Stock cars vs modified

[olds307 and 403]

I agree, your car is very unique and in very good shape. Just leave it as is. Basically a gear swap and better exhaust would have been my only mods to that car, might be even too much. As you said your 442 is your fun, fast classic car. My 88 was so mangled and hacked when I got it, wires cut all over and some burnt, earlier 5A 307 without the CCC system, all parts gone, no cat, at least had the factory aluminum wheels. I have decided to say scew the max mileage, will probably still get 20 on the highway, it needs to be more fun to drive, 1/4 block burnouts again. My Wife monopolizes our Challenger GT so I need to make my 88 fun enough with the 350 back in and 2300 stall, a fairwell tour while I make the 70S similar to your 442, with the 424 SBO, a car that goes sideways down the road with just the skinny pedal. Stock is only stock once and even louder exhaust will make everybody want to race it, so just leave if it makes YOU happy.

 

[GuysMonteSS]

For me stock was not an option when I bought my Monte.
I was looking for a fast car and it already had a solid roller cammed 454 LS-6 crate motor with the Doug Nash 4+1 transmission,ground effects and some suspension mods.
That was why I bought it,especially after the previous owner took me for a drive and we started out by going sideways down the road through several gears !!
I would not turn it back to stock even if I had all the original parts.
It's just so much fun the way it is now that a 305 would be a huge disappointment.
But,I do appreciate seeing these cars in their original condition,although I dont think that they get driven as much as mine does.
Guy

 

[pontiacgp]

I wasn't really joking when I posted I could not afford to keep my GP stock, it's almost impossible to find OEM parts for these cars and parts for a GP is even harder to find. To get parts from the US kills us with the exchange and shipping so I'd rather put that money into upgrading the GP.

 

[PBGBodyFan]

I'm ok with not modifying a car but yet to live by those words. Nothing wrong with keeping something stock, if you enjoy driving it the way it is, that's all that matters. I'm enjoying driving my wagon in stock form, although I'm already doing minor things to it, it's been so long since having a stock g-body especially a low option one. That will change but doesn't make me want to drive it less because it's stock. Most car guys like to tinker and and do stuff to their cars, so keeping something original is hard. The market for resto-mod type stuff seems stronger lately but keeping something stock will never go out of style or be dated. Mods done to a car generally age, some more than others and it might take time but anything built in a certain time period can look dated unless changes keep getting made, although can still cool in it's own way if it's a "period build", sometimes. Plus the money put into modifying a car rarely will be made back on it although that's a different topic.

If I had more room/money I'd have more cars for sure and I wouldn't be modifying them all, I'd have several in stock form to just maintain and cruise around in. Agreed, not everything needs to be messed with. And I'll echo some people shouldn't be messing with cars either who do. Enough aborted projects or hack work where it would of been better off for all (and the car) to be left alone. I think as I get older I am more accepting/appreciating of any older car that has been maintained well, whether it's modified heavily or just a survivor.

 

[1320John$$$]

It all comes down to what you consider a modification wheels tires engine radios body transmission suspension. I myself bracket race all my car that puts me one category be consistent fast cars don’t always win bracket races consistent cars do
I never claimed to be a street racer but I did play one on TV
And stickers do add horsepower

 

[Dayzedandkonfuzed]

I would get bored real fast if I am not modifying a car, plus I need to have something with at least respectable power.

X2, I get bored with cars fast. If I wasn't capable of modifying cars, I think I would drive something different every month. Even my daily needs to have an upper hand over its stock brethren, but first I need to make my jetta keep up to them lol

 

[-83MONTESS-]

Meh maybe with cars that aren't G-bodies. Every G-body came from the factory slow, that doesn't do anything for me. Even the Grand Nationals, which were fast in the day, are slow by today's standards. Believe me I get crap usually from the other side for "ruining an aerocoupe". 0-60 in 9 seconds and a 16 second quarter mile is all I have to say about that.

I can't remember who said it but I guess I resort to the phrase "they make an aftermarket for a reason".

 

[lilbowtie]

Am I the only one who's OK with not modifying the living crap out of every aspect of an old car? When did 'performance' become the only quality that matters in how cool a car is?

I'm with you !!

 

[pagrunt]

There are always reversible "Day Two" mods so down the road it can go back to or near original. But most A/G's by this time have had some sort of change/abuse done to them so does it really matter just as long as you enjoy it they way you want it.

 

[Turbolq4]

Personally, I think it's a mixture of what the car is, and, why someone bought it.

Some cars are worth preserving stock because of the rarity. Personally, I'd hope to see a car like yours remain in that category due to the number that likely survived in its condition.

Me? I've got a bunch of cars that meet various needs/desires. Family hauler? Bone stock 87 suburban v10 for that. Speed/cornering in a daily driver? S197/s550 mustangs full the role. Various gbodies, mostly stock.

You know a favorite to drive? My 77 c10, 4.1l inline 6, 3spd. It's slow, you don't take almost 5000# and add 100-some odd hp and get there quickly. But I love driving it, and it has enough torque and gearing to get out of its way even if there's no performance side to it. Even with its cosmetic issues, everyone tells me swap a (insert sbc 350, 454, lsx, you name it) in place of the 1bbl inliner.

Reality is, i enjoy driving it how it is, and that's all that matters.

Your car, if you enjoy driving it, that's also all that matters. Let someone else 5spd swap whatever they want to buy.

Swap a 4.2 inline 6 from one of those trailblazers. Some originality in both directions.