Phil Patterson writes: Curiosity is the main thing, you don't want to find out
after the fact the car you have just, chopped, tubbed or made into something
else, is a hemi, letter car or a one of one or one of a few car. The reference
materials available today can tell you what your car had, but that info may be
useless if you have a stripped out or rebuild car with no paper work or
tags.Restoration is a lot like detective work in some ways. I know with our
Forward Look cars, it is a little tougher to decode then say, a late 60's
muscle Mopar. I know restoration is not for everyone, but there are some one of
a kind vehicles I would hesitate to modify. Also, I have a friend who works for
Chrysler that remembers getting in his district, a 440 equipped Dodge crew cab
truck that was red with a green interior. Definetly a one of a kind vehicle,
but would you want to restore it now? That is up to you and your tastes I
guess. The dealership pulled the interior out of a late model total that they
had, changed the interior to black, and sold the truck at a discount. 440
powered trucks are rare today, so if someone does blunder into that truck and
wants to restore it, he will have to do some soul searching.lol.Maybe they can
consider the incorrect black interior as a dealer installed option. But some
folks are into rarity, and strange color combos fall into that group. One
question though, if someone would be kind enough to answer. My 58 4 door
hardtop Saratoga is a radio delete car, is this unusual or rare in anyway? I am
the 2nd owner, not counting the guy inbetween who let it set in his yard for 10
+ years without titling it or doing anything to it at all.I would think that
radio delete would be a fleet option like for taxi or police car usage. Only
thing I can see if you're not going to restore your Mopar, at least keep and
safely store the build sheet, if you have one. Most car buyers appreciate any
kind of paperwork they can find. But the bottom line is, it is your vehicle, do
with it as you wish. There is a 57 300-C in this months Car Craft Reader's
Rides. The owner, a Tyler Hall of Reno, Nevada, has a built 69 440 with a late
model 727 tranny in it now, with plans for a bigger 588 cid motor for later.
This car may make some restorers cringe, but at least it isn't sitting down in
a gully somewhere with the windows knocked out.
Lars Larson 56 Plymouth wrote:
> OK for those after a very original car I can see build sheets.
> Curiosity too.
> but
> for the 'refurbished' car, not being restored to OE nuts and bolts specs,
> what info is on the build sheet that will help Joe Average that he cant get
> out of the 6 to 10 old reference books he has managed to collect ?
> And have I seen in the mags a copy of reproduced build sheet that was only
> half readable, or $10 worth?
> thanx!
> L.
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