With the popularity of early water pumpers picking up daily, and the stares for sterling return pretty good if you slam it on its belly and fork out on some rims; we ask should you restore before you modify and make sure these cars last another 20 years? Or spend your hard earned getting the chins wagging and worry about tinworm and mechanical woes another day, or worse still, weigh it in once your done abusing it.

 

Honesty is the best policy! So your car is 20 or 30 years old, that’s nothing to hide. It has some rust and a few dings, show them off with pride and let the car grow old gracefully. My Nan has wrinkles but i’ve not got her booked in for botox, we do however make sure she goes to the Dr’s to keep the mechanicals in check! Treat your car like your Nan (these metaphor’s get more bizarre) and you could be onto a winner – unless you’re wanting a show queen in which case get her off to the plastic surgeon sharpish!
 

Now this is as much a criticism of myself as anyone else – you buy a “new” car and can’t wait to tinker. Been planning those rims and slam job since you can remember (or dreamt up the reason to treat yourself to another chariot). But what should you be doing?  While there is a definite argument for the “boring” jobs, the ones no one will notice, ball joints, wheel bearings and oil changes, spending money on parts no one will see is never much fun. Or is it?

It may seem like misery and a waste of money, but it can make MOT’s far less stressful. The pride you will feel handing the tester a key for an old car, knowing when he jacks it up they’ll be nothing wrong will be fantastic. Honest cars are the thinking man’s rat look. Don’t  make your car look like crap, but if your car already does there’s no shame in it.

Hold up! I bought this car to modify, where does the restoration stop and when can i start playing?! There is no rule, or not that i’m aware – i guess if you can hold your head high and say the mechanicals are all good, then now is the time to get cracking! The good news is those service and restoration parts will work wonders with your coilovers, your clean and painted brakes looking far sweeter from behind the wheels you have been tempted to fit up from day one. Well on your way to a decent dub, not a dog in disguise.

 

But it’ll take ages, won’t it. Patience, patience, lets take a leaf out of the Europeans book  (Big Ron’s got it right) and hang onto our cars and keep evolving them. With money as tight as it is these days, no one has a cheque book to throw about anymore and you can build your own car month on month. All to often do i ask “hows the Golf” to be answered with “sold it for an Audi” or what ever the next car to be insta-scened will be.

So what be the lesson? This isn’t school (old skool perhaps) but it’s something to consider before you paint your wheels bright green, angle grind the springs, sand off your paint and stick some stickers all over it. In six months time the chins will of wagged and what have you got left? Preserve the scene and restore before you modify.

Andy

Photo’s kindly borrowed from Flickr – please click images for more of the same!