case maybe, it’s your life, your project etc.
