Custom or not to customize

No matter what each individual prefers I think most of the owners here have something custom about their cars. Is originality all that it's cracked up to be?

For example SilverFox just bought a semi-custom ride. Looks great! Stormin' Norman's Fairmont is part Mustang and part LTD. It too looks great.

My Cougar is far from original with the LTD seats, home made headliner and recolored interior.

So, what's my point? Some cars just lend themselves to be changed. Many parts are not available anymore. Some cars need to be modified to be more modern.

Do we have any purists here? Those who insist on originality? Good plan if you can but from what I see here most have something improved or not original. How about the change from drum brakes to disks. Smart move in my opinion. So, What's your opinion?

POLL...

 

I prefer factory stock original, but that's not to say I don't like customization. Hey, we can always improve on what the manufacturer's came up with. I can't wait to see that 2 door Buick wagon when he's done with it.

 

I do like the Buick idea and that 2 door Plymouth as well.

I voted no opinion 'cause I guess I really don't care and there's some great ideas. I would guess engine changes are the most common changes along with updated brakes.

 

Believe it or not....I like old wagons to LOOK perfectly stock. However, I DO like more snort under the hood but still looking fairly stock under there. It depends on the car to dictate the direction for me. If the car has a big engine and comfortable seating and, of course, if I like the wagon style, I will leave it alone except for making it perfect. The wagon I just bought was made to look like an Impala SS and I do like that. Even though there is no such thing it still looks to be a stock SS wagon. Your question is a tough one....I can go, and have gone, either way. Depends on the car.

 

There's no right or wrong answer on this one. It all depends on what the owner likes. For the most part, I prefer a vehicle that looks mostly stock ( wheels / tires and a few other things excepted ), but with mechanical upgades if needed I'm also all for upgrading an older interior in most cases, as long as the final 'look' has some relationship with what the original interior looked like (upgraded seats, but with an upholstery pattern similar to stock for instance).

Some vehicles shoul be left stock as much as possible, if they are of historical significance. I can't imagine someone messing with the beauty of an original '57 Cadillac Edorado Brougham.......

 

I like original look with minor modification. I definitely like better open round air cleaner than the black snorkel I had on my 350. Plus chrome valve covers look nice too Other than that and maybe wheels, I rather have stock looking car than custom seats, interior, shaved door handles, etc.

 

Man, I love that Caddy. There was one for sale in the Vancouver, BC area some years back for something like 20K if my memory is right, and it needed restoration.

I put no opinion on the poll because after being harassed by so many people for doing what I needed to do on the Safari to make it functional and enjoyable for us, I realized that it really is up to the owner of the car. Sad but true in some cases - like that black '57 Pontiac Wagon we were talking about on another thread - but the owner is the ultimate decision maker.

I have seen a '57 Caddy as above chopped by a California hot rodder and it looked okay. I don't know what he started with for a car, it could have been nothing but someone else's parts car, but it sure did look nice. IMHO not as nice as the stock one above, but it did look nice. There was also one in a car show here, up from the Seattle area, that was hot rodded but mostly color, wheels, interior and hidden under the hood the power train was new Caddy. Stunning car. Go anywhere car. Anywhere but in my garage due to a deficit of dollars in my car account and a wife who does our banking - life can be so tough for a car guy.

I believe that for many of us our cars are our art. They are expressions of our talent in many ways, and also reflect many other things about us. Some people like Picasso, some like Michelangelo, and then there are the street art folks and those who take photos that are as nice as someone else's line drawings, in their own right. Where people I know will go spend hours in the country painting a picture I'll be spending similar time in my shop working on my car. The satisfaction level is about the same for us I think.

That's my take on it for what it's worth. Interesting to see what people are stating is their comfort zone for acceptable changes.

Barry

 

I am a custom guy, I have plans for the entire car....new interior, stance, & motor......guess I am alone lol

 

The problem with the poll for me is that it depends on what car we're talking about.
My car? Yes, it's a great platform for modification, and to play "hot rodder" as I learn how to do things.
Now if I had a survivor that was not necessarily concours, but in really good shape I would try to continue to maintain it in it's original form. And I couldn't/wouldn't drive it much as a result, which is no fun.
Tbird's car? Oh yeah I would make that one a sleeper and go ahead and put a FI 302 in it.
Or FI straight six.
Hey there's a guy down there that sells those Aussie FI engines.
Could you put one of those in there? Legally?

 

Nope. I can't install foreign stuff that's never been C.A.R.B. (California Air Resources Board) approved.

 

I guess it depends on the owner . I myself , have tried really hard not to change things on a couple of my cars , and I just can't do it . There's always something that can be improved upon .... saftey , performance ,reliability , styling , overall attitude .....

 

No matter how well the factory did, everything can be improved on IMO. Motors, wheels, tires, exhaust, stereo etc....

I do not like whitewalls or hubcaps, especially wire caps(hate them with a burning passion), quiet exhaust sucks, stock motors can always provide more power and no matter how good the stereo system sounds, I can make it sound better. I do not car for off the wall custom jobs, like the Caprice Nomad in the gallery with the 57 Chevy fins, that is just ugly IMO, but subtle body mods like hood, paint, roll pans are cool if done tastefully.

 

I've always liked the idea of "What if detroit made a........" - in essence making a 'stock looking' vehicle of something that a manufacturer never made. Like those 'GTO' wagons, for instance, or a 2-door hardtop clamshell Buick wagon............

 

Although I appreiciate and admire all aspects of pure resto, semi- custom, etc I think my style woud be something between rat rod and 50s style custom.
As soon as I get it running my 87 Caprice wagon will be similar to Stickman's and I have a set of 89 Caddy tailights that I will be putting in the C posts. That just for beginnings!
My kids got me the Caddy tailights for my birthday cause they know I'm nuts! :banana:
Krash, if anyone did anything to that 57 Caddy they should be shot!
The classics, at most, could have running gear and power plant updates but stock is best for them. JMHO of course!