Restoration vs customization

[ssn696]

You'll never see $20K for it. You'll also never see another nice one like it. If you can sit there and believe you will never part with it, then make it what you want. Don't pour money into it - put sweat equity into it. Search the junkyards for any parts you want. Build you own motor. Learn from doing what you want to do. Four things can happen. 1. College or other education that improves your future, but requires you sacrifice your car. 2. Babies or other education that improves your future, but requires you sacrifice your car. 3. A car accident that wrecks the car (and that you blessedly walk away from). 4. Theft takes your joy away.
At some point, you will have to walk away from the car. Get the most out of the experience NOW. No 'modern' car is going to do that for you. Might shut itself off when your knee hits the key chain. Might get hacked via its blue tooth. Not your Elco. Build it and drive it. For as long as you can. But above all, rustproof the frame and quarter panels from the inside out, and keep the insides of the door bottoms clean! Don't sacrifice the car to the goddess of oxidation! And keep the oil changed on the 200-4R. They don't make those anymore! And so ends the sermon. Pax vobiscum.

PS: I just posted a couple threads yesterday on 350 builds.

 

[Judge Mills]

If it were mine, (I wish it was!) I think a 350 swap and exhaust would be fine. You aren't altering a whole lot, and can easily change back if you think you'll still have it 40 years later. I'm not a huge fan of garage queens, and I think cars should be driven. Enjoy it! I really don't think you are decreasing the value.

For me, what ruins value is permanently altering the car. Things like one-off fiberglass Testerossa side skirts, sunroof, cut out fenders, etc.

 

[Bonnewagon]

Nothing I own is left original, so I say do what you want and don't worry about it. Besides, bone stock is pretty boring, as you have found out. So make it fun and enjoy the hell out of it!

 

[84_SS]

Been though this countless times with my dad (should have seen his face when i installed a roll cage......) i had a factory all original 84 Monte SS, if you aren't doing any crazy cosmetic changes i cant see why just swapping out the engine and rear end would harbor any future sales, especially if you keep it moderately stock looking. You can always just keep all the factory parts you removed and potentially just reinstall them later on if you wanted to sell it as a factory original. Do what makes you enjoy the car, that's the best advice anyone can give you after all whats the point of having it if you don't enjoy it right?

 

[LukeZ]

A lot of good opinions here. I do want to enjoy the car, but I like keeping it looking original. Then again, it's a daily driver, and takes me to school and work. I have kept every original part that I've seapped out for something new, I keep it wrapped up in my garage. If I do any changes to the drivetrain, engine, exhaust, etc..., then I can simply throw all the original parts in there, just to have it. I would like to have fun with it, so I was thinking maybe a 350 swap (nothing much, like 200hp base, without preformance heads, cam, intake, etc.), a performance 200R4 that is sturdier or a 700R4, and maybe 8.5in 3.73s. I was looking at headers and a flowmaster exhaust, and eventually performnce parts for the engine. Look, I apprecite all of your answers. I think I will keep the car stock looking, just not under the hood. And hey, I'm sure I can find another numbers matching SS out there that I can keep all stock, preferably an early Chevelle or something. Thx guys. If anyone has any other opinions, then please, keep posting them.

 

[84_SS]

First thing i did to mine major was a posi with 3.73's and it really woke the car up after that it was a mild 350 (around 370hp) and a built up th350 and man that car was a lot of fun to mess around with.

 

[liquidh8]

I had a numbers matching 78 SS, every available option for the year. Restored the interior to factory specs, body was restored and repainted, had a BBC and a 2004r and supporting parts. I kept all the original drivetrain to go with it. I had fun with the car and just kept things so it could go back to stock it I ever wanted.

Also, you have any pics or video of the LED tail lights and where you bought them?

 

[LukeZ]

Sure, here is a link for the vids.

I made a YouTube channel real quick and uploaded them. I got them from ClassicLEDs, LLC. The owner is Larry Bush. He has just straight up plug and play LEDs which are non sequential, and they are just plug-n-go, and he had the sequential LEDs, which I got. You have to attach them to a wire that is hot, even with the key off. The only wife I found was the cigarette lighter wire, which is orange, so I cut into that, ran it through my firewall, and under the frame of the car, back to the bumper. Maybe Im a slow worker, but I took me 7 hours on this past Labor Day. And don't mind the tie-wraps in the first video, they were just there while the silicon that held the faceplates on dried, which took 2 days. Mr. Bush will send you instructions if you ask him. Just go in his web site to look at his products

 

[pencero]

Enjoy life today. Tomorrow is not guaranteed any of us. There is probably a middle ground between keeping your car totally stock and getting all of the HD parts we all brag we will install when we first got our g-bodies; I suggest you find that middle ground and be happy with it!

 

[Garrett1982]

There is a mint, low mileage elco that has been in the local paper for $16k for the last twenty years.