Thought of the Day: On Restoring Classic Cars
I have always appreciated that people go through the time, effort, and expense of restoring a classic car. I don’t always understand it, of course: there are some cars to me that don’t seem to be worth the effort. Thousands of hours spent straightening and fixing up an 80’s Monte Carlo doesn’t strike me as a good investment. A polished turd is still a turd, and a restored Monte Carlo is still… a Monte Carlo.
But a lot of times, I see the point. I think the more BMW 2002tii’s there are on the road, the better. Yes, a Karmann-Ghia is worthy of the attention. Please do restore that Studebaker Avanti: there aren’t enough to go around, don’t let it go to the scrap heap, please. They might have made a ton of 60’s muscle cars, but that doesn’t mean they’re not a thing of beauty: there’s a damn good reason the 2009 Camaro looks just like the ‘67: it was a perfect design, stylistically. Find me a prettier car made by a modern manufacturer today. None of them have the character, that’s why so many manufacturers are reverting to “retro” designs for their new cars. Same thing with the ‘08 Challenger: why make another Intrepid, when you have the ‘70 Challenger in your repertoire?
So sure, I get the whole concept of restoring a car. It sets you apart as a connoisseur. It shows that you appreciate good design, not necessarily what’s new and hot. It’s cool. I’ve certainly got dreams of restoring a car one day.
But here’s what I don’t understand: why spend all that time, effort, money, and frustration on restoring a car to better than the day it popped out of the factory, only to leave it in the garage and never drive it after you’re done? It blows my mind.
I’ve got a friend who’s father has a beautifully restored 1973 Jensen Interceptor MK III convertible. Immaculate, chocolate-brown paint, tan leather, fully-rebuilt 440ci Mopar V8 with triple carbs, rebuilt heavy-duty transmission, even has a nice modern stereo in it. Thing is, he might take it out of the garage once a month. The rest of the time he drives around in a 1998 Chevrolet Tahoe with about 150,000 miles on it. He spent years restoring his Jensen, but I suspect one of the big problems he has with it now is that the gas in the tank goes bad in between drives. It’s ridiculous.
Cars, even beautiful ones, have one purpose: to be driven. Not to be looked at under a dust cover, waiting for one day when it might appreciate 5% and you can sell it and break even on your investment. They are meant to be driven, even if only on a perfect sunny day with not a cloud in the sky. Drive the damn car!
That’s all.