31st May 2011, 16:50
It amazes me how many cars I see at shows in primer. I see one car, a 68 Cougar XR7 winning trophies with cracked bondo and rust, and it's amazing. A lot of uniformed people buy a car needing paint, and think they got a good buy as it runs well. I like the opposite, as I like a solid car with good paint. I can fix everything else.
1st Jun 2011, 11:19
1329 A good quality restoration may last a lifetime if you have a climate controlled garage. I live in the Northeast. I have a rust free car shipped from California. But I removed it. I built a frame 2 car garage as it breathes better than masonry. I have long winters to contend with and dampness. And mine is always garaged. I open the doors on nice dry days, but if you live in areas other than the dry Southwest for example I disagree. Go to enough summer shows and the interior bakes and cracks. The paint you can do what you can. At some point you have to redo. I am not about to POR15 the undercarriage and lose the originality under my car. I guess pay for heated storage is the answer I will hear. It seems like the ones that enjoy their cars the most have great drivetrains and care less about the paint. The "driver quality" car owners have no issue with rain, weather, dirt etc. Having a nice car can be stressful due to the elements.
30th May 2011, 22:38
I had a 1973 Plymouth Sebring, 2 door dark green with a black vinyl roof. It looked very nice. This was back in 1977. The reason I bought it was my younger brother had a 1974 Road Runner GTX with a 440 cubic inch motor. It even has a sunroof which I think is rare. The car is black with a white stripe with a Road Runner on both sides. He didn't leave the engine stock. It now pushes out 450 horses to the back wheels and runs mid 12s in the quarter mile. My Sebring had a 318 but still gave me many happy miles then.