History Restoration Ethics (Your Thoughts)

I've got tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. That's funny.

 

Simple job. The rear normally "hangs" on the shackles. In this pic, the shackles have been flipped. Funnily enough, my T-Bird was like this when I got it.

 

Do whatever makes you happy , its your time & your money !
For me , parts is parts .

 

I found a few pictures to try to help explain my thoughts.

First up is another SBC conversion that was done rather poorly. I saw this today:

The radiator fan doesn't even line up with the shroud. Very depressing.

The other is a picture of a stock 1955 Bird without the rear skirts on it. As far as I know, this is the stock rear suspension and tire size:


Why do I bring this up? I'm thinking with the stock rear suspension and stock tire size that my added flares will look perfectly fine.

Look at how much the stock tire tucks into an unmodified quarter panel. I might just luck out.

 

For reference, here's my added flare:

 

That's more of class, taste, workmanship discussion = just cause you can doesn't mean you should.
I'm sure we've all seen examples of high dollar pro built cars that are just horrible, doesn't matter how much you throw at it - it still sucks. That's the builder / designer / financiers fault.
Also plenty of low buck cars that just nail the look, right stance, wheel and tire, everywhere you look, its spot on.

Best thing we can do is search out those horrible builders and car owners and try to get them into imports / donks / 4x4's - don't even show them a hot rod. If we work together we can steer them away from vintage tin.

 

the cars that are missing the skirts, look like crap. Your flares are a big improvement.

 

Pie crust cheater slicks can work wonders with radiused wheel openings

 

I was thinking the same thing, but I was talking to a guy on here who did it and didn't like it.

He said the quality of the ride suffered to the point that he took them off of his car. He said it felt like the results of mixing bias plys with radials.

 

cut out wheelwells and an Olds rear. it wants to be a Hot Rod. it needs a Chevy motor to mess with the T Bird purists

 

If I needed comfort, I’d hot rod a lazy boy chair.

 

"I'm sure we've all seen examples of high dollar pro built cars that are just horrible, doesn't matter how much you throw at it - it still sucks. That's the builder / designer / financiers fault."
That describes most of what Barris built from about 1965 on with a few exceptions like the Monkee and Munster cars.
Heading to the shop to get my flame proof clothing after I hit the reply button

 

That's not a bad idea actually.

 

After seeing your pics, if it was in my shop I'd open up the front wheel openings a bit and stuff 15x10 steel wheels up there and 15x12's in the rear, wrap 'em with dirt or asphalt tyres and stuff a BBC and glide in it. I'd be all about creating an ex- fri/sat nite bullring warrior and taming it a bit for the street. Something you'd vaguely remember/maybe seeing from the late 50's to middle 60's at the local track. I see it as creating a restoration...

 

It wasn’t ride comfort, it was drivability. There is no ride comfort in a 55 bird, they’re uncomfortable even when they’re stopped. And I’m only 5’10” and 165.

 

They are TIGHT that's for sure. I couldn't sit in mine properly until I got the factory style bench for it. I've got to keep my bench on the floor and all the way back just to be able to work the pedals.

 

>>>The rear taillights are from a 1960 Dodge Dart just like this>>>

They look good on the Dodge. The Dodge looks good to me too. 8^)

 

Yep, I like that 1960 Dodge Phoenix too. I own one in a red and black paint scheme. Was on my way to buy a t bucket at auction and took a backroad close to home and there it was for sale. Stopped and found out the guy just put it out there about 20 minutes ago. Sold paid him in cash the full amount and continued to the auction and got outbid on the t bucket so on the way home picked up my Phoenix. Was only 3 miles from home but I don't travel that road much so I don't know if I got lucky or it was meant to be.

 

Before the day of the internet everything was gold, rare and unique. Now, we have come to realize that it's not golden, rare, or unique. It just different from what we have grown used to seeing. Different color, different engine, different rims. I'm not sure if that an inclusive thing to a grouping or just what it is. Individual taste.
Getting old, fighting the fat, rot and decay of time, and covering up the balding to compensate for the changes that naturally occur based on the depth of ones pocket, that's this hobby. Sure, sometime's the plastic surgery is a fail but inside is what matters right?

It's yours, do with it what you will and the rest of us will stare in wonder or look away. As far as it goes, I'm going to be more impressed if you do it, not by the what, of what you did. High dollar cars don't impress me, what the average Joe pulls of does.

 

I don't see a kustom here, I see a car with some non substantial customizing done, Nothing that says restore it to how some kid modified it in the 60s. This one was supposedly customized by Sam Barris, but I have no documentation other than seeing a bill of sale from a Joyce Barris. It has very top notch metal and lead work. In the muscle car era it got a 66 400 Olds and a 12 bolt Posi. We are going back close to what we know, and pictures seen, but in the end, it will be a big block Olds powered mild custom. Build it, enjoy it

 

Well

Well, since you mentioned two of my favorites in the same sentence, I couldn't help but post my '57 with Annette, perched inside for a promo photo shoot. This was in the early 90's in Santa Clara, CA. Annette was already showing symtoms of M.S., but was a joy to talk to. She told me that my '57 reminded her of her old one, which always reminded me that no cars were off limits . This photo show why all the kids wanted to get Annette into their cruizers.....

 

Very well said.

I finally watched the first "The Car That Ate My Brain" today, and I realized this very thing with Norm Grabowski's T Bucket. It went through several iterations, but it was still the same car. The story with my Bird will be the same.

I think what I really want is my idea of the last guy's idea. He tried and failed. I really want to succeed, and I already have in many areas. I think the secret is not to quit.

That's one real cool lady.