Ok, this might pick a scab, but...

I have a 1954 Country Squire Wagon.
When I bought it, it had been painted a non-original but period correct colour, and had the original but worn out 239 yblock and fordomatic.
I wanted a driver that I can use to take my family out in.
I replaced the 239 with a 292 from a ‘57 (more power and better parts availability) backed up by an AOD overdrive transmission. I also added power disk brakes. It’s missing a few small pieces of chrome and the chrome that is there needs to be rechromed, but I don’t have to worry about scuffs and dings.
It’s exactly what I want!

A local guy also has a 1954 Country Squire.
It is a perfect restoration, original colour, correct interior, rebuild 239 yblock and 3pm the tree, perfect chrome and trim.
It’s exactly what he wants!

neither of us would want the other guy’s car and would never consider a trade.
And Thats the way it should be.

 

Both cars as described could be proven to be restorations/reproductions. The patched car is more of a restoration but would be easy to prove it was not "original". The harder job would be proving the Body swap car was not original. The VIN stamps would need to be moved to the donor frame bits and anywhere else they were stamped. The paint will never be the same. Any time there is welding on a vehicle it can be detected if you want to spend the money to do so. Chemical analysis can determine that the paint and metal used to patch or weld is not time period correct. Now if the restoration shop had used NOS repair panels you would have a more authentic car that would be more original. Especially if you consider that many times cars were damaged and repaired before they ever left the factory. In either case you call them restored to factory standards but not factory original. The body swap would be more of a reproduction as the majority of the car's structure is no longer the original car you started with.

 

A very cool car . Worth 250k not to me if you’re buying for an investment maybe all those details matter. But if buying to enjoy who cares. Money ruined these cars in my opinion. They were fun to own, drive, and work on, most supplied more performance than most could handle! Not many are going to spend the big bucks and then go out and beat the snot of it.
Cars are only original for a short time, many of these cars have had engines, transmissions, wheels etc changed out over time, maybe body work and paint. During the rebuild, restoration or whatever you want to call it these items have to be returned to what was factory supplied.
There are unscrupulous people who mis represent cars for sale, so before buying a person needs to research and find documentation, even then who knows. Like has been stated the vin seems to be where the value is. Personally I’m not spending crazy money on a vin tag, hell it wouldn’t be hard to counterfeit a vin tag.
Rant over
Dan

 

My Olds (avatar) is the least valuable muscle car I have ever built. It isn't numbers matching, most of the options I added, and I painted it a color I like because the factory messed it up IMO. For me, it isn't about an investment for capital gain, the return I was looking for is my pleasure and my quality of life. If it was a restored car, it would be under a car cover instead of covered in tire rubber. I guarantee if it could talk, it would tell you it is much happier than it's museum counterparts.

 

Yep that’s what I’m taking about drive it have fun. IIRC doesn’t the Olds have a couple dents on the bottom side?
Dan

 

According to those "accepted restoration standards", I've screwed up every car I've ever built.

 

Fuckin eh, scab picked. I've been in on and fully restored cars since I was 12. Dad's extra hand in the beginning, painted my 1st complete at 15yrs old. Yes, to me it matters and I'm not alone. Would I like a restored car that tics every box? Some day, and frankly I'd want that to be a Model A. Freaky huh? Let's assume for the fun of it I have that RA IV, it's judged by it's peers as close to perfect as humanly possible. Would I drive it? You bet your original ARDUN valve covers I would. I'd rip it to redline too which is what it was built to do. Would I abuse it flying down a dirt road at 70 MPH? No, that's disrespectful. Would I ruin it because I had to wash regular road dust off? No. Would I drive on genuine tires? No, I'd save those for shows. Why shows? How else would that gospel be shared if they were all just consumable appliances to be tossed aside. Somebody cared for and saved every fuckin car in these pages. I dare you to prove me wrong on that score. What you did with it since is a next chapter. I guess in the end it might matter more to me because I'm in the business but then does that mean I'm not a hot rod guy to the very marrow of my bones. Of course not, who only eats a hamburger every day and nothing else? Band-aid anyone?

 

A friend of mine taught me a saying long ago when I acquired my first project car.

"Pontiac had their chance with this one, now it's your turn."

 

A few years ago we had a 1960s M6 McLaren in the shop. Complete car, but not running from being stored in a shed for twenty years. The owner sold it but the buyer began checking provenance which is a must for some types of vintage racing.
Turns out that this car was in a terrific accident, tearing it in two. The car in our shop was reconstructed from the back half. The front half was also rebuilt in England . The engine and transmission has long ago been sold to another race car. But both cars claimed the same VIN.
Big legal battle ensued in the UK courts. End result was that neither car could claim the VIN and the all important history that went with it. Big money evaporated.
At least we got paid for the bit of work we did.

 

Bitsa
https://forum.porsche356registry.org/viewtopic.php?t=50455

 

I wonder how many RAM AIR IV Formula birds were built in 1970..?????....

 

According to the internet there were 59 RAM AIR IVs total made in 70. So you’re talking hens teeth to find one unmolested.

 

Not sure any RA IV engines landed in Formulas, I'd have to dig thru some old archives. T/As are rare af, I think less than 100 but I might be exaggerating a little. They did land in GTOs, and while it bumps them pretty far up the value scrotum pole it's not like the T/A. Once in a while an anomaly will pop up like the one and only Orbit Orange RA IV Judge conv.

 

I think more than that, but the 59 number rings a bell as in 4spd or auto (they got both). Cobwebs, ya know?