The following table chronicles my
progress in Maych's restoration. I'll add to the
table as the work progresses, so check back from time to time.
I use the term
"restoration" rather broadly. My
"restoration" work loosely falls into the following kinds
of activities:
-
Fixing stuff that's broke
-
Replacing stuff that's broke
-
Making stuff that isn't broke work better/smoother
-
Making stuff that isn't broke look better
-
Hiring other people to do any of the above that I
don't have the know-how to do, don't have the tools to do, or just
don't want to do
During the course of my
research (more on that later) I have come to the conclusion that there
are 3 basic types of restoration -- Puritanical, Prudent,
and Unique.
Puritanical -- Disassembling the
entire vehicle, then putting it back together so it looks better
than it did when it came off the assembly floor, while at
the same time, striving to maintain originality in every
detail. These vehicles usually spend their post-restoration
lives in trailers and/or garages in between beauty shows.
Prudent -- Returning the vehicle to
good mechanical condition and cosmetic appearance but not striving
to return every part to "factory" condition or trying to maintain
100% originality. These vehicles are drivers, some daily and
others only occasionally (usually when the weather's nice), but they
are always driven. Unique -- This often
involves complete disassembly also but the final product has little
resemblance to the original. These are the
"head-turners" with big wheels, big engines, and fantastic
paint jobs.
In reality, most people wind up doing a little of each
type of restoration -- puritanical where you can, prudent
where you have to, and maybe a little unique thrown in
just for fun.
With Maych's restoration, I'm
striving for a combination of puritanical and prudent,
with a heavy emphasis on the prudent. I want to
keep him as original as practical, but I don't want to restore it to
the point where I'm afraid to drive it. It won't be a daily
driver but I want to drive it often. The puritanical
part of the restoration means I will not be adding anything that did
not come stock on the vehicle -- no HEI ignition, rally wheels,
headers, chrome plated air cleaner, bucket seats, etc. The
prudent part of the restoration means I won't insist
that every part I replace has to be a genuine GM part, nor will I completely
disassemble him to restore each nut and bolt. If I can return
(and maintain) him in the condition he was in after the first owner
had driven him for 2 to 3 years, I'll be happy.
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